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1. The Coming of Christ as the Judge of Antichrist (Revelation 19:11-16)
The Army of Heaven is Following Him: In Matthew 16:27 we read that Jesus will return with his angels. Matthew 25:31 reads that all angels will come with him. From Revelation 17:14 we hear that all called, chosen and believers will appear together with him. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 reveals that at first the dead in Christ will rise first and then all saints who are alive will be caught up together with them in the air so as to be always with him. The Lord has gathered an immense huge army behind him. However, the host does not come so as to fight for him under his commandment, but they are to be eye-witnesses of the glorious victory of Jesus Christ who will destroy Antichrist on his own and without arms.
The huge host of angels and the multitude of the saints do not, like Jesus, carry arms and they also do not have any battle dress. The weapons of the saints are rather their holiness, which does not originate from themselves, but was granted to them (Hebrews 10:14; Revelation 7:14). The blood of Jesus Christ cleansed them from all sins. The Evil One has no claim and no power on the justified ones. They are worthy like their Lord to ride on white horses. They became royal priests not because of their godliness but by the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 2:9-10; Revelation 1:5-6; 5:10). After the victory of Christ they are to take over new functions, and for this the Lord vested them with his spiritual authority. This huge host riding on white horses will not ride in front of his Lord and will not pave the way against any resistance. No, the justified ones follow him. They are the witness and proof of his salvation.
This host dressed in white clothes wear the robe of the bride of the Lamb (Isaiah 61:10; Revelation 19:7-8) but this does not mean that in the meantime the wedding of the Lamb had already taken place quietly and in seclusion. This robe rather means that the believers, the chosen and appointed (Revelation 17:14) belong to the bride church, as they have part in the righteousness of the saints (Revelation 19:8).
The Sharp Sword Coming out of his Mouth: In the last third of the vision of the coming judge-king his spiritual arming is described. The judge has no sharp sword and no armor-piercing weapons in his fist, and nothing is said about electronic devices or machine guns, but it does mention a long pointed two-edged sword that comes out of his mouth. Such a long pointed sword characterizes the headsman. The sword in the mouth of the Lord means the definite sentence of the judge. His word and his judgment will be carried out without any delay.
We have already read in the beginning of the Revelation, when Christ reveals himself, about the long pointed judging sword coming out of his mouth (Revelation 1:16). And in his epistle to the church leader in Pergamum the risen Christ threatened that he would fight with the sword, if the church leader tolerates further multicultural tendencies in his church (Revelation 2:12-16). The Lord wants the church to be devoted solely to him. Only where his spirit can act without syncretism and other outward influences will his church grow. If antichristian spirits can enter the church, then only the judging sword of God's Son will help.
Paul explained in his second epistle to the Thessalonians that the crucified and risen Christ will kill Antichrist with the breath of his mouth (2 Thessalonians 2:8). This breath is the word coming from the mouth of Christ, his judging sword.
The glorious Coming of the Lord and the overwhelming sight of the immense countless number of his living followers will reveal to the son of the Evil One his crimes and failures promptly and this will bring him in such a state of shock that a single word, one breath out of the mouth of Jesus will be sufficient so that he and his false prophet will become paralyzed.
The Iron Rod of the Sovereign: The Revelation of John does not report on an immediate killing of Antichrist, but on the judgment of Christ on the nations which had devoted themselves to him. In Matthew 25:32 it is pointed out that not only single persons but complete nations will be gathered and judged. Many individualists in Europe and America hate this concept as they think of themselves being the centre of the universe. In the Middle East, however, up to now the kinship or clan has been ruling. In this region the disintegration of the society has not yet proceeded from the “we” of the family and ethnic community to the lonely “Ego” of the enlightened human being. The clan is responsible for the individual who in turn has to submit himself to the spirit of the clan. In ancient Israel everybody who rebelled against the principles of its law was outcast or even killed. Also in Islam a right to freedom of speech of the individual only gradually is developing. The spirit of the clan, the tribe or the Ummah is still ruling (an Ummah is a community or a people. It is used, for example, in reference to the community of Muslims.) Among the fundamentalists Shari’a, the Law of Allah, is in force, so that missionary work often will be stopped by the spirit and law of the clan or Ummah. Whoever converts from Islam to another religion will be banished from community. Therefore, Christ will hold responsible complete nations for their hardening and stubbornness.
So not only individuals but also such clans will be punished which open themselves willfully to a demon and particularly to the cunning and lies of Antichrist. (Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 5:9). During the rule of Hitler we had to realize how a “right-oriented” nation became collectively obsessed and screamed, “Hail Hitler", “Hail Victory” and “Leader command, we will follow!” With other dictators the case is similar. In the case of Antichrist this hysteric obsession will be oriented against God. Whole nations will become guilty. As an individual is responsible to his nation and had to obey the clan, there is also a collective guilt of a nation and of a clan which will be judged by the sword of Christ.
