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For our meditation this evening, 
you can turn to the book of Revelation, chapter 19, Revelation 19. We'll read all of the chapter, 
our text under consideration will be verses 11 to 16, the 
messianic reign of the warrior king, Jesus Christ. But we'll 
read from Revelation 19, verse one to the end of the chapter. 
After these things, I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in 
heaven saying, Alleluia, salvation and glory and honor and power 
belong to the Lord, our God, for true and righteous are his 
judgments, because he has judged the great harlot who corrupted 
the earth with her fornication, and he has avenged on her the 
blood of his servants shed by her. Again, they said, Alleluia, 
her smoke rises up forever and ever. And the twenty four elders 
and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God 
who sat on the throne saying, Amen, Alleluia. Then a voice 
came from the throne saying, Praise our God, all you his servants 
and those who fear him, both small and great. And I heard, 
as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many 
waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings saying, Alleluia, 
for the Lord God omnipotent reigns. Let us be glad and rejoice and 
give him glory for the marriage of the lamb has come and his 
wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to 
be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright for the fine linen 
is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, right, 
blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the 
lamb. And he said to me, these are the true sayings of God. 
And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, see that 
you do not do that. I am your fellow servant and 
of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God, 
for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. 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. 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. He was clothed with a robe dipped 
in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. And the armies 
in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him 
on white horses. 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. And he has on his 
robe and on his thigh a name written, King of kings and Lord 
of lords. 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. 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. And I saw 
the beasts, the kings of the earth and their armies gather 
together to make war against him who sat on the horse and 
against his army. Then the beast was captured and 
with him the false prophet who works signs in his presence by 
which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those 
who worshipped his image. These two were cast alive into 
the lake of fire burning with brimstone 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. 
Amen. Let us pray. God, we thank you 
again for the scriptures. We thank you for this portion 
of it. We thank you, Lord God, for what it discloses concerning 
Jesus Christ as our victorious, redeeming warrior king. And we 
pray that as we consider the central portion of this passage, 
that you'd help us to glory in Jesus Christ as our king. We 
pray, Lord God, that those who do not glory in him who sit here 
in this congregation tonight, that you would, by your spirit 
and by the word, cause them to bend the knee to this King of 
Kings and to this Lord of Lords. And it's in his name that we 
pray. Amen. Well, just very briefly, we're 
going to consider four things tonight, but just briefly, by 
way of introduction, A brief introduction or a word on Revelation 
as a whole. What's going on largely here 
is or Revelation is concerned largely with what the subject 
matter of the parable of the wicked vinedressers that Jesus 
brings out in Matthew 21. Jesus comes in judgment upon 
a nation that rejected the prophets, that rejected the servants and 
finally rejected himself, finally rejected the son, and he comes 
and he and he takes the kingdom from that ungodly apostate nation 
and gives it to a nation bearing the fruits of it. We see something 
of that in the context that we read in chapter 18. The great 
harlot is judged. The great harlot is divorced 
and destroyed. And the new bride, the Church 
of Jesus Christ, is married to Jesus Christ, the bridegroom. 
And following that covenantal transaction where the apostate 
harlot is divorced and the new bride is married, we have Jesus 
Christ riding victorious in conquest as the reigning Messiah. Verses 
11 to 16 are or this section of Revelation is a disclosure 
of Jesus Christ in his messianic reign, riding victorious on the 
white horse for the cause of his name and his truth. We're 
going to look at this vision, excuse me, under four considerations. First off, the introduction to 
the vision and its champion. Second, the disclosure of the 
champion's attributes. Thirdly, the champion's battle 
company. And fourthly, the greatness of 
the champion. But first off, let's have a look 
at the introduction to the vision and its champion. Notice we read 
here. 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. First off, 
in introducing this vision, we ought to note the grace of the 
vision. We ought not to skip past. Now I saw heaven open. You see, the very fact of revelation 
is a grace, the very fact that John here is able to see by the 
disclosing grace of Christ, heaven open. That is a grace in and 
of itself. That is condescending mercy visited 
upon John. And by virtue of John passing 
this on to us, to us, it is a mercy of it is a condescending mercy 
that God reveals his will to anyone, that God reveals his 
character and his perfections to anyone. If we if we are to 
read the book of Hebrews and read the very first verse, we 
ought to glory in what it says, God, who at various times and 
in various ways spoke. You see, it is a mercy it is. 
