King of Kings and Lord of Lords – Revelation 19: 1 – 16
1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God:
2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.
3 And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshiped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
8 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.
9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Chapters 4 – 19 of the Revelation of Jesus Christ concern the seven-year Tribulation on earth. Chapter 19 opens with rejoicing over the destruction of the great whore (Greek pornEn, a form of porneia, or prostitute) Babylon about which we so recently studied. In contrast to the destruction of the whore is the marriage of the Bride of Christ. The passage now under consideration also reveals the return of Jesus at the climax of the Tribulation period and, in a broader sense, the end of the dispensation of time that began with Jesus’ birth.
We will see Jesus as He returns as the King of kings and the Lord of lords, an event that will bring about the judgment of all who have rebelled against God and secures the physical and national salvation of the nation of Israel.
Alleluia, Babylon is Destroyed (Revelation 19:1 – 4)
1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God:
2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.
3 And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshiped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
After These Things
The words “after these things” denote a change in the vision given to John. Recall that he used a similar phrase in Revelation 7:1 and 18:1. This part of the vision therefore continues to be concerned with the great Babylon. She has had her time to rule and she has done so in every conceivable evil manner. God will judge all things; even mighty Babylon must come under the divine judgment of God. Chapter 18 revealed a detailed account of God’s judgment and her destruction so that in the beginning of chapter 19 the great city has been destroyed. In the first part of chapter 19 the Revelation shows Heaven’s joyous and worshipful reaction to Babylon’s righteous judgment and subsequent destruction.
Much People Praise God
Verses 1 through 4 are again set around the throne as in earlier chapters (Revelation 4:2, 5:6; and 8:3) so that it seems this scene remains with John from chapter 4 until chapter 19. The only throne scene beyond chapter 19 is that of the Great White Throne in Revelation 20:11, which will be addressed in a future article. Perhaps the throne scene of chapters 4 through 19 comes to an end in chapter 19 because Christ leaves the throne in Heaven and returns physically to the earth.
John heard a great voice of many people praising God. This is the same group of people as in Revelation 7:9 – 17 and consists of all the saved in Heaven, with emphasis on those martyred during seven years of Tribulation. We can compare this passage to the descriptions in Revelation 7:9, 14 and 11:15. The people say “Alleluia” in recognition of the One on the throne and to praise Him for His judgment of Babylon, for He is truly “the Lord our God.”
In praise to God the people ascribe four things to Him: salvation, glory, honor and power – “salvation” because He is the God of salvation, and in this text He is the Savior of the earth from the evil Babylon as He has judged her; “glory” (Greek Doksa, or recognition with praise) because He is worthy of recognition and praise for His judgment of Babylon; “honor” (Greek time, or to value highly) because this group views supreme God as being of ultimate value; and “power” (Greek dunamis or dynamis, of dynamic power) because He has demonstrated His great might in the judgment of Babylon.
The Heavenly group praises God for two reasons. First they praise God because His judgments are “true and righteous.” No one in Heaven or on earth can question the righteousness of God’s judgment upon evil Babylon. Her immorality in all things is well-known and without question, her rebellion against God being documented so that though men may weep and wail over her destruction none can defend her before the throne of righteousness. These who so ardently love and appreciate the righteousness of God rejoice and praise Him for His verity and judgment.
Second, they praise God for the destruction of Babylon and especially for avenging “the blood of his servants (who died) at her hand.” Throughout history people associated with false religion have persecuted and killed godly people, beginning with the murder of Abel by Cain in Genesis 4. Babylon is again referred to as the “great whore,” emphasizing her evil enticement of and prostitution to the nations, and how she corrupted the earth with “her fornication,” all having been done with an eye toward her own gain. This designation reemphasizes her worthiness to be judged and destroyed. Smoke from the city of Babylon rises up forever and ever (Greek eis tous aionas ton aionon, into the eons of the eons). Smoke is a reminder of the judgments of Babylon, and this reminder is recorded for eternity.
The Elders and Beasts Praise God
As the vision around the throne of God continues and after the people praise God, the twenty-four elders and the four beasts surrounding the throne offer their praise to God as they have done previously in Revelation 4:8 – 10. These all fell prostrate before the throne and worshiped God in full voice crying, “Amen; Alleluia,” adding the word “amen” to the praise lifted up by the group of people. Amen, as previously pointed out, is an expression of both resolve and total agreement, and alleluia is an exultant expression of praise so that these lend their unreserved endorsement to the judgment of God and praise Him for executing it.
Alleluia, the Wife is Made Ready (Revelation 19:5 – 8)
5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
8 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.
