Open up your Bibles this morning to Revelation chapter one. Go back to the beginning of our study of Revelation. We've been here for quite some time, over 50 weeks. We've been studying verse by verse, chapter by chapter through the book of Revelation. And I have here a chart for us to consider this morning concerning what most Americans believe about the second coming of Jesus Christ. The question was asked, do you believe Jesus will return to earth someday? Thankfully, 55% of U.S. adults did answer yes to that question. That is an amazing statistic to recognize that the majority of the people that are walking around in the United States do actually believe that Jesus Christ is going to come back. Now whether they believe it like they should, whether it's changing them like it should, that's another question. But when asked, 55% did say yes. Now when it comes to people who are Christians, you would expect that number to be higher. 75% of Christians said that yes, Jesus Christ is coming back. Disappointing now that 20% of Christians did not think that Jesus was going to bodily return to the earth someday. But when you get into the Protestant Church, the Evangelical Church, that's where the numbers are higher. If you look at the Catholic Church or the mainline Protestant Church, those are not healthy churches where you have only 64 and 63% believing that Jesus Christ is going to return bodily. That is a disturbing number. But even when you get to the atheists, you had the 1% who were trolling on the survey and saying they believed that Jesus Christ was going to come back even though they don't believe in God and they don't believe in Christ. Now, interesting survey, the way that people respond. To think about the most important event that is going to take place in human history, the most dramatic event, the most life-changing, the most world-changing event that is ever going to happen is the second coming of Jesus Christ. And that's what the book of Revelation is all about. All that we've been studying about the beast, all about the false prophet, everything that we've been learning about Israel and the 144,000, the judgments of God unsealed and the seven sealed scroll and all that flows out of that. It's all for a purpose. It's all leading up to one dramatic, climactic event that God has been preparing for his Son before the foundation of the world. And that is what is talked about in Revelation chapter 1 verse 7. Look once again at Revelation chapter 1 verse 7. This is identified as the theme verse, the key verse for the entire book laid out here very early to set the stage to give us our focus. Revelation 1-7 says, The coming of the Lord Jesus Christ on the clouds with great glory. This was predicted by the Lord Jesus Christ before he was crucified. It's written about in the Gospel of Matthew, the Gospel of Mark, the Gospel of Luke. It's recorded throughout the New Testament as the blessed hope that we Christians have our whole heart and soul fixed upon is the return of Jesus Christ. History has been leading up to this moment and God has fixed a day when all of the promises, all of the prophecies about God's righteousness and his justice and his judgment and the establishment of the kingdom with God's Christ. That is going to happen. And that's what we've been learning about as we've been studying the book of Revelation. But this Sunday, we come to the passage. This Sunday, we come to the text where everything in Revelation has been headed. And these last few weeks, you've known, as I've stated from the pulpit, that I feel very inadequate, very insufficient to be talking about and unfolding these parts of God's word that are so profound and so meaningful and so significant. And I'm not alone in that. There's never been a preacher, there's never been a teacher who is worthy of this subject, who is worthy of these things. It's just such a holy moment, such a solemn moment for us to be reading the promises, the prophecies about the second coming of Christ. And I pray that God will make us more worthy of this thought, of this meditation, of this truth that God has entrusted to us as a congregation this morning. So let's bow our heads together and pray to that end. Father, who are we that we should be called sons and daughters of God? Who are we that we should be given the grace and the privilege of even knowing you? We are sinners. We are those who had broken your laws, who were born in rebellion, of a rebellious seed, of a rebellious line. And yet, Lord God, because of your love, because of your grace, you have reached out to us, your arm of salvation, and you have drawn us back to yourself. You've revealed yourself to us, made us a part of your family, and you've given us an inheritance in the kingdom of our God and of your Christ, Jesus our Lord. Lord, what can we say to such amazing grace? We're overwhelmed. And Lord, as we come now to your word this morning, we know that we are not alone, but that you are with us. And though we are not worthy in ourselves to count anything as coming from ourselves, but that from you is our wisdom, from you is our knowledge, from you is our understanding, from you is our strength and our power. And so, Lord God, we look to you and we ask your blessing that you are so eager and joyful to give to us. Pour out upon us your spirit of wisdom and understanding as we consider the coming of your son, Jesus Christ, and what your word says about his glorious appearing. Let this truth impact our souls, let it enlighten our minds, let it change our lives so that we're not just putting on a survey that we believe that Christ is coming back, but that our lives reflect that truth in every way and that we're laying up our treasure and we're living for that day and for that moment right now. Lord, do this for our good and for your glory in Jesus Christ, for you are worthy of the