The Return of the Warrior King - 50

I do want to alert you to the fact that Laverne Waugh is coming to the States.

Lord willing, we'll pick her up on Saturday at the airport and take her to the missionary house and she'll be with us next Lord's Day and then on Wednesday and then she'll be with a couple of churches in the Raleigh-Durham area and then off to Ohio and Indiana to visit some churches that she has not been able to report to for quite a number of years. So I wanted you to be aware that Laverne's coming. Preacher's voice is a pretty important thing.

I didn't think I was going to have trouble with my voice, but lo and behold. Revelation chapter 19, 11-16. Let me read these verses again. John, again the revelator, says, 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. Well, as has been John's pattern throughout our study of the book of Revelation, John receives another vision. Revelation came to John via vision. And the opening verse of our passage begins with the words, Now I saw heaven opened, first part of verse 11. This is the second time John has seen heaven opened. In Revelation chapter 4 and verse 1, there heaven was opened and he received a personal and an individual summons to come up. Revelation 4 says this, Come up here and I will show you things which must take place after this. So heaven was opened to John and he was summoned personally and individually to come up. But here in Revelation 19 and 11, heaven is opened not to allow John to come up, but for the king and his armies to come down.

For what purpose? Well, verse 11 says, to judge and make war. To judge and to make war. This stands in stark contrast to his first coming. You remember the triumphal entry, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a colt, came in humility, came to bring salvation. But when he comes again on a white horse, not a literal white horse, this is symbolic language, but when he comes again, he's not coming for salvation, he's coming in wrath to judge. That's what's before us here in Revelation chapter 19.

Again, we see the nature of John's revelation. This visual image of Christ riding on a white horse is symbolic language. And again, it's not to be taken literally. Horses don't fly.

We know that, right? Horses don't fly. But the symbolic imagery does convey a literal message. And the literal message is this, Christ will return as a conquering king to make war on his enemies and crush their rebellion. So the title of my message this morning is The Return of the Warrior King. The Return of the Warrior King. And we've looked at that already here in verse 11, so think with me number two about the title of the returning king.

The title of the returning king. John says I saw heaven open and behold a white horse and he who sat on him was called faithful and true. Christ is both faithful to his promises and to his people. But what is the context here? The context is judgment.

The context is wrath. So for our understanding here this morning is that Christ will be true to his word and faithful to his promises to judge the wicked and to vindicate his people. Nothing that Christ has promised will fail and no one who trusted Christ will be betrayed or abandoned and everyone who has persecuted the people of God, everyone who has defied his rulership and his authority will be judged and punished. He's faithful and true.

He's not like some parents I know who make threats but never follow through. He's faithful and true and he's promised judgment and wrath upon all who defy him and do not bow the knee to him. Verse 11 concludes by declaring that in righteousness he judges and makes war.

I think that's very significant in the day and age in which we live. This present world is filled with corrupt judges. Wars are motivated by greed and the lust for power and the lust for self-glorification. But Christ is not a judge like the judges of this earth and Christ does not wage war with sinful and self-serving motives. When Christ passes judgment it is always a righteous judgment.

When Christ makes war it's always a righteous war carried out to achieve righteous purposes. So in the present context and in the present environment it's easy for us to give in to discouragement and fear and question the promises of God, the justice of God and the faithfulness of God to his people and to his word. But let me remind you that many of God's promises are fulfilled at the end and not in the present. They are fulfilled in the end and not in the present.

So church, let's purpose to live by faith and trust the promises of God that in the end wrongs will be righted, justice will be served, and righteousness will cover this earth as waters cover the sea. We've seen the return of the warrior king. We've seen the title of the returning warrior king.

Notice with me number three, the description of the returning warrior king. And there are five descriptive words in verses twelve and verse thirteen. Let me read those two verses and you look for those descriptive words. 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.

Five descriptive words of this returning warrior king. Notice in verse twelve the descriptive words about his eyes, about his head, and about his name. And then in verse thirteen about his clothing and again about his name that he is called the word of God.

Let's look at each one of those. Verse number twelve, his eyes were like a flame of fire. Now again, this is symbolic language. This is a vision that John received. But what are we to take away from this imagery?

Well, you've heard the expression, if looks could kill, that's what's behind this description. If looks could kill expresses his anger and his righteous indignation at the sin that he observes and has come to this earth to deal with. It says on his head were many crowns. On his head were many crowns.

I think we understand what's going on here. They indicate the fact that King Jesus has authority to rule over all things, over all nations, and over all people. That there is nothing and no one over which Christ is not the sovereign king. He doesn't just have one crown, he has many crowns to emphasize and magnify his power, his authority, and his right to rule. On his head were many crowns. Jesus declared in Matthew 28 verse 18 right before he left this earth that all authority had been given to him in heaven and where?

