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TOPIC: Pink, Arthur - The Redeemer Returns (Other Topics in this Collection)
SUBJECT: 14-9. The Worldward Results of the Redeemer's
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5. The Situation of the Jews during this Period.
As we have seen in earlier chapters, the declarations of Holy Writ make it very clear that Israel will yet be restored to God’s favor and be rehabilitated in Palestine, But before that glad time arrives, the Jews have to pass through a season of sore trouble and affliction, during which God severely chastises them for their sins and punishes them for the rejection and crucifixion of their Messiah. Fearful indeed have been the past experiences of ‘the nation of the weary feet’ but a darker path than ever yet lies before them. Their cruel bondage in Egypt, their captivity in Babylon, and their grievous handling by Titus, were but faint foreshadowings of what they shall yet be called upon to undergo. In Jer_30:4-7 we read—"And these are the words that the Lord spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah. For thus saith the Lord; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? Wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the Time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it." This Time of Jacob’s Trouble was described in part when, in answer to His disciples’ question concerning the end of the age, our Lord said, "Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for My name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity. shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end (of the Tribulation period which terminates the Age), the same shall be saved" (Mat_24:9-13).
It has also been pointed out that considerable numbers of the Jews have recently turned their faces Zionward and returned to the land of their fathers, but before the revelation and rise of the Antichrist to temporal power, many others will also have returned to Palestine. This is clear from Dan_9:27, where we learn that Antichrist (the "prince" or head of the restored Roman Empire) will ratify a treaty with Israel for seven years, under which he guarantees them protection and allows them to rebuild their Temple and restore its ancient ritual. It is to this Covenant between Antichrist and the Jews that Isa_28:18 refers, "And your covenant with Death (a title of Antichrist, in contradistinction to the true Christ who is "the Life") shall be disannulled, and your agreement with Hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it (probably a reference to Zec_14:1-2). For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim, He shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that He may do His work, His strange work; and bring to pass His act, His strange act." It is to be noted that this "Covenant" between Antichrist and Israel is established during the early part of his reign, or certainly, at the very commencement of Daniel’s seventieth week (see Dan_9:24-27—a most important passage), while he is posing as the true Christ and before he throws off his mask and denies both the Father and the Son. It is in the midst of this final seven years that he openly defies heaven and earth, breaks his covenant with the Jews in Palestine, causes their sacrifices to cease and in their place demands that they shall set up an image to himself which, like Nebuchadnezzar and his image, he will require to be worshipped by all under pain of death. It is to the setting up of this "image" in the Temple that our Lord had reference when He said, "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation (for the meaning of "abomination" see 1Ki_11:5-7—it is an "image" to a false god), spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand). Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day: For then shall be (the) great Tribulation, such as was not from the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake (i. e. for the sake of the godly Jewish remnant) those days shall be shortened." The above Scripture is a warning from our Lord to the godly Jews who will be on earth subsequent to the Rapture of the Church, and who are informed that when they see Antichrist’s image set up in their re-built Temple then let them know the time for the outpouring of God’s wrath is at hand. The part of wisdom for them in that day will be to flee from Jerusalem lest they share its judgment. Be it noted it is those who read—i.e., the Holy Scriptures, and particularly Daniel and the Revelation—who will "understand." Following this timely warning—by which, doubtless, many godly Jews will profit in that day—our Lord continues, "Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets (observe false "prophets" as well as false Christs; and note the order—false Christs which is headed up in the Antichrist the first "beast" of Revelation 13, and "false prophets" which is headed up in the False Prophet the second "beast" of Revelation 13!), and shall show great signs and wonders (even make the "image" speak, see Rev_13:15); insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect (but it will not be possible, for the elect will "read" and "understand’’). Behold, I have told you before" (Mat_24:23-25).
