The King is Coming, Part 2

What John is describing is the robe of our Lord, and it is wrapped like a rider would be in some kind of ceremony, and where it's wrapped around his body and on his thigh is that amazing monogram. It says, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The thigh was the place where a mounted warrior's sword would normally be strapped. The only weapon our Lord brings is the only one he needs, the power of his word.

Why? He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. As Christians, Jesus looks at us with eyes of love. His feelings for us are based on compassion, and his actions toward us are for our good. He promised us a home in heaven with him, and he will bring us safely home.

That's not the case for his enemies. For them, the return of Jesus means destruction. And today on Wisdom for the Heart, Stephen Davey has a lesson about that future time. This is the conclusion to a message Stephen began last time, and it's called, The King is Coming. These are fascinating days to be a Christian, aren't they? All you have to do is go online or read the newspaper or watch a little television news and you pick up rapidly on this growing fever over apocalyptic events, this fervor over the future coming disasters, whether it is Nostradamus and one more revelation of his that continues to sell magazines at Harris Teeter, from what I can tell, as he predicts, you know, terrible things, or maybe it's the Mayan calendar, which has garnered a lot of attention with its ending of its cycle of the year 2012, or a Chinese oracle telling of apocalyptic events to hit the planet in the future.

The fever is definitely growing. What a great time to be a Christian. What a critical time to have the answer, and what security to have objective, inspired revelation of exactly what will indeed happen on earth during these apocalyptic times that will in fact come, and who will be affected, and how you can escape being affected by it, and more importantly, the sovereign King in whose hand it all moves forward. The predicted truths of Christ's second coming happened to form the greatest anticipation of all of human history, and that is not exaggeration. From the fall of Adam to the second coming of the second Adam, when Christ sets up his kingdom, that fulfillment has been, since the beginning of time, been the long-awaited event of human history, redemptive history. When the true King will receive the ruling scepter, Genesis 49. When God will establish the throne of David's greater son, 2 Samuel 7. When that son will rule the earth with a rod of iron, Psalm 2. When the nations will be judged, Joel 3. When the returning king will defeat his enemies, and Jerusalem will become the center of Messiah's kingdom, Zechariah 12. When the angels will gather the living unbelievers for judgment, Matthew 25. When Jesus Christ will visibly, physically descend in holy majesty to judge and to rule the world, Revelation 19. No wonder the second coming of Christ is considered the culmination of redemptive history.

Now the world might try to say, how can you judge us? You weren't there. You didn't see me. You don't know what's in my heart.

You didn't see me do anything wrong. The truth is implied here, certainly in other scriptures, he comes with omniscient, penetrating vision. He is an eyewitness of every sinner and every sin. He knows the heart of every man and woman, boy and girl.

He has all of the information necessary to render a just verdict, and the just verdict will be guilty. The next word then that sums up John's description of Christ's second coming is the word domination. Notice further in verse 12, and on his head are many diadems.

It's plural. So when John says that Jesus Christ is wearing many diadems, what he's basically saying is he's conquered every kingdom. He rules over them all, and many of them probably had insignia of the nation they led, and so it's as if it's saying to the world, I rule over every kingdom.

Magnificent sight it will be as we see him. Further evidence of Christ's total domination is the next phrase in verse 13. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood.

Some would suggest that this blood is a memorial of his own blood. I don't believe that simply because this is a picture of judgment not a redemption, and I really believe it even more than that because Isaiah removes all doubt in chapter 63 as God is quoted saying, speaking of this coming event, listen, he's asked the question, why is your apparel red like the one who treads in the wine press? God answers, and I quote, because I have trodden them in my anger and trampled them in my wrath, and their life blood is sprinkled on my garments. I stained all my raiment for the day of vengeance was in my heart. Imagine that, terrifying. See, in other words, the scene portrays the awful day of judgment, specifically the battle of Armageddon where Christ is seen victorious and with the blood of his enemies literally splattered on his garments. Now, the average person on the street, talk of God like this, would shock them.