glory as is your son, amen. All right, so from Revelation 1, turn over to Revelation chapter 19. That's where we are, Revelation chapter 19. Looking at verses 11 through 16, and the subject, the title for our sermon today is The Divine Warrior. We're gonna be dividing the great passage on the second coming of Jesus Christ, which is starting in chapter 19, verse 11, and then goes down to the end of the chapter in verse 21. We're gonna take it in two sections. I thought about doing it all in one, This subject's too important. There's too much here to do it in one week. So we're going to look at just the first half this week, the divine warrior, in verses 11 through 16. And then next week we'll take a look at verses 17 through 21, the divine war, and see how all of this story of the beast and the false prophet and all the nations that are gathered together against Jerusalem and against God and against Christ, how all that comes to a head and Christ receives the victory in verses 17 through 21. But today, we're just gonna start there with verses 11 through 16. So follow along in your Bible as I read it out loud. Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True. And in righteousness, he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems. And he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is the Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh, he has a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We'll stop there for this morning. Heaven opened. John says, I saw heaven opened. We have that phrase, heaven being opened, in a number of places in scripture, one of which is in Ezekiel chapter one, verse one. Ezekiel 1.1 says, in the 30th year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the Kibar Canal, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. The visions of God then are recorded by Ezekiel in the rest of the chapter in one of the most amazing theophanies in all of scripture. And so this phrase, heaven being opened, it is used in scripture signaling a divine revelation. And how fitting that is for Revelation chapter 19. The book of Revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ. He's going to be revealed from heaven in glory. And that revelation of Jesus Christ is the heavens being opened up. Now, the heavens being opened is also referenced in the baptism of Jesus. Back in the early parts of the Gospels, like Matthew chapter three, verse 16, when Jesus goes into the water, John the Baptist baptizes him and he comes up, and the heavens are opened and the Holy Spirit comes down upon Jesus Christ. And so this idea of heaven being opened, it's not just about a vision of God, which is certainly fitting for Revelation 19, but it's also about heaven coming down to earth. the Holy Spirit coming down to Christ at his baptism to empower him with the miracles and the ministry that God had entrusted to him for the next three years of his earthly ministry. So heaven being opened, it's a revelation of God and it's an invasion of heaven, a descent of heaven from the throne of God down to where we live. That's what's contained in this idea. There are other places in the Bible that talk about heaven being open, but I want you to picture it here in Revelation 19 as the barrier between our world and God's throne, his heavenly dwelling, as being opened up. It's as if the portal from God's throne room to earth is open and John is seeing it in the sky. The very fabric of the cosmos, so to speak, being rent asunder as God appears on the scene. As he makes his grand entrance into the world and its battlefield. That is an awesome sight. Now for John, it's a vision. But for those who are living during this moment at the end of the seven year tribulation that is to come, it's not gonna be a vision. It's not gonna be some spiritual sight, a dream-like thing, but it's reality. Heaven, I think, is going to actually be opened and there will be this visible portal from the earth into the throne room of God. And every eye, as we read in Revelation 1-7, is going to see the coming of Jesus Christ. That's pretty awesome to think about. Then I saw heaven opened, and behold. I love how John does this. He did it in Revelation 1-7. Behold, he is coming on the clouds, every eye will see him. Now, once again, he introduces the rider on the white horse with that phrase, behold. another attention getter in a very dramatic book. But as we've had this increasing drama throughout the book, starting with judgments unlike anything the world has ever experienced before, and then going to the bold judgments that are almost unimaginable in their severity and the consequence of them, that we've had this dramatic unfolding throughout this book of events never happening in history, and yet this event blows them all away. This is the highest drama that is humanly possible. It's like God has been building the story from Genesis 1 all throughout all of history, thousands of years of kingdoms and crowns and rulers and peoples and the gospel and the church, and it's all been leading up to this final confrontation between Satan and his antichrist and God and his Christ. What is that gonna be like? the most significant event in human history, the most awe-inspiring, God invites us to behold it, to imagine it, to think of it. Can you see the one sitting on the white horse called faithful and true in righteousness judging and making war? Well, with that introduction, we're ready to take a look at our outline this morning. As we think of the divine warrior here in Revelation 19, 11 through 16, we're going to look at the divine visitation first, and then the divine violence. The visit of Jesus Christ is the visit of the divine, God breaking in, God taking the field. For millennia, for thousands of years, mankind has fought for the kingdom and the power and the glory, kingdom against kingdom, nation against nation. Right