A small minority of the Jews (typified by the three "Hebrew children" in the days of Nebuchadnezzar), a godly remnant, will refuse to receive the Beast and worship his image and, in consequence, will be subjected to fierce persecution. This pious "remnant" forms the subject of numerous Old Testament prophecies. We single out but one—"In that day (the Tribulation period) shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein then hast transgressed against Me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of My holy mountain. I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies (profess allegiance to The Lie); neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid" (Zep_3:11-15, and cf. Isa_10:20-21; Joe_2:32; Joe_3:1-2 etc.). Many of the Jews who comprise this remnant will be slain by the Antichrist, but at least 144,000 of them (see Revelation 7) will be miraculously preserved by God. Jehovah will undertake for them as He did for the three "Hebrew children" of old. Then it shall be seen that "He that dwelleth in the secret place (compare Rev_12:6!!) of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." Then will they find the Lord their "refuge" and "fortress." And then will be fulfilled His promise—"Surely He shall deliver thee from the Snare of the Fowler (the Antichrist), and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with His feathers and under His wings shalt thou trust." And then will they behold with their eyes and "see the reward of the Wicked One" (see the whole of Psalm 91). Many of the Psalms record the experiences and prayers of the godly Jewish remnant during this period: see Psalms 10 (which vividly pictures the Antichrist), 87 (which contains words of admonition and encouragement for them; see especially verse 10! ), 48 (note verse l! Psa_48:1), 44 (which reveals their hope in God), 55 (and note particularly verses Psa_55:20-21!!), 74 (and note verse 10! Psa_74:10), 80 (their cry for deliverance, etc.). We may add that many of the later Psalms view Israel in the Millennium.
It is during the Tribulation period Chat Elijah the prophet returns to the earth and Mal_4:5-6 is fulfilled—"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord (i.e., before the final three and a half years); and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers." Doubtless Elijah is one of the "two witnesses" of Revelation 11 who testily for God twelve hundred and sixty days in Jerusalem; after which they are slain, resurrected, and translated to heaven. At the close of the Tribulation period Antichrist marshals his forces and goes up to besiege Jerusalem, and this leads us to consider,
6. The Battle of Armageddon.
The Battle of Armageddon! What extravagant speculations have been indulged concerning it! What unscriptural theories have been entertaining respecting it! To begin with, this appears from the term employed. Nowhere in the Bible do we read of "The Battle of Armageddon." The Scriptural expression is "The Battle of that great day of God Almighty" (Rev_16:14). This Battle of the great day of God Almighty will bring the Tribulation period to a close and will witness the return of Christ to the earth to usher in the Millennium. This "Battle" is the subject of numerous prophecies, several of which we shall briefly examine.
The Battle of that great day of God Almighty will terminate the most blatant movement of all in the impious career of the Antichrist. After he has thrown off the mask, denied both the Father and the Son and openly defied Heaven, he will seek to exterminate everything which either directly or indirectly, witnesses to God. His first effort in this direction is brought before us in Rev_17:16—"And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the Beast (the "ten kings" vs. 12 Rev_17:12), these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire:—in other words, completely abolish her. Who this "whore" is we learn in the previous verses. It is "Mystery, Babylon the Great, The Mother of harlots and abominations of the earth" (v. 5). It is the Papacy, which before this time will have succeeded in gathering within its fold the whole of apostate Christendom. After the Rapture of the Church, the whole of Christendom will render allegiance to the Pope who will still claim to be Christ’s "vicar" on earth. Then it is that "the whole" of the three measures of meal will be completely leaven (Mat_13:33). At first, Christendom (the "Whore") will be supported by the Beast (Rev_17:3), but at the end he will turn against her and cause his ten satellites to bring about her destruction. Having accomplished the destruction of the one system in Europe which still professed the name of Christ, the Son of Perdition will then turn his attention toward Palestine where the last witness of God on earth will be round. The godly remnant of the Jews will still refuse to worship him. This enrages the Beast and he gathers together his forces and leads them against the Holy Land in a determined attempt to annihilate those who dare to defy him, in fact it would seem from several Scriptures that the Gentiles headed by the Man of Sin will aim at the complete destruction of all of David’s descendants. Unknown to himself, however, he will be but carrying out the eternal purpose of God—"Now also many nations are gathered against thee (the daughter of Zion), that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion. But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither understand they His counsel, for He shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor" (Mic_4:11-12). The time for God to take vengeance on the nations who have flocked to the banner of the Antichrist has come, and He employs the Beast to concentrate his forces so that He may pour out His wrath upon them—"Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: Beat your ploughshares into swords, and your pruning-hooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord. Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down: for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord wilt be the hope of His people, and the strength of the children of Israel. So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion, My holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more" (Joe_3:9-17).
