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"The
Wrath of the Armies of Heaven"
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14
And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure,
followed him on white horses. The
Revelation of Jesus Christ: A Blessing not a Mystery Although the Book of Revelation is founded upon historical circumstances in the Roman Empire, addressed to seven particular historical churches (Rev. 1-3), there is wisdom and encouragement for all the saints in every period of the last days before Christ returns. In the Book of Revelation, we not only see the triumph of God's purposes and power, but the great and powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ- - this is the church's great hope! The book lifts the eyes of the saints to see above the problems and afflictions of this world. In order that we may know God's perspective on circumstances in our lives; that is, to see God and his sovereignty; the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world; the saints who have been bought with the precious blood of Christ are now ruling with Christ; to see the devil, sin and death are conquered ultimately, and the Lord Jesus Christ is lifted upon his throne and all his enemies are made to be his footstool (1 Peter 1:3-18; cf. Rev. 4-5). This book is a blessing for those who read it (Rev. 1:3; 22:7,14)! Because of the great imagery and apocalyptic style of the book, it is not surprising that many in the church have misunderstood Revelation and gotten lost in the details, and have failed to find the great encouragement of our God; that is, his glorious reign and defeat of all his enemies and the Lord being brought near to his people, to be in the presence of his people forever (cf. Rev. 21:1ff)! The
Revelation of Jesus Christ: Recapitulation not a Chronological Account Our passage in chapter 19:14-16 is one of the climatic events of all the Scripture. Since the book should be interpreted in light of recapitulation, these verses record the consummate intensification and escalation of the ultimate triumph of Christ that is also recorded in Revelation chapter 20:7-10. These events from 19:11-20:10 are not to be interpreted chronologically, but they are to be understood as the ultimate salvation of God's people and judgment of the wicked. Prof. G. K. Beale says concerning Revelation 19:14-16, that it is "the most expanded description of Christ's defeat and judgment of the ungodly forces at the end of history" (Beale, 948). Not only is it what the prophets looked forward to and sought to understand (1 Pet. 1:10,11), but it is the fulfillment of Christ and his Kingdom from every tribe, and tongue, and people and nation (evk pa,shj fulh/j kai. glw,sshj kai. laou/ kai. e;qnouj Rev. 5:9; 14:6). The
Revelation of Jesus Christ: A Christophany of the Divine Warrior This
vision of John in these verses is the escalating and progressively
advanced defeat of God's enemies and those who have disobeyed his
commands. Those who did not repent at the mercy and patience of
the Lord, although they knew of their sins and that they were in
cosmic rebellion against a holy God. Instead, they suppressed the
truth, exchanged it for a lie and God gave them over to follow the
Beast and the False Prophet- -the ultimate exchanging the truth
for a lie (Romans 1:18-3:20; cf. 2 Thess. 2:11-12). From the description
of Christ in these passages there is great hope for a suffering
and persecuted church throughout the ages since the ascension of
Christ; there is revealed here the focus we should all have as pilgrim
saints living in a foreign world. It is hope for those who have
a heavenly city, who look forward to a better world and do not call
this world their home (Heb. 12:18-29). On the other hand, it is
a stark and descriptive warning for those who take lightly God's
commands; who trample the Son of God underfoot and who every day
resist the truth of what God has revealed to them (cf. Heb. 10:39).
To them, this is a perfectly terrifying and poignant call to them
to repent! To the wicked, this is the most dreadful day they could
ever imagine. For at this moment, those who do not trust by faith
in the righteousness found only in the Lord Jesus Christ, are under
the wrath of God (cf. John 3:36; 2 Peter 2:3-4). This is the wrath
of God the NT authors spoke of that was to come (Mt. 3:7; cf. Mk.
1:3-8; Mt. 24; Mk. 13; Rom. 2:5; Eph. 5:6; Col. 3:6). Before
proceeding to the verses of Revelation 19:14-16, the people of God
should consider this passage in light of the teaching in the OT
and the NT concerning the Day of the LORD and the ultimate Theophanic
judgment of God. A Theophany, or appearing of God was manifested
in many different ways (Poythress, 6.1ff; Kline, chap. 1), but in
these verses we see the ultimate "Warrior Theophany" found
in the OT as Christ comes to judge the wicked and to save his people
(Zech. 9:14-15; 14:3-5; Hab. 3:3-15; Is. 63:1-6; 59:17-19; Zeph.