On earth. We are told in 1 Corinthians 15 verses 24 to 26 that Christ will put down all rule, all authority, and all power for he must reign till he have put all enemies under his feet and that the last enemy that will be destroyed in verse 26 is death. Death, the last enemy. So his eyes, according to verse 12, were like a flame of fire. On his head were many crowns. The third descriptive is about his name. It says he had a name written that no one knew except himself. I believe we're grateful for the revelation of God to us in Christ. That we have special revelation. That Christ has been revealed to us and apart from that revelation we would not know him. We would know enough in general revelation to condemn us, but we wouldn't know enough in order to be saved because that comes through the special revelation that's in Jesus Christ.

But although we're thankful for the revelation we have, that revelation is not an exhaustive revelation. There are things about Christ that are hidden from us because he's infinite and we're finite. The thought that someday in heaven we'll know all there is to know about him is false because we will remain finite and he will remain infinite. And there were things about Christ that we will not know. Again, notice that verse.

He had a name written that no one knew except himself. Matthew 11 verse 27 says, no man knoweth the Son but the Father. Now what that means is no man knows the Son in an exhaustive way, in a full way, except the Father. And that excludes you and me. A lot of people struggle in this life because there are things that happen that they do not understand and we understand that, right?

You and I both know. There are things about life, about God and his ways that defy human explanation. We often run up against the wall, up against our limitations, and that's the price we pay for being a creature and not the Creator. And that should never be a hindrance to trusting him, should never be a hindrance in coming to him in faith. I hear people say, well I'll never come to a God that I can't, I don't understand why he does this and I don't understand why he does that.

Really? You think you're going to be able to understand God and his ways in the fullness of his ways? No.

No. He had a name written that no one knew except himself. The fourth descriptive word of the warrior king is verse 13, it says, he was clothed with a robe dipped in blood.

And that raises a question. Whose blood is this? Is this his blood? Is this to remind us of the blood that he shed on Calvary to redeem his own? Or is this the blood of his enemies?

Well, I think context would tell us that it is the latter. And listen to how closely these words from Isaiah the prophet mirror what we're reading there in Revelation 19. This is Isaiah chapter 63, the first three verses.

There's questions and then there's answers. Who is this who comes from Edom with dyed garments from Bozrah, the 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? Answer, verse three, 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. The blood is sprinkled upon my garments and I have stained all my robes.

That helps us understand. He was clothed with the robe dipped in blood. It's the imagery of Battlefield. We are considering verses 12 and 13, a description of the returning warrior king. We've seen in verse 12 his eyes, his head, his name, his clothing in verse 13, and now another reference to his name in verse 13. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood and his name is called the Word of God. His name is called the Word of God.

This identifies without question or doubt that the one that is spoken of here is Jesus Christ. He is the Word of God. Listen to John who wrote the first gospel, whose writing here in Revelation says this about this one, in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God, all things were made through him and without him nothing was made that was made.

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. So the Scriptures confess. Many people have ignored the Word of God and now the Word of God is going to bring judgment on them for doing so. I was thinking recently of the reasons men will perish in their sins and be cast from God's presence forever and ever. And often we think of the person who is openly defiant, who shakes their fist in defiance of God and his authority. I will not have this man rule over me.

And there will be many in that company. But there will be those who rejected Christ out of mere indifference. I didn't see any significance in it.

I didn't see anything to get all armed about. I'm just completely indifferent to it. Listen, indifference will land you in the very same place that is reserved for the man with the high-fisted defiant attitude toward Almighty God. Sitting on a pew and just being unmoved by what you are hearing is not a safe posture to assume. Jesus said in John 12 verse 48, He who rejects Me and does not receive My words has that which judges him. The word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. What is Jesus saying? He is saying that to reject Christ and to reject His word are one and the same thing. And the writer of Hebrews says, how shall we escape?

How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? Neglect. I just never got around to it. I just never was moved. I just never saw it as all that important. Be warned.

Be warned. John chapter 1 verse 11 and verse 12 says, He came unto His own and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the power to be the children of God to those who believe in His name.

I love that verse and I love the verse that follows because it gives us two answers to the question. Anybody who hears that ought to be moved to ask the question, then how do I become a child of God? He came unto His own and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the power to become the children of God.

Even as many as believe on His name. How do you become a child of God? The answer to verse 11 is by believing on His name. By believing on His name. The next verse, verse 13, gives us another answer.