But to go back a little. Unknown to himself, it is the Lord, who shall cause the Antichrist to assemble his forces in Palestine where they shall both meet their just doom. But at first the evil project of the Beast will appear to succeed. He besieges Jerusalem and captures it—"Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished: and hall of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city" (Zec_14:1-2). Jerusalem falls and its people are led forth captives. The success of the Antichrist seems complete. The last witness against the Beast now appears to be silenced. But his triumph will be short-lived. As the above prophecy continues, "Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle. And His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem" (Zec_14:3-4). The Antichrist has now to meet One with whom he cannot cope, yet, incredible as it may appear, he will make the attempt. Just as of old, Pharaoh gathered his chariots together and went forth against Israel, though he knew that Jehovah was with them, so shall his great Anti-type gathers his forces to "make war with the Lamb" (Rev_17:14). The last desperate movement of the Beast will be a determined effort to prevent the Lord Jesus returning to the earth itself. It is to this Psalm 2 refers—"Why do the nations tumultuously assemble, and the people meditate a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against His Christ, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and east away Their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall He speak unto them in His wrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure. Yet have I set My King upon My holy hill of Zion," (Psa_2:1-6). God is about to set His King upon Mount Zion, and the Antichrist will gather all of his ‘forces together in the vain attempt to frustrate the Divine purpose. At the head of his armies, the Beast marches forth in open hostility against God—"And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon" (Rev_16:16) which is explained in Rev_19:19—"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." The daring challenge of the Beast is accepted. The heavens open and Christ appears in flaming fire (cf. Mat_24:27) ready to take vengeance. As it is written, "in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. In that day, saith the Lord, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open Mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness. In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem (i. e., the "residue" of Zec_14:2); and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem" (Zec_12:3-4, Zec_12:6-9). How all this will be accomplished we shall see under our last heading, namely.
7. The Return of Christ to the earth itself.
If today the presence of the Lord on earth is urgently needed, how much greater will be this need at the close of the Tribulation period! The Antichrist in full power, openly blaspheming and blatantly defying God! All the world worshipping this Son of Perdition and branded with his mark on their foreheads or in their hands as token of their allegiance to him! The godly remnant of the Jews in the very last extremity and crying, "Keep not Thou silence, O God: hold not Thy peace, and be not still O God. For, lo, Thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate Thee have lifted up the head. They have taken crafty counsel against Thy people, and consulted against Thy hidden ones (the remnant in the "secret place" of Psa_91:1; the "prepared place" of Rev_12:6). They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against Thee" (Psa_83:1-5)! All the forces of the Beast gathered together in a last daring effort to prevent the Lord Jesus coming back to this earth and entering into His inheritance! But now has struck the appointed hour of retribution. Now shall the Lord come "with ten thousands of His saints to execute judgment upon all" (Jud_1:14-15). Yes, "the Lord shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power" (2Th_1:7-9).
A full length picture of our returning Lord is found in Revelation 19, a picture awful in its solemnity and fearful in its vividness. Let us sit down before it and study it in detail. "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" (Rev_19:11). Every word here calls for close attention.
Our Lord comes seated upon a "white horse."
The Greek word intimates a war-horse or "charger." Note its color. In Scripture, colors are used emblematically. Here, "white" is the fitting emblem of the Rider’s spotless purity and unsullied holiness. Everything in the passage we are now examining is in marked contrast to our Lord’s first Advent. Then He was seen, meek and lowly, seated upon the back of an ass. But now He is coming back to the earth for a different work from that which He performed when He was here before. He returns now for the purpose of subduing wickedness, to destroy evildoers, to overthrow Antichrist and to remove Satan from these scenes. Hence, in keeping with His mission, He appears seated upon a white war-charger! "Gird Thy sword upon Thy thigh, O most Mighty, with Thy glory and Thy majesty. And in Thy majesty ride prosperously, because of troth and meekness and righteousness; and Thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the King’s enemies; whereby the people fall under Thee. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the scepter of Thy Kingdom is a right scepter" (Psa_45:3-6).
