The Testimony of Jesus.
Rev. 19:11-2111And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. 17And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 18That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. 19And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. 20And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. (Revelation 19:11‑21).
It is of immense importance that everyone who desires to be a successful servant of the Lord Jesus Christ in these last days should pay very earnest attention to the prophetic portion of the Word of God.
We have often heard Christians, even, speak disparagingly of this kind of testimony; but they are profoundly mistaken in this. We have sometimes heard evangelists saying, “Oh, I don’t want to bother about such subjects as the Jewish remnant, what has that to do with me? I want to win souls, I want to attract the young, I don’t want to puzzle them upon such speculative matters.”
Such an attitude is often due to the indolence of the preachers’ themselves. They have not the taste for patient, persevering study of the Word of God. But we are persuaded that as the time of the end draws nigh effectual witness for Christ will be largely linked with the prophetic testimony that the Spirit yields in such a book as we are now studying—” the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy,” or “the spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus.”
Heaven Opened.
The supreme moment is now at hand. Nearly 2,000 years ago the Christ of God was crucified by wicked hands, but God raised Him from the dead and received Him into heaven. There, ever since, He has been seated at the right hand of God. “Sit Thou at My right hand until I make Thy foes Thy foot-stool” was God’s answer to the world’s appalling act of sin. During all this while a message of pardon and salvation has been proclaimed, but soon, according to the Saviour’s own warning, the world is to “see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matt. 24:3030And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:30)). That solemn moment is here seen to have arrived.
Today God saves in righteousness all who put their trust in His dear Son. Today God justifies freely by His grace the vilest and the guiltiest through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Rom. 3:2424Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: (Romans 3:24)). But presently His session at the right hand of God will cease and He will come forth as a mighty conqueror riding the symbolic white horse of victory. All power will be in His hand and He Who was the faithful witness (Rev. 1:55And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, (Revelation 1:5)) in the days of His rejection will be publicly acknowledged by high heaven as the Faithful and the True “in righteousness He doth judge and make war”
A Righteous War.
The wars of this world have been mostly wars of human passion and avarice. Not so will it be when that day comes—when “the Lord cometh out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity,” when “the earth also shall disclose her blood and shall no more cover her slain” (Isa. 26:2121For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain. (Isaiah 26:21)).
“His eyes are as a flame of fire,” penetrating, scrutinizing. The world will then know that all things are manifest in His sight. Crowns of universal dominion are on His brow; and “A NAME WRITTEN that no man knew, but He Himself.” What mere creature could fathom the infinite depths of the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. “NO MAN KNOWETH THE SON BUT THE. FATHER” (Matt. 11:2727All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. (Matthew 11:27)). To Him every knee shall bow either in willing worship or reluctant compulsion.
“And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called THE WORD OF GOD” (vs. 13).
The vesture dipped in blood has nothing to do with the gospel message. It is not salvation offered through the blood of Christ. This is the blood of vengeance in the execution of judgment. It is vividly described in Isaiah 63:11Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. (Isaiah 63:1) to 6, and specially refers to the deliverance of God’s earthly people from the combined armies of the earth— “the day of vengeance is in Mine heart, and the year of My redeemed is come.”
God will have a people on the earth at that time. This has been frequently before us in these studies
But He will not come alone for—
“The armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white, and clean” (vs. 14).
The Armies in Heaven.
The armies which were in heaven—before the heavens were opened, before the Rider came forth upon the white horse to execute this warrior judgment, these armies had been in the heaven from whence they are here seen coming forth to “swell the triumph of His train.”
The coming of the Lord for His saints had already taken place. They had been filling heaven with their worship and praise, and the marriage-of the Lamb had already been celebrated. They are here seen coming WITH Him Who had previously come FOR them.
