Revelation 19:11-21 - We are Victorious in Christ!

Revelation 19:11-21

Christ on a White Horse

11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS AND
LORD OF LORDS.

The Beast and His Armies Defeated

17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, 18 that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.”

19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.

Here things begin to grow less clear to us after the beast and false prophet are captured and thrown into the lake of fire before Satan the deceiving dragon is temporarily imprisoned.  What is clear is the victory of Christ riding a holy pure white horse leading the armies in Heaven to strike and defeat the nations set against Him.  John observed how the Faithful and True one will come arrayed in the victory of His righteousness and divine justice to serve to all on the earth as in heaven (Matthew 6:10) as we pray in anticipation even now.  This Lord of lords and King of kings wears every crown and alone knows the fullness of His divine name in the truest sense.  He is shown as covered in blood, a robe of power and authority earned by His sacrifice on the cross for us as well as the blood of all the enemies of God about to be slain.  He is named the Word of God (John 1:1-2) who ever lives and whose very existence as God’s word has spoken everything into being (Colossians 1:16) in all of creation as God’s commands to us to also live by.  The armies of heaven will follow Him into His victory in righteous attire to match His holiness on similar white horses of purity.  This warring Lamb of God has all authority (Matthew 28:18) and power over the world and its petty kingdoms who He will strike with the sword of the truth of His word of judgment in righteousness and truth.  This means He will rule sovereignly over all with an unbending and absolute power of that righteous truth and judgment with divine justice.  This King over all and Sovereign Lord who everything and everyone answers to will defeat those who have opposed and rejected Him in this final great battle against the truth and worship of God alone as the angel in the sunlight will proclaim that the remnants of the slain will be devoured in justice by Him.  Though the beast and all who will follow him instead of the Lord of all, they will meet defeat by the One on the steed of holiness and His army.  Yes, this antichrist will be taken captive along with his evil spokesman who will speak false prophecies and misleading miracles contrary to the Word of God and be thrown down into the lake of fire already prepared (Matthew 25:41) for the devil and his fallen and disobedient (Jude 1:6) angels.  Yes, many will none deceived by these two and even worship the false image of a substitute savior as they take his number instead of God’s (Revelation 14:1, 9-10).  Followers of these will face defeat in the end no matter how they appear to be presently prosperous (Psalm 73: ), and in the end will join the devil and his angels in unending painful torment in that lake of fire which is never quenched (Isaiah 66:24, Mark 9:44) after their defeat by the Lord on His horse of all authoritative righteousness and truth.  We who are now in Christ, however, will not be among the defeated because our victory is in Christ who won the war to redeem us and keep us from the eternal torment (Matthew 25:46, 1 John 4:18) of our justice due to us (Romans 3:23-25, 6:23, John 5:24-25) but covered by his righteousness and sacrifice of blood that substituted His life for ours in that blood let on the cross of our curse (Galatians 3:13) of inherited sin from Adam (Romans 5:12, 17, 18-19, 21) to us all and our ongoing personal sins.  We are victorious (1 Corinthians 15:57) in Christ and will ride to that triumph (2 Corinthians 2:14) over sin and judgment in the end!  We are not deceived to worship the false prophet amd his image, but follow Him who is true because we have been reprieved from our sentence of death in the certain hope of a resurrection of the righteous (John 5:29, Acts 24:15) in His righteousness and not our own.  We are victorious in Christ, the Lamb slain for us and Word of God speaking life into us!  Why then fear these fearful end times or be consumed with the need to unravel all the details when we should be rejoicing in this victory over sin and death as He unravels it all as we approach that day?  May we be about our Father’s business of the gospel instead.