now, China and the United States are locked in deadly conflict to see who's going to be the premier power in the world. And this has been going on. One nation rises, another one falls. But it's leading up to God taking the field. And God's saying, this world is my world. This world is not your world. I created it. I'm redeeming it. I'm the savior of it. I'm the owner of it. The divine visitation is coming. He's coming. And when he comes, he's coming with violence. He's coming with violence. A completely justified violence. A completely righteous violence. We'll take a look first at the divine visitation. In looking at the visit of Jesus Christ, the word of God, to the earth, we're gonna take first a look at his trappings. That is, his mount, his clothing, and his followers. And then we'll take a look at his titles. So let's take a look first at his trappings. Look at it again there in the text. First, his white horse. I saw heaven opened, and before we talk about the one sitting on it, we see his mount. That's very often the way it is in war. Before you take note of the warrior who's on the horse, you see the horse coming first. Now this could be merely symbolic. Perhaps when Christ actually comes back, he won't be riding on a supernatural spirit horse that will be visible, but I think he will. Why not? Why not have this supernatural horse that he comes back riding on? That would present a powerful message to all people on the earth when they see this portal to heaven opened up and then this rider coming through that portal from the skies on a war stallion. I think they would get the point. I think they'd get the picture of what's happening. Now, when we think of Christ coming back on his war stallion, I like to contrast this with his first coming. Next week is Palm Sunday, and when Christ came the first time, he didn't come from the sky. He didn't come riding on a white horse. He was born in a stable, and when he presented himself to his people, he came riding on a donkey. Remember what is written in Matthew chapter 21 verse five. Say to the daughter of Zion, behold, your king is coming to you humble and mounted on a donkey on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden. And so the mount that Christ rides at his first coming communicates the purpose of his first coming. The mount that Christ rides at his second coming communicates the purpose of his second coming. What awesome symbolism and imagery God gives to us in the mount upon which Christ rides. And then notice secondly, when it comes to the appearance of Christ, his clothing, his accoutrements, the next visible thing that he focuses on is at the beginning of verse 12, his eyes are like a flame of fire. Picture the portal, picture the white horse, and picture the first thing you notice about the rider on that white horse is he has flaming eyes. What does that communicate? What will the people on earth, who are arrayed against God and against his Christ, who have come to destroy God's people in Jerusalem, what will that communicate to them? Eyes like a flame of fire will evoke dread in God's enemies. They will evoke reverence in his followers, in his believers. There's no one like this. You've never seen anyone like this before. His eyes like a flame of fire is something that has already been mentioned in the book of Revelation. Revelation chapter 1 verse 14 gives us a vision of the glorified Christ. That he is currently at the right hand of God. He has been restored to the glory that he had with the Father before the world was. And when John saw him at the beginning of this book, he noticed his eyes that were flaming fire. Flaming fire eyes, it shows that he sees all, that he knows all, that he has a supernatural vision. His eyes are different than ours. Our eyes receive light, his eyes send forth light. His supernatural vision sees all, he knows all, and therefore he judges with a supernatural knowledge. He knows those that he has come to judge. He sees their every action. He sees their every strategy. He sees their every sin. No one can overcome him because he is all wise. The supernatural intelligence and vision of our Christ. That is an awesome picture. But that's not the end of the description of the writer. The next thing we notice about him are his crowns. It says, on his head, in verse 12, are many diadems. A diadem is a crown, a victor's crown, excuse me, not so much the victor's crown. The victor's crown was referenced as the Stephanos in scripture, but the conqueror's crown, the king's crown, was the diadem. And so here, Christ has the crown of authority, the crown of ruling power. He doesn't have one, he has many. This goes along with his title as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Now the beast and the dragon were also pictured as having crowns. The many diadems of Christ are to be contrasted with the seven diadems that the dragon was found wearing in Revelation chapter 12 verse three. Satan being pictured as a great red dragon with seven diadems. But now the word of God has come to eclipse the ruling power of the dragon and his beast And we see where true authority, where true power lies. It's not in Satan or in the kingdoms of this world. It is in God's Christ that he is chosen to be king. Finally, when we look at Jesus Christ, we notice his robe in verse 13. What does it mean? Why is his robe dipped in blood? Well, it could be the blood that is splattering on his robe from his enemies, but it doesn't say it's a robe that is splattered with blood. It says it is a robe dipped in blood or baptized in blood. What does that mean? Why? This is before the battle. He hasn't splattered his enemies yet, but he's coming from heaven and his robe is already drenched, dipped in blood. Well, I think that this is a reference to his own blood at his crucifixion. The blood of Jesus Christ has been referenced time