First off, it is not the case that we deserve that we merit 
somehow God disclosing himself to us. Again, that's what a condescending 
mercy means. We did not deserve it. Rather, 
we most certainly deserve his nondisclosure for him to keep 
us in our wrath and in the condemnation that rested upon us. But rather, 
God has chosen in that condescension to reveal himself to us. Now 
I saw heaven open. The grace of the vision is also 
seen in the contents of the revelation. The content of the revelation 
is the glory of Jesus Christ. That first off, God reveals. 
But secondly, that God reveals the glory of his son is the grace 
of this vision. Secondly, the general theme of 
the vision. The general theme of this vision 
is conquest. It is a military battle, conquest, 
a victory, a triumph. We understand this by the fact 
that we see heaven open and behold, a white horse. This white horse 
has been used before in the book of Revelation. It's symbolic 
of, yes, purity. Yes, the purity of truth and 
those sorts of things. But it is indicative of the conquest 
of the one who rides upon it. It's indicative of triumph, of 
conquest, of victory. You can turn back to Revelation 
six for a moment just to see this. Revelation 6, if you have 
your Bibles open and at the ready. Revelation 6, beginning at verse 
1. Now I saw when the Lamb opened 
the seals, one of the seals, and I heard one of the four living 
creatures saying with a voice like thunder, Come and see. And 
I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a 
bow, and a crown was given to him. And he went out conquering, 
and to conquer. You see, this fact that we have 
a white horse given at the introduction of this vision discloses the 
fact that it will be a vision concerned with conquest, with 
victory and with triumph. The specific theme of the conquest 
is, of course, or of the vision, rather, is, of course, conquest 
by Jesus Christ. We see this vision continuing. 
And he who sat on him was called faithful and true. And in righteousness, 
he judges and makes war. Of course, this can only be in 
as the vision fleshes fleshes itself out. We see this, but 
this can only be the Lord Jesus Christ, because there is only 
one who is who was and who always will be faithful and true. Jesus 
Christ, what does this mean, this faithful and true? Well, 
first off, We see a contrast here between the champion of 
this vision and the beast that was judged, actually the harlot 
and the beast that were judged prior to Revelation 19. The harlot 
or the woman, the mystery Babylon, the mother of harlots and of 
the abominations of the earth, was seen as a harlot riding upon 
a beast. And both that harlot and that 
beast are judged. They do not are not marked by 
conquest. They do not have triumph. They 
do not have victory. And we have this Jesus Christ, 
though, contrasted with that one who was destroyed, divorced 
and condemned. This Jesus Christ rides upon 
a white horse and he is triumphant. Unlike the falsity and the lies 
and the blasphemies, this one, Jesus Christ, is faithful and 
true. And what we see in that disclosure 
of Christ as being faithful and true. Well, first off, we see 
that in the perfection of his life, don't we? We see that Jesus 
Christ was faithful to every jot and tittle of his father's 
law and of his father's calling upon him. The task given to Jesus 
Christ by the father. He was faithful and he was true. 
He was faithful and true as he marched and as he completed the 
work upon Golgotha's cross. He was perfectly faithful and 
true in his ascended work of intercession. Jesus Christ is 
faithful and true, isn't he? He always lives to make intercession 
for us before the throne. Our surety stands. He is faithful 
and true to that task is our ascended intercessor. But I think 
more to the point in this context. He is in carrying out his judgment 
in battling his enemies and in visiting vengeance upon his enemies 
for the case of his name and his saints. He is faithful and 
true. Jesus will ride this white horse 
upon the faithful and true course in visiting vengeance upon those 
who rejected him and who do not obey his precepts, who do not 
bend and eat in saving faith, believing in this King of King 
and Lord of Lords. The activity of the writing of 
Jesus Christ is judicial and militaristic. Notice the language 
here. And he who sat on him was called 
faithful and true. And in righteousness, he judges 
and makes war. The writing of Jesus Christ, 
first off, is judicial. That is, Jesus Christ executes 
the law as the law giver. He comes riding victorious and 
exercising, executing the law. He visits or he imposes upon 
his enemies the sanctions for breaking the law of Christ. And 
he also, of course, in his writing, condemns those and slays those 
who do not bend a knee to him. We see that his riding is militaristic 
in that he carries out an armed campaign against his enemies. 