In fact, it would anger them. Who does he think he is? You see, they don't understand that the unbelieving world, according to the apostles and scripture, is, as Paul wrote it, the enemy of God. Enemy, it's not in neutral. The world is in trouble. Can you imagine God as your enemy?

The world would say, no problem. They've been deceived by the God of this world that they are okay. As one man told me, I know God. He wouldn't hurt a fly.

What do you do about this? The truth of scripture is that he is storing up his wrath until these days when he uniquely pours it out like some unstoppable tsunami. The blood will flow like a river at his word. Because they refuse to wear the blood of Christ as it were on their heart, Christ will wear their blood on his garments. And the world will be utterly horrified at the unrelenting, unmerciful vengeance of God unleashed at last. This is what Paul warned the Athenians 1900 years ago in Acts chapter 17 where he said, listen, everybody needs to repent.

Why? Because God has fixed a day in which he will judge the world. And that day has come. Paul will go on to say that it is specifically the God-man, Jesus Christ, who acts out the judgment of triune God.

And this scene we're studying is that moment. If you have any remaining question, who this is, who this sovereign, returning, vengeful warrior is, John leaves no doubt with another name that he provides. Look at the last part of verse 13. John writes in his name is called the what? The word of God. The logos of God. The spirit of God through John introduced us to this expression in John chapter one.

You probably know that text. In the beginning was the? The word. And the word was with? And the word was God.

The logos, the same word used here in the beginning was the logos. The expression of the triune God. Now here the one coming to rule and reign, fulfilling the prophecies that Jehovah will come to the Mount of Olives, the one who is coming to defeat the enemies and reign on planet earth is the same logos that John said earlier was born among us and we beheld as reflected glory as it were the glory of the Father. And as many as received that expression, that truth, that logos of God, to them he gave the right to become sons or children of God.

Right. It's interesting as you study the word you have the written word of God, John 539. You have the spoken word of God, John 3, 34. And you have the living word of God, John 1, 1 and Revelation 19. Your Bible is the written word of God. The gospel that you deliver to your world is the spoken word of God. Your savior is the living word of God. So you have the written word authored by the living word empowering you to deliver the spoken word to a world that will one day give an account before this logos, this word of God, the living word, the visible expression. Consider the fact that this Jehovah who is coming back to reign, he is Yahweh in the flesh. He is the embodiment of triune God, Colossians 1, 15.

Now there's another word that came to my mind as I studied this paragraph. For the world it's going to be very different than for us. In fact, for the world it will be all terror and bloodshed and horror as the judgment of God is unleashed. The horror of the reality in the unbeliever's mind that he had indeed refused the testimony of creation and he worshiped a stump. To those who had taken the mark worshiping the false Messiah, to those who refused to repent even though they knew the disasters of the last seven years that we've studied were from the hand of God and they refused to repent, surely that's not God. Now the horror of the reality of their disobedience and their unrepentant hearts and their hatred of God will come out. But for the believer, it's a different story.

We're not on earth. We're coming from heaven with the Lord to reign with him. And the word that comes to my mind as I go back to this text as it relates to you and me, it is the word exhilaration.

Exhilaration. Look at verse 14. And the armies which are in heaven, again we're already there, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, we're following him on white horses. This is the same clothing mentioned earlier in chapter 19 of the bride of Christ. This is the church focused here in the lens of scripture.

The plural word translated armies may very well indicate distinct groups. Many believe they will include resurrected Old Testament saints, tribulation martyrs, certainly the angels will be among the hosts of heaven that come. But the clothing of the riders of white horses is what John focuses on. This is the clothing of the church, fine linen, white and clean. See, this is a message of triumph for the church above all. In John's day, the church, you remember, was muddied. The church was trampled. The church was persecuted. The church was tormented. The church was rejected. John might have wondered how much it would be able to move along with all of the persecution now unleashed against it. But here he sees the church victorious, numbering in the myriads, returning with their leader, their shepherd, their Lord, Christ.