He comes as the "Faithful and True."
This is in vivid contrast from the abounding unfaithfulness of men. He comes now faithful to His promises and true to His threatenings. Today, men may single out those parts of His teachings which accord with their own sentiments, and reject and deny His solemn threatenings of judgment against the unbelieving; but, in that day, it shall be seen that He is Faithful and True to every word He uttered, whether of promise or of threatening.
He comes back again as "Judge."
Here we have another striking contrast. When he was here before, wicked men dared to arraign Him. He was brought before the judgment-bar of Caiaphas, Pilate, and Herod. But now the, tables shall be turned, He Himself shall be the Judge. God hath "appointed a day in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained" (Act_17:31). And now the appointed "Day" (the Millennium) has dawned; the ordained Man at hand. Observe it is said, "In righteousness He doth judge" (Rev_19:11). This also points a contrast. He was judged unrighteously. No charge could be preferred against Him. He was guiltless; even His judge had to acknowledge "I find no fault in Him;" and yet he sentenced Him to death! How unrighteous! But in marked contrast, our Lord shall judge "in righteousness:" nought but Justice shall He dispense.
He comes to make war!
Ah! once our blessed Lord ministered to the needy, fed hungering multitude, healed the sick, gave peace to the burdened conscience. Before-time, He invited the heavy-laden to come to Him for rest. But here all is changed. Now He comes seated upon a war-charger, and with the express purpose of making war. At the Red Sea, where Jehovah destroyed Pharaoh, and his hosts, Israel sang "The Lord is a Man of War" (Ex. 15:8), and now has struck the hour when this shall be demonstrated as never before. He reds to earth with the deliberate design of shedding the blood of His enemies.
"And His eyes were a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written that no man knew, but He Himself. And He was clothed in a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called the Word of God" (Rev_19:12-13).
He comes with flashing and flaming eyes.
When He was upon earth before, those eyes had ofttimes shone with tenderness, as when the children were attracted to Him; had glowed with compassion, as when a single look upon guilty Peter melted his heart and caused him to go out and weep bitterly; yea, they had been filled with tears, as when He stood by the graveside of Lazarus and when He wept over the Jerusalem which had rejected Him. But here they flash and flame like fire. Now shall they be seen as the eyes of One who is thoroughly aroused with holy indignation. But not only do those flaming eyes express His anger, they also show forth His omniscience. Those flaming eyes shall pierce through every veil of hypocrisy and scorch into the very souls of His enemies. They will act as a veritable searchlight, penetrating to the thoughts’ and intents. of the heart.
He comes with head decked with many crowns.
This, again, is in vivid contrast to the days of old. Once that holy brow was covered with sweat of agony so intense that it was as it were great drops of blood. Once that head was crowned with thorns—the symbol of the Curse. But here it shall be crowned with glory and honor. He comes forth now, not as the lowly Sufferer, but as the victorious Conqueror vested with complete authority. "Many crowns" observe, for in that day He shall be King not only of the Jews, but King of the Gentiles as well—King of kings. All the world shall then be compelled to bow before Him and submit to His universal sovereignty.
He comes with a Name Known to none save Himself.
In Scripture names express nature—what a person or thing is. So here. Christ has a name which no creature can fathom. That is to say, His Person is incomprehensible; there are mysterious depths in Him which no finite mind can grasp.
He comes with a vesture dipped in blood.
At first sight this seems to suggest a comparison rather than a contrast, but the verses which follow show that it is another of those sharp antitheses with which this passage abounds. Once His raiment had been crimsoned by the flowing of His own blood, but now, alas! it is from the blood of others. He was lifted up that men might shed His blood, but now He descends that He might shed their blood.
He comes, denominated the Word of God.
We are told this so that there may be no possibility of mistaking Him. This title serves to identify Him, and connects the two Advents. He is here designated by His Eternal and Divine name. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (Joh_1:1). He is no longer called by His name "Jesus" which means "Savior," but is termed "the Word of God" which points to the dignity, majesty, and glory of His Person. The use of this Divine title in the present connection is deeply significant. When He was here before He came in weakness and shame: it was His Humanity that was most prominent; but when He comes back again to this earth, He shall return in irresistible power and great glory, and His Deity will be most conspicuous.