These armies are not angels though angel hosts, myriads of them, will of course be there as well (2 Thess. 1:77And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, (2 Thessalonians 1:7)). These are the redeemed whose garments have been washed in the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 22:1414Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. (Revelation 22:14))— “blessed are they that wash their robes” (R.V.)— “made white in the blood of the Lamb,” as is said of another company (Rev. 7:9-179After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; 10And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. 11And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, 12Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. 13And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 14And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. 16They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. (Revelation 7:9‑17)). While it is true that the blood of the Lamb can alone give us fitness of title for heaven, yet the “fine linen, white and clean” of our chapter seems to be explained as the “righteous acts” of the saints. Though all the glorified saints will be in the army of heaven on the ground of the blood of the Lamb, their position and rank in that army will be the fruit of their practical conduct while on earth.
“And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule (shepherd) them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God” (vs. 15).
We have read in verse 13. that His Name is Called The Word of God. He called worlds into existence by the word of His power (Heb. 1:33Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (Hebrews 1:3)). “He spake and it was done; He commanded and it stood fast” (Psa. 33:99For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. (Psalm 33:9)). He speaks in grace today and dead sinners receive life, pardon, and peace. But that same voice will presently speak in judgment. No carnal weapon will be in His hands— “He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked” (Isa. 11:44But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. (Isaiah 11:4)).
In this day of grace men are found foolish enough to close their ears to His voice, but in that day everyone must listen for He will come forth in all the majesty of universal authority with a name written clear and irresistible.
King of Kings and Lord of the Lords.
Judgment is God’s strange work and it is only man’s sin and rebellion that forces Him into that attitude. But when at length this day of grace will end God’s judgment will fall on different parties and in different ways.
The Coming Armageddon.
The closing verses of our chapter must be read in connection with Ezekiel 38 and 39. They describe the final military crisis amongst the nations of the whole earth just before the millennial reign of Christ which is presented to us in the next chapter.
It is towards this climax of human sin and devil-led folly and wickedness that things are tending today.
“And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together to make war against Him that sat on the horse, and against His army” (vs. 19).
This has already been before us when considering chapter 16. It is the Armageddon of the future. It is Satan’s last effort against Christ before he himself is cast into the bottomless pit. The first prophecy of Scripture is now about to be carried out to the very letter. The Seed of the woman is about to bruise the Serpent’s head (Gen. 3:1515And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:15)). One final effort he makes by stirring up the whole military machine of the nations, to hurl defiance at “Him that sat on the horse, and against His army.”
The issue of such insane folly was inevitable. The two leaders of this lawless apostasy and blasphemous iniquity are caught red-handed, and without the necessity of further trial are cast alive, without dying, into the lake of fire, their final doom. It is the military leader of the Western nations, the Beast; and the religious leader of the Jewish and Christian apostasies, the Antichrist reigning at Jerusalem.
“These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone” (vs. 20).
Thus while in heaven all will be peace, on earth will be rebellion and tumult. The Church and all the heavenly saints will be filling heaven with worship, but on earth all will be turmoil and violence. The center of the storm will be in Palestine. There the nations under the Beast and the king of the North, as well as the kings of all the earth will be assembled to cut off God’s earthly people from being a nation and to wipe out the name of Israel from all remembrance (see Psa. 83). Weapons of war will be in their hands (Ezek. 39:99And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years: (Ezekiel 39:9)), but the armies of heaven will need no such instruments. They follow an all-conquering Leader Who will consign to their eternal doom the guilty leaders of this rebellion, the remnant, less guilty in God’s sight and deceived by the Satanic miracles of the false prophet will fall slain by the sword of Him that sat on the horse, which sword proceedeth out of His mouth. Their final judgment will not take place for another one thousand years, as we shall see in the next chapter.
It is indeed a solemn thing to think that we are nearing the time of the fulfillment of these prophecies.
Christendom religiously is hastening to the predicted apostasy, the nations of the whole earth East and West, are sharpening their swords, Palestine is once again becoming the center of world interest, as it will soon become the battleground of the earth—the coming of the Lord is drawing nigh.