What Does Judgment Tell Us About Jesus? (Revelation 19:11-21)
GIST: Jesus is holy, powerful, and loving; He is coming to rescue and reign; and He will destroy sin once and for all.
Today, we’re continuing our discussion of Revelation 19. Last week, we looked at the section that is usually referred to as the marriage supper of the Lamb. It paints this beautiful picture of what life in Heaven will be like for those saved by grace. The rest of chapter 19 actually describes another kind of supper, but it’s not a pretty picture.
As we’re nearing the end of this letter. We have seen again and again God’s plan to rescue and redeem. However, part of that plan involves destroying sin once and for all —the source of all sorrow will be eliminated. This is wonderful news…except for those who won’t let go of sin. Jesus has come to bring amazing grace into our lives, but so many choose the destruction of sin over His love. This passage calls us to take sin seriously as we see those clinging to it not feasting with Jesus, but being feasted on by the sin they wouldn’t let go.
This passage can be difficult. Let it be. Sin is not just a light issue, and too often we take it as such. It is destructive and condemning, and must be destroyed. All that being said, let’s not forget this letter is supposed to be the Revelation of Jesus. So, let’s look at this passage of judgment and consider what it’s saying about Jesus’ person, purpose, and promise. (Yes, it’s three p’s… sometimes alliteration is just too much fun!)
Let me give you our gist; then we’ll take the verses as we come to them. Here’s our gist: Jesus is holy, powerful, and loving; He is coming to rescue and reign; and He will destroy sin once and for all.
I. His Person: Holy, Powerful, Loving (11-14)
As this passage starts, we’re given a really awesome picture of Jesus, and we are reminded of His person, or character. Check it out→
“11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True…”
Unlike in chapter 6 when we saw one riding on a white horse symbolizing selfish conflict, Jesus is portrayed as the triumphant king who is both Faithful (always true to His Word, always reliable and to be relied upon) and True (real, and in fact, the truth!).
This might be getting a bit ahead of ourselves here, but what victory has He won? He’s defeated sin! Why? For us. He didn’t gain anything from this battle. He didn’t have to do this. He came conquering sin just because He loves us… period. We have to remember that.
“... and in righteousness He judges and makes war.”
As only He can. Let’s also remember this. God is holy and loving, which means everything He does is both holy and loving. The war He wages against sin isn’t like a human war. For one, sin is WAY overmatched! Furthermore, Jesus isn’t impaired by anything close to self-seeking motives. Every decision He makes is just, holy, and loving because He can’t be anything else!
“12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems, and He has a name written that no one knows but Himself.”
These are all reminiscent of images we’ve seen before. His purifying and all seeing eyes, His power and majesty (many crowns), His mystery and holiness (the name no one can know). Interestingly, a lot of people will spend time trying to figure out what that name is… which seems self-defeating ☺️. There is SO much we can know about God. The entire Bible was written to show us who He is. Still yet, He is beyond us because He is God, so we won’t understand everything He does. He is powerful and separate from us, but He is not distant. I do feel like that’s pointed to in the next verse, as well.
“13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood…”
Now, I know that seems super grotesque (maybe even fitting on this Sunday before Halloween). However, there are two views here. Some say this is a picture of His blood shed for us. Others interpret this as the symbolic blood of those He’s about to judge. Though I think fair arguments can be made for both, since the judgment is still about to happen, I do lean more toward the blood He shed for us. Either way, this is a picture of Jesus, who is holy and powerful, coming down and interacting directly with His creation. In fact, like in the story of Exodus, it is because of the shed blood that we can be spared the punishment for sin we deserve. We must keep this in view.
“...and the name by which He is called is The Word of God.”
In John’s gospel, He opens by referring to Jesus as the Word of God — God’s message to the world. And it is through this message, which we are called to bear, that the world is judged, because this message both reveals sin for what it is and points to our salvation. If you hear this and still choose to reject Him, you are then judged by the Word you know.
“14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following Him on white horses.”
Now, He’s joined by…more people on white horses? Who are these other riders dressed like Jesus? Christians, purified and triumphant. Why? Because they are following Him. This is a picture of His love. The only way we can be purified is by receiving His rescue and redemption, and the only reason He gives it is because of His love! That love then feeds into→
II. His Purpose: To Rescue and Reign (15-18)
“15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”
Again, it is the Word of God which both saves and condemns because it reveals truth. This, with the rod of iron imagery, echo Old Testament passages on judgment (Isa. 49:2; 11:4; and Ps. 2:9). Interestingly, and you might have noticed this in the margins of your Bible, the word translated rule here is the same word in Greek used to mean shepherd. Consider the implication. God is the good shepherd whose rod is and staff comfort His sheep (Psalm 23). However, wolves that try to come and attack the sheep feel differently about the rod. No matter the strength of the foe, He will punish them in just wrath because He is the King of kings and Lord of lords! Remember, His wrath is still the outpouring of His love. Like Brett Davis said, it is “love burning away all that is not love”. He is coming to rescue and reign.
“17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God,18 to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.”
And here’s the other feast. It’s not a pretty picture. Sam Storm pointed out, “The picture of vultures or other birds of prey feasting on the flesh of unburied corpses killed in battle…was a familiar one to people in the Old Testament (cf. Deut. 28:26; 1 Sam. 17:44-46; 1 Kings 14:11; 16:4; 21:24; 2 Kings 9:10; Jer. 7:33; 15:3; 16:4; 19:7; 34:20; Ezek. 29:5).” This rings of Old Testament judgment language, but it’s still a hard image. Why? Because it’s talking about people from all walks of life facing judgment, and we don’t want to think about this. We want to think that sin can be sort of ignored, or we can get a slap on the wrist or something — but not this, not wrath. When I’ve shared the gospel with people this is the point that most often gets push back. Conversations often follow this pattern:
Do you believe Jesus is God? Yes
Do you believe you’re a sinner? Yes
Do you believe you deserve to go to Hell? No.
We know we’re sinners, but don’t want to face the consequences of those sins. The Bible is very clear that we have to. We’re not the King, but Jesus is and His reigning points to→
III. His Promise: To Defeat Sin Once & For All (19-21)
“19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against Him who was sitting on the horse and against His army. 20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21 And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of Him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.”
Kevin DeYoung pointed out something neat about the structure of the letters from chapter 12. That is the point where John uses more of a narrative perspective to describe what will be happening until Jesus returns. In so doing, he introduces several “characters”. The woman, the child, the dragon, the beast, the false prophet, the prostitute, and Babylon. Then, each of those characters, those symbols of sin, exit in reverse order. They are taken away, dealt with, destroyed, until only Jesus and the Church, His people, remain!
That’s the promise being pointed to here. Or, to be more clear, there is the fulfillment of one being pointed to. Do you remember what John the Baptist said about Jesus when He saw Him? “...Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29b). The false prophet and the beast and those who followed them (and then later we’ll see Satan himself) are thrown into Hell. Sin is defeated. Victory is won! Jesus came and died for this purpose. It is no light matter. And His judgment reveals so much about Him. Will you look to Him today?
Let’s hit some quick→
TAKEAWAYS
Jesus is holy and loving.
Sin is destroying us.
He came to rescue us by facing the Hell we deserve.
Any who believe in Him and receive His gift of rescue will rejoice forever in the life we were made for—Heaven, the marriage feast of the Lamb!
Those who reject Him are running toward a completely different kind of feast—one of judgment for the sin they’re embracing.
Will you come to the holy, powerful, and loving Savior today?
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