and time again throughout the book of Revelation, starting in chapter one, going through the whole book, you can look it up. But there's one passage in the Bible that does refer to a robe dipped in blood. One that I could find, maybe there's more. The only one I could find was Genesis 37, 31. Then they took Joseph's robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. Now, Joseph, as our Iwana kids know, we recently had a movie night where we showed the life of Joseph. God allowed Joseph to be rejected by his brothers, to go through a lot of suffering because of his family's jealousy, in order that Joseph might be God's instrument in saving them from the famine. Not only saving Israel, but saving the Egyptians and many people all over the world as a result of Joseph going low in order to be exalted high. Well, that story sounds familiar. The Lord Jesus Christ came, he was rejected by his brothers, he went to the lowest place, and now God has exalted him to the highest place in order that many people might be saved. And Christ coming back, he's coming back as the one who is the Lamb, the one who before he comes to judge the world in righteousness gave himself in order to save the world. And I think that's the significance of the robe dipped in blood here. Finally, moving from Christ himself to the armies of heaven that come with him, that's described in verse 14. Who are these armies of heaven? The text is not real specific. So let's consider it. In the context, in the book, who would be these armies of heaven? Who are those arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, who would follow Jesus Christ in his second coming on white horses? His train, his army. Even though they don't need to do any fighting as we will see next week. Well, many people identify these armies of heaven with us, that this is going to be us coming back with Jesus Christ after the rapture, when we're all changed in a moment, we go to be with Christ during the great tribulation, and then Christ comes back to destroy his enemies and he brings us with him. Well, that could very well be because the clothing that is described here is very reminiscent of the clothing that we looked at last week. Just look previously to chapter 19, verse eight, In describing the bride, the wife of the Lamb, it was granted to her, in Revelation 19, eight, to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. So we've just had a description of the marriage supper of the Lamb. We've seen how the bride, God's people, have been clothed with this fine linen, and that could be what is being picked up on here. In fact, two of the three words are exactly the same. Bright is replaced with white, but otherwise this fits very well. And there's other places in the book of Revelation where the saints are described as being clothed in linen in similar manner. Chapter 3, verse 4, chapter 6, 11, chapter 7, 9, and so on. Also, turn back to chapter 17, verse 14. Back in Revelation 17, 14, we see this description of how the beast and his armies are going to be gathered together for the battle and that they are going to make war on the Lamb in 1714. Well, that's us. We're the called, we're the chosen, we're the faithful because of God's grace, because of God's power working in us. So we are those who are with him when he comes back to conquer the beast and those who are arrayed against God. So it makes great sense that the armies of heaven that come with Christ It's us, that we get to ride on the white horses into battle with him, and I don't see any reason why we shouldn't think so. However, there's another possibility here that needs to be considered, and that is that the armies of heaven are the holy angels. When I just read in the text the armies of heaven, well, my mind, first of all, goes to the angels, because that angelic army is an important idea, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. For example, look at Revelation 15, verse 6. Turn back to chapter 15 of Revelation, and you'll notice that here also the angels are described as being clothed in similar fashion. Revelation 15.6 says, So angels also are described as wearing this type of clothing. So the clothing by itself is not going to definitively define who the armies of heaven are. It could be the saints. It could also be the angels. It could be both. Now when we look at other passages that describe the coming of Jesus Christ in this moment, and there are many, some of those mention that Christ is coming back with his angels. For example, Matthew 25 31. Then he will sit on his glorious throne. So when Christ is describing the second coming, the Son of Man, coming in his glory, he mentions all the angels coming with him. Those armies of heaven riding into the battle behind him. Another passage, 2 Thessalonians 1-7, which we've been studying in our Adult Sunday School, God is going to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us. The armies of heaven following along behind Jesus Christ described in the words of Jesus, in the words of Paul. And then also, the armies of heaven being important throughout the scriptures, like in 2 Kings 6-17, when Elisha prayed and said, So God has an angel army that is described as riding on horses and chariots of fire, and that could very well also be the armies of heaven described in Revelation 19. So if you ask me who the armies of heaven are, I'd say, well, it's probably us. It's probably the angels. Why not have all of us coming with Christ? What an overwhelming display of power that is completely superfluous because Christ doesn't need any other warrior beside him. He is the divine warrior who is able to destroy his enemies with the breath of his mouth. And yet we are there to show that he is not alone. but that he has heaven and all the redeemed of earth on his side because he is the Savior. Well that is a great look there at the