It says, who were born, and there are three negations that come, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. How do you become a child of God? Be born again. Don't get in the camp of Nicodemus who just was absolutely confused when Jesus told him, you must be born again. Well, does that mean I enter into my mother's womb?

No, you must be born from above. The new birth comes from God. The new birth is not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but it's of God. That's how you become a child of God.

That's how you escape this wrath and judgment that's coming. So, we have seen the return of the warrior king announced. We've seen the title of the returning warrior king. We have looked at the description of the returning warrior king. Notice with me number four, the armies with the returning warrior king in verse 14.

The armies with the returning warrior king. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses. Here are the people with Christ at his second coming being described. They were spoken of in Revelation 14 verse 4 that says, these are the ones who were not defiled with women for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from among men being first fruits to God and to the lamb. What's significant about that description in chapter 14 verse 4 is, these are the ones who follow the lamb wherever he goes.

Even if following him means following him all the way from heaven. That's Revelation 14, 4. The bride of Christ in chapter 19 and verse 8 is described this way. For the marriage of the lamb has come and his wife has made herself ready and to her was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright. For the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

So the bride is clothed arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright. Here in verse 14 of chapter 19, the armies with Christ are clothed in fine linen, white and clean. These armies do not fight along Christ.

Well, I thought that's what armies do, not this army. You know why they don't fight with Christ? Because he doesn't need any help.

He doesn't need any help. Notice the contrast. It is Christ who has blood on his garments. The saints have none. Christ has a sword in verse 15.

The saints have no weapon. We said, well, why are they there? They're there to bear witness of Christ's deliverance and victory. They're with him.

It's their nature to follow Christ. And fifth and finally this morning we see the weapons, the weapons of the returning warrior king in verse 15. 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. There are three symbolic images there that make up the weaponry of this returning warrior king.

And what are they? They are number one, the sword out of his mouth. Number two, the rod of iron.

And number three, the winepress. The sword, notice again, out of his mouth goes a sharp sword. The sword represents the word of God.

The very word of God that spoke this world into existence. It is the same word that is now used for the destruction of the wicked. Here Isaiah chapter 11 verse 4 that says, he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. Think with me, if all God had to do to create this world was to say let there be light, let there be land, let there be stars and the sun and the moon and they came into existence. Doesn't it naturally reason that he can say let them be destroyed and they will be destroyed?

Yes. The power of his word to create is the same power which will destroy. The sword, verse 15, out of his mouth goes a sharp sword. Verse 15 goes on to say that he will rule over them, that is the nations, with a rod of iron. With a rod of iron.

This isn't the only place we see that. The psalmist speaks of that in Psalm chapter 2 and verse 9, that great psalm. It says of Christ, regarding the nations, you shall break them with a rod of iron, you shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel. What comes to your mind? Rod of iron and a vessel of pottery and they come into collision with one another. What is that vase or that vessel of pottery going to look like? A rod of iron? Absolute total destruction.

Irreparable damage. That's the imagery. And then the third imagery here of his weaponry is the wine press. The wine press. He himself treads the wine press of the fierceness and the wrath of Almighty God. The wine press speaks of the wicked being crushed under the wrath of Almighty God. So the words that are used here in verse 15 describe in symbolic language the awfulness of the wrath of God. There is the smiting with the sword of his mouth. There is the breaking of the rod of his anger. There is the crushing of the wine press of his wrath. We sang this morning.

You probably did not pick up on this. I picked up on this because I was studying this passage and was prepared to preach. It says the last hymn we sang, Christ shall have dominion. The last stanza says unto God Almighty joyful Zion sings.

He alone is glorious doing wondrous things. Unto God Almighty. Notice the last part of verse 15. He himself treads the wine press of the fierceness and wrath of whom?

Almighty God. What we read there in verse 15 is a description of the wrath of Almighty God. Jesus is Almighty God. You're looking for a verse to defend the deity of Christ?

There's one for you. You can't read that passage and negate Jesus Christ out of it. It's talking about Jesus Christ and the conclusion of the matter is this is the wrath of Almighty God. No one can resist his power. All the wicked will be destroyed. Thus says the Word of God.

Who is the one with authority to judge? King Jesus. King Jesus. We know him according to verse 13 by the name the Word of God. And we also know him by the name verse 16 of our text. It says and he has on his robe and on his thigh a name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And since that is true it is absolutely futile to resist him, to fight against him, to refuse to bow the knee to him. Absolutely futile. So my message is directed in two ways at this point as we conclude. I have a message for those of you who have been brought to glad surrender to King Jesus. You weren't smart enough to do that on your own.

