The King is Coming! – Revelation 19:11-21

Review of previous message.

• The chapter divides into two main sections. In Vs. 1-10 we have the worship in heaven over the fall of Antichrist’s empire (Babylon) and then the description of the second coming of Christ in Vs. 11-21.
• The second coming of Christ is a MAJOR theme of the Scriptures. There are around 1800 prophecies of Christ’s second coming in the O.T. For every one prophecy about the first coming of Christ, there are eight prophecies about the second coming of Christ. In the N.T. there are over 300 references to the return of Jesus Christ. (Dr. R. Jeffress)

The Rapture and the Revelation contrasted (Denis Lyle):

• In essence the Rapture will introduce the Great Tribulation while the Second Coming will conclude it. At the Rapture Christ comes in the air (1 Thess. 4:16); at the Second advent Christ comes to the earth (Zech. 14:4). At the Rapture, the Mount of Olives will remain intact, at the Second Coming, it will be split in two (Zech. 14:4) At the Rapture, believers will be transformed (1 Cor. 15:52); at the Second Coming, no- one will be transformed. At the Rapture, Christ Comes for His saints; at the Second Coming, Christ comes with His saints (1 Thess. 3:13; Jude 14).
• Christ’s Coming for His saints is never said to be preceded by Signs in the heavens, but Christ’s Coming with His saints will be preceded by some definite signs (Matt 24:29-30). The Rapture is presented as a time of blessing (1 Thess. 4:18); the Second Coming is presented as a time of Judgement (2 Thess. 1:8-12). The Rapture seems to involve the church primarily (1 Cor 15:51) The Second Coming seems to involve Israel and the Gentile Nations (Matt 24:1 25:46). Scripturally speaking the “Come up hither,” (Rev 4:1) is the Rapture, but the appearance of the White Horse Rider and His armies in Rev 19:11 is the Revelation of the Lord Jesus.

In the previous sermon (Wedding Bells Ring out in Heaven – Revelation 19:1-10) :

• The Worship Before His Coming (Vs. 1-6)
• The Wedding Before His Coming (Vs. 7-10)

The Wonder of His Coming (VS. 11-16)

These verses describe the moment believers long and hope for. They describe the coming of Christ the Warrior-King in power and great glory.

The Description of the King (Vs. 11-15)

Christ is pictured as…

1. The Victorious One – “behold a white horse” (Vs. 11a). The horse symbolizes victory, the picture of a conquering King. The color white signifies Christ’s holiness and righteousness.
   1. The white horse is a picture of a victorious, conquering King.
   2. At Christ’s first coming, He rode on a donkey; at his Second Coming, He rides upon a white horse. At His first coming, Christ was revealed in rejection, humiliation, suffering and death. At His Second coming His return is one of triumph, glory, sovereignty, and majesty. (Walvoord)
   3. In Rev. 6:2, the Antichrist rode a white horse pretending to be the Messiah but now the true Messiah comes to conquer the pretender prince.
2. The Just One – “in righteousness he doth judge and make war” (Vs. 11b) “A righteous war is a war against unrighteousness.” (Cloud)
3. The Omniscient One – “His eyes were as a flame of fire” (Vs. 12a) John used the same description in Rev. 1:14. Nothing is hidden from the eyes of Christ (Heb. 4:13).
4. The Sovereign One – “on his head were many crowns” (Vs. 12b) Speaks of His unlimited authority and majesty. The dragon wears seven crowns for a brief time in this world (Rev. 12:3; 13:1) but Christ will rule and reign for all eternity.
5. The Conquering One – “clothed with a vesture dipped in blood” (Vs. 13a) Pictures the blood of the slain (See Is. 63:1-6). At Christ’s first coming He shed His own blood for sinners that they might be saved but at His second coming He will shed the blood of sinners that they might be damned.
6. The Followed One (Vs. 14) Notice that the church is already with Christ! At the rapture Christ comes for the church at the Second coming He comes with the church.
7. The Judging One (Vs. 15)
   1. A Sharp Sword – the word for ‘sword’ indicates one unusually large and longer than most swords (Walvoord). It is symbolic of the Word of God. The Christ who spoke the world into existence will smite His enemies with the power of His spoken Word. The war will be won with a word, the word of Christ.
   2. An Iron Rod – Christ’s reign will be according to His Divine standard of truth. It will be inflexible, absolute, unchangeable and uncompromising. The rod of iron “represents unyielding, absolute government under which everyone is required to conform to the righteous standards of God.” (Walvoord)
   3. A Crushing Foot – the figure of the winepress presents a graphic picture of the judgment of Armageddon. Christ will trample His enemies under feet. See Rev. 14:17-20; 16:13-16. Walvoord writes, “All of these passages point to the sad conclusion that in the day of judgment it is too late for anyone to expect the mercy of God. There is nothing more inflexible than divine judgment where grace has been spurned. The scene of awful judgment that comes from this background is in flat contradiction of the modern idea that God is dominated entirely by His attribute of love.”
   4. Note: This takes place in ‘Armageddon’, located in the great plain of Megiddo southwest of the Sea of Galilee (Cloud). The word means “the hill of Megiddo” and the word ‘Megiddo’ means “place of troops” or “place of slaughter”. It is also called the Valley of Jezreel. The area is about fourteen miles wide and twenty miles long, and forms what Napolean called “the most natural battlefield of the whole earth.” (Wiersbe)