person of Jesus Christ as he comes. And we've looked at the divine visitation, noticing the trappings, that is the clothing, the crown, the armies, and the horse that Christ is on. So now we're gonna talk about his titles. And I use the word trappings just so I can get the two T's in there, make it more memorable for you. His trappings and his title. So let's then take a look at the titles of Christ that are revealed to us in this passage. So the first one is in verse 11. Verse 11 says, And here's one title, faithful and true goes together. Now when you go through all of scripture, you'll find that Jesus Christ is the most titled person in all of history. That God has given more honorary titles to Jesus Christ because he is the one who is worthy of all glory and honor. Theologians have counted up, depending upon how you count them, 200 to 300 titles for Christ in the Bible. Here we get four of them in our passage. The four titles of Jesus Christ that God wants us to focus on in relationship to his second coming. The first is that he is faithful and true. Now, if you want to understand why he is described as faithful and true in this passage, I think the best way to think about it is to think of the opposite. Unfaithful and false. Well, that's the beast. That's the false prophet. That's the senators and the congressmen and the presidents and the premiers and the kings and all the people, all the rulers of the world. And in fact, it's not just limited to the rich and the powerful. All of mankind, unfaithful and false. But Christ, the one that God has chosen to be King of kings and Lord of lords, the coming conqueror, He is who He is because He is faithful and true. That is an awesome title for our Lord. The second title that we have here in the passage is in verse 13. After the robe dipped in blood is described, then we have the name by which he is called is the word of God. The many titled Lord of heaven is not just the one who is faithful and true, but he's also the one who is called the word of God. What a awesome title for Jesus Christ. And did you know, this is the only place in the Bible where we have this specific title. Now, there's other places, of course, where he's called the Word, but this full title, the Word of God, is only found here in Revelation 19, verse 13. Now, you might be thinking of John 1, 1. As we said, he's called the Word. In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And then you can go through and read that in its context in John 1 and learn about how Jesus Christ is the revelation of God. He's the communication of God, which is the very idea that is found in this title, the Word of God. If you want to know the mind of God, if you want to know the heart of God, well don't search yourself. Don't search your feelings. Don't try to get in touch with the universe. No. Look at Jesus Christ. He is the Word of God. He's the one who reveals the heart and the mind of God to us. And not only is he the one who reveals the heart and the mind of God to us, but he is the one who enacts the will of God. And that's really the key concept here in calling him the Word of God. He's also called the word of life in 1 John 1.1, that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands concerning the word of life. Notice John wrote 1 John, John wrote the gospel of John. Well, who do you think wrote the book of Revelation? The three places in the Bible where we have this kind of title for the Lord Jesus Christ, all by the same author, the apostle John. The apostle John wrote the book of Revelation, the same John who wrote the gospel and the letters. And he writes concerning the word of life. Now, when we talk about the agency of God, God in action, that's who Jesus Christ is. When you're trying to understand the Trinity, understand that God the Father is the mind, the heart, the plan. And God the Son, he is the one who enacts it, who brings it about. And Psalm 33, six is so great in this context. It tells us, by the word of the Lord, the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth, all their host. And you can go back and read about it in Genesis chapter one, when God said, let there be light. And boom, there was light. And God said, let there be an expanse in the heavens. And then the sky was made. And he said, let there be life. Let there be waters teeming with all the creatures of the sea and let land creatures appear and multiply and fill the earth. And just as God said it, it happened. The Word of God is powerful. And what God speaks comes to pass. And that's who Jesus Christ is. He is the power of God. He is the one who makes known God. And he is the one who enacts the decrees of God. And so it's by Jesus Christ that the heavens were made. Jesus is the breath of the Father's mouth that creates all of their host. Think about it like the light of the sun. You don't see the sun, what you see is the light that is coming from the sun. And so Jesus is not only the word of God, but he is the light that is coming to the world. You don't see God, the Bible says in John 1, no one has ever seen God. The only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, he is the one who has revealed him. Jesus has come as light into the world, just as the sun brings light into the world, so the Father has sent the light of Jesus Christ into the world. And God has created that so that we might understand. So we're gonna be able to get some more insight into God's own character and nature as three in one. