[Originally preached 1 February, 2004]
Revelation 19.11-21
We are now heading down the homestretch. We’re almost to the end of Revelation. Our text is one that is filled with imagery and symbolism. It’s also filled with things that we all need to hear.
Let’s start by establishing a context. Our text is an account of the last battle of this evil age. Now, we’ve seen this battle before in Revelation. Remember that John has shown us the same things from different perspectives throughout the book. We’ve seen this battle before at the end of chapter 14 where the earth is harvested. We’ve seen it in chapter 16 where John told us about the sixth bowl of the wrath of God. And we’ll see it again in chapter 20 when John refers to the battle with Gog and Magog. John includes it elsewhere as well, but each time from a somewhat different perspective to make a somewhat different point. In any event, this is the last battle. This is when Jesus returns. After this, eternity starts, bliss for all the saints. This is a key point of the book.
Let me remind you again of the first audience to receive these words. John sent this to those seven churches of Asia Minor. And as with all the letters of the New Testament, this letter was meant for them first. Now, what do we know about these seven churches? From the opening of this letter we know that, in one way or another, most of them were flirting with becoming unfaithful. Some became too strict in their pursuit of orthodoxy. The goal had changed. It was no longer a matter of loving and following Jesus. It had become a matter of being correct. The means to the right goal had become the goal itself. Then there were some churches that went to the other extreme. They forgot all about orthodoxy. Instead they opted for what seemed to work as they lived in this fallen world. And so, they became very much like their pagan neighbors. Then there were those churches that were still striving to follow Jesus faithfully. They refused to compromise with the world around them. Of course, that cost them. But they were willing to pay the price, even though it was rather steep. This is the first audience of this letter of John. It is a letter with both warning and encouragement to the churches. And our text fits in with that. It is a warning and an encouragement and even to churches today.
Now, let’s look at some particulars. As you look at the text what do you see? Well, one thing that you don’t see is a battle – which is a little odd in light of what you do see. There is the lead up to the battle. John describes Jesus and His heavenly armies as they charge. He also describes for us the beast and his armies. Then, John describes the aftermath of the battle. The beast and his false prophet are thrown into the lake of fire. The armies that followed the beast are utterly and completely destroyed. But there is no report of any battle. Now, why is that? Have you ever read the history of a battle? First, one army attacks and the other responds in some way. Then there are adjustments made as the first continues its attack and the other fights it off. And on it continues until one side or the other makes some fatal mistake or is just exhausted by the fray. At that point, the battle is decided. Now, there is none of that reported here. And the reason is clear. There is no attack and response and adjustment. There is no back and forth in this battle. That is giving too much credit to the beast. Remember that this is not a physical battle. There are no guns and bullets. It is a symbolic description of what happens when Jesus returns. When that happens there will be no response by the beast; no adjustment, no counterattack. The battle is decided at the outset. Just as Jesus cast out those demons with just a word, He will crush the beast by the power of that same word. That’s why there is a picture of a sword coming out of Jesus’ mouth. There is no battle to work through. When Jesus returns, He will utter His sovereign word against the beast, and it will be all over. In this John highlights the power of Jesus.
Though there is no battle to speak of, John still describes Jesus as a conquering warrior. He comes on a white horse. Remember the first of the four horsemen of chapter 6. He was sent on a white horse to conquer. Jesus’ robe is dipped in blood. Now, whose blood is that? While some will say that it is His own blood, a reminder of the cross, I really don’t think so. What we have here is another allusion to the Old Testament. Back in Isaiah 63, the Lord is pictured as a warrior whose garments are splattered with the blood of His enemies. Jesus comes to fight. He comes to ‘make war’. And, as a result, His robe is stained with the blood of His defeated foes. This is not a physical battle, but it is a very real battle. Death is meted out. But this is not just some temper tantrum. Jesus makes war, John tells us, in righteousness. This war is fought in righteousness because Jesus is the true Lord of all the nations. The many diadems are proof of that. So, Jesus returns to re-establish His rule, the kingdom of God. He began that work at His first coming and He will complete it at His second coming. Thus, John tells us that Jesus will rule. His scepter is the evidence of that. It is a symbol of His authority. And it is made of iron because by it He will crush all those who oppose Him. All of this is an expression of ‘the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty’. Thus it follows that there is a call for the vultures to come so that they might gorge themselves on the flesh of the dead. Remember that this is not a physical battle. There will be no bodies to be eaten. But what a great picture of the complete defeat of your enemy! In the ancient world, if you wanted to completely desecrate your beaten foe, you would deny burial for his dead body and leave it, instead, to be eaten by wild animals. That’s what David threatened when he challenged Goliath. [1 Samuel 17.46f.] The point in our text is that these who have aligned themselves with the beast, these who have rebelled against the true Lord, will be utterly and completely defeated. There will be no doubt who won the battle.