We'll see what that means in a few minutes. But Jesus Christ 
rides in righteousness and he judges and makes war. And then 
lastly, under the introduction to the vision and the champion, 
we see the tenor of his riding. It is in righteousness. the tenor 
or the current or the drift of Christ's writing, it is in righteousness. In righteousness, he judges and 
makes war. He's not like the kings and the 
judges of old who exercise their offices according to bribery, 
according to the acquisition of ill-gotten gain. He is not 
a judge who acquits the righteous and sorry, who acquits the wicked 
and who condemns the righteous or the just, but rather he is 
faithful and true and in righteousness he judges and makes war. He's also or his righteousness 
is also seen in the fact that he carries out his judging and 
he carries out his war according to objective precepts revealed 
with clarity in the word of God, a body of laws, a body of truth. Jesus Christ is righteous. Secondly, 
notice the disclosure of the champion's attributes. And just 
to note here, this is another one of those biblical crescendos. We've talked about that before, 
various places in scripture where you see something starting off 
sort of small and then building to a grand end and a large point 
at the end of it. Well, here we have that. This 
just starts. Now I saw heaven opened and behold, a white horse. 
We see it build and build in intensity and force, climaxing 
in this wonderful declaration, the glorious title and name of 
Jesus Christ. But moving on, the disclosure 
of the champion's attributes, verses 12 and 13. And we'll try 
and move through these quickly. We have five of them. First off, 
notice his divine omniscience, his divine omniscience. His eyes 
were like a flame of fire. This language is used in chapter 
one and in chapter two concerning Jesus. Now, of course, Jesus 
is or has divine omniscience. Generally speaking, Jesus knows 
all things and Jesus sees all things. But what's going on here 
or specifically and more to the point here is Christ's piercing 
vision as it pertains to judgment. No one escapes the piercing, 
precise vision of this warrior king. You see that the enemies 
of Christ, those who who fly the banner of those kings and 
rulers who reject Christ and want to cast away his cords from 
them, they think that they can get away with things. But what 
this text is saying is that, no, the rider on the white horse 
has eyes that are like flames of fire. He has a vision that 
pierces. He sees everything. And you cannot 
get away with the persecution, your ungodly persecution, your 
execution, your Martyrdom of Christ's people, you cannot get 
away with rejecting this warrior king because he sees all and 
he will judge according to that piercing vision. Jesus Christ 
has divine omniscience and specifically as it pertains to judgment. And 
we need to note here that he sees contrary to the sometimes 
faithless assessment of his people. You see, very often we can be 
such that are marked by unbelief. We're believers, we are safely 
in the grip of Jesus, but sometimes we really don't take the fact 
that Jesus Christ is victorious and will be victorious seriously. We really don't believe it. But 
this is to kill that and to bring to life the apprehension that 
Jesus Christ does have piercing vision, that he does see when 
we're wronged, that he does see when his people are wrong, that 
he does see wickedness and will most certainly deal with that. 
We also need to understand that he sees contrary to his enemy's 
ignorance and disregard. You see, Christ's enemies, again, 
they think that they can get away with it, or in the very 
least, they make it look that way, suppressing the truth in 
unrighteousness. But even they know full well 
that Jesus Christ will judge the wicked. They know that there 
is one that has been appointed judge of the living and of the 
dead. But they need to understand with 
certainty that Jesus Christ has this piercing vision and they 
need to bend the knee to the king of kings lest he dash them 
to pieces as a potter's vessel. Secondly, we notice his conquering 
prowess. his conquering prowess. Notice 
the language continues. And on his head were many crowns 
on his head were many crowns. Now, Jesus Christ is crowned 
by virtue of the fact that he is Lord of Creation, Lord of 
Providence and Lord of Redemption. Jesus Christ is crowned by virtue 
of the fact that he is the only sinless one, that he is the only 
one who perfectly championed the law of his father. to every 
jot and tittle. Jesus Christ is crowned, again, 
as the only law keeper. But what's in view here is a 
multiplicity of diadems by virtue of Christ's conquering prowess 
over his enemies. Jesus Christ, first and foremost, 
we see his conquering over his enemies by bearing Golgotha's 
cross. Upon the cross, we read in the 
scriptures that Jesus Christ was perfectly victorious over 
death. over Hades, over the devil, and 
over all principalities in the heavenly places. Jesus Christ 
gains that crown by virtue of his victory at the cross. And 
then, of course, subsequent to his resurrection and ascension, 
Jesus Christ rides victorious on the white horse, conquering 
and to conquer. And so he is seen as the one 
bearing many crowns. We see, thirdly, under the disclosure 
of the champion's attributes, his exclusive ownership His exclusive 
ownership. Notice the second part of verse 
12. He had a name written that no 
one knew except himself. What John is saying here is not 
that Jesus Christ is the only one who knew that name, who had 
a knowledge of the name. He's not saying that it was a 
secret and that no one could know what to call Jesus, but 
rather the meaning here means that there is a uniqueness and 
a singularity to Christ's ordained office. It is only Christ who 
knows or it is only Christ who owns this particular messianic 
reign and conquest. Jesus Christ is the only ordained 
King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is the only Word of God who 
goes conquering and to conquer. We see something of this back 
in Revelation 5. Revelation chapter five, we see 
something of this. We see beginning in verse one. 