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. His title is The Word of God. The revealer and the enactor of God's will, his heart, his mind. Awesome, awesome title. But that's not it. The third title that is given to us is at the very end, On his robe and on his thigh, he has a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This title has appeared previously in the book in reverse order in chapter 17, verse 14, which is an important passage to understand this one. But this title, it is an awesome one. It comes last for emphasis. Notice right there at the end of the paragraph. It's last for emphasis here because this is what's most important in the context. He's riding out against Satan's king, Satan's ruler, the false Christ, who has come and declared himself to be God, taken his seat in the temple in Jerusalem, and had all the world worship him because of the deception of the false prophet. And this one has risen up and said, I am the one who is king of all the other kings. I am the one who is lord of all the other lords, and you have to worship me. And then Christ comes. This title first began to be used, as far as we know, in human history back in the days of the Babylonians and the Persians. It was in those days that certain kings, God gave tremendous power and authority, where they were able to send out armies and conquer other kingdoms, conquer other peoples, and to set up a world empire. Nebuchadnezzar being one of the pioneers of this kind of empire that would later be manifested in Alexander the Great and in Julius Caesar and the Roman Empire, where you had many nations with their own kings, like King Herod in Israel. But King Herod was just a minor king compared to Caesar, who was lord in Rome. And the Caesar in Rome declared, I am the Lord of all those other lords. I am the king of all those other kings. In fact, we have on record that historians wrote that Emperor Domitian, who was the ruling emperor when the book of Revelation was written, actually used this title for himself. I am the king of kings, and I am the lord of lords. What would Emperor Domitian think of John the Apostle in exile on Patmos, writing about this other king of kings, this other lord of lords? Who does this peasant think he is? What kind of propaganda does he think he's writing against our glorious kingdom, our glorious empire? Well, we know what John saw, and we know that demission is eaten by worms, and we know that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. We know who is king of kings. That's not the end of his titles here. I saved this other one, even though it doesn't come last in the list, because of its significance in verse 12, the unknown title. His eyes are like a flame of fire, on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. There's a title that the Lord Jesus Christ has written down, given to him by God, that John didn't know, Paul didn't know, you and I don't know, and there's no use trying to guess at it. What a foolish endeavor that would be. And why? Why record an unknown title? to remind us that as much as we know of Jesus Christ, as much as we have been blessed to see and to behold and to understand about this glorious Son of God, He goes beyond what has been revealed. There is more to Him that you don't yet know. His character, His worthiness, His attributes are infinite. And we've heard only just a little taste, a little rumor of His greatness. And we are tantalized and anticipate getting to know Him better and getting to know Him more. And I think God will reveal more of Himself in the ages to come after Christ's return. I get this idea from Scripture because there's a number of places in Scripture that talk about similar things for us. In Isaiah 62 verse two, God promised the people of Israel that they would get a new name. This new name that God was going to give to his people, the nation of Israel, the city of Jerusalem, was to indicate that they were going to have a new role, a new identity, that they were going to be something new about them in a time that is yet unknown. What that name is has not been revealed, but it will be revealed in time. This is similar to the new name that Christ promised to Christians. We won't go back and look at it for time's sake, but earlier when he was making his promises to the overcomer, he told the church that he would give those who overcome a stone, a white stone with a name that is written on it that nobody knows except him and I. You and your Lord will have this name that he reveals to you. A new name for a new time and a new place. Just like Peter got a new name, just like Jacob got a new name. For a new role, for a new time, God would often give a new name. And here's this name that is hidden about the Lord Jesus Christ that I think will be revealed in the ages to come. But even then, Even as God continues to reveal more of his nature, more of his glory, in different ways, in different times, there'll still always be more to learn and know about our great God. Judges 13, 18, I mean, just write that down. The angel of the Lord said to him, why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful? God's name goes beyond what any of us can know or describe or even understand. So we've looked at the divine visitation, now let's take a look at the divine violence that is described in these verses. By looking at his weapons and by looking at his warfare, we'll start with his weapons. Come back to the text. His violent actions are done through his weapons, and the first one is mentioned there in verse 15. The sharp sword comes from his mouth. Now, this is a vision. Once again, remember, there's not necessarily gonna be a visible sword coming out of the mouth of Jesus Christ when he comes back, but this is a symbol, a picture of the power of his spoken word. The way that Paul describes the second coming of Christ in 2 Thessalonians chapter two is that he will slay the wicked one with the breath of his mouth. He doesn't need a sword, he doesn't need a missile, he doesn't need an aircraft carrier. He just says what he wants to happen to his enemies and it happens by the instantaneous power of God who is almighty. That's the sword that comes from his mouth. He is the Word of God, and he wields that sword in