Now, there are a few things left. There are the eyes of flame. Jesus was described in this way back in chapters 1 and 2. The eyes point to the ability to see. But what of the imagery of flame? In Scripture the purpose of fire is to purify, to destroy and to test. Here, John is using the last of these. Jesus knows the truth. His eyes see what is really going on. So, what that means, for one thing, is that when He comes Jesus will know who is a real one and who is a phony. He will know who it is who has actually followed Him faithfully and who only professed to do that. He will know all the members of the armies of the beast. None will escape His wrath. Then there is the title of ‘faithful and true’. As you see these words being applied to Jesus in different parts of Revelation, you’ll find that they remind us that Jesus is the faithful witness. He is true to His calling from God; true to His word. This says something about His relationship to those disciples who have been faithfully following Him. Scripture is filled with promises that Jesus has made to His saints, promises of caring for them, fulfilling their desires, freeing them completely from the ravages of sin. As the one who is faithful and true, He will not renege on those promises. He does not forget that He made them. He is true to His word. The promises will be kept. And our text even anticipates questions about this. John tells us that Jesus has ‘a name written that no one knows but Himself’. In the Bible, a person’s name often pointed to something important about him. Names are intended to reflect the character of the thing named. And so, Simon became Peter, the rock. Abram became Abraham, the father of a multitude. And the Savior was to be called Immanuel, God with us, as well as Jesus, which means the Lord is salvation. The name revealed the person. But here, the name is not revealed. Only Jesus knows this name. What is this? There are things about Jesus that we do not know nor understand. There are things about His ways that are mysterious to us. They are clear to Him but certainly not to us. There are times when He does things that make no sense to us. There are turns in His plan that confuse us. It’s in these situations that we need to trust Him. He knows what He is doing even when we haven’t a clue. There will always be a measure of mystery about Jesus. And that makes sense. He is God, after all.
Now, what’s the point of all of this? What were those seven churches supposed to get from our text? Remember that this is supposed to be encouragement to the faithful as well as a warning to those flirting with compromise. The main lines are clear. One day Jesus is going to come back. He will most certainly keep that promise that He made. When He comes, it will be as a warrior to rescue His people. One day the struggles that His Church has been dealing with will be over. The enemies that have arrayed themselves against Him and His – the beast, the false prophet and those aligned with them – will be completely gone, utterly destroyed.
Our text was - and still is - intended to encourage hope. Yes, it may seem better if Jesus doesn’t wait but rather comes immediately. But He always knows what He’s doing. There was a delay and there still is one. But it’s not because Satan and his agents are somehow too strong. There was a delay and there continues to be a delay because that’s the best way to proceed. It may make things hard for the saints, but this is one of those times when His saints need to trust Him. And when He comes He’ll know who are the real ones and who are the phonies. His eyes of flame will see into each one’s heart. And so, there is a warning included in our text. But to the faithful that isn’t a threat. Jesus will know the truth. He’ll know who loves Him.
Now, I think that it’s safe to say that this text doesn’t have the punch today that it has had in previous centuries. And the reason is not hard to discern. A large part of the Church today has been lulled to sleep. The Church has forgotten about the beast and the false prophet and Babylon, the prostitute. But these agents of Satan are all very active in our world. The false prophet and Babylon have been quite successful. The false prophet has presented a way of thinking about this life that has just about swept everything else aside. It’s not that there is no God, it’s just that the god that is believed in is very different from the God of the Gospel. It’s not that there is no sin. It’s just that sin isn’t the problem that some used to think that it was. And the Jesus of our age would never present Himself as a blood-splattered warrior come to give the flesh of His enemies to the vultures. How harsh! Thus goes the false prophet’s message. And all of this makes a difference when it comes to the goals that are being pursued. And those goals show in things like how kids are trained and careers chased. And Babylon has also done rather nicely. Her temptations to wealth and pleasure are being eaten up every day. Jesus was right. Where your treasure is there your heart is also. And the treasures of so many are firmly rooted to this earth. The situation of much of the Church today is not all that different from that of those compromising churches of the first century. So, the hope offered in our text is ignored. Who needs the hope of the age to come when life in this age seems so comfortable?