"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. And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords" (Rev_19:15-16).
He comes to smite the nations with a Sword that goeth out of His mouth.
Here again we have another contrast. When He was here before, He spoke words of blessing to cheer: He came not to judge the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. But now all is changed. The "Sword" which proceedeth out of His mouth is the Word of God (Heb_4:12). Throughout the centuries of this Dispensation He has sent forth His Word that it may slay sin in men, but in the days of His humiliation His mouth was opened to bless men, now it shall be opened to curse and slay them. It is the fulfillment of Isa_11:1—"And He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked." It marks the ease with which He performs His purposes: He speaks, and it is done; He gives the command, and it is accomplished. Something of this was pre-intimated on the occasion of His arrest in the Garden (Joh_18:6-7). When the soldiers came to take Him, He said, "Whom seek ye?’ and they replied, "Jesus of Nazareth," and we read, "Jesus said unto them. I am and as soon as He had said unto them I am, they went backward and fell to the ground"! If so mild an utterance prostrated His enemies then, what will it be when He girds Himself for judgment!
He comes to rule the nations with a Rod of Iron.
How different this is to the popular conception of the "Gentle Jesus"! Human sentimentality has pictured our blessed Lord as being so tender that He will never find in His heart to punish sin and slay the workers of iniquity. For the most part, the world today hears from the pulpit only a one-sided presentation of the character of God—that side which is most agreeable to man in his fallen condition. But God is not only Love, He is Light; not only is He Merciful; He is Holy and Righteous. Because He is Holy He cannot ignore sin, yea, "He can by no means clear the guilty." The claims of His Throne must be. maintained, even though a thousand worlds be destroyed. Long has God dealt with our race in wondrous grace and infinite patience, and evilly have men repaid Him. But when Christ returns to the earth, the Dispensation of grace will have ended and He comes back, no longer inviting voluntary allegiance, but to compel obedience. The insignia the returning Lord shall be the Iron Rod. Iron was the symbol and emblem of the Roman Empire, and stood for resistless power, rigid rule, and indomitable government. History shows us what it meant to be crushed beneath "the iron heel of the Romans." And "iron," the Iron Rod and rule, will be the fitting emblem of Christ’s government in that day when He returns to crush the head of the Serpent, subdue His enemies and put down all opposition.
He comes to tread the Winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
This is the fulfillment of the prophetic word of Isaiah—"Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in His apparel, travelling in the greatness of His strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art Thou red in Thine apparel, and Thy garments like Him that treadeth the winepress? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with Me: for I will tread them in Mine anger, and trample them in My fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon My garments, and I will stain all My raiment. For the day of vengeance is in Mine heart, and the year of My redeemed is come. And I will tread down the people in Mine anger, and make them drunk in My fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth" (Isa_63:1-6). Unspeakably dreadful will be the carnage for we are told, "The winepress was trodden without the city (Jerusalem) and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horses bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs" (that is, 200 miles!) (Rev_14:20). Yes, terrible shall be the slaughter, but who shall say it was not fully merited and demanded. Mercy had been slighted and abused. A "murderer" had again been preferred above the Lord of life. God Himself was being openly blasphemed. And now the Executioner steps forth. This is the hour promised Him by the Father, that His enemies shall be made His "footstool" (Psa_110:1)!
He comes followed by "armies."
"And the armies which were in Heaven followed Him upon white horses clothed in fine linen, white and dean" (Rev_9:14). The "armies" that follow the Divine Warrior will be made up by both the Old Testament and New Testament saints. Those armies are not "angels" as some teach, though these "armies" will certainly be accompanied by angels as we learn from 2Th_1:7. That the "armies" are not angels appears from Jud_1:14, where those who accompany the Captain of their salvation .are denominated "saints" a term which is never applied to angels; and also from Rev_17:14, where those that are "with Him" are styled "called and chosen and faithful"—language which is applicable to none save the children of God. The saints who are one with Christ, then made "like Him," will fully share His feelings and participate in His victory, though He alone will do the fighting.
He comes to overthrow the Antichrist and his legions.