But don't miss it here in this exhilarating scene. Like Christ, we, the church, already with them, are returning on what? White horses. Now, is it just figurative language? Certainly, John uses figurative language.

In fact, he uses it in verse 15 to speak of the word coming out of the mouth of the Lord like a sword. But it's interesting to me that John has stated twice now regarding our transportation by means of divinely provided white horses. This is the transportation of a conquering king.

But notice this. Even in the days of John, the army did not ride on white horses. Only the emperor or the conquering general did. That's why John wants us to get the picture. Not just the conquering general, our emperor.

We will be riding like him. Our emperor has provided the same transportation for his conquering beloved. In fact, in this paragraph one of the few differences between the emperor and us is that our garments are not splattered with blood.

They're white and clean. Why? Because Christ will do all the fighting. One word. It's his word alone that will defeat the enemy armies. He does the fighting and it's over in a moment as we'll see, but I guess we come along and we're just cheering.

We're shouting. The imperfect tense of the verb translated in this verse, verse 14, to follow him provides a little more insight into this graphic picture of Christ who is this celestial warrior seated on his white horse and his army is seated on white horses as well are following after him right behind them as we with him gallop through the skies to encounter the enemy and to reign to set up his kingdom in victory as he dismounts on Mount Zion. Now, beside the fact that we have no reason to view these armies riding horses as figurative, I also thought more of it and I wondered, isn't it true that no matter how many forms of transportation we've invented, no matter how fast they go, whether it's a rocket ship to outer space or some fast car, some medium fast pickup truck, there's nothing quite so majestic and stirring as a horse in full gallop. I've been on the Autobahn overseas doing 100 miles an hour and I can remember a motorcyclist passing me and he made me look like I was like I was standing still. But that wasn't majestic.

That was just irritating. In the center plaza of Las Colinas, Texas, I've mentioned this before, thought of it again here, my wife and I saw a couple of years after it was finished what has become the world's largest equestrian sculptor in the world. Nine bronze-like statues of mustangs fashioned in various poses, some in full gallop, and they're galloping across a pond of water and fountains are designed to spray up water wherever the hooves of these horses make contact. It's stunning. The rancher that sold the property to Las Colinas, in fact he wanted to create a city and put in the very middle what he wanted to be a tribute to the horses that used to range wild on his property and so those mustangs are right there.

You can go online and look them up. Stunning sight. People come from all around the world. Is it because they're faster than anything they've ever seen? No, there's just something stirring about a horse and a rider in gallop, full gallop. Imagine what John sees.

Imagine what he hears. Have you ever heard horses galloping? I've shared with you the 20 acres behind our home. They used to graze thoroughbreds and when we'd hear them galloping it'd rumble right here.

We'd stop no matter what we were doing and we'd look out the window and watch 15, 20 thoroughbreds gallop across that pasture. John is seeing millions upon millions upon millions upon millions of white horses and horsemen galloping through the heavens following their emperor as he comes to planet earth. What a stirring sight. The king is coming and with him his saints. Now my seventh and final word from this description is the word exaltation.

Notice verse 16. John describes our emperor, our conquering commander this way. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written king of kings and lord of lords. The Greek construction could be better understood and on his robe even his thigh.

He has a name written. The lord isn't bearing his thigh. What John is describing is the robe of our lord and it is monogrammed and it is wrapped like a rider would be in some kind of ceremony and where it's wrapped around his body and on his thigh is that amazing monogram stirring. It says king of kings and lord of lords.

The thigh was the place where a mounted warrior's sword would normally be strapped. The only weapon our lord brings is the only one he needs. The power of his word.

Why? He is the king of kings and lord of lords. The only other time this expression appears together is in Revelation 17 and is reversed. Lord of lords and king of kings. These two titles are separately attributed to God in other parts of the body. Here they are both given to the second person of the Godhead once again establishing his deity beyond any doubt.