Now, to quote Amos, I am no prophet nor am I the son of a prophet, but let me tell you my guess about what the future holds. God never leaves Himself without a witness. There are those faithful in the Church who see what is going on. They understand the message of the false prophet and how it is a call to compromise with the world. They see how they have taken a step or two down that road. And they repent of that sin and are learning how to reject that message more and more. They work at thinking God’s thoughts after Him. They also see more clearly the temptations of Babylon. They understand how she seduces with her pleasures and her promises of more. Again, they repent of their sins here. They see themselves called to be the pure bride of Christ. As a result, they are becoming different and are breaking away from the rest. One of two things may happen as a result. There will a great revival of true religion through the faithful witness of this remnant and much will be changed in the Church as well as in the world. Or, in my opinion more likely, the beast will see that the false prophet is failing in his message among these faithful and that Babylon is not as alluring to them as she thought she would be. And so, the beast will use his power to try to coerce them to conform. There will be persecution. Now, when that happens, you will need the encouragement of our text. At that time you’ll need to remember that Jesus is Lord over all. Satan and his agents are no match for Him. It may well be that there will continue to be a delay in His return even as you cry out that He might come soon. [Revelation 6.9-11] That’s when you need to trust Him. There are depths to Him that you cannot understand. But He knows what He’s doing. And everything that He does, He does out of love for you, His bride. If there is delay, there is a good reason for it. But at the same time remember that one day He will return. And when He does He will destroy both His and your enemies, utterly. And then the eternal wedding party that is called heaven will begin. So, continue to pursue faithfulness. And when life gets hard, remember our text and pray that you might believe its message.
Revelation 19.11-21
We are now heading down the homestretch. We’re almost to the end of Revelation. Our text is one that is filled with imagery and symbolism. It’s also filled with things that we all need to hear.
Let’s start by establishing a context. Our text is an account of the last battle of this evil age. Now, we’ve seen this battle before in Revelation. Remember that John has shown us the same things from different perspectives throughout the book. We’ve seen this battle before at the end of chapter 14 where the earth is harvested. We’ve seen it in chapter 16 where John told us about the sixth bowl of the wrath of God. And we’ll see it again in chapter 20 when John refers to the battle with Gog and Magog. John includes it elsewhere as well, but each time from a somewhat different perspective to make a somewhat different point. In any event, this is the last battle. This is when Jesus returns. After this, eternity starts, bliss for all the saints. This is a key point of the book.
Let me remind you again of the first audience to receive these words. John sent this to those seven churches of Asia Minor. And as with all the letters of the New Testament, this letter was meant for them first. Now, what do we know about these seven churches? From the opening of this letter we know that, in one way or another, most of them were flirting with becoming unfaithful. Some became too strict in their pursuit of orthodoxy. The goal had changed. It was no longer a matter of loving and following Jesus. It had become a matter of being correct. The means to the right goal had become the goal itself. Then there were some churches that went to the other extreme. They forgot all about orthodoxy. Instead they opted for what seemed to work as they lived in this fallen world. And so, they became very much like their pagan neighbors. Then there were those churches that were still striving to follow Jesus faithfully. They refused to compromise with the world around them. Of course, that cost them. But they were willing to pay the price, even though it was rather steep. This is the first audience of this letter of John. It is a letter with both warning and encouragement to the churches. And our text fits in with that. It is a warning and an encouragement and even to churches today.