In a somewhat different expression of worship and adoration others are called upon to praise God. The reason for this praise is found in the declaration that “his wife hath made herself ready.” The student should note the contrast of the “wife” being made “ready” and the evil “whore” having been destroyed. One is chaste and clean while the other is defiled by her sins. The Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 11:2 spoke of godly jealousy and the betrothal of one wife (the church) to one husband (Christ); the wife is worthy of the husband’s eternal love but the harlot has shamed herself and is loathed.
A Voice from the Throne
A voice came out of the throne where the saved are portrayed as being present, commanding God’s servants to “praise our God.” This voice is probably the same voice that speaks with John in verses 9 and 10 of this chapter. It is identified as that of a “fellow servant” in verse 10, and commands all servants of God and those who fear Him. These two phrases are probably intended to describe the same persons who are servants and do in fact fear (revere) Him. “Small” and “great” describe a godly evaluation by one’s works and declares the universal correctness of praising God as pointed out in 2 Corinthians 5:10 where Paul points out “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”
The Voice of a Multitude
The voice in Heaven that gives God praise is now expanded from “much people” as in verse 1 to a “multitude” because it includes “all” who are called upon to raise their praise to God in verse 5. They “all” respond to the voice in verse 5 and sing out with praises, a vocalization so wondrous as to sound like many waters and mighty thundering. They describe God as “omnipotent,” or Almighty, and declare that part of their purpose in praising Him is to declare that He “reigneth” (Greek ebasileusin, or has reigned), referring to His eternal and divine sovereignty as it was expressed in the judgment of Babylon.
All the multitude is admonished to “be glad and rejoice” in giving glory to our God. The reason for this latter praise is because of the imminent marriage of the Lamb and because His wife has fully prepared herself for the coming marriage ceremony.
Now we see the Bride of Christ as fully fitted out, a work of preparation that she has performed unto herself. Since Salvation is a free gift without works, the action of making herself ready cannot represent salvation but instead depicts the works that follow salvation, as can clearly be seen in Romans 4:6 – “Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputheth righteousness without works…” and Ephesians 2:10 – “For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” The text, therefore, implies that the bride makes herself ready through her service to Christ. While various opinions exist regarding the Bride of Christ, associating the Bride with New Testament churches is a position widely held by many of the more conservative denominations. It has been argued that the institution of the church is the Bride and that only within a church belonging to the Lord Jesus Christ is there a bridal relationship. Thus we see three qualifications for involvement in this relationship. First, one must be born again to be in the Bride; second, he must have lived during the church age, for only during this period of time is the bride chosen and prepared; third, he must adhere to the fundamental doctrines (teachings) of the New Testament. This position that links New Testament churches with the Bride of Christ seems to best harmonize with the wife as accomplishing the work of preparing herself for presentation to the bridegroom. Christ will judge all saved at the Judgment Seat of Christ and He will reward them according to their works or deeds done in the body. Again consider 2 Corinthians 2:10 and as well as Revelation 22:12.
Arrayed in Fine Linen
The bride is arrayed in “fine linen, clean and white,” as a reflection of her relationship to Christ, the linen garment representing the righteousness of the saints, or separated ones.
The Marriage of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9, 10)
9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Here the vision scene shifts somewhat in focus from the wife making herself ready for the marriage to the announcement of the marriage supper. Along with the announcement is a blessing pronounced upon those who are called to the supper.
And He Saith
“He,” the voice of Revelation 19 verses 5 and 10, commanded John to write. The things here associated with the voice could not be associated with an angel, especially when considering the comments in verse 10. Angels are not normally referred to as a “fellowservant;” rather they are “ministering spirits” sent to those described in Hebrews 1:13, 14 as “heirs of salvation.” In verse 5 the voice included himself within the group to whom he was speaking by using the word “our” but he does not seem to necessarily include himself in the bride. Some suggest that this may then be an Old Testament leader and prophet – or perhaps John the Baptist, whose witness prepared the way for Jesus’ ministry. In Matthew 3:1 John the Baptist is described as a preacher and in 11:11 as a “messenger.” Still, in 11:11 the “least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he (John the Baptist).”
Blessed Are They
The voice that commanded John to write also pronounced a blessing. “Blessed” means happy (consider the Beatitudes of Matthew chapter 5). Those who were called to the marriage supper will surely be happy, their joy likely transcending all human attempts at description.
The True Sayings
The vision scene is interrupted in its progress to declare that the sayings (Greek logoi, words) which John had received in the Revelation were “the true sayings of God.” A break such as this is not uncommon in Revelation, as we might recall from our consideration of chapter 13, verses 9 and 10.