And I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne, a 
scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 
Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice who is worthy 
to open the scroll and loose it seals and no one in heaven 
or on the earth or under the earth, was able to open the scroll 
or to look at it. So I wept much, because no one 
was found worthy to open and read the scroll or to look at 
it. But one of the elders said to me, Do not weep. Behold, the 
Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed 
to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals." Jesus Christ 
is the only one who has ownership of this messianic task to reign 
as the warrior king, the king of kings. and the Lord of Lords. Fourthly, notice his wholesome 
severity. His wholesome severity. After 
we read that no one knew that name that was written except 
himself, verse 13 we read, he was clothed with a robe dipped 
in blood. He was clothed with a robe dipped 
in blood. Now, is this a reference to? 
Jesus Christ, or is this a reference to the blood of the saints that 
Jesus Christ comes to vindicate, to visit vengeance upon those 
who spilled their blood? Most likely it's not, though 
Jesus Christ does come in vengeance for his name and on behalf of 
his saints. Is this robe dipped in blood 
a reference to the blood that he spilled upon Calvary's tree? Well, most certainly it is the 
case that Jesus has taken up this messianic task by virtue 
of the fact that he shed his blood on Calvary's tree. But 
that is probably not the blood that we see here that his robe 
is dipped in. What we see here is that Jesus 
Christ's robe or his vestment, his vesture, is dipped in the 
blood of his enemies. It is sprinkled in the blood 
of his enemies. It is dyed in the blood of those 
that he conquers and goes out to conquer. We can see this sort 
of building as we look at the book of Revelation. First off, 
if you look back at Revelation 6, 9. Revelation 6, 9. Just to see that this blood that 
is on his garments. is the stain of his enemy's blood. Revelation chapter 6 at verse 
9. When he opened the fifth seal, 
I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for 
the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried 
out with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, 
until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the 
earth? When we get back to the book 
of our story, when we get back to chapter 19, we see that this 
is exactly the case, that the blood upon his garments is the 
blood of his enemies. Verse two, for true and righteous 
are his judgments because he has judged the great harlot who 
corrupted the earth with her fornication and he has avenged 
on her the blood of his servants shed by her. Now, turn to the 
book of Isaiah with me to see this even more clearly by virtue 
of a prophecy given by that prophet Isaiah 63. Isaiah 63, as many 
have noted, or many have noted that Revelation 19, 11 to 16, 
and specifically this verse, he was clothed with a robe dipped 
in blood, is the fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 63, 
beginning at verse one. And I'll read and you can follow. 
Who is this who comes from Edom with dyed garments from Basra? This one who is glorious in his 
apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength. I who speak 
in righteousness, mighty to save. Why is your apparel red and your 
garments like one who treads in the winepress? I have trodden 
the winepress alone and from the peoples no one was with me, 
for I have trodden them in my anger and trampled them in my 
fury. Their blood is sprinkled upon my garments, and I have 
stained all my robes. For the day of vengeance is in 
my heart, and the year of my redeemed has come. I looked, 
but there was no one to help, and I wondered that there was 
no one to uphold. Therefore, my own arm brought 
salvation for me, and my own fury, it sustained me. I have 
trodden down the peoples in my anger, made them drunk in my 
fury, and brought down their strength to the earth. You see 
that here. Jesus Christ takes truth, takes 
sin and takes opposition seriously. Jesus Christ comes in vengeance 
upon his enemies. Those who ultimately, not ultimately, 
but those who first off killed the prophets and the servants 
of old. Those who ultimately put him to death upon Calvary's 
tree. He being the promised one who 
would come and bear the sins of his people. And Jesus Christ, 
once that one who rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, now rides on a white 
horse, bringing vengeance and visiting judgment upon his enemies. His wholesome severity is seen 
in the fact that he is stained by the blood of his enemies. 