3:17; Josh. 5:13-15; cf. 1 Cor. 5:5; 1 Thess. 5:2). We will consider
some of these verses at length in the following study below. Another
term for this in the NT is called Christ's epihaneia [epifaneia],
or appearing on the great and terrible Day of the LORD (also used
synonymously with parousia). In other words, the ultimate Theophany
is revealed as a Christophany. In the OT and particularly in the
Book of the Twelve, or the so-called "Minor Prophets"
we see this theme of the Day of the LORD revealed albeit proleptically,
but prophetically; here in the Book of Revelation we see it in its
eschatological consummation. The Prophet Joel warns Israel about
the coming Day of the LORD: "For strong is the One who executes
his word. For the Day of the LORD is great and terrible; who can
endure it?" (Joel 2:11). The Prophet Amos warns the wicked
who look to the Day of the LORD: "Woe to you who desire the
Day of the LORD! For what good is the day of the LORD to you? It
will be darkness and not light…" (Amos 5:18). The Prophet
Malachi tells of the great Day of God in chapter four of his prophecy:
"For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all
the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day
which is coming shall burn them up…That will leave them neither
root nor branch…but to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness
shall arise with healing in his wings…you shall trample the
wicked, for they shall be as ashes under the soles of your feet
on the day that I do this" (Mal. 4:1-3). This
vision of the Day of the LORD was not lost in the writings of the
NT, for the NT author's described such a day as well. In 1 Thessalonians
1:10, the Apostle Paul describes the wrath that is to come; in 4:15,
Paul speaks of the coming of the Lord. In Romans 2:5, he describes
this day as "the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous
judgment of God." The Apostle Peter writes in his epistle of
the "day of judgment" in 2 Peter 2:9 and 3:7; the "day
of the LORD" in 2 Peter 3:10 and in 2 Peter 3:12, he describes
this same day as "the coming day of God." Throughout the
OT and the NT, the Day of the LORD pointed to a day of vengeance
and great theophanic calamity when Christ would appear a second
time for judgment (1 Thess. 5:8-9; 2 Thess. 1:7-8; 2 Tim. 4:1).
This was the day that the world would be cleansed of the wicked,
the righteous would come into everlasting fellowship with God in
his presence, and Jesus Christ would set up his Eternal Kingdom
(Hos. 2:19-23; Joel 3:17-21; Amos 9:14,15; Obadiah 17-21; Hab. 3:18;
Zeph. 3:17-20; Zech. 14:20,21). We also need to approach these verses with the understanding of the Divine Warrior motif from the OT (Longman; Reid). In the OT, God is described as the LORD of heaven and earth that defeats the enemies of God's people (Ex. 15; Deut. 4; Joshua 24; Judges 6). Here in the passage from Revelation 19:14-16 we see the Divine Christ, the one like the Son of Man from Daniel 7, who is coming in judgment upon the enemies of God. Whereas the people of God in the OT were told to "fear not for the LORD will fight for you," here we see that the saints are clothed in Christ's righteousness no longer with fears, and they come with Christ in his great judgment while his wrath consumes the whole earth. While all the saints of Christ have no reason to fear, the wicked must be warned of this great Day that is coming and turn from their wicked ways to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation from the coming wrath. If the judgment of God upon the world in the flood (Gen. 6-9); upon Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 18:1ff); the judgment upon Egypt and Pharaoh (Ex. 14; 15); and the judgments upon the nations and even Israel were increasingly horrible, how much more will the Day of Christ's wrath be when he consumes the world in his anger because they have suppressed the truth of his revelation (cf. Luke 13:1ff; 2 Peter 2:4-10). We will discuss more of the concept of the Divine Warrior upon approaching the exegesis of Revelation 19:15. We shall now turn to consider our passages as we understand in light of these verses the whole context of Scripture concerning the appearing of Christ, or Christophany, and the final judgment of God on the Day of the LORD. The
Revelation of Jesus Christ: 19:14- Jesus and the Armies of Heaven These