order to destroy God's enemies. And then you have his second weapon described there as a rod of iron. He will rule them in verse 15 with a rod of iron. Well, more on that as we get to his violent actions, as that rod is a violent weapon. So we move from his weapons to his warfare. Let's take a look at his warfare. It starts back in verse 11. Heaven's opened, the white horse, the one sitting on it's called faithful and true. Notice the last part of the verse. In righteousness, he judges and makes war. He judges, he makes war. That's why we're talking about his warfare. That's why we're talking about his violence. War is violent. I asked artificial intelligence, when is violence justified? And it responded that that's a very profound ethical and philosophical question. Well, we turn to God's Word to be able to know when is violence justified. And God's Word reveals to us. Think about us as a nation. We as a nation have to make judgments, our president and his generals, as well as convincing the Congress and the people, when we want to go to war. When is it time to use violence? When is violence justified? Sometimes we make good decisions, sometimes we make bad decisions. But Christ, who is never deceived, who has all knowledge, who has all understanding of ethics and what is just, he never fails to be faithful and true in how he judges and how he wages war. When Christ brings military action, It is always in the right way at the right time. It is never disproportional. It is never an overreaction. He is perfect in how he wages war. That's what we are describing here. And what does he do when he makes war? He strikes down the nations. Look at verse 15. He will rule them with a rod, but before that, back to the sharp sword. The sharp sword he uses to strike down the nations. He uses the weapon of the sharp sword in order to strike down the nations. To strike down, indicating a quick, decisive, mortal blow. It is the kill shot. We're not talking about some prolonged conflict, back and forth with rapiers. No, we're talking about boom, one hit, one kill. That's this striking down the nations with his sword. Exodus 15, 3. The Lord is a man of war. The Lord is his name. The Lord is a warrior. He's not just a shepherd. He's not just a protector. He is a warrior, a man of war, from the very beginning of the Bible to the very end. His character has not changed. There is a time and a place for violence. There's a time and a place for war. And Christ executes war in justice. But Matthew 26, 31 describes how Jesus Christ himself allowed himself to be struck down. The same word, this mortal wound, this kill shot, he is the one who received it for the people. Jesus said to his disciples, you will all fall away from me this night, for it is written, I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. Well, after he was struck, then he rose. And now he's waiting and he's going to come back. And now it's not going to be Christ that is struck him down, It's going to be the nations who are struck down. All part of God's perfect plan. All part of God's perfect justice. The third act of violence is ruling them with a rod of iron in verse 15. So he uses the sword to strike them down. He uses the rod to rule them. Now that word rule, you notice, has a footnote in the ESV that says, the Greek term there is shepherd. And why does it say he's going to shepherd them with a rod of iron? Well, this is because of Psalm 2. Go back to Psalm 2 with me. One of the most important Psalms in the Bible, one of the most important prophecies in the Bible is Psalm 2. I wanna read the whole thing, because it's short, and it's so important. And notice verse nine is what is providing us the language in Revelation about Christ's warfare. Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together. You picture the beast with his 10 kings taking counsel together, meeting on the Mount Megiddo there in northern Israel. They're plotting against the Lord, against his anointed, saying, let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us. He who sits in the heavens laughs. The Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath and terrify them in his fury, saying, as for me, I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill. Satan has his king on his hill, the hill of Megiddo. God has his king on the Mount Zion. Who's going to win? No contest. God laughs at them. I will tell of the decree. The Lord said to me, you are my son, today I have begotten you. Ask of me and I will make the nations your heritage and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Now therefore, O kings, be wise. Be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, Emperor Domitian. Rejoice with trembling. Kiss the sun, bow down and kiss his feet, lest he be angry and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. the glory of Jesus Christ at his second coming, he's going to break the nations with this rod of iron. Now that word break there is once again the word shepherd in the Greek translation of this psalm. King David was a shepherd, and he was a gentle shepherd when it came to dealing with the sheep. But he was a man of war when it came to striking down the bear, the beast that came against the sheep. He was a man of war when it came to striking down the lion that came against the sheep. And he was a man of war when it came to striking down Goliath who taunted the people of God. And so Jesus Christ is a man of war like David. And you don't mess with this shepherd. He will destroy you with his rod of iron. This is not a gentle rule over the nations. This is a destruction of the evil nations. From this point on, Christ will no longer tolerate rebellion. From this point on, God will no longer tolerate injustice. From this point on, God will no longer tolerate idolatry and false religion. He will instantly crush any opposition to his righteous