Yet the purpose of Jesus Christ is not the destruction of individual nations, but as it is written in Psalm 2, he will rule the nations with an iron rod (Psalm 2:8-12). Obstinate fellows from the Middle East and ever-critical people, who always think they are right, can only be compelled to their happiness by means of force, gently but firmly. This is loathsome for advocates of democracy and republican types of state, but other countries have other customs, whether we like it of not.
Worldly customs and practice, prerogatives and predominance must be broken in pieces in the kingdom of Christ as in the Middle East old vessels will be dashed in pieces. Christ's culture cannot be cast into old forms. People dreaming of conserving old cultures did not understand how uniquely superior the culture is which Jesus has brought to mankind. This does not mean that the culture of Europe, or USA, or Korea should become the standard of the world but only the way of life of Jesus and his apostles.
He Treads the Winepress of the Wrath of God: The Lord will come, according to the Book of Revelation, in holy anger. For centuries he has been patient, but men loved arrogance more than lowliness, they practiced egoism instead of serving love, they wanted to take revenge themselves but not forgive, and resisted the spirit of the Lamb of God in every sphere of life. They wanted to be free, free from God's law, free from every duty to obey and independent of the Almighty. In the end this rebellious anti-spirit will force his way in an open rebellion against the Creator, His Lamb and His Spirit. Antichrist will urge on men to persecute and blot out the church of Christ. However, each torture, anguish and death for the sake of Christ will affect Christ at first as he is the head of his spiritual body. Jesus is suffering with everyone who will be persecuted and despised for his name's sake.
Jesus is coming as avenger and judge (Revelation 14:10-11). For he will not take revenge himself because he craves revenge or to satisfy his hatred, rather God is revenging all guilt because of his righteousness. The wrath of God is holy. His fierceness is his wrath bottled up in himself which he had held back patiently for centuries. As a culmination of his love the Father had sacrificed his only son in place of the rebels so as to reconcile them to himself. Yet they had mocked him, crucified his son and blasphemed the Holy Spirit. They had fought deliberately against the Holy Trinity.
That is why the Father commanded his meek Son to judge, to punish and to annihilate the demonically possessed delinquents. The Son appears in fiery anger (Revelation 6:16-17), his eyes burning as flames of fire. He stomps the winepress of God's fury (Revelation 14:19-20). As great and all-embracing his love and mercy is, so great is also his fury against all that have refused his salvation.
The unbelief against Jesus is the summing of all sins. God is not a humanist. He is righteous! Whoever rejects the present of his grace or blasphemes against God, digs his own grave. As they refused to accept his atoning death, the anti Christians judged themselves (John 3:18-19; 15:22.24; 16:8-9). The Lord gives them up so that they trample, fight and drain dry each other. Each and everyone is his enemy (Revelation 6:4).
Strictly speaking, it is sheer madness, if a mortal man, an angel or a created spirit thinks of a revolution against the Almighty. The Lord shall laugh at this naivety and blinded wickedness (Psalm 2:4). This is besides Psalm 59:9 the only verse of the Bible where it is reported that God laughs. The wicked absurdity of the rebels will be broken by the meek Lamb of God, Jesus, who in his holy wrath will tread the winepress of the judgment.
The King of Kings: Jesus is due to his atoning death not only the sacrifice lamb, but he is also the God-King in person. The root of the title “King” in Semitic languages (“Malik") means that a king is the owner of the country and can do with it as he wills. While Jesus designates himself as “King of kings", he testifies that his Father in heaven has given to him all authority, all countries and the whole earth as a heritance to possess it eternally (Psalm 2:8; Daniel 7:13-14; Hebrews 1:2 and other verses). All worldly kings, lords and landowners are in reality not “owners” but received their riches, factories and empires only as a feudal tenure from God and His Lamb and will be accountable. The fact that Jesus designates himself as “King of kings” shows that nobody can live autonomously and independently but everybody is the property of Jesus, owes him obedience and is accountable to give him.
The heavenly Father not only gave to His Son the title of ownership of all countries and men but also the authority and glory. In the worship services of the Book of Revelation the omnipotence and strength of the Lamb of God is praised and it is acknowledged that He is worthy to receive all glory (Revelation 1:6; 5:12; and other verses). His face is shining brighter than the sun and his appearance is so dignified and majestic that a mortal man will break down when faced with his penetrating bright glory (Isaiah 6:5; Daniel 8:18; Revelation 1:17). Jesus plainly described to his listeners that he is coming as the deputized representative of the owner of a vineyard, and their judgment on the unrighteous vinedressers, who killed the son of the owner of the vineyard, was their judgment against themselves (Matthew 21:33-41).
