Welcome back readers to Deeper Waters. We are going to be continuing our Trinitarian Commentary tonight in the book of Revelation. It’s hard to believe we’ve gone through the whole Bible looking at the Trinity and I do hope you’ve benefited from it. First, I ask for your prayers for my continual Christlikeness and that my will will submit to the hand of the potter. I also ask that readers pray for my financial situation. I have an awfully expensive Summer coming up. Finally, I ask for prayers in a third related are in my life that I will rise up to be who I need to be. For now, let’s go to the text. Tonight, it’s Revelation 19:11-16.
11I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. 12His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
Two days ago, we saw the bride and it was a beautiful and pristine event. Now, we get to see her groom. What do we see however? We see a horse and on the horse sets a warrior who is faithful and true. This was the same title Jesus gave of himself in Revelation 3:14.
We are told that with justice he judges and makes war. Just when we thought a wedding was about to take place, it seems that a war must take place first. However, this rider is a good rider who rides with justice. This is also a passage that should once again eliminate the image of Jesus I so often see that we think of today, of gentle Jesus meek and mild. Jesus was meek and mild to the righteous, but to the unrighteous, he was anything but.
Revelation 1:14 and 2:18 both mentioned Jesus having eyes of blazing fire. We are also told he has a name that no one knows save he himself, paralleling what happens in Revelation 2:17. I also like to use this verse on Jehovah’s Witnesses to ask them if they think that the Father is ignorant of something.
Most grooms would wear something fancy, but this one wears a robe dipped in blood and his name is the Word of God, fitting since he is the Word in John 1:1. The blood imagery shows the nature of the war that this rider is fighting in. There will be many casualties.
The sword should remind us of 1:16, 2:12, and 2:16. The scepter imagery will remind us of 12:5 and most notably, 2:27 which uses the exact same verse. This is a rider who is not fighting defensively but offensively. He is charging out to meet the enemy.
The treading of the winepress should remind us of Revelation 14. John is drawing out much of the imagery of the past to show the nature of the one who is riding. He wants the reader to get as serious as possible a picture of what is going on.
Lastly however we see his name. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We talked about this earlier, but this is the title given to the Lamb as well meaning this Lamb who we have seen throughout this book is the same one who is the warrior coming to conquer. Is he named? No. John expects us to know however who he is speaking of.
The groom is here. What of the wedding? That is for another time.
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