And lastly, under the disclosure of the champion's attributes, 
we see his impeccable execution. His impeccable execution. Notice, 
as the vision continues, we read this. He was clothed with a robe, 
dipped in blood, and his name is called the word of God. Jesus Christ is the word of God. We see this in the fact of his 
pre-incarnate state in the beginning was the word and the word was 
with God and the word was God. We see this is still, of course, 
true in his incarnation. And the word became flesh and 
dwelt among us. And we beheld his glory as of 
the only begotten of the father, full of grace and truth. But 
we also are and most certainly we see this in the fact that 
Jesus Christ is the word of God in fulfilling everything concerning 
God's law and the promise of salvation upon Calvary Street 
and the subsequent resurrection. Jesus Christ proclaims he is 
the word he proclaims the word he fulfills the word and he brings 
the word to bear as the sovereign Christ. We see as we get more 
pointedly to its application in this context. If you turn 
back to Luke 21 with me, we see the fact that Jesus Christ is 
the word of God and fulfills that role in bringing to bear 
the curses of the covenant. Luke 21. Luke 21 and verse 22. Actually, beginning at verse 
20, but when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know 
that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea 
flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart 
and let not those who are in the country enter her. For these 
are the days of vengeance that all things which are written 
may be fulfilled. You can make a note if you are 
making notes of Deuteronomy 28, 15 to 65. We see Jesus Christ in promising 
this in Luke 21, 22. And then as we get to the book 
of Revelation, bringing this to bear Deuteronomy 28 and the 
curses of the covenant. If you do not follow in my way 
and if you reject my covenant, I will do X, Y and Z. And we 
see Jesus Christ alluding to that in verse 22 of Luke 21. 
and bringing it to bear within the pages of John's apocalypse. Jesus Christ is the is the word 
of God, indicative of his impeccable execution of that word. And then 
lastly, under his impeccable execution, he is the word of 
God is the one reigning omnipotent who rides conquering and to conquer. He brings to bear the truth of 
Psalm 110. He brings to bear the truth of 
another example, Daniel 7, 13 and 14, where the ascended Christ 
is given glory and dominion and a kingdom, and he rules over 
them with might and with the rod of his justice. So that is 
the disclosure of the champion's attributes. As we move closer 
to the close, we see next the champion's battle company. You're 
back at Revelation 19. This is our third point, the 
champion's battle company. Notice the language here, verse 
14, and the armies in heaven clothed in fine linen, white 
and clean, followed him on white horses. This is Christ or the champion's 
battle company. Some see in this a reference 
to angels, to those that population of spirit beings created by God 
to minister to those who will inherit salvation. But I think 
we are to see here this as a reference to the saints of Christ, believers 
in the Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to Revelation 2, 26 
and 27, reign with him. We also see the weight of this 
being the saints of Christ back in Revelation 17 at verse 14. Speaking of those who are with 
Christ, These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome 
them. For He is the Lord of Lords and 
the King of Kings, and those who are with Him are called chosen 
and faithful. Those who are in the Lord's commissioned 
army are the saints. Yes, the angels are seen in the 
scripture as coming with the Lord in judgment. But specifically 
here, this is a reference to the saints. And I think this 
is certainly clear from verse eight. Well, from verses six 
to eight of Revelation 19. And I heard, as it were, the 
voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and 
as the sound of many thundering, saying, Alleluia, for the Lord 
God omnipotent reigns. Let us be glad and rejoice and 
give him glory for the marriage of the lamb has come and his 
wife has made herself ready. And to her, it was granted to 
be arrayed note in fine linen, clean and bright for the fine 
linen is the righteous acts of the saints. So this is this verse 
14 is a reference to the the saints, the armies who follow 
after Jesus Christ are the saints of Jesus Christ. And we ought 
to see in this, brethren, a great privilege and a great honor. 
See, Jesus Christ is seen as here as the champion of champions 
riding on a white horse. His people, by virtue of his 
perfect work, are also on white horses. And we are wearing those 
garments, those robes that are white and clean. We are clothed 
in fine linen. Ultimately and finally, that 
is a reference to the fact that Jesus Christ has washed us in 
his own blood. You see, we once had garments 
or we our garments were once filthy, soiled, dirty, rotten. But Jesus Christ, by virtue of 
his perfect crosswork, has plunged those has plunged us and our 
garments into the blood, into his perfect blood and washed 
them sparklingly white, clean, glorious honor to be those who 
are the armies or who are in the number of the army of heaven, 
clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And notice that we 
follow him. on white horses. We are not to 
be a bunch of individualistic brothers and sisters in Jesus 
Christ. We are to follow the Lord Jesus 
Christ wherever he goes. We are an army. We are united 
in the things of Jesus, and we march after him in battle, towards 
victory, in victory, and we are to be united. We're a band of 
soldiers not a motley crew of individuals seeking our own lusts 
and our own gains, but rather we are about the champion's cause. Whatever Jesus is about, we're 
about. Whatever Jesus Christ is zealous 
for, we are zealous for. Whatever Jesus Christ champions, 
that is the word of God and the truth of the gospel, we are to 
champion and we are to defend with great apologetic vigor. 