rule. That is what happens when the heavens are opened and the white horse from heaven enters our realm. Isaiah 11, verse four. With righteousness, he shall judge the poor and decide with equity for the meek of the earth. And he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth. And with the breath of his lips, he shall kill the wicked. God has been talking about it, God has been prophesying it, God has been warning about it, and he sent this mighty conqueror to earth humbly, healing the sick, dying for our sins, and sending out the gospel of Christ's resurrection for thousands of years to all the nations, and we're a part of that work today. And at the right time, he will make just war against his enemies, who have spat on the blood of his son, It will not be gentle. And finally, the war of God is seen back in Revelation, back to chapter 19 in Revelation, as this description, very powerful metaphor that is used. Notice it in verse 15. He will tread, he will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. Not just the wrath of God, but the wrath of God the Almighty. Not just the winepress of the fury, but the winepress of the fury of the wrath. This is a powerful statement of God's violence. It's a violent action when you put the grapes into the grape vat, and you trample them, smash them, and get all the juice out of those grapes. And that's the picture that God has chosen from Isaiah 63 as part of our scripture reading, carried through here to Revelation 19. Gather all the grapes. throw them into the winepress, the Valley of Megiddo, the nation of Edom, gathered around all of Jerusalem. Millions of soldiers gathered together for Christ to trample and to spread their blood so that it runs like a river. This is the violence of God, the most dramatic war in history, and it's over before it began. Turn back to chapter 14 once again, Revelation 14. A few months ago we were in Revelation 14 reading about this harvest of the earth. You have the harvest of the grain, which is us, in verses 14 through 16. Then you have the harvest of the grapes, which is the world, in verses 17 to 20. Let's read it once again. Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven and he too had a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire. And he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, put in your sickle, gather the clusters from the vine of the earth for its grapes are ripe. God is going to fully ripen the earth for this judgment. The earth will never be more full of blasphemy and evil and wickedness and will never be more judgment worthy than at this moment. And the angel swings his sickle across the earth. He gathers the grapes of the harvest of the earth and he threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden outside the city. Who's going to tread it? the rider on the white horse, the word of God, the one who is faithful and true, he's going to tread that winepress. The grapes are gathered by the angels, but they're stomped by the Lord Jesus Christ. And the blood flowed from the winepress as high as a horse's bridle for 1600 stadia. Remarkable. This event is so significant, God describes it in Revelation 14 as a preview. He comes to it again here in Revelation chapter 19, but this time with the full focus on the word of God himself, the divine warrior coming in divine violence against the enemies of God. Now many Christians are not comfortable with this vision of Christ. We don't think of Christ as a stern military figure dealing out retribution. But whether you're comfortable with that picture of Christ or not, it is the picture that God paints. I'm comfortable with it. Although comfortable's not really the right word, is it? You don't get comfortable with this kind of doctrine. But I rejoice in it. And I hope that you can rejoice in it too. I hope you see the necessity for this. The kingdom of this world will end in violence. And that is the right way for it to end. And we worship Christ the victor. And we fear not the enemy. We know his doom is sure. One little word shall fell him. And so we celebrate this time of year, the victory of Christ over sin, over death at his first coming. But we celebrate all the time also the victory of Christ over Satan and the world at his second coming. It's not enough for Christ to be victor over sin and death. He must also be victor over Satan and the world. That's what he will do. This event that we've just read about, that we've just studied, that we've set our minds on for the last 45 minutes, it will forever change the world in the most profound way possible. religion, government, art, science, history, every area of human life will be dramatically transformed for the better, for the best, by your Savior, our Lord, who is with us here today, Jesus Christ. For that, we honor him, we worship him, we follow him, fearlessly, with faith and confidence. Let's pray. Oh God, We pray the prayer that is recorded for us by the prophet Isaiah. Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down. Rend the heavens, Lord, come down. Send Jesus Christ, the righteous one, the victor, to receive the kingdom and the power and the glory and to destroy his enemies at the right time. Father, in the meantime, give us patience, give us endurance, give us confidence, give us faith, and give us love. For we are your missionaries in this world to warn people for as long as you extend this day of grace to tell them that you are love. and that you have loved the world by sending your son as the sacrifice for sins, you have raised him from the dead and sent out the gospel of Jesus Christ into the whole world, and that whosoever will can be on your side, can be forgiven, can have no fear of Christ's second coming, but have it as their blessed hope. Lord, continue to seek and save the lost through us in this day of grace for your honor and glory, amen.