“…I am thy fellow servant…”
John, perhaps being overcome by the awesomeness of what he saw, fell prostrate (an acceptable position for worship) at the feet of the one who spoke to him. The voice then rebuked John for taking such a worshipful position before him, announcing that he was a “fellowservant” and “of thy brethren,” one who like John had the testimony of Jesus. He rightly commanded John to worship God with the explanation that “the testimony of Jesus” which he held, was “the spirit of prophecy” (or speaking forth for God), meaning that John should worship God alone and not the one speaking for God.
The White Horse Rider (Revelation 19:11 – 13)
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
To this point the vision in this section has dealt with the judgment of the saved and marriage supper of the Lamb. The Revelation has slowly built toward the climax of the seven-year Tribulation and the return of Christ, which certainly is one of the highlights of the prophecy. The return of Jesus Christ is very different from His first appearance as a child born to a virgin and reared in the home of a humble carpenter.
His White horse
John looked toward Heaven and saw it “opened” as he beheld a white horse coming forth with One sitting upon it. This vision is somewhat similar to what John saw in Revelation 11:19 when, after the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, John beheld “…the temple of God was opened in heaven…” Both of these visions revealed the heavenly abode of Christ being open so that Christ might leave His heavenly place and return to the earth. The horse is white, representing the rider’s righteousness.
The rider of this white horse is not to be confused with the rider in Revelation 6:2. Recall that the man of sin is the first white horse rider, coming forth as a deceiver; this latter white horse rider is Jesus Christ returning to the earth to win the Battle of Armageddon and establish His Kingdom upon the earth.
His Names
Christ is referred to in various ways in the Bible, and with various titles. As the divine Son of God returns to earth in His glory, familiar names are here noted. First, He is called “Faithful and True,” a name most appropriate because John already knows Christ by similar phrases: “the faithful witness” and the “faithful and true witness,” from the beginning of the Revelation in chapters 1:3 and 3:14. We can also compare those phrases to Revelation 22:6.
Second, Christ bears the name of “the Word of God” in Revelation 19:13. Again, this is a familiar and appropriate name to John because of what he had earlier received in John 1:1 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,” and in verse 14 – “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.”
Third, He bears the name of “King of kings and Lord of lords” which will be expanded upon in a moment. No contradiction exists in Revelation 19:12, “and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.” The name of the white horse rider is not unknown but it is unique in that it could never be properly assumed by anyone other than Jesus or fully understood by anyone except Himself. So it is that only Jesus could bear the names mentioned here and only He could completely comprehend the meaning and significance of His names.
His Judgments
Jesus Christ, returning as the divine King of kings and Lord of lords, will not be humbled in the flesh of man as during His first advent but will express the glory of God in its fullness. He will claim every right and promise the heavenly Father has made to Him, such as to make all His enemies His “footstool” as found in Matthew 22:44. He will return as the rightful judge of all creation and of all persons. His judgment will be righteous and no one will be able to deny, escape or argue against His judgment. He will come to make war with the evil beast and his army, He will judge the beast with the sword of His mouth, and there is no doubt of victory.
His Eyes
John described Jesus’ eyes as a “flame of fire.” Again, this description is not new to John, as he described the eyes of Christ as “a flame of fire” in Revelation 1:14, and in the letter to Thyatira (Revelation 2:18) Christ described Himself in this manner. Certainly Jesus’ eyes will be penetrating, commanding and all-consuming in their appearance.
His Crowns
Men once placed a crown of thorns on the head of the Lamb of God, but when He returns to earth He will wear crowns like those of kings. These crowns verify His position and authority as unquestioned King of all. The number of crowns is not definitely stated – only that he wears “many” crowns – implying an all-inclusive and unlimited number, thus applying His authority to any and all other kingdoms. He is therefore “KING OF [all] KINGS, AND LORD OF [all] LORDS” (Revelation 19:16). Every kingdom in creation is under His feet, even as the Father has promised Him (again review Matthew 22:44).
His Vesture
The white horse rider wears what is called a vesture. Not be confused with any particular article of modern clothing, the word vesture (Greek himation) simply refers to a garment or garments worn about the body, the main garment worn against the torso. Perhaps the tunic of Bible times could be compared to this vesture. An outer garment was usually worn on top of the vesture.
A vesture was worn next to the body so that if the one wearing it were to bleed the vesture would absorb much of the blood, even to the point of saturation. That Jesus’ vesture was “dipped in blood” means that His had been completely saturated. Jesus body had bled so much for the sin of mankind that his garment had become completely soaked, and as depicted here it signifies how He had come to be the King of kings and Lord of lords. Jesus paid for this honor with a baptism in His own blood, once asking His disciples (in Matthew 20:22), “Are yea able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” We might say that this vesture represented His right and authority to return and take what belongs to Him and to finally and ultimately destroy the devil who had tried to wrest it away.