saints are said to wear pure garments. There are other passages
in Revelation that speak of this as well (Rev. 3:4,18; 6:11; 7:9-17;
15:5-8; cf. Harlot's clothing: 17:4; 18:16-17). These are those
saints who have the wedding garment on who are prepared as a Bride
for Christ and have been made ready for the wedding supper of the
Lamb (Mt. 22:1-14; cf. Eph. 5:23ff). Revelation 19:7-8 tells us
prior to these verses that because of the defeat of the archenemy
of God- - Babylon the Great, in chapter 18, the marriage of the
Lamb has come and his bride has made herself ready. In verse 8 the
bride, the saints of Christ are described clothed with bright, pure,
fine linen which symbolizes the righteous deeds of the saints. This
refers negatively to the saints not giving loyalty to Babylon, but
positively, it refers to the testimony of the saints to Jesus in
word and deed (1:9; 6:9; 11:7; 12:11,17; 20:4) (Beale, 934). The
saints are rewarded for their faithfulness to Christ and perseverance
in the faith (cf. 2 Tim. 2:11-13; 4:7-8). God has justified them
by his grace through faith and in their lives they truly witnessed
to the world in their "righteous deeds" that they belonged
to God (Eph. 2:6-10; Phil. 2:12,13; Rev. 2-3: "to him that
overcomes…"). In
Isaiah 61:10, the prophet foretells what is to come for the people
of God when he declares: "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD,
my soul shall be joyful in my God; For he has clothed me with the
garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns
herself with jewels." In Revelation, with the consummation
of Christ's judgment and righteousness, we see the saints adorned
just as Isaiah had prophesied. In contrast, we should notice the
comparison of the saints' clothing to the description of the harlot
in chapter 17:3-5: "…And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet
beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and
ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned
with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden
cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication…"
What a great contrast between the rich garments of the evil harlot
and the pure and righteous adornment of the saints vindicated by
Christ's righteousness. In the eyes of fallen men, those who do
not know the Lord Jesus Christ, the harlot is dressed as many in
our society wish to dress. They desire to show their status and
riches in the world, but according to Revelation chapter 17, this
is a heinous and ugly attire. It is the attire described of those
who are trusting in their own righteousness and those who have loved
the world and all the evil behind the world system. As Christians,
we are taught not to love the ways of the world- -including dress,
and the Apostle James warns us not to judge others on their clothing
(1 John 2:15-17; cf. James 2:1-7; 1 Pet. 3:2-6). The clothing of
the world system described in Revelation 17 is the clothing of the
followers of the evil triumvirate: the Dragon, Beast and False Prophet.
In Zechariah 3:3-5, there is a vision of Joshua clothed with filthy
garments and he is clothed in rich robes and a clean turban is placed
upon his head and clothes are put upon him because God has removed
his iniquity from him. This is another OT example of the importance
of the pure garments that the Lord provides for his saints by his
own righteousness and the hope this verse should give to every generation
of the church. The
saints are wearing wedding garments, but additionally, according
to other verses, it seems that they are some kind of priestly wedding
garments. This vision could teach the people of God that they are
clothed in Christ's righteousness ultimately because they have been
identified and vindicated by Christ their High Priest (Heb. 2:14-18;
5:1ff). Notice how Christ and the angels are described in the Scripture
as wearing these white priestly garments (Rev. 1:13; 15:6; Dan.
10:5; 12:6; Ez. 9:2). These garments identify the Christ's saints
as not only the Bride of Christ, but Priests of Christ and God the
Father- - a holy nation, a royal priesthood (Ex. 28:42; Lev. 16:4;
1 Pet. 2:5,9). These garments probably reflect the glory of the
One and only True High Priest, and because of the saints' identification
with Jesus the High Priest, they are adorned just like he and the
angels in God's resplendent glory (cf. Dan. 12:3; Mt. 5:14; 2 Cor.