Our energies are to be thrust into being this army that follows 
Christ. We are to focus our energies 
upon following the victorious rider of the white horse wherever 
he goes. Lastly then, that was the champion's 
battle company. Fourthly, we have the greatness 
of the champion. The greatness of the champion. 
Notice first off the excellence of his warfare. the excellence 
of his warfare. Verse 15, now out of his mouth 
goes a sharp sword that with it he should strike the nations. 
Christ's warfare is excellent because the tool or the weapon 
of his warfare is not carnal, but rather spiritual. The sword 
that comes out and protrudes from the mouth of this rider 
upon the white horse is the word of God. You can turn to Ephesians 
6.16 to see this. Ephesians 6.16. So we can see 
some of these things that we're not making it up. Jesus Christ 
doesn't have a literal and physical sword coming out of his mouth 
that he might strike the nations physically with this sword that 
protrudes from his mouth. But rather, this is symbolic, 
indicative of something that is literal and that is real. Ephesians six and verse. Verse 17, and take the helmet 
of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word 
of God. Also in the book of Hebrews, 
the author there says that the word of God is sharper than any 
two-edged sword, specifically and precisely purposed to do 
various things, death unto death, life unto life, to paraphrase. But Jesus Christ wields a sword. 
It protrudes out of his mouth. And that sword is the word of 
God. And with it, he strikes the nations. This is seen, first 
off, Yes, in the fact that he subdues 
his elect unto himself. In I believe it's question 28 
of the Westminster Shorter Catechism, we get a view of what Christ's 
office as king is, what it means, what it looks like. Christ executes 
the office of a king in subduing us to himself, in ruling and 
defending us, and in restraining and conquering all his and our 
enemies. Jesus Christ, first off, wields 
the sword from his mouth so that he might subdue the nations in 
calling his elect scattered abroad unto belief in his glorious name. 
You see, this is an image. This is a picture. This is a 
vision of Christ marching victoriously throughout history. The gospel 
starts as a small as a proclamation to a small group in Jerusalem. Now, 2000 years later, we have 
people in Chilliwack believing on this white rider. You see, 
it was just a small light in Jerusalem, but 2000 years later, 
we have believers in Europe, believers in Asia, believers 
in Australia, believers in North America, believers in South America. Jesus Christ, that great white 
rider, strikes the nations with the sword of the spirit, subduing 
his people unto himself, calling them to follow him in white, 
fine and clean linen. the victory of his gospel. But 
secondly, we have primarily, it's seen here in the slaying 
of the reprobate. The hardened unto death disobedient 
and the unrepentant. Jesus Christ comes with sharp 
sword, the word of God, and he strikes the nations. Gill says 
regarding this language, John Gill, our old Baptist brother, 
says this, speaking from a different passage, Hosea 6.5, Jesus Christ 
does this striking the nation by the word of truth, by preaching 
the terrors of the law, which is a killing letter, and by delivering 
out the threatenings of the Lord and denouncing his judgments 
upon them for their sin, cut them to the heart and killed 
them for their foretelling and prophesying of their being slain, 
ruined and destroyed was a slaying of them. Jesus Christ brings 
to bear the weight and the glory of the word of God. And upon 
the reprobate is it is a death dealing victory. Jesus Christ 
gains the victory by punishing those who are disobedient, who 
rebel against him, who will not bend a knee to his glory, to 
his majesty, to his faithfulness and to his truthfulness. We see 
secondly, under the greatness of the champion, the strictness 
of his justice, the strictness of his justice. Notice after 
we read in verse 15 regarding the sharp sword striking of the 
nations, we read and he himself will rule them with a rod of 
iron. Some interpreters see here a 
rule such as the good shepherd, the great shepherd in Psalm 23, 
that this is a rod wielded for the leading and for the feeding 
and for the guarding of the sheep. Well, certainly Jesus Christ 
does that. But what's in view here is the fulfillment of Psalm 
2 that we sang this evening. Jesus Christ takes the rod that 
is given to him, this rod of iron, and he dashes those wicked 
kings and rulers like a potter's vessel. The psalmist writes, 
Be wise, O kings. Be instructed, you judges of 
the earth. Kiss the son, lest he be angry, 
and you perish in the way. When his wrath is kindled, but 
a little. You see, not to exhaustion. When the wrath of this white 
rider is kindled, but a little, it is as if when he brings to 
bear his judgment, he takes an iron rod and he smashes a potter's 
vessel. He grinds it to powder, as the 
Bible says elsewhere. You see, a potter's vessel is 
just pottery, but this is an iron rod that our great champion 
wields. And if you bend not a knee to 
this saving Christ, if you oppose him, if you blaspheme him, and 
if you kill and persecute his saints, he will most certainly 
visit the judgment upon you. The strictness of his justice. Christ, as the righteous judge, 
dashes to pieces those who will not be ruled by him. You can 
read in your own reading later, Matthew 22, another prophecy 
concerning the destruction of Jerusalem. But in that parable, 
there are men who they say we will not have this king, this 
gracious king to rule over us. And the consequence of that rebellion 
and disobedience is that the king calls upon his servants 
to slay those men before him. The strictness of his justice, 
the fury of his trampling, we see thirdly under the greatness 
of the champion. Notice the fury of his trampling. He himself treads the winepress 
of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. Jesus Christ treads 
the winepress of the fierceness and the wrath of Almighty God. 
