In this post we see how John paints a word picture
of the return of Jesus with the armies of heaven.
Revelation 19:13 “And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in
blood: and his name is called The Word of God.”
“dipped” – bapto…a
primary verb; to whelm, i.e. cover wholly with a fluid…to stain (as with dye)….
I think it is significant to note that John
describes Jesus when He appears as wearing a garment that is soaked and stained
with blood. I think it represents His own shed blood as well as the blood
of all those who died as martyrs for their faith in Him. The prophet
Isaiah adds that it includes even more.
Isaiah
63:1–3 “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this
that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I
that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine
apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? I have trodden
the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread
them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be
sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.”
The Lord’s bloody garment represents the massive
amount of bloodshed required to bring about the fulfillment of the Father’s
plan and completely conquer His enemies.
Isaiah indicates that Jesus indeed goes first to Bozrah to deliver the
believing remnant who have been under His protection there for the last 3.5
years of the tribulation before proceeding on to the Mount of Olives outside
Jerusalem to face the armies of Satan and Antichrist.
“His name is called The Word of God” – This is Jesus,
the sole source of our deliverance, God in flesh—fully God and fully man.
John
1:1&14 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God….And the Word was made
flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the
only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
Jesus
is not alone; the armies of heaven are with Him.
Revelation 19:14 “And the armies which were in heaven followed him
upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.”
I
believe these armies include both angels and believers according to the
following scriptures.
Zechariah
14:5 “And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the
mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from
before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God
shall come, and all the saints with thee.”
1Thessalonians
3:13 “To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before
God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.”
2 Thessalonians 1:7–8 “And to you
who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from
heaven with his mighty angels, In
flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel
of our Lord Jesus Christ….”
Jude 1:14–15
“And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold,
the Lord cometh with ten thousands of
his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are
ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly
committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken
against him.
Who are the saints? Those who comprise the
church, the bride of Christ, are some of them.
Revelation 19:7–8 “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give
honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made
herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen,
clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.”
Paul affirms this in his letter to Colosse.
Colossians
3:4 “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with
him in glory.”
Note the stark contrast
between the garment worn by the LORD Jesus and the armies of heaven. It is very clear that we are there as
witnesses only to His victory. The
battle is His alone. Zechariah’s
prophecy was clear in declaring that the battle belongs to the LORD.
Zechariah 14:2–3 “For I will gather
all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the
houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into
captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight
against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.”
Note that Zechariah also emphasizes that it is God
who has gathered all the nations to battle.
The Antichrist just thinks he is in control.
(to be continued…)
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