3:18). The
white horses on which they ride are symbols of their pure identification
with Christ's righteousness; their identification with Christ's
death, resurrection and ascension into heaven. The Apostle Paul
writes in his epistle to the Colossians: "For you have died,
and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ who is our
life appears, then you will appear with him in glory" (Col.
3:1-4). Christ's work enabled these saints to be seated with Christ
in the heavenlies and although upon earth it was not manifested,
in reality this is the way God saw them: being remade pure in Christ's
image (Col. 3:1-4; cf. 2 Cor. 3:18ff). This is significant for the
way the saints perceive themselves presently in Christ. As the Apostle
John says in his first epistle, "Beloved, we are God's children
now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when
he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
And every one who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure"
(1 John 3:2-4). The saints of all time, in every age should be encouraged
to this final and climatic appearing of the Lord Jesus with his
people. All those who fought against them and hated them in this
life, will see them with eyes of hatred and jealously along with
Jesus, and the saints will be vindicated before all the wicked world
to be seen associated with He who they witnessed faithfully all
of their lives. Christ
has redeemed his people by his death and resurrection on their behalf.
He has taken from them their guilt and reconciled his people to
God (2 Cor. 5:11-21). God is pleased to be their God and he makes
them disciples and works in them to do God's commands. God is our
true redeemer in Christ, who although he had no sin became a sin
offering for us, so that we might be the righteousness of God in
him. The Apostle Paul refers to the saints' status as being in Christ
in many of his letters and this is to help us to understand that
not only are we clothed in Christ's righteousness and sheltered
from the wrath of God, we are identified with his perfect Person
and Work on our behalf thus making us truly righteous (Rom. 5:8-10;
Heb. 2:14-18; 4:16-18). This is a wonderful vision for God to give
to bless and encourage the church throughout the ages in difficult
times, for it is here that we are to identify ourselves. John starkly contrasts Christ's righteous army of saints with the Beast's army and his followers (9:15-19; 12:17; 13:7; 16:16). This is no "hellish" army who is allowed to fight against the saints in order to strengthen them and give glory to God, but Christ's army of those who have overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony (Rev. 4:5). This army is pure and unadulterated, it is not unrighteous and unjust, but righteous and just in the judgments which it brings. The Lord is slow concerning his anger and wrath, he is a consuming fire and although the wicked had been warned, they continually lived in disobedience to God and the Lamb and they sought one last time to try and overcome the Christ of God and his people; but they will fail. This is the hope for those in the church who are suffering, who cry out "How long, O LORD?" and ask "Why do the nations rage and the enemies of God seem to advance and prosper?" (Ps. 2; 37). As we turn to Revelation 19:15, these perennial questions are answered with the hope in the Coming of the LORD Jesus Christ. The
Revelation of Jesus Christ: 19:15- The Wrath of Messiah But
there are also other portions of Scripture that describe this sword
that is proceeding out of his mouth. In Isaiah's prophecy concerning
the Servant of the LORD, Isaiah proclaims that God has made the
Servant's mouth like a sharp sword (Is. 49:2). In verse 3, the LORD
says through Isaiah that his Servant will glorify the LORD with
his work. Throughout Scripture the metaphor of the sword has also
been used to speak of God's Word as it is revealed in its power
(Eph. 6:12; Heb. 4:12; Rev. 1:16; 2:12,16). The passage in verse
15 is a passage about Christ's judgment, but his judgment with God's
word. This is the word of God that brought order from chaos in Genesis
1:1 that shows us that John is here identifying Christ as both the
Creator and Judge of all things; that is, the First and the Last,