The Designations of the King (Vs. 11b, 12b, 13b, 16)

There are four names of Christ in these verses:

1. Faithful and True (Vs. 11b). The word ‘faithful’ means Christ is dependable and trustworthy. The word ‘true’ reminds us that Christ is truth and His Word is truth. All He has spoken is absolutely sure.
2. The secret name (Vs. 12b)
3. The Word of God (Vs. 13b) See John 1:1-3
4. KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS (Vs. 16)
   1. This is written on Christ’s robe and on the garments covering His thigh.
   2. Note: The idea promoted by some in the contemporary Christian scene that this is some sort of tattoo emblazed on Christ’s bear thigh is not only blasphemous, it is simply unscriptural to interpret it that way. Rev. 1:13 states that Christ is “clothed with a garment down to the foot.” Swete writes, “This name of Christ is displayed on the most exposed part of his cloak, the part that covers the thigh.”

The War at His Coming (Vs. 17-21)

The Declaration to the Birds (Vs. 17-18)

1. The Angel’s Location (Vs. 17a)
   1. The angel stands in a place visible to the whole world. The phrase likely means he stands in the light of the sun above the earth.
   2. His invitation goes to “all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven” so this is no ordinary event. Interestingly, millions of predatory birds migrate annually from Africa to Europe and Israel is in their flight path.
2. The Angel’s Invitation (Vs. 17b-18)
   1. “the supper of the great God” = the description of the feast. Note that there are two suppers in this chapter:
      1. The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
      2. The Supper of the Great God
      3. Challenge: Which supper will you be attending? “The first invitation is to be coveted; the second to be dreaded. The first is an invitation to come and eat, the second is to come and be eaten.” (Dr. R. Jeffress)
   2. “That ye may eat the flesh of…” This judgment does not discriminate according to rank and class. “God’s divine judgment upon evil is no respecter of persons or station, and is the great equalizer of all.” (Walvoord)
      1. Kings
      2. Captains
      3. Mighty men
      4. Horses & their riders
      5. All men – free and bond, small and great.

The Destruction of the Beast (Vs. 19-21)

1. The Beast’s Defiance (Vs. 19)
   1. “the beast” = the Antichrist leads the revolt against Christ.
   2. “the kings of the earth” = the world leaders who join in the alliance against Christ. This would include the 10 kings mentioned in Rev. 17.
   3. “to make war against him” = they are united in their hostility against Christ. What a picture of the depraved, sinful heart of man! What a picture of this evil world system that is opposed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ! This will be the final expression of mankind’s opposition to Christ.
2. The Beast’s Damnation (Vs. 20)
   1. The beast and the false prophet are ‘taken’ (seized, apprehended).
   2. They are cast into the lake of fire and brimstone and are its first inhabitants. One thousand years later when the devil joins them, they are still alive! (See Rev. 20:10). Brimstone is “a yellow sulphurous material that is combustible in air and is found in a natural state in volcanic areas such as in the valley of the Dead Sea.” (Thomas)
   3. Note: Sinners who die without Christ go to a place called ‘hell’ (hades) which is a temporary place of punishment awaiting the final day of judgment as described in Revelation 20.
   4. Challenge: Repent and receive Christ or you will suffer fiery torment for all eternity.
3. The Beast’s Defeat (Vs. 21)
   1. The swift defeat of the armies of the earth reminds us of Daniel’s description of the fall of the final Gentile kingdom (Dan. 2:34-35).
   2. Walvoord: “The Word of God makes plain that God so loved the world that He gave His Son, and that all who avail themselves of the grace of God are immeasurably blessed in time and eternity. On the other hand, the same Word of God states plainly that those who spurn God’s mercy must experience His judgment without mercy. How foolish it is to rest in the portions of the Word of God that speak of the love of God and reject the portions that deal with His righteous judgment.”

Conclusion

Where are you going to spend eternity? Are you living for Christ?

Sermon 32 of 38 in Revelation Series