CHRIST’S GLORIOUS RETURN (19:11–21)
The second coming must be distinguished from the rapture of the church prior to the seven-year tribulation. At the rapture, Christ comes for His saints (John 14:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17). At the second coming, He comes with them. At the rapture, Christ meets His saints in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17) to take them to heaven (John 14:2–3). At the second coming, He descends with them from heaven to the earth (Zechariah 14:4).
Some attempt to harmonize those two distinctions by arguing that believers meet Christ in the air, then descend to earth with Him. By so doing, they essentially make the rapture and the second coming the same event. But that view trivializes the rapture. There is not a hint of judgment in passages describing the rapture (John 14:1–3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18), but judgment plays a prominent role in the second coming (19:11, 15, 17–21). The dramatic signs accompanying the second coming, such as the darkening of the sun and moon and the disruption of the “powers of the heavens” (Matthew 24:29–30), are not mentioned in the passages describing the rapture. In its description of the second coming, Revelation 19 does not mention either a rapture of living believers (1 Corinthians 15:51–52), or a resurrection of dead believers (1 Thessalonians 4:16).
This monumental, climactic passage may be divided into four sections:
1. The Return of the Conqueror
"And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God." (Rev. 19:11–13)
As in Rev. 4:1, heaven opened before John’s wondering eyes. But this time heaven opens not to let John in, but to let Jesus out. The time has come at last for the full, glorious revelation of Christ. As the dramatic scene unfolds, John stands with his attention on the mighty Rider. Jesus is about to receive the kingdom that the Father promised Him.
No longer is Jesus portrayed as He was in His humiliation, riding on a donkey. Instead, He rides the traditional white horse ridden by victorious Roman generals in their triumphal processions through the streets of Rome. White also symbolizes the spotless, unblemished, absolutely holy character of the Rider. The horse, the crowns (verse 12), the sharp sword, the rod of iron, and the winepress (verse 15) are symbolic. Christ’s coming is reality. The symbolic language represents various aspects of that reality.
Continuing his description of the astonishing scene before him, John notes that “He who sat on the white horse is called Faithful and True.” There is no more appropriate name for Jesus Christ, who earlier in Revelation was called “the faithful and true Witness” (3:14). He is faithful to His promises (cf. 2 Corinthians 1:20) and what He speaks is always true (John 8:45–46; Titus 1:2).
Because Jesus is faithful to His word and righteous character, it follows that “in righteousness He judges.” When He came the first time, wicked people judged Him. When He returns, He will judge all wicked people (Acts 17:31). Angels may gather the wicked for judgment (Matthew 13:41), but the Lord Jesus will pass sentence on them.
Here Christ is seen as the warrior King who wages war against His foes. He is the executioner of all ungodly, unbelieving sinners. The only other reference in Scripture to Jesus waging war is in 2:16, when He warned the church at Pergamum to repent or that he would wage war against them.
Describing the personal appearance of the awe-inspiring Rider, John writes that “His eyes are a flame of fire.” Nothing escapes the notice of His piercing vision. The eyes that wept over the fate of unrepentant Jerusalem and over the sorrow, suffering, and death in this sin-cursed world, John sees flashing with the fire of judgment.
On His head John noted that Christ wore “many diadems,” a reference to a ruler’s crown (12:3; 13:1). In this case, they are worn by Jesus to indicate His royal authority. “Many” indicates His collecting of all the rulers’ crowns, signifying that He alone is the ruler of the earth. Collecting the crown of a vanquished king was customary in the ancient world (2 Samuel 12:30). Christ alone will be “King of Kings, and Lord of Lords” (verse 16), and “the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever” (11:15). The many crowns Christ will wear are indeed a fair exchange for a crown of thorns (Philippians 2:8–11).
Further, John notes that Jesus had a “name written on Him which no one knows except Himself.” The meaning of that name is unknown, since we are told that no one knows it except Jesus Himself. Even the inspired apostle John could not comprehend it. Maybe it will be made known after His return.
Describing the final element of Christ’s appearance, John writes that “He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood.” The blood is not representative of the cross. This is a picture of judgment. The blood is the blood of His slaughtered enemies (Isaiah 63:1–6).
Why are His garments blood spattered before the battle has begun? This is not His first battle. It is His last battle. His war clothes bear the stains of many previous slaughters. At that day, they will be stained as never before when He “treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty” (verse 15).