Right? You were not smart enough to do that on your own. God in grace came and subdued your stubborn rebellious will and gave you a new nature. Because if he didn't give you a new nature, your nature was against God, opposed to God. You would be still running from God. So if you have come to bow the knee you need to give thanks to God for his subduing grace and mercy in your life. And you have grounds to pray for others who have not yet bowed the knee because you know it's not your persuasive power. God's got to break in upon them like he broke in upon you. Or there's no hope.

None. And for those of you who are here, there may be some, your heart's attitude is absolute total defiance. You're shaking your fist at Almighty God and you in foolishness think that you're going to win at the end of the day. Really? Really? That's a manifestation of depravity, isn't it?

But most likely if you have not bowed the knee is because you're just, you're unmoved by it all. Well, I know the Bible says this but they've been talking about Christ coming for two millennium. He hasn't come yet.

Well, he's coming. And he's coming in judgment. Listen to 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 and verse 9 and 10. Paul is writing to the Thessalonians and he is commending them that their faith has gone out into all the world.

And he says this, they had turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his Son from heaven whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus who does what? Delivers us from the wrath to come. Delivers us from the wrath to come. If you're going to avoid this wrath, if you're going to be delivered from this wrath that is as coming, as sure as you're alive and breathing this morning, if you're going to escape that, you're only going to escape it in Christ. Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. So my final word is rejoice if God has given you grace to flee to Christ, to avoid the wrath to come, and if you have not yet, flee to Jesus.

Flee the wrath to come. Let us pray. Father, thank you for your Word.

Thank you for its power. Thank you for revealing to us what is absolutely certain to happen in the future. Your church is not confused.

We're not wondering how this is all going to end. We know that in the end, King Jesus is going to reign over this world and over all creation. He is indeed King of kings and Lord of lords. Cause your Word to have power this morning. Cause your Word to invade hearts. Cause your Word to encourage the saints and cause your Word to bring Holy Ghost convicting power upon any who are outside of Christ that they might be enabled by grace to flee to Christ to avoid the wrath to come. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

I stole a look at the clock and it's, I got four minutes. In all seriousness, I want to reason with you. Come let us reason together. Though your sins be as scarlet, they can be as white as snow. The Bible says that the preaching of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. But to those of us who are saved, it is what?

It's what? Power of God. If you have, if you're listening to me in this room or on live stream, or you hear this a year from now or five years from now, may these words grip you. I wish in all the invitations that are given in churches across this land that some preacher had enough sense to reason in this way. There are enough people around you who believe what this preacher has told you this morning, despite the fact you think it's foolishness. You're going to live forever somewhere. Some people think eternal life is just for the believer. No, you're going to live forever somewhere.

You have a never-dying soul. And you're going to live either in the presence of God forever and ever or separated from Him in hell forever and ever. So what is the main reason why people do not bow the knee and come to Jesus?

I'm going to tell you the reason. They're worshiping a God. They're worshiping a counterfeit God. They're looking to something else in this life to satisfy them. And it is as fleeting and as temporal as the next breath you take. There is pleasure in sin for a season.

For a season. And for those who would rather take pleasure in temporal sin than come to Jesus, you're as bad as Esau who sold his birthright for a bowl of soup. Isn't that what he did? He so devalued his birthright, he gave it up for a bowl of porridge. That describes a lot of people. Here's my advice. If you're in that camp and what I've tried to reason with you is resonating with you, you need to get along with Almighty God. And you need to say, God, I need to come to you. I need to come to you, but I have no power to do it. I love my sin too much. I have too many reasons that are keeping me from coming to you.

Remove those barriers. Let me ask this question. How does a dead man obey the command to live? How does a dead man obey the command to live? And I'm going to take you to the tomb of Lazarus. He's been dead for four days and Jesus is standing outside the tomb and against the protest, don't remove the stone, he's been dead for four days. Jesus says, Lazarus, come forth. How does a dead man obey the command to live? Jesus had to give that man life for him to be able to hear, for him to be able to come out of that tomb. And that's what every sinner needs. Every sinner needs to be born again, needs the miraculous supernatural power and work of the regenerating Spirit of God to give him life because he's dead in his trespasses and sins. So if I were you, I'd get along and say, God, what that preacher said, I'm not sure I understand everything, but I think it sounds like I'm dead. It sounds like I can't do anything to get to you. And if I don't, I'm doomed for all eternity.

You're going to have to do something for me that I don't have any ability to do. And if you'll go to the Lord Jesus in that way, I think he'll meet you. I think he will hear that prayer because he said, all who come unto me, I will in no wise cast out. So I'm just trying to reason with you as someone who cares for your never-dying soul. I want to see every one of you, I want to see every one of you around the throne in glory singing. Let's conclude. Not to him, not to him who was able to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. To God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.