Victorious Rider



Revelation 19:11-21
11Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. 17Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, 18to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.” 19And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. 20And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.

Our reading for today describes two banquets that going to take place because the Victorious Christ has arrived. Jesus arrives on a white horse, clothed in the blood of both Himself and His defeated enemies. He is called The Word of God. John uses this name for Jesus in all of his writings (John 1:1, 1 John 1:1, Revelation 19:13). Clearly this is an important concept for John and one which rather boggles the mind. This designation for Jesus is one that makes the study of His Word even more exciting and interesting for with that Word we are able to communicate with God. We hear His voice, without question when we read His Word.

Jesus comes back in three distinct roles. He is our Warrior, our King, and our Shepherd. Only Jesus fulfills all of our needs and these three roles prove that yet again.

“Thus in several figurative thoughts the Son of Man coming at the End in judgment comes as the victorious Warrior wielding the sword of justice, as the King with his ruler’s scepter, as the Shepherd employing his staff as a rod to separate his sheep from the pagan nations before executing that justice, and perhaps the added figure, implied by way of the quote from Psalm 2:9, that like a potter he will shatter those earthen vessels that displeased him (Jeremiah 18:1–10; Romans 9:19–24).”
Brighton, L. A. ©1999. Revelation (p. 516). St. Louis, MO: Concordia Pub. House.

As I said earlier, there are two banquets about to take place. First we have the wedding banquet as Christ comes to claim His Bride, the Church. This is a lavish feast that goes on for eternity. More will be said of that in the concluding chapters of Revelation. Here in these verse another more gruesome banquet is also described as the birds of prey are called upon by “an angel standing in the sun” to come and feast upon the dead bodies of God’s enemies. The wrath of God is a gruesome thing and we deny that part of His character to our peril.

“Any view of God which eliminates judgment and his hatred of sin in the interest of an emasculated doctrine of sentimental affection finds no support in the strong and virile realism of the Apocalypse.”
Mounce, Robert H. ©1977 The Book of Revelation. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. (p.347). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,

The End is in progress and we cannot make light of these realities. While we feast with the Lamb, other more horrifying realities will also play out and we worship the God who is the Author of both sides of this coin.

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