That the Rider’s name is called “The Word of God” identifies Him unmistakably as Jesus Christ (John 1:1, 14; 1 John 1:1). The second Person of the Trinity is called The Word of God because He is the revelation of God.
2. The Regiments of the Conqueror
"And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses." (Rev. 19:14)
Jesus Christ will be accompanied by “the armies which are in heaven.” Four divisions make up these glorified troops. First will be the bride of the Lamb (the church), already pictured wearing “fine linen, bright and clean” (verses 7–8). Second will be the tribulation believers, who also have been pictured in heaven wearing white robes (7:9). The third group is the Old Testament saints, who are resurrected at the end of the tribulation (Daniel 12:1–2). Finally, the holy angels will also accompany Christ (Matthew 25:31). The white horses ridden by the heavenly cavalry are not literal horses. Unlike Christ, the heavenly army is unarmed. He alone will destroy His enemies. The saints will come not to fight with Jesus, but to reign with Him (20:4–6).
3. The Rule of the Conqueror
"From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Rev. 19:15–16)
The impending rule of the King is described in graphic, powerful imagery. John notes first that “from His mouth comes a sharp sword.” The apostle had seen that sword in an earlier vision (1:16), where it was used to defend the church against Satan’s forces. That the sword comes out of His mouth symbolizes the deadly power of Christ’s words. Once He spoke words of comfort, but now He speaks words of death. Christ will wield that sword with deadly effect as He strikes down the nations. The dead will include all those gathered for battle at Armageddon. The rest of the world’s unredeemed people will be judged and executed at the sheep and goat judgment (Matthew 25:31–46) that follows Christ’s return. This is the final stroke of death in the day of the Lord.
The swift judgment that marks the onset of Christ’s kingdom will be the pattern of His rule throughout the millennium. During His thousand-year reign, He will rule the nations with a rod of iron (12:5; Psalm 2:8–9). He will instantly put down any rebellion. Using the same imagery of ruling with a rod of iron, Jesus promised that believers would rule under Him in the kingdom (Revelation 2:26–27).
Returning to the judgment at the outset of Christ’s rule, John writes that “He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.” That vivid symbol of God’s wrath comes from the ancient practice of stomping on grapes as part of the wine-making process. The splattering of the grape juice pictures the pouring out of the blood of Christ’s enemies (14:18–20; Isaiah 63:1–3).
In a final look, John saw that Christ wore a banner around His robe and on His thigh, on which He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” The name expresses His sovereign, absolute rule in His soon-to-be-established kingdom.
4. The Victory of the Conqueror
"Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, “Come, assemble for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.”
And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh." (Rev. 19:17–21)
Once again an angel plays a key role in the Apocalypse. John saw this angel “standing in the sun.” This means in the proximity of the sun, possibly in front of it, partially eclipsing it. He stands in a prominent place to make this important announcement. Evidently the worldwide darkness associated with the fifth bowl (16:10) has been lifted, since the sun is again visible. The lifting of that earlier darkness would also explain how the smoke from Babylon’s destruction was visible at a distance (18:9–19).
As angels have frequently done in Revelation, the angel “cried out with a loud voice.” He addresses all the birds, inviting them to feed on the results of the battle that will soon begin. The angel commands the birds to “assemble for the great supper of God.” The brief but catastrophic day of the Lord will result in an unprecedented slaughter, with uncounted millions of dead bodies (14:20). Even after the birds have eaten, it will still take seven months to bury the bodies (Ezekiel 39:12).
At the great supper, the birds “will eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.” That all-inclusive statement reveals the worldwide extent of the slaughter. To have one’s unburied body left as food for birds is the ultimate indignity, especially for proud kings and mighty military commanders. That same fate awaits all the God-hating rebels everywhere in the world.
Then John saw “the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.” The beast is Antichrist (11:7; 13:1–8), leader of the last and greatest empire in human history. The kings of the earth are the ten kings (17:12–14). Their armies have assembled to make war against Christ and His army.
In an instant, “the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire.” This is the first mention in Scripture of the lake of fire, which is the final hell, the ultimate destination of Satan, his angels, and the unredeemed (Matthew 25:41). Isaiah described it as the place where “their worm will not die and their fire will not be quenched” (66:24), a description echoed by the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 13:42; Mark 9:48). Revelation 14:11 says of those who suffer there, “The smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night.”
“And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.” Without their commanders, Antichrist’s leaderless forces will be destroyed. The rest of those gathered to fight against Christ were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. Then, just as the angel foretold, all the birds were filled with their flesh.
