The battle of Armageddon and the great war on earth is culminated by Christ’s return to earth in righteousness. When John sees the Lord coming on a white horse, He is prepared to judge in righteousness and make war.
Revelation 19:11 NKJV 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.
Christ is returning to earth to bring about the end of Satan’s reign as the god of this present world. Previously John was shown the Lord in vivid detail.
When the Revelation began, John made the announcement:
Revelation 1:7-8 NKJV Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. The Lord said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty.”
Then John saw the Lord in the midst of the seven golden lampstands.
Revelation 1:13-16 NKJV In the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
In the next vision, Christ was seen in the midst of the throne of heaven as the slain Lamb of God.
Revelation 5:6 NKJV And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
Those who had been raptured were around the throne casting their crowns before Him, saying: “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.”
Now Jesus Christ our Lord is seen as the conquering King.
He is the rider on the white horse Who is called Faithful and True. He is coming to the earth to judge and make war.
Revelation 19:12-13 NKJV 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.
Daniel had a similar vision.
Daniel 10:6 NKJV His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.
John said, “He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood.”
Isaiah questioned the One Who was glorious in His apparel.
Isaiah 63:2-3 NKJV Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like one who treads in the winepress? “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; Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, And I have stained all My robes.
Then the Lord explained His appearance to Isaiah.
Isaiah 63:4 NKJV For the day of vengeance is in My heart, And the year of My redeemed has come.
When John saw Him, He had many crowns on His head and He had a name written that no one knew except Him.
The many crowns show His exalted position as the conquering King and the victorious Lord. He has unlimited and sovereign authority to conquer all of the kingdoms of the earth.
Revelation 19:14 NKJV And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.
These are the hosts of the redeemed and glorified saints. Their white robes are a representation of their righteousness and purity. It is very probable that the host of heaven’s angels will join in with the redeemed to follow Christ in this great battle. For Jesus Christ is the Lord of hosts, the hosts of angels.
Revelation 19:15-16 NKJV 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
The Word of God is the weapon by which He will strike the nations.
Throughout the ages of history, God has demonstrated the power of His word. In the beginning, God spoke and all things were made by the Word of His power. When He returns to earth, everyone will know the power of His word.
Hebrews 4:12 NKJV For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Isaiah 11:4 NKJV But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
2 Thessalonians 2:8 NKJV And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.
We learned that Babylon the Great, the Harlot religion of the Antichrist, will be consumed in one hour. The Lord Jesus Christ will not be in a lengthy or protracted battle with the wicked of the world. He will come with the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God and in a moment He will strike down the wicked and subject all nations to Himself with the word of His mouth. He will rule the world with a rod of iron.
Revelation 19:16 NKJV And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS
Christ has absolute sovereignty over all the earthly rulers and over all the universe. He is KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS! Every nation, kingdom, lord and king must surrender to His sovereign rule and authority. He is coming to earth to take dominion and rule of all things.
Christ’s return to earth involves the great battle of Armageddon, the destruction of Satan’s kingdom and the rule of the Antichrist.
This brings the end of the seven years of the tribulation and the establishment of Christ’s kingdom of righteousness on earth.
The defeat of the Antichrist and his armies is covered in the next section of scripture.
This is the battle of Armageddon. We have studied the preludes to this battle in chapters 17 and 18. Jesus Christ returns to earth and destroys the ungodly and evil of the world.
Revelation 19:17-19 NKJV Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.” And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.
When the Antichrist, the kings of the earth, and their armies see the King of kings and Lord of lords, they will know that this is their final attempt to defeat God and His Christ. All of the kings of the earth will gather together in the place called Armageddon to make war against the Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 19:20 NKJV Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.
The lake of fire burning with brimstone is the eternal destiny of Satan and all unbelievers and ungodly. Here the Antichrist and the false prophet are cast into the lake of fire burning with brimstone, where there is no exit.
Revelation 19:21 NKJV And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.
After the battle sounds have ceased and the birds of the air are filled with the flesh of those who rebelled against God, the millennial (1,000 year) reign of Christ will come on earth. The word millennium is not found in the Bible. The word is derived from two Latin words: “mille” — meaning thousand, and “annum” meaning year. This will bring about the culmination of the plan of God for the earth. Durning our next study, we will consider the events of the millennial reign of Christ.