the Alpha and the Omega (Rev. 1:8,11; 21:6; 22:13; cf. John 1:3;
Heb. 1:2; 12:1,2). This is the word of power that has been revealed
to all men that speak of his coming judgment and of his grace and
mercy in Christ. It is this sword, the word of God that will smite
the nations. But it is not just the word of God, but the word of
God in judgment for he rules with a rod of iron. This means that
although he will smite the nations with the word, he will rule or
reign with a rod of iron. For a better understanding of "rod
of iron" we should turn to Isaiah 11:4. The
Messiah will conquer by his word because although it brings good
tidings to those who are poor and humble, it brings judgment upon
those who do not believe (cf. Is. 61:1; Lk. 4:16ff). There have
been many kings and judgments in the world, but this is God's grand
climatic judgment of the world for their disobedience to his only
begotten Son. In fact when Christ was being judged before both the
Jews and the Romans as recorded in the Gospel of Mark, he knows
that his sentence of death is sure. But when he is asked if he is
truly the Christ of God, he predicts and pronounces an eschatological
and ultimate judgment upon both Jews and Gentiles: "…You
will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming
with the clouds of heaven" (cf. Luke 22:69; Matt. 27:37; Luke
23:24ff; John 18:35ff; 19:12-16). Christ clearly reveals himself
in this passage as the Messiah and the Son of Man who is foretold
in the Book of Daniel (Daniel 7:13ff). Although Jesus' disciples
had hoped and expected him to set up his Messianic Kingdom immediately,
God in his wisdom had a more progressive revealing of how Messiah's
Kingdom would be established (Dan. 2:44,45; 7:9-14; Mt. 24:1-3;
Acts 1:6ff). In
Psalm 2, the Psalmist writes of the LORD's Messiah and asks: "Why
do the nations rage and the people plot a vain thing? The kings
of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together,
against the LORD and against his Anointed…"(Ps.2:1-2).
This passage gives hope to the church in the OT as our passage gives
to us in Revelation. Although the wicked seem to be advancing against
God's purposes and his people, the LORD has established his Messiah
on his holy hill of Zion (Ps. 2:6). The LORD laughs at the wicked
and their attempts to thwart his will throughout history (Ps. 2:4),
and the LORD will speak to them in His wrath (Ps. 2:5). The wicked
may plot and be allowed by the Sovereign God to afflict his people,
but their time is short and the LORD has appointed His Messiah to
inherit the nations as his inheritance- - and all the ends of the
earth (Ps. 2:8). The Psalmist foretells that the Messiah will break
the wicked with a rod of iron and dash them to pieces like a potter's
vessel" (Ps. 2:9). This is the ultimate vision and climatic
event that God reveals to his people in the Book of Revelation.
The Psalmist ends by warning the wicked to repent and serve the
LORD lest the Son be angry and they perish. He says, "When
his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put
their trust in him" (Ps. 2:12). This is not only the great
OT warning to the wicked, to those who would plot against the LORD
and his people, but the great hope for those who have put their
trust in the LORD's Messiah. It is because of this hope that the
Book of Revelation announces: "Blessed are those who read the
prophecies in this book." Those who trust in the LORD and believe
his word that is like a sharp sword, know that this is not a hypothetical
warning for the wicked, but it is as sure as the word of the Lord
that abides forever (1 Peter 1:24-25; cf. Is. 40:6-9). Considering
the wrath that has been described in previous cycles in John's visions,
consider the seals (6:1-17; 8:1-5); the trumpets (8:6-11:19); the
bowls and the seven angels (15:1,5-8), and other displays of God's
wrath that causes the enemies' hearts to harden and they do not
repent although they had been warned numerous times (11:19; 14:9-11;
17-21; 18:3-6,8; 19:2). Those judgments were great but are incomparable
to this great judgment of the Lamb. For he comes with a sword. God's
wrath has not been displayed in this way since the cross of Christ.
The wrath upon Christ on the cross was the great climax and display
of God's wrath that had been stored up for ages in the Godhead.