Now, let’s look at some particulars. As you look at the text what do you see? Well, one thing that you don’t see is a battle – which is a little odd in light of what you do see. There is the lead up to the battle. John describes Jesus and His heavenly armies as they charge. He also describes for us the beast and his armies. Then, John describes the aftermath of the battle. The beast and his false prophet are thrown into the lake of fire. The armies that followed the beast are utterly and completely destroyed. But there is no report of any battle. Now, why is that? Have you ever read the history of a battle? First, one army attacks and the other responds in some way. Then there are adjustments made as the first continues its attack and the other fights it off. And on it continues until one side or the other makes some fatal mistake or is just exhausted by the fray. At that point, the battle is decided. Now, there is none of that reported here. And the reason is clear. There is no attack and response and adjustment. There is no back and forth in this battle. That is giving too much credit to the beast. Remember that this is not a physical battle. There are no guns and bullets. It is a symbolic description of what happens when Jesus returns. When that happens there will be no response by the beast; no adjustment, no counterattack. The battle is decided at the outset. Just as Jesus cast out those demons with just a word, He will crush the beast by the power of that same word. That’s why there is a picture of a sword coming out of Jesus’ mouth. There is no battle to work through. When Jesus returns, He will utter His sovereign word against the beast, and it will be all over. In this John highlights the power of Jesus.
Though there is no battle to speak of, John still describes Jesus as a conquering warrior. He comes on a white horse. Remember the first of the four horsemen of chapter 6. He was sent on a white horse to conquer. Jesus’ robe is dipped in blood. Now, whose blood is that? While some will say that it is His own blood, a reminder of the cross, I really don’t think so. What we have here is another allusion to the Old Testament. Back in Isaiah 63, the Lord is pictured as a warrior whose garments are splattered with the blood of His enemies. Jesus comes to fight. He comes to ‘make war’. And, as a result, His robe is stained with the blood of His defeated foes. This is not a physical battle, but it is a very real battle. Death is meted out. But this is not just some temper tantrum. Jesus makes war, John tells us, in righteousness. This war is fought in righteousness because Jesus is the true Lord of all the nations. The many diadems are proof of that. So, Jesus returns to re-establish His rule, the kingdom of God. He began that work at His first coming and He will complete it at His second coming. Thus, John tells us that Jesus will rule. His scepter is the evidence of that. It is a symbol of His authority. And it is made of iron because by it He will crush all those who oppose Him. All of this is an expression of ‘the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty’. Thus it follows that there is a call for the vultures to come so that they might gorge themselves on the flesh of the dead. Remember that this is not a physical battle. There will be no bodies to be eaten. But what a great picture of the complete defeat of your enemy! In the ancient world, if you wanted to completely desecrate your beaten foe, you would deny burial for his dead body and leave it, instead, to be eaten by wild animals. That’s what David threatened when he challenged Goliath. [1 Samuel 17.46f.] The point in our text is that these who have aligned themselves with the beast, these who have rebelled against the true Lord, will be utterly and completely defeated. There will be no doubt who won the battle.
Now, there are a few things left. There are the eyes of flame. Jesus was described in this way back in chapters 1 and 2. The eyes point to the ability to see. But what of the imagery of flame? In Scripture the purpose of fire is to purify, to destroy and to test. Here, John is using the last of these. Jesus knows the truth. His eyes see what is really going on. So, what that means, for one thing, is that when He comes Jesus will know who is a real one and who is a phony. He will know who it is who has actually followed Him faithfully and who only professed to do that. He will know all the members of the armies of the beast. None will escape His wrath. Then there is the title of ‘faithful and true’. As you see these words being applied to Jesus in different parts of Revelation, you’ll find that they remind us that Jesus is the faithful witness. He is true to His calling from God; true to His word. This says something about His relationship to those disciples who have been faithfully following Him. Scripture is filled with promises that Jesus has made to His saints, promises of caring for them, fulfilling their desires, freeing them completely from the ravages of sin. As the one who is faithful and true, He will not renege on those promises. He does not forget that He made them. He is true to His word. The promises will be kept. And our text even anticipates questions about this. John tells us that Jesus has ‘a name written that no one knows but Himself’. In the Bible, a person’s name often pointed to something important about him. Names are intended to reflect the character of the thing named. And so, Simon became Peter, the rock. Abram became Abraham, the father of a multitude. And the Savior was to be called Immanuel, God with us, as well as Jesus, which means the Lord is salvation. The name revealed the person. But here, the name is not revealed. Only Jesus knows this name. What is this? There are things about Jesus that we do not know nor understand. There are things about His ways that are mysterious to us. They are clear to Him but certainly not to us. There are times when He does things that make no sense to us. There are turns in His plan that confuse us. It’s in these situations that we need to trust Him. He knows what He is doing even when we haven’t a clue. There will always be a measure of mystery about Jesus. And that makes sense. He is God, after all.