The issue of this battle, the Battle of that great day of God Almighty (popularly but unscripturally called "Armageddon") is never in doubt. Its issue is fore-announced. A call is given to the fowls of the air to devour the carcasses of the slain before the battle begins—"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; 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" (Rev_19:17-18). It is to this same terrible event the prophet Ezekiel bore witness, "Thus saith the Lord God; Speak unto the feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to My slaughter that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh and drink blood. Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan. And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of My sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you. Thus ye shall be filled at My table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord God. And I will set My glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see My judgment that I have executed, and My hand that I have laid upon them. So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day and forward" (Eze_39:17-22). But to continue, and complete our review of Revelation 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. And the Beast was taken, and with him the False Prophet that wrought miracles before, him, and with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the Beast, and them that worshipped his image. Those both were cast alive into the Lake of Fire burning with brimstone. 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" (Rev_19:19-21). Comment is needless. The Antichrist and the False Prophet are both cast into the Lake of Fire where, a thousand years later, Satan shall join them. During the Millennium Satan is secured in the Bottomless Pit. The awful but richly deserved fate which overtakes the armies of the Antichrist is dramatically portrayed in Zechariah 14—"And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth. And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the Lord shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one the hand of his neighbor" (Zec_14:12-13). Thus will end the present Age. What a termination! What a climax! What consummation of wickedness! This is the goal—now so near at hand—toward which all our boasted enlightenment, progress, and civilization is headed. The end will witness all Christendom (minus the Body of Christ, previously raptured) in organized and open revolt and rebellion against Almighty God, to be utterly destroyed at the Redeemer’s Return.
As we have seen in earlier chapters, the declarations of Holy Writ make it very clear that Israel will yet be restored to God’s favor and be rehabilitated in Palestine, But before that glad time arrives, the Jews have to pass through a season of sore trouble and affliction, during which God severely chastises them for their sins and punishes them for the rejection and crucifixion of their Messiah. Fearful indeed have been the past experiences of ‘the nation of the weary feet’ but a darker path than ever yet lies before them. Their cruel bondage in Egypt, their captivity in Babylon, and their grievous handling by Titus, were but faint foreshadowings of what they shall yet be called upon to undergo. In Jer_30:4-7 we read—"And these are the words that the Lord spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah. For thus saith the Lord; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? Wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the Time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it." This Time of Jacob’s Trouble was described in part when, in answer to His disciples’ question concerning the end of the age, our Lord said, "Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for My name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity. shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end (of the Tribulation period which terminates the Age), the same shall be saved" (Mat_24:9-13).
It has also been pointed out that considerable numbers of the Jews have recently turned their faces Zionward and returned to the land of their fathers, but before the revelation and rise of the Antichrist to temporal power, many others will also have returned to Palestine. This is clear from Dan_9:27, where we learn that Antichrist (the "prince" or head of the restored Roman Empire) will ratify a treaty with Israel for seven years, under which he guarantees them protection and allows them to rebuild their Temple and restore its ancient ritual. It is to this Covenant between Antichrist and the Jews that Isa_28:18 refers, "And your covenant with Death (a title of Antichrist, in contradistinction to the true Christ who is "the Life") shall be disannulled, and your agreement with Hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it (probably a reference to Zec_14:1-2). For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim, He shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that He may do His work, His strange work; and bring to pass His act, His strange act." It is to be noted that this "Covenant" between Antichrist and Israel is established during the early part of his reign, or certainly, at the very commencement of Daniel’s seventieth week (see Dan_9:24-27—a most important passage), while he is posing as the true Christ and before he throws off his mask and denies both the Father and the Son. It is in the midst of this final seven years that he openly defies heaven and earth, breaks his covenant with the Jews in Palestine, causes their sacrifices to cease and in their place demands that they shall set up an image to himself which, like Nebuchadnezzar and his image, he will require to be worshipped by all under pain of death. It is to the setting up of this "image" in the Temple that our Lord had reference when He said, "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation (for the meaning of "abomination" see 1Ki_11:5-7—it is an "image" to a false god), spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand). Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day: For then shall be (the) great Tribulation, such as was not from the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake (i. e. for the sake of the godly Jewish remnant) those days shall be shortened." The above Scripture is a warning from our Lord to the godly Jews who will be on earth subsequent to the Rapture of the Church, and who are informed that when they see Antichrist’s image set up in their re-built Temple then let them know the time for the outpouring of God’s wrath is at hand. The part of wisdom for them in that day will be to flee from Jerusalem lest they share its judgment. Be it noted it is those who read—i.e., the Holy Scriptures, and particularly Daniel and the Revelation—who will "understand." Following this timely warning—by which, doubtless, many godly Jews will profit in that day—our Lord continues, "Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets (observe false "prophets" as well as false Christs; and note the order—false Christs which is headed up in the Antichrist the first "beast" of Revelation 13, and "false prophets" which is headed up in the False Prophet the second "beast" of Revelation 13!), and shall show great signs and wonders (even make the "image" speak, see Rev_13:15); insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect (but it will not be possible, for the elect will "read" and "understand’’). Behold, I have told you before" (Mat_24:23-25).