In chapter 14 of Revelation, we see an angel calling upon 
a sickle wielding angel to chop down the vintage, to chop down 
the grapes and to cast them into the great winepress of the Lord. 
I think that's where we also see some of this language here 
with regards to Christ's robe being dipped in blood. Why? Because 
he treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty 
God. The sickle of the angel figuratively casts all the wicked 
into the winepress of the Lord and the true surety of the covenant. The white rider comes in vindication 
of his name and his saints and tramples that winepress. The 
fury of his trampling. Of course, this is not a mindless, 
out of control rampage, as sometimes we associate to the word fury. 
This is a calculated, wholesome, juridical severity and anger 
that comes by the zeal of this white rider executing according 
to truth, according to righteousness and according to justice. And then lastly, the glory of 
his name, the glory of his name. We see this vision closing, this 
crescendo, climaxing with verse 16. And he has on his robe and 
on his thigh a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. It's a glorious declaration concerning 
Jesus. We noted on Wednesday night that 
this language was actually rendered to earthly kings. Xerxes in the 
book of Esther. Nebuchadnezzar in the book of 
Daniel to name two. In extra biblical literature, 
the kings of Persia, the kings of Greece, the kings of Rome, 
this sort of language was used regarding them. But you see, 
with the Lord Jesus Christ, it is actually and ultimately true. You see, Nebuchadnezzar might 
have been called king of kings and lord of lords. But we saw 
what happened when he boasted that his prominence, his pomp 
and his kingdom were all because of his doing. The Lord God casts 
him seven times into the wilderness to eat the grass like the beasts, 
makes him low, makes him humble and causes him to see who truly 
is the king of the nations, who truly is the king of kings and 
the Lord of Lords. And Jesus Christ has this title 
not by virtue of his conquest. He is he is a conquistador. He is a victor. He is triumphant. 
But this is what cared says regarding this title. This title is the 
ground, not the result of the coming victory. He will conquer 
the monster and the kings because he is already king of kings and 
lord of lords. This Jesus is king of kings and 
lord of lords. And by virtue of the very fact, 
the brilliance and the perfection of his being, his character. 
and his work. Well, brethren, to close before 
we pray, just two brief applications here. First, who is the Christ 
presented in our profession and in our evangelism? Most certainly 
preaching to the choir here, but the church at large needs 
to reacquire the Christ that is presented in the scriptures. 
We need a holistic view of the Lord Jesus Christ to be sure 
we have Jesus Christ meek and mild in his earthly ministry, 
riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey. 
But Jesus Christ is also this victorious champion, warrior, 
king, white horse rider who comes to tread the winepress of the 
fierceness and the wrath of Almighty God. You see, the church has 
most certainly lost her way and her proper trajectory when she 
does not worship this Christ, but worships the Christ of the 
bad five dollar slogan, the cheap T-shirt and the bad jacket decal. When Jesus Christ is just a friend 
and just a buddy, when Jesus Christ is chanted as in to call 
upon his name in a stadium chant, or when Jesus is the cheesy repeated 
verse of a contemporary song. Jesus Christ is King of Kings 
and Lord of Lords. He treads the winepress of the 
fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. We don't depict him in a 
bad Japanese style comic scampering through the tulips of Jerusalem, 
the lilies of Jerusalem. We depict him in the word, or 
we read about him in the word, as that one who's victorious 
at Calvary, victorious in the resurrection, victorious in the 
ascension, and who rides victorious upon this white horse, conquering 
and to conquer. We hold forth the Jesus of love. 
