Revelation 19:11-21 Lesson 495

Revelation 19:11-21
Lesson 495

Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

In this lesson:

This is the crucial passage in Revelation.

The Second Coming (19:11-16).

Armageddon (19:19-21).

The Second Coming!

By an unknown artist.

Study Tip:

Apply important verses to your life by asking yourself;
What lesson does this verse teach?
What difference would it make in my life?

The Revelation of Saint John the Divine

The King James Bible

Revelation 19:11-21
Armageddon

11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;

18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.

20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

Margin notes:

"A white horse." (19:11) - A symbol of purity and victory. The rider is Jesus Christ, come to defeat evil and claim His church as He promised in Matthew 24:29-31.

"In righteousness he doth judge and make war." (19:11) - As promised in Isaiah 11:4 twenty-seven hundred years ago.

"His eyes were as a flame of fire." (19:12) - Symbolic of Jesus' wisdom.

"On his head were many crowns." (19:12) - Symbolic of Jesus' authority.

"He had a name written, that no man knew." (19:12) - Jesus has a heavenly name beyond the grasp of the human mind. Will all believers receive a new name in paradise (Revelation 2:17)?

"He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood." (19:13) - "He was clothed in garments dipped in blood." See the prophecy in Isaiah 63:3.

"The Word of God." (19:13) - Another name/title for Jesus (John 1:1; 1:14).

"Out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword." (19:15) - This figurative sword symbolizes the power of God's truth. It can pierce the "soul and spirit" (Hebrews 4:12) and strike down evil. Will the Antichrist be defeated by the mere power of Jesus' words and "the brightness of his coming" (2 Thessalonians 2:8)?

"Winepress." (19:15) - A winepress crushes grapes. This euphemism for God's wrath is similar to the ones found in Lamentations 1:15 and Revelation 14:19-20.

"KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." (19:16) - Another title for Jesus showing His complete authority over the world and mankind.

"All the fowls." (19:17) - "All the birds."

"I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse." (19:19) - This war would be the battle of Armageddon.

"The beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles." (19:20) - "The beast (the antichrist) was captured along with the false prophet who performed (false) miracles." The beast and the false prophet's end were prophesized over 2500 years ago in Daniel 7:11.

Both the Old (Isaiah 66:15-16; Ezekiel 39:3-5) and the New Testament (Matthew 25:31-34; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10) prophesized Armageddon.

New Living Translation

Revelation 19:11-21
The Rider on the White Horse

11 Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war.

12 His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself.

13 He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God.

14 The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses.

15 From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress.

16 On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.

17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, shouting to the vultures flying high in the sky: "Come! Gather together for the great banquet God has prepared.

18 Come and eat the flesh of kings, generals, and strong warriors; of horses and their riders; and of all humanity, both free and slave, small and great."

19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered together to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army.

20 And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast-miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.

21 Their entire army was killed by the sharp sword that came from the mouth of the one riding the white horse. And the vultures all gorged themselves on the dead bodies.

This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word-for-word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."

Today's question:

1. What does this passage tell us?

Your comments and suggestions are always welcome.

Answer: (Do you agree?)

1. In this passage, "heaven opens and Jesus appears, this time not as a Lamb, but as a warrior on a white horse (symbolizing victory). Jesus came first as a Lamb to be a sacrifice for sin, but he will return as a Conqueror and King to execute judgment (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10). His first coming brought forgiveness; his second will bring judgment. The battle lines have now been drawn between God and evil, and the world is waiting for the King to ride onto the field."

(The "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; page 2577)

Application thought for the day:

Vengeance belongs to God (Deuteronomy 32:35-36; Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30-31).

Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; the "Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies;" "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Everyday Bible" published by World Wide Publications, Minneapolis, Minnesota; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Testament" translated from the Latin Vulgate, published by Guild Press, New York, New York; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course, the "King James Bible." All were critical in putting these lessons together.
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