In the homage of Christ as “King of all kings and Lord of all lords” the subject of the new period of history of the world is revealed: here, the reign of Christ over all kingdoms of the world becomes apparent (Revelation 11:15; 12:10). Satan will not be the prince of this world any longer. His casting out already began at the time of the first coming of Jesus (John 16:11). Now, the victory of Christ over the Evil One, his son and his false prophet and his armies will be completed. At the same time already before the battle not only the negative aspect of this judgment of God is emphasized but also the encouraging positive subject of the new period of time is pointed out, “The Lord shall be King over all the earth” (Zechariah 14:9). He will reign in his own way as he has said, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5).
John, the seer, concludes the report on his vision of the coming Judge-King with this majestic fourth naming. Comparing the names and features of the coming Christ listed here with former visions in the Book of Revelation one can see that the most statements about the coming Lord and judge had already been revealed earlier. To the problems which Jesus addressed in his epistles to the church leaders in Minor Asia he himself is the answer! This again points out that the revelation of Jesus to John is in the last analysis a self-revelation of the Lord in his speeches, his deeds and in each expression of his being.
The following table elucidates this inner connection and emphasizes the greatness and aspects of the glory at the appearance of the King of all kings.
| Subject | Book of Revelation | Other biblical Books | ||||
| 1 | 2-3 | 4-18 | 19-22 | |||
| 1 | The seven spirits of God | 1:4 | 3:1 | - | - | - |
| 2 | Faithful and true | 1:5 | 3:7.14 | - | 19:11 | - |
| 3 | King of kings | 1:5 | - | 17:14 | 19:16 | 1 Timothy 6:15 |
| 4 | His blood | 1:5 | - | 5:9 7:14 12:11 | 19:13 | 1 John 1:7 |
| 5 | Between golden lampstands | 1:13 | 2:1 | - | - | - |
| 6 | A son of man | 1:13 | - | 14:14 | - | Daniel 7:13 |
| 7 | His eyes are like blazing fire | 1:14 | 2:18 | - | 19:12 | - |
| 8 | His feet are like bronze metal glowing in a furnace | 1:15 | 2:18 | - | - | - |
| 9 | Seven stars in his right hand | 1:16.20 | 2:1 3:1 | - | - | - |
| 10 | A sharp sword coming out of his mouth | 1:16 | 2:12 2:16 | - | 19:15 9:21 | 2 Thessalonians 2:8; Hebrews 4:12 |
| 11 | The First and the Last | 1:17 | 2:8 | - | 22:13 | - |
| 12 | He judges with righteousness | - | - | 14:7 16:7 | 19:11.15 | Isaiah 66:15-16; Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Corinthians 5:10 |
| 13 | He is fighting with righteousness | - | - | - | 19:11 | Isaiah 31:4; Zechariah 14:3; Luke 11:22; John 10:11-15; John 16:33; Colossians 2:15 |
| 14 | His new unknown name | - | 3:12 | - | 19:12 | - |
| 15 | He is crowned | - | - | 14:14 | 19:12 | - |
| 16 | He is God's Word in person | - | - | - | 19:13 | John 1:1-14; 1 John 1:1-4 |
| 17 | The armies of heaven follow him | - | - | 7:9-10 17:14 | 19:14 | Daniel 7:14 |
| 18 | He rules the nations with an iron rod | - | 2:27 | 11:15 12:5 | 19:15 | Psalm 2:8-9; Daniel 7:14 |
| 19 | He treads the winepress of the God's wrath | - | - | 6:16-17 11:18 14:19-20 | 19:15 | Psalm 2:11-12; Isaiah 63:2-6; Romans 2:5 |
In comparing these verses of the Bible one can see that the first introduction of Jesus by himself as majestic Judge-King agrees in the decisive items with his last appearance in the Book of Revelation as judge in charge.
In this connection in chapter 19 of the Book of Revelation the wrath of God's Lamb is plainly expressed, as the judgment has already begun. In this vision Christ is not coming alone, but the armies of heaven are following him as witnesses of his victory. Jesus is putting his right as King of all kings upon all nations and is fighting for the implementation of the kingdom of God on the earth. He will be certainly victorious.
PRAYER: Holy Lord God, You created us and we are Your own. You are our Owner and our Redeemer. Forgive us if we did not live relying on Your will. Guide us to faithfully surrender to You so that Your straightforward wrath may not destroy us, but Your patience and carefulness may bring us up to become sanctified in Your grace and walk according to Your law of love in a white garment with our clan and friends. Amen
QUESTION:
- What is the meaning of Christ's title “King of Kings and Lord of Lords"?