Now, what’s the point of all of this? What were those seven churches supposed to get from our text? Remember that this is supposed to be encouragement to the faithful as well as a warning to those flirting with compromise. The main lines are clear. One day Jesus is going to come back. He will most certainly keep that promise that He made. When He comes, it will be as a warrior to rescue His people. One day the struggles that His Church has been dealing with will be over. The enemies that have arrayed themselves against Him and His – the beast, the false prophet and those aligned with them – will be completely gone, utterly destroyed.
Our text was - and still is - intended to encourage hope. Yes, it may seem better if Jesus doesn’t wait but rather comes immediately. But He always knows what He’s doing. There was a delay and there still is one. But it’s not because Satan and his agents are somehow too strong. There was a delay and there continues to be a delay because that’s the best way to proceed. It may make things hard for the saints, but this is one of those times when His saints need to trust Him. And when He comes He’ll know who are the real ones and who are the phonies. His eyes of flame will see into each one’s heart. And so, there is a warning included in our text. But to the faithful that isn’t a threat. Jesus will know the truth. He’ll know who loves Him.
Now, I think that it’s safe to say that this text doesn’t have the punch today that it has had in previous centuries. And the reason is not hard to discern. A large part of the Church today has been lulled to sleep. The Church has forgotten about the beast and the false prophet and Babylon, the prostitute. But these agents of Satan are all very active in our world. The false prophet and Babylon have been quite successful. The false prophet has presented a way of thinking about this life that has just about swept everything else aside. It’s not that there is no God, it’s just that the god that is believed in is very different from the God of the Gospel. It’s not that there is no sin. It’s just that sin isn’t the problem that some used to think that it was. And the Jesus of our age would never present Himself as a blood-splattered warrior come to give the flesh of His enemies to the vultures. How harsh! Thus goes the false prophet’s message. And all of this makes a difference when it comes to the goals that are being pursued. And those goals show in things like how kids are trained and careers chased. And Babylon has also done rather nicely. Her temptations to wealth and pleasure are being eaten up every day. Jesus was right. Where your treasure is there your heart is also. And the treasures of so many are firmly rooted to this earth. The situation of much of the Church today is not all that different from that of those compromising churches of the first century. So, the hope offered in our text is ignored. Who needs the hope of the age to come when life in this age seems so comfortable?
Now, to quote Amos, I am no prophet nor am I the son of a prophet, but let me tell you my guess about what the future holds. God never leaves Himself without a witness. There are those faithful in the Church who see what is going on. They understand the message of the false prophet and how it is a call to compromise with the world. They see how they have taken a step or two down that road. And they repent of that sin and are learning how to reject that message more and more. They work at thinking God’s thoughts after Him. They also see more clearly the temptations of Babylon. They understand how she seduces with her pleasures and her promises of more. Again, they repent of their sins here. They see themselves called to be the pure bride of Christ. As a result, they are becoming different and are breaking away from the rest. One of two things may happen as a result. There will a great revival of true religion through the faithful witness of this remnant and much will be changed in the Church as well as in the world. Or, in my opinion more likely, the beast will see that the false prophet is failing in his message among these faithful and that Babylon is not as alluring to them as she thought she would be. And so, the beast will use his power to try to coerce them to conform. There will be persecution. Now, when that happens, you will need the encouragement of our text. At that time you’ll need to remember that Jesus is Lord over all. Satan and his agents are no match for Him. It may well be that there will continue to be a delay in His return even as you cry out that He might come soon. [Revelation 6.9-11] That’s when you need to trust Him. There are depths to Him that you cannot understand. But He knows what He’s doing. And everything that He does, He does out of love for you, His bride. If there is delay, there is a good reason for it. But at the same time remember that one day He will return. And when He does He will destroy both His and your enemies, utterly. And then the eternal wedding party that is called heaven will begin. So, continue to pursue faithfulness. And when life gets hard, remember our text and pray that you might believe its message.
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