Revelation 19:11-21 - Homiletics

"King of kings, and Lord of lords."

In this paragraph we have a marvellously vivid sketch of a mighty conflict, in which the most high God, in the Person of his Son, goes forth to war and victory. Strange as it may seem to speak of God being engaged in a struggle, it is clear that what we call "good" is in the world with its legion forces, and that what is evil is also here. Both are at work. They are necessarily opposed. God must be on the side of good. Hence the war. Probably we have reason to believe that God could, if he pleased, terminate in a moment all that is opposed to his infinitely holy nature. But he does not see fit to do this. We do not know why, except as he tells us. It may be that in and by the conflict lessons are to he taught which otherwise could not be learnt. Any way, while this strife lasts, it is the Lord's controversy, which will be brought to an issue in "the battle of the great day of God Almighty." Not that we are to look for the literal fulfilment of such words in a material contest headed by the Messiah in person leading an army! No, no! nothing so sensuous. God's battle is a silent one. Its weapons are not carnal. Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. The forces which have to be subdued are spiritual. Hence the war must be spiritual too. The forces which have to be subdued are:

These are the adverse forces which are sketched in this book. These are the evils which are manifest in the world. And it is against them that the mighty conflict is going on. But by whom it is to be headed, and to be so conducted that the victory is sure—what human intellect can solve the problem? what human foresight peer into the future? what human strength grapple with the foes? Woe be to us if the whole were left in human hands! But it is not so. The apostle sees heaven opened, and lo! he sees above, the Lord and Leader in this mighty conflict. Concerning him and it the paragraph gives us replies to five questions.

I. WHO IS THE LEADER , AND WHAT IS HIS NAME ? This question receives here a threefold answer. Surely no student of Scripture can fail to see that here is a vision of the Lord Jesus Christ, although neither the personal nor the official name is given. But we are told:

1 . He has a name which no one knoweth but he himself. There are aspects of his nature which are known to us, or it would be impossible to reverence and love him. But there are other aspects which to us are unknown. There are fathomless depths in his own infinite nature. "No one knoweth the Son but the Father."

2 . He has a name which is known. A name which expresses at once his relation to God and to man. "His name is called The Word of God." This is the name in which the beloved apostle so much delights ( John 1:1-5 ). The "Word;" the expression of thought. The Lord Jesus as "the Word" is the revealed expression of the mind of the invisible Father.

3 . He hath also a title expressive of kingly authority, of supremacy over all earthly names—"King of kings, and Lord of lords." "All kings shall fall down before him." His monarchy shall put all else into the shade.

"The might of the Gentile, unsmote by the sword,

Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord!"

II. WHAT ARE THE ATTRIBUTES OF THIS LEADER ? They are such as absolutely to qualify him for the work here assigned to him.

1 . His eyes are as a flame of fire. Here his omniscience is set forth as that which no sin, no sinner, can escape.

2 . He is called Faithful. The Faithful One, in whom fidelity is embodied as its archetype, its source.

3 . He is True. The Truth. The Substance. These attributes bespeak the almightiness and essential Godhead of the Son. Creatures have them partially and derivatively; he, infinitely and independently.

4 . Equity, too, is his. "In righteousness he doth judge and make war." In the integrity of his sway there is no flaw. In the rectitude of his decisions there is no defect. These are the names and titles; these are the attributes by which he is distinguished. "Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, and in thy majesty ride prosperously, because of truth, and meekness, and righteousness."

III. HOW DOTH HE APPEAR IN GOING FORTH TO WAR ? The characteristics here specified are three.

1 . He is seen on "a white horse." So at the opening of the first seal. The white horse being the emblem of dignity, and of the peaceful triumphs he was about to win. There, however, he went forth at the beginning of his triumphs. Here he is seen going forth to a decisive and final conflict.

2 . He is "arrayed in a garment sprinkled with blood." The question has been asked—Is the blood his own, or that of his foes? We reply—The symbolism is drawn from the responsive song in Isaiah 63:1-19 ., and we cannot question that here the blood intended is that of his foes. Not, of course, to be taken as otherwise than symbolic of the completeness of the victory he has achieved, having put all enemies beneath his feet.

3 . On his head are many diadems. In allusion, perhaps, to the ancient custom of a conqueror wearing the diadems of the vanquished kings. If so, the figure is one of immense suggestiveness and power. The beast, or the ungodly world power, had seven heads—seven kings or kingdoms. Of these, at the time of the writing of the Apocalypse, five had fallen—Egypt, Assyria, Chaldea, Persia, Greece. Rome hath gone also since then. And as earthly crowns one by one are falling from kingly brows, he to whom the globe belongs shall bear the glory. The glory of Egypt is gone; but the men of Egypt shall rise again, and crown him Lord of all. So with other realms, empires, nations. All worldly glory must depart, to reappear no more, save as all honour gathers round his majestic brow. The world's crown is waiting for Jesus! From every nation, kindred, tribe, and tongue, men shall exclaim ―

"Take the kingdom, it is thine,

King of kings, and Lord of lords!"