We hold forth the Jesus of wrath. You will seek to hide yourself, 
cover yourself in the rocks and in the trees, calling upon them 
to hide you from the wrath of this land if you do not bend 
a knee in saving faith. You bend a knee to this King 
Jesus and you will not have to worry about being the recipient 
of this sharp sword as it comes in striking judgment upon the 
trampling of the white horse that Jesus Christ rides as he 
comes in the fury of his trampling. And that's the second point before 
we close in prayer. Whose side will you be on? Whose 
side will you be on? You see, this vision is terror 
to those who are Christ's enemies. This vision is terror to those 
who are Christ's enemies. It certainly ought to be. They 
might be those who are ignorant. They might be those who do not 
catch the tenor and the current of this because they are unbelieving 
and suppress the truth. But nevertheless, this ought 
to be terror. The Bible tells us that this is terror to those 
who finally come under the judging act and the condemning act of 
Christ. Because they do call, not upon God in repentance, not 
upon God to have mercy upon them, but rather than calling upon 
this reigning Christ, they call upon the rocks and the trees 
to cover them from the wrath of this white rider. Whose side 
will you be on? It is comfort. This vision is 
comfort to those who are his people, though. Comfort to his 
people. You see, the recipients of this 
letter had it a little harder off than we do in our current 
era. Especially in Western and Western civilization, I'm referring 
to. You see, these Christians like 
Christians in other nations, but these Christians were under 
hot persecution. They were being martyred. They 
were having their heads chopped off for faith in the Lord Jesus 
Christ by an unbelieving Jewish nation. At the time of this writing, 
the time of Nero's reign, Nero would take Christians and impale 
them upon wooden sticks for his garden parties and light them 
aflame. OK, these Christians needed something of comfort. 
And throughout the book of Revelation, it isn't John bringing falsity, 
saying, OK, I'm going to try and gird them up with lies. It 
is John bringing to bear the truth of a reigning Christ, of 
a victorious white rider who rides valiantly for the vindication 
of his name and for those who are persecuted for his people. 
Time and again, the book of Revelation, we have we have an image of earth 
with the wretchedness of the whore of Babylon and the beast 
upon which she rides. The evil blasphemies, the murders, 
the adulteries, the spiritual adultery of the nations. And 
then the scene shifts to heaven where we see the glory of Christ. 
And as one man is called the calm dignity of the throne room, 
there is no scampering. There is no running around, pulling 
out hair, wondering what to do. Jesus Christ rise victorious 
by his word for truth and victory. Jesus Christ is glorious, and 
we need to we need to know that comfort we need to have. I think 
one of the things that shows a deficient or a weaker Christianity 
is when we on one side focus upon what Christ has accomplished. 
We remember him rightly as the one who died, rose again and 
ascended. And we can also, on the other 
side, look forward to his second coming. Even so, Lord Jesus come. But it is a deficient Christianity 
if we don't also see his current session. The fact that he reigns 
as the Lord God omnipotent, that he is this white rider, that 
he current reigns, though earth may rage, though the kings may 
rebel, though the rulers of the earth may gather together to 
seek to cast away his cords from them, he still rides victorious. And justice denied isn't justice, 
or justice delayed isn't justice denied. Jesus Christ is, has 
been, and will be victorious. And this is the Lord Jesus Christ 
that we present to people. The Christ who came into this 
world to live perfectly, who died perfectly, who rose again 
the third day and ascended to heaven for the sins of his people. And this Jesus Christ who currently 
rise and who currently reigns, vindicating his name in the earth 
and spreading his gospel upon every ten square mile spot upon 
this planet. Might Jesus Christ ride victorious 
forever and ever, and might we see in this lower world the effects 
of that conquering gospel, sinners singing the praises of our blessed 
Redeemer. Well, let us pray. God, we thank you so much for 
the fact of Revelation 19, 11 to 16. We thank you for what 
it discloses concerning our glorious Jesus. We do thank you, Lord 
God, that we can be called those who are of that army in heaven, 
clothed in fine linen, white and clean. that we can follow 
on white horses that valiant warrior king. And we do know, 
Lord God, that it's not by virtue of anything good in us, done 
by us or wrought by us, but rather it is solely and alone by virtue 
of the perfect work of that king, the Lord Jesus Christ. And we 
pray that you'd help us to Have a renewed, a refreshed vision 
of this Lord Jesus Christ as we read the scriptures and as 
we carry out our Christian lives in this lower world. Help us 
to live in light of the reigning Jesus. And might we seek in this 
lower world to glorify you in all that we do and all that we 
say. We just pray that you'd help us as a church to be united 
in the things of this Jesus and in the things of his truth. We 
pray that you'd help us to be gathered around the high and 
heavy things of the gospel and that we would set aside the trivialities 
and the rabbit trails of the folly of our own opinions. Help 
us to be unified and help us to strive for the sake of the 
gospel and for the glory of your name. And it's in Christ's name 
that we pray. Amen.