He is king of kings and lord of lords. You know the Caesars were fond of using these titles basileus and curios. They like to attach it to their name. But the monogramming on this robe simply states there is no more supreme king than Christ.

I had a lady come up to me and she rides professionally. She said Stephen as I was studying this with you it occurred to me you know whenever in some kind of ceremony we always wrap our robes or whatever we have so that our title is at our thigh so that the ones we're riding toward can read it. So Jesus Christ is riding toward earth and everyone can see and they shall read the king of kings and lord of lords.

Isn't that a wonderful thought. Everyone will see it. And we with him as we thunder from heaven what a procession this is going to be. What majesty and glory. What a stirring sight. But it occurred to me as I study this and I'll wrap it up with this how obvious it is in this scene that Jesus Christ is continuing to lavish his grace upon us his beloved. We're here puny little us and he's allowing us to write and act as if the victory was ours. Indeed in him it is.

He could have said just hang back here and let me go take care of it and then I'm bringing it. No no I want you to ride just like me. The victory is ours. I thought you know if we were God we would ride a stallion and everybody else would ride a scooter or walk to distinguish among us not him not him. What incredible grace we we are faltering failing stumbling finicky cowardly limited faithless selfish impatient. All of that is long past and our glorified state and here's his grace again we as members in this triumphant procession will all gallop forward just like our King of Kings and Lord of Lords we will be with him. We're with him.

And it is grace he says we faltering failing but redeemed ones you become my co-regents. How about that. I mean imagine imagine the president elect and his entourage of SUVs coming up to your house and he gets out and he goes and he knocks on your door and he says look I'm going to be inaugurated when I'm inaugurated on the Capitol steps I want you to be with me. Me. Yeah you. Well OK. Can you imagine the Prince of Wales saying listen when I'm crowned king of Great Britain they're going to have this amazing celebration and the ceremony and the pomp and the glory and the jewels and and cameras people around the world will be watching this. What if the Prince of Wales said to you and when that happens and I'm seated on my throne I'm going to pull up another chair and have you sit right beside me. You OK with that. You would say what. Me. Can we miss this here.

That we are coming with a sovereign if we don't say. Me. Yes. You. And me.

And this is a million times greater than that. When the king comes. And the Lord invites us.

To mount up. This in the last time I rode a horse I fell off. Not this time. Not this time.

Neither you. Maybe there's any some writing lessons for us between now and then. I don't know. The king is going to say mount up. It's time to return as promised and you're coming with me and you will be with me. What incredible thrills and majesty and ceremony and glory and excitement and security and opportunity awaits us as Christ in his glory takes the throne and all of us as saints reign with him in his kingdom. Paul is writing the Titus of this event and he says this. We look forward to this wonderful event when the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ will be revealed.

He's talking about this event. We look forward to it. We should think of it every day. No wonder Martin Luther the great reformer once said there are only two days in my calendar. Only two days. Today. And that day. Referring to the second coming. There are only two days that occupy my mind. Today.

And that day. Here at Wisdom International we have a resource that describes for you the message of the gospel. We call it God's wisdom for your heart. There are several ways that you can access this resource. We have an online version that you can read right now. Go to wisdom online dot org forward slash gospel.

That's wisdom online dot org forward slash gospel. You can read God's wisdom for your heart right now. It's also available on the Wisdom International app.

If you have a tablet or a smartphone you can install the Wisdom International app to your device. Not only would you have access to this resource but all of our Bible teaching is available there. Finally we have this available in print.

We put it in bundles of 25 which makes it convenient for people who want to share it with others. We can give you information about that if you call us today at 866-48-BIBLE. Once again that's 866-48-BIBLE. That's all for today. We're going to continue through this series from Revelation on our next broadcast. Join us then here on Wisdom for the Heart. Thank you.