A small minority of the Jews (typified by the three "Hebrew children" in the days of Nebuchadnezzar), a godly remnant, will refuse to receive the Beast and worship his image and, in consequence, will be subjected to fierce persecution. This pious "remnant" forms the subject of numerous Old Testament prophecies. We single out but one—"In that day (the Tribulation period) shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein then hast transgressed against Me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of My holy mountain. I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies (profess allegiance to The Lie); neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid" (Zep_3:11-15, and cf. Isa_10:20-21; Joe_2:32; Joe_3:1-2 etc.). Many of the Jews who comprise this remnant will be slain by the Antichrist, but at least 144,000 of them (see Revelation 7) will be miraculously preserved by God. Jehovah will undertake for them as He did for the three "Hebrew children" of old. Then it shall be seen that "He that dwelleth in the secret place (compare Rev_12:6!!) of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." Then will they find the Lord their "refuge" and "fortress." And then will be fulfilled His promise—"Surely He shall deliver thee from the Snare of the Fowler (the Antichrist), and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with His feathers and under His wings shalt thou trust." And then will they behold with their eyes and "see the reward of the Wicked One" (see the whole of Psalm 91). Many of the Psalms record the experiences and prayers of the godly Jewish remnant during this period: see Psalms 10 (which vividly pictures the Antichrist), 87 (which contains words of admonition and encouragement for them; see especially verse 10! ), 48 (note verse l! Psa_48:1), 44 (which reveals their hope in God), 55 (and note particularly verses Psa_55:20-21!!), 74 (and note verse 10! Psa_74:10), 80 (their cry for deliverance, etc.). We may add that many of the later Psalms view Israel in the Millennium.
It is during the Tribulation period Chat Elijah the prophet returns to the earth and Mal_4:5-6 is fulfilled—"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord (i.e., before the final three and a half years); and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers." Doubtless Elijah is one of the "two witnesses" of Revelation 11 who testily for God twelve hundred and sixty days in Jerusalem; after which they are slain, resurrected, and translated to heaven. At the close of the Tribulation period Antichrist marshals his forces and goes up to besiege Jerusalem, and this leads us to consider,
6. The Battle of Armageddon.
The Battle of Armageddon! What extravagant speculations have been indulged concerning it! What unscriptural theories have been entertaining respecting it! To begin with, this appears from the term employed. Nowhere in the Bible do we read of "The Battle of Armageddon." The Scriptural expression is "The Battle of that great day of God Almighty" (Rev_16:14). This Battle of the great day of God Almighty will bring the Tribulation period to a close and will witness the return of Christ to the earth to usher in the Millennium. This "Battle" is the subject of numerous prophecies, several of which we shall briefly examine.