In God's anger and love, he poured out his wrath upon Christ who
bore up in himself the pollution and guilt and punishment for the
sins of his people. Those who turn away from such a display of God's
goodness, mercy and wrath are to be pitied. The foolish- - the wicked-
- are storing up for themselves wrath on the Day of Wrath when God
will ultimately judge them by the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Romans
2:5ff). In Christ's coming we see the Lamb of God suffering by crucifixion
and taking upon himself the wrath of God, but in Revelation 19:11ff,
we see not the lowly Lamb of God suffering upon a Roman cross, but
the Christ of Glory coming with those he has redeemed to enact judgment
for all the world- - for all those who do not know him! The way
he is described should encourage the believing, but those who have
suppressed the truth, they must be warned! If they thought the wrath
of the cross of God Almighty was terrible and frightening, they
have seen nothing as great as the Wrath of the LORD of lords and
the King of kings coming one final time to judge them. God's judgment
is so frightening, John in Revelation uses the imagery of Christ
treading the winepress of God's fury. Concerning
the imagery of the winepress and Christ clothed in a garment sprinkled
with blood (19:13). Here is the picture of the ultimate wrath of
God revealed in the Christ the Divine Warrior. In Isaiah's prophecy
chapter 63:2ff, the prophet describes the Divine Warrior, or God
who establishes his reign over his enemies (cf. Is. 13:4; 31:4;
42:13; Ezek. 38-39; Joel 3; Zech. 14:3). In verse 2 the prophet
writes: "Why is thy apparel red, and thy garments like his
that treads the wine press? I have trodden the winepress along,
and from the peoples no one was with me; I trod them in my anger
and trampled them in my wrath; their lifeblood is sprinkled upon
my garments, and I have stained all my raiment. For the day of vengeance
was in my heart, and my year of redemption has come." To better
understand this ultimate day of Christ trampling the winepress of
God's anger we should compare these passages to Luke 4:18ff when
Christ read from the scroll of Isaiah 61:1ff. Christ proclaimed
that on the day he was reading from the scroll the prophecy of Isaiah
had been fulfilled, however, he left off the last line of Isaiah's
prophecy intentionally.Although
in Christ's first coming he would bring deliverance to the captives
and salvation for those looking with repentant hearts to God, proclaiming
the year of the LORD's favor, in his appearing the second time (here
revealed in John's vision), he would finish the statement: "…and
the vengeance of our God" (cf. Rev. 14:19). Although we must
understand that Christ's first coming was to bring salvation, but
for those who have rejected him there is nothing left but the day
of vengeance and wrath. This shows two things: first, that Christ's
work was to be fulfilled progressively as revealed in the gospels,
particularly the parables of Jesus (Mt. 13:1-51); secondly, that
Christ is slow to anger and wrath, he will patient wanting all to
come to him and find forgiveness. However, once he is revealed as
in John's vision, it will be a day of darkness and wrath. In
Revelation 19:14-16, the saints come with Jesus in his revelation
because Christ drank the cup of wrath on the cross on behalf of
his people. Though he had prayed that the cup might pass because
it was so awesome and terrible, he nevertheless submitted his will
to the Father so that the salvation of his people might be accomplished.
It was God who was saving us from God; that is, God was saving his
people from his wrath. Romans 4:24-26 teaches us that God is just
in regards to his righteous judgment, but the justifier of those
who believe in Christ Jesus. Therefore the saints should rejoice
in seeing that indeed nothing can separate them from the love of
God which is in Christ Jesus because he has loved them with a divine
and intimate love displayed in the cross when Jesus became a propitiation
for the sins of his people and expiated God's wrath and fury which
all sinful men deserve. This wrath of God which was expiated at the cross for those who believe is yet to be displayed and there will be no mediator between the wicked and God on the Day of his Great Judgment. They will be cut off to perish in darkness, weeping, and gnashing of teeth. All of their hopes of overcoming God's Messiah, all the hopes of persecuting and defeating the people of God will be dashed immediately upon the rocks to which they look for shelter. This vision should encourage the church to know that it is true that the gates of hell will never prevail against the Church, Christ's people (cf. Mt. 16:18-19). The
Revelation of Jesus Christ: 19:16- King of kings and Lord of lords
John
reveals to the churches that Christ is the conqueror of all their
enemies and the Lord has made all his enemies to be a footstool
for him. This is not the wrath of a God who is like a man, who bursts
out in hatred and anger, but a God who was patient, who warned,
who did not want any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
This Christ who is coming to judge on behalf of his Father has been
merciful to all of creation and they have rejected him in his life
and work. The Creator of every man is now confronting sinful man
one last time with the ultimate judgment that every sinner deserves. Christ
is ruler and the consummation of all of history. God rules all of
creation in Christ and Christ comes one last time to defeat the
death and offer up his kingdom to his God and Father (1 Cor. 15:27).