The Armies of the White Horse Rider (Revelation 19:14)
14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
The white horse rider who comes from Heaven does not come alone. John saw armies that had been “in heaven” following the white horse rider (Jesus), also riding on white horses. These armies, like the white horse rider, came from “heaven opened.”
The Army in White
The saved of all ages prior to the return of Christ will be numbered among the great armies described here. They will have been judged and rewarded according to the deeds done in their mortal bodies (see 2 Corinthians 5:10) and they will return with Christ in their immortal glorified bodies. The armies of the saved come “clothed in fine linen, white and clean” and like Jesus are riding on white horses. Here the color white represents the righteousness of Christ, imputed to the saved.
The Identity of the Army
Because much of the Revelation is not necessarily presented in chronological order, you may recall that this army is described in the seventeenth chapter, where an angel identified those who were with the Lamb at His return as “called, and chosen, and faithful” (Revelation 17:14). These are “called” to be saints, or separated ones (Jude 1 and Romans 1:7). They are “chosen” in Christ Jesus because they have by their free will accepted Him as Savior, as Paul describes in Romans 8. They are “faithful,” as the passage here describes them as the armies of the Lord and no other, being glorified and thus hindered in no way from continued fidelity to the One they follow. They freely, joyfully and faithfully perform His will.
The Victory of the White Horse Rider (Revelation 19:15, 16)
15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
John has received more than one vision referential to the Battle of Armageddon, each slowly building toward that final encounter. In this section of text the battle has ensued with little discussion or content about the order or throes of battle, as though it only took a moment, a twinkling of an eye, and was over. The “sharp sword” here is the word of God, leading this writer to surmise that the matter will be concluded by Jesus with perhaps a single spoken word.
The Winepress
The “winepress” is the Battle of Armageddon found in Revelation 16:16. The nations that forget God will find themselves beneath the feet of the Almighty judge, Jesus our Christ, the Son of God. He will “smite” and subjugate the nations of the earth, ruling them in the millennium with a “rod of iron,” or with a just and unbending rule. Christ returns to “treadeth” the winepress like mashing grapes. No unruly nation will escape the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God (you may wish to review Revelation 6:12-17).
A Name Written
Jesus’ vesture as described in Revelation 19:16 is the same vesture described in verse 13, the vesture dipped in blood. Upon this bloody vesture, which declares the right and authority of Christ, is His name, “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
His name is also written “on his thigh,” the thigh being associated with covenants and promises. The elder servant of Abraham placed his hand under Abraham’s thigh when he swore to his master concerning Isaac’s marriage, recorded in Genesis 24:1 – 4. The messenger of God that wrestled with Jacob touched his thigh and, leaving him lame in his thigh, changed Jacob’s name to Israel before blessing him. As can be found in Genesis 32:24 – 32 the lame thigh was a sign of that promise. Likewise Christ, having received the promise of a kingdom from His heavenly Father, bears the sign of that promise, His true and wonderful name “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS,” on His thigh.
Summary (Revelation 19:1 – 16)
Jesus first came to the earth in human form and in great humility, surrendering for a time the glory He had with His Father in eternity past to become a man, though born of a virgin and thus without sin. In His human body and despite being tempted in every way a human can endure, He lived a sinless life before the eyes of men and in the eyes of God. Despised and hated by the ungodly world He had come to save, He was crucified on Calvary’s hill, there bearing the sin of every human ever to live. His body was buried, yet on the third day He rose from the grave as prophesied, after which He appeared to His disciples on numerous occasions. The one instance they probably remembered most readily was His ascension to the Father as recounted in Acts 1:11. It was there that the angels said, “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” When Jesus comes again He will come as the King of kings and Lord of lords, the just and worthy and righteous ruler of all.
While the Revelation contains much information about the powerful influence and reign of the dragon, the man of sin and the false prophet, the greatest moment of the Revelation for the child of God is the return of Jesus Christ. He will have a great victory over the man of sin and all evil in the earth, a victory He shares with His faithful followers. The return of Jesus is, as Paul wrote, the “blessed hope” of the people of God. It is the reality of their faith and His victory is our hope.
In the next article we’ll consider chapter 19, verses 17 through 21 and learn more about the battle of Armageddon. Until then let us look to Christ in worship and prayer, let us study the scripture daily and discern His truth, embracing it fully. Be blessed –
Tom