IV. BY WHAT METHODS DOTH CHRIST BRING THIS ABOUT ? Andrew Fuller remarks, "Christ's war is of a twofold kind—spiritual … and providential." This is true. And though we need not regard the symbolism of this passage as a complete indication of the methods of Christ, yet there are three methods specified here.

1 . By the sword, which may signify

In fact, both (1) and (2) may blend as one, as the Word of his mouth is living and mighty, and sharper than any two-bladed sword; this is the rod of his strength. The "sword of the Spirit is the Word of God."

2 . By the armies of heaven. Some take these to be the glorified saints; others, the angels. But seeing this is a vision of a conflict which is to take place on earth, it would seem to be more in accordance with the analogy of Scripture and with the nature of the case, to regard these armies as the friends of the Saviour, who, first redeemed by him, afterwards cooperate with him, going forth under his direction to pursue the holy war. Thus they may include

These, these make up the glorious armies of heaven. All who are working and warring for God are now enrolled therein, "clothed in fine linen, white and clean."

3 . By stern and terrible judgments. Surely nothing less than this can be intended by the expression ( Isaiah 63:15 ), "He treadeth the wine press of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God." Judgment is God's strange work. But when it comes, it will be terrible. "That great and terrible day of the Lord."

V. WHAT ARE THE ISSUES OF THIS MIGHTY CONFLICT ? ( Isaiah 63:17 -21). These may be grouped around four of the figures employed in the text—the sword, the wine press, the rod of iron, the lake of fire. All images of terror, because the theme in hand is the Divine triumph over sin; and righteousness must often—perhaps always—have an aspect of terror with reference to sin. Hence the apparent severity of the symbolism. Infinitely pure love must be severe upon sin. Sinners may be renewed; sin must be expelled. Enemies may be reconciled; enmity cannot. And it is sin itself, as the foe alike of God and man, that is ultimately to be put to shame; and so must all who strive against God, and in final impenitence reject his grace. By the sword of judgment they will be smitten down. As grapes are crushed in the wine press, so will the enemies of God and the right be crushed. With a rod of iron shall they be ruled and be utterly powerless to resist when he riseth up in his day of final conflict. "The God of peace will bruise Satan under our feet shortly;" "He must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet." Babylon hath already fallen. Next, the first beast is captured and thrown into the lake of fire; the second beast likewise, and they that worship his image. And thus one by one the foes are falling, till all things shall be subdued unto him. The whole creation will acknowledge the equity of the Great Supreme, and whether in joy or terror will own that Jesus Christ is Lord. Then, then the enemy shall be still as a stone. Temptation shall have sped forever. "Alleluia! Alleluia! the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth." Thus have we traced in outline the sketch which the Holy Ghost by the apostle's pen hath given us, of the great Destroyer of evil as he is now enthroned in glory, preparing to overturn, and overturn, and overturn, till he shall come, in the glory of his majesty and might, and claim the kingdom as his own. "What shall we then say to these things?" Note:

1 . How great is the mercy that heaven hath been "opened "for us to have such visions! We are not left to the adventurous flights of human speculation nor to the curious varieties of human guessing, nor even to the devout aspirations of philanthropic zeal. However decidedly any or all of these might tend in one direction, they could not—even if they all coincided—give us solid ground on which to rest. But here, here we have a firm rock on which we stand; here we fix our hopes; here we cast anchor; nor can our vessel ever be drifted from her mooring. "The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." And however we may have been disheartened by the tangled maze and troubled aspect of this world's affairs, when we ponder over such visions as these, our hope revives. In him who is the Word of God, whose eyes are as a flame of fire, we see an amplitude of wisdom and a plenitude of power. In the blood-stained robes we see marks of a conflict already encountered, and pledges of a victory already secured. For such a Leader no mazes of evil can be too complex, no massing of power too strong. "Alleluia!"

2 . The vision shows us the grandeur of the strife between good and evil. When the everlasting Son of the Father takes it up as his own cause, it assumes new dignity. In an ancient battle it inspired God's people when they were told, "The battle is not yours, but God's;" and since that which was true in a material conflict cannot be less so in a spiritual one, we may well draw a holy inspiration for our contest with sin, in the thought that the King of kings, and Lord of lords, is the sole Leader in the fight. His honour is engaged. He hath it in trust from the Father to put down evil, and to gather home the redeemed. "In righteousness doth he make war!" Never was there such a holy war, never one on which such stupendous issues hung, as that one with which we are asked to identify ourselves.

3 . It is an act of great condescension that, in going forth with his armies, our Saviour deigns to make use of human instrumentality. He would use us. He commands us to enter his army.