This is the last in the cycles of judgment that consummates in his
Great Appearing before all the world to see. All of those who denied
him, all of those who said they did not believe, will find that
they were terribly wrong. All of those who persecuted the saints
and thought of them as weak and not worthy of dignity, will see
them on this day clothed in Christ's righteousness, in great dignity
wearing Christ's priestly robes. For these saints who are coming
with Christ are a holy priesthood, a royal nation and although that
is what they have always been because of Christ, now the world will
confess it and they will be vindicated before the enemies of Christ
and God. What a revelation that God has given through Christ and
his angel to the Apostle John! This should encourage every saint
in every age- -those who have believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ.
Their day is coming! "Vengeance is mine," the Lord has
said, and so it is. Fear the Lord you his saints, for you who fear
the Lord lack no good thing. Although times can look bleak and dismal,
there is always the blessed Book of Revelation to reveal the ending
of all of God's history. However it may look at times for the church
who is persecuted and are humbled in this world, God has overcome
the world. When the church reads these blessed verses and prays
the Lord's prayer, now we know the hope that is to come when we
pray "Thy Kingdom come" because it most assuredly will;
surely as Christ is God, he will keep his promises that he has made
to his people. He will comfort them and make all things new, he
is indeed preparing a place for his people (John 14) and there we
will be with the Lord in his presence forever (Rev. 21). This is the great paradox of history. Although throughout the ages it seemed like the wicked were prospering and God's people were being cast down and forsaken; no matter how long the Lord in his wisdom and good timing allowed to pass for his return, the truth is that he will return victoriously for his saints. God chastises his people, makes them perfect through their sufferings so that they may be perfect and conformed to the True Image of God in Christ. God's purpose in pain and suffering finally rids the world of the so-called theodicy of God allowing evil to exist in the world. For in these verses, the people of God have their great hope revealed in Christ the conqueror coming with his people to take vengeance upon all the wicked and the wrongdoing which they enacted against God and his people. What a vindication! What a judgment! What a Christ that he should love us, not that we loved him first, but that he loved us so much as to make a propitiation of his Son and save some from his wrath. On that day when the heavens open and Christ shall be revealed, then men will see Christ and the saints as they truly are! They will wish that they had listened and obeyed the testimony of their words that confessed and told of the Christ and his great crucifixion and resurrection, but it will be too late. Although God's law revealed all men as fallen, they did not acknowledge God's reign and his sovereignty. Instead, they fought against the Lord and his people by the power of the prince of the power of the air. That power which they could see and feel in this world, will be the power and wrath of God they will feel eternally in the next. No, although they will be shut off from the presence of the Lord's favor, they will not be shut off from the presence of the Lord's wrath eternally. These wicked unbelievers, idolaters, and every other conceivable wickedness will be judged on that Final Day when the Christ appears with his people from heaven. The
Revelation of Jesus Christ: An Application for Trinity Reformed
OPC, Maryland Bavinck, H. The Last Things: Hope for this World and the Next. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1996. Beale, G. K. The Book of Revelation. NIGTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Press, 1999. Kline, Meredith G. Images of the Spirit. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 1998. Ladd, G. E. A Commentary on the Revelation of John. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Press, 1972. Longman, T. and Reid, D. God is a Warrior. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Press, 1995. Martin, R. P. and Davids, P. H., editors. Dictionary of the Later New Testament and Its Developments. Downer's Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1997. Poythress, V. S. The Book of Revelation: A Guide for Understanding (V. 2.0). Unpublished Manuscript, Westminster Theological Bookstore. Russell,
D. S. Divine Disclosure: An Introduction to Jewish Apocalyptic.
Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1992. |
