The Second Coming of Christ
Revelation 19:11-16
Revelation 19:11
I saw heaven opened (19:11): At His first coming, Jesus came as the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world. Now, at His second coming, He comes as King of kings and Lord of lords. John’s words recall Jesus’ baptism, when “the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form” (Luke 3:21-22). Just as the heavens opened for the coming of the Holy Spirit on Jesus, so now the heavens open for the second coming of Jesus. Behold, a white horse (19:11): In biblical times, generals in the The Roman army rode white horses. Christ on a white horse will be the glorious commander in chief of the armies of heaven. This signifies His coming triumph over the forces of wickedness in the world, the details of which follow.This is in noted contrast to the lowly colt Jesus rode during His first coming (see Zechariah 9:9).The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True (19:11): Names and titles in biblical times revealed person’s character, and Christ’s character is here revealed as faithful and true in all things. Perhaps Jesus is called Faithful and True in this context because He is returning to earth in glory just as He promised He would (Matthew 24:27-31).Note the obvious contrast between Christ and the antichrist. The antichrist is unfaithful (he breaks the covenant he made with Israel). He is also false (he consistently disseminates falsehood and deception).In righteousness he judges and makes war (19:11): Unlike the antichrist, who will rule and judge over the world in unrighteousness, Jesus Christ rules and judges in righteousness (see Revelation 20:11-15).Christ will be Victor. All who oppose Him in this war will be instantly slain. This war will be an expression of God’s holy wrath against the antichrist and unrepentant sinners. In Revelation 13:4, the whole earth asked who could possibly fight against the beast. Christ will definitively answer that question at His second coming.
Revelation 19:12
His eyes are like a flame of fire (19:12): This description points not only to Christ’s absolute holiness but also to His penetrating scrutiny in seeing all things as they truly are (see Revelation 1:14). At the second coming, no one will be able to escape His omniscient gaze. On his head are many diadems (19:12): The many diadems, or crowns, represent total sovereignty and royal kingship. No one will be able to challenge Christ’s kingly authority. He has a name written that no one knows but himself (19:12): Perhaps this will be the same name that Christ will write on overcomers (see Revelation 2:17; 3:12).
He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood (19:13): Some Bible expositors suggest the blood may speak of Christ’s redemptive death on the cross. Others say the blood is likely that of the enemies Christ slays at the close of Armageddon (verse 15). Still, others deny this, for Christ’s enemies are not slain at this moment (Christ hasn’t yet arrived on the earth from the perspective of this verse). Some thus conclude that perhaps the blood relates to Christ’s previous battles against sin, Satan, death, and God’s enemies. The name by which he is called is The Word of God (19:13): This recalls John 1:1: “n the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The Greek noun for “Word” in John1:1 is logos. In John’s theology, Christ the Logos is the preexistent, eternal being—God. The Logos is the Creator of the universe (John 1:3).In the Old Testament, God’s Word is an active and effective agent for accomplishing God’s will (see Isaiah 55:11).Another aspect of the Jewish understanding of “the Word” is evident in the Jewish Targums (simplified paraphrases of the Old Testament Scriptures). Here the Jews, out of reverence for God, sometimes substituted the phrase the “Word of God” in place of the word “God.” The Jews were fearful of breaking the third commandment about taking God’s name in vain (Exodus 20:7). So, for example, where our Bible says, “Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God” (Exodus 19:17), the Targum reads, “to meet the Word of God. “When we come to John’s Gospel, the Word is a divine person who has come into the world to reveal another person (the Father—see John 1:14, 18). For John, the Logos is a living being—the second person of the Trinity, the source of all life, and nothing less than God Himself (John 1:1).
The armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him (19:14): We know that one of the armies is made up of redeemed human beings because of the “fine linen, white and pure. “These are the very words used to describe the wedding gown of the bride of Christ, which is the church (verse 8). Some Bible expositors believe that Christ’s human army will also include Old Testament saints(Jude 14; Daniel 12:1-2) and tribulation martyrs (Revelation 7:13).The other army that accompanies Christ is angelic. Matthew 16:27 says, “The Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father.” Matthew 25:31 affirms, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne” (see also 2 Thessalonians1:7). Note that Christ does not need the help of these armies in battle. Christ alone—omnipotent God, King of kings and Lord of lords—engages in battle against all the enemies of God. Rather, the heavenly armies accompany Christ to participate in events that follow the second coming, including the establishment of Christ’s millennial kingdom (see 1 Corinthians 6:2; 2 Timothy 2:12; Revelation 20:4).
Revelation 19:15From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations (19:15): The sharps word is a symbol of Christ’s omnipotent power to execute His enemies (compare with Isaiah 11:4).Because the sword comes out of His mouth, Christ likely accomplishes His victory over His enemies by the power of His spoken word, just as He created the universe by His spoken word (Psalm 33:6;Colossians 1:16; John 1:1-3).Christ strikes down the nations (the forces of the antichrist) at Armageddon because they attacked Israel (Joel 3:2; Zechariah 12:2-3). At the end of the tribulation, the Israelites will be acutely aware that the forces of antichrist have gathered to destroy them. In this dire situation, they will finally see that Jesus really is the promised Messiah. Their spiritual blindness will be removed, and the Jewish remnant will experience national regeneration. This will be in fulfillment of Joel 2:28-29, which promises a spiritual awakening of the Jewish remnant. This will also be a fulfillment of the apostle Paul’s prophecy of the Jews in Romans 11:25-27.As the forces of antichrist advance, the Israelites will plead for their newly found Messiah to return and deliver them (Zechariah 12:10; Matthew 23:37-39), at which point their deliverance will surely come(see Romans 10:13-14). As we see in the next verse, Jesus subsequently comes and strikes down the hostile nations. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty (19:15): Treading on grapes is a common metaphor for judgment. Instead of grape juice flowing, however, the blood of unbelievers will flow when Christ slays them.
He has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords (19:16): This title means that Jesus is the One who is absolutely supreme and sovereign over all earthly rulers and angelic powers (1 Timothy 6:15;see also Deuteronomy 10:17; Psalm 136:3). The long-awaited messianic King has now finally arrived.
Christ the King. The kingship of Jesus Christ is a common theme in Scripture. Genesis 49:10prophesied that the Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah and reign as a king. The Davidic covenant in 2 Samuel 7:16 promised a Messiah who would have a dynasty, a people over whom He would rule, and an eternal throne (see also Luke 1:32-33). In Psalm 2:6, God the Father announces the installation of God the Son as King in Jerusalem. Psalm 110 affirms that the Messiah will subjugate His enemies and rule over them. Daniel 7:13-14 tells us that the Messiah-King will have an everlasting dominion.
1. Christ is Faithful and True. What does that mean to you personally? Does it give you confidence in your salvation?
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