The Battle of that great day of God Almighty will terminate the most blatant movement of all in the impious career of the Antichrist. After he has thrown off the mask, denied both the Father and the Son and openly defied Heaven, he will seek to exterminate everything which either directly or indirectly, witnesses to God. His first effort in this direction is brought before us in Rev_17:16—"And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the Beast (the "ten kings" vs. 12 Rev_17:12), these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire:—in other words, completely abolish her. Who this "whore" is we learn in the previous verses. It is "Mystery, Babylon the Great, The Mother of harlots and abominations of the earth" (v. 5). It is the Papacy, which before this time will have succeeded in gathering within its fold the whole of apostate Christendom. After the Rapture of the Church, the whole of Christendom will render allegiance to the Pope who will still claim to be Christ’s "vicar" on earth. Then it is that "the whole" of the three measures of meal will be completely leaven (Mat_13:33). At first, Christendom (the "Whore") will be supported by the Beast (Rev_17:3), but at the end he will turn against her and cause his ten satellites to bring about her destruction. Having accomplished the destruction of the one system in Europe which still professed the name of Christ, the Son of Perdition will then turn his attention toward Palestine where the last witness of God on earth will be round. The godly remnant of the Jews will still refuse to worship him. This enrages the Beast and he gathers together his forces and leads them against the Holy Land in a determined attempt to annihilate those who dare to defy him, in fact it would seem from several Scriptures that the Gentiles headed by the Man of Sin will aim at the complete destruction of all of David’s descendants. Unknown to himself, however, he will be but carrying out the eternal purpose of God—"Now also many nations are gathered against thee (the daughter of Zion), that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion. But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither understand they His counsel, for He shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor" (Mic_4:11-12). The time for God to take vengeance on the nations who have flocked to the banner of the Antichrist has come, and He employs the Beast to concentrate his forces so that He may pour out His wrath upon them—"Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: Beat your ploughshares into swords, and your pruning-hooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord. Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down: for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord wilt be the hope of His people, and the strength of the children of Israel. So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion, My holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more" (Joe_3:9-17).
But to go back a little. Unknown to himself, it is the Lord, who shall cause the Antichrist to assemble his forces in Palestine where they shall both meet their just doom. But at first the evil project of the Beast will appear to succeed. He besieges Jerusalem and captures it—"Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished: and hall of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city" (Zec_14:1-2). Jerusalem falls and its people are led forth captives. The success of the Antichrist seems complete. The last witness against the Beast now appears to be silenced. But his triumph will be short-lived. As the above prophecy continues, "Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle. And His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem" (Zec_14:3-4). The Antichrist has now to meet One with whom he cannot cope, yet, incredible as it may appear, he will make the attempt. Just as of old, Pharaoh gathered his chariots together and went forth against Israel, though he knew that Jehovah was with them, so shall his great Anti-type gathers his forces to "make war with the Lamb" (Rev_17:14). The last desperate movement of the Beast will be a determined effort to prevent the Lord Jesus returning to the earth itself. It is to this Psalm 2 refers—"Why do the nations tumultuously assemble, and the people meditate a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against His Christ, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and east away Their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall He speak unto them in His wrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure. Yet have I set My King upon My holy hill of Zion," (Psa_2:1-6). God is about to set His King upon Mount Zion, and the Antichrist will gather all of his ‘forces together in the vain attempt to frustrate the Divine purpose. At the head of his armies, the Beast marches forth in open hostility against God—"And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon" (Rev_16:16) which is explained in Rev_19:19—"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." The daring challenge of the Beast is accepted. The heavens open and Christ appears in flaming fire (cf. Mat_24:27) ready to take vengeance. As it is written, "in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. In that day, saith the Lord, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open Mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness. In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem (i. e., the "residue" of Zec_14:2); and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem" (Zec_12:3-4, Zec_12:6-9). How all this will be accomplished we shall see under our last heading, namely.
7. The Return of Christ to the earth itself.
If today the presence of the Lord on earth is urgently needed, how much greater will be this need at the close of the Tribulation period! The Antichrist in full power, openly blaspheming and blatantly defying God! All the world worshipping this Son of Perdition and branded with his mark on their foreheads or in their hands as token of their allegiance to him! The godly remnant of the Jews in the very last extremity and crying, "Keep not Thou silence, O God: hold not Thy peace, and be not still O God. For, lo, Thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate Thee have lifted up the head. They have taken crafty counsel against Thy people, and consulted against Thy hidden ones (the remnant in the "secret place" of Psa_91:1; the "prepared place" of Rev_12:6). They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against Thee" (Psa_83:1-5)! All the forces of the Beast gathered together in a last daring effort to prevent the Lord Jesus coming back to this earth and entering into His inheritance! But now has struck the appointed hour of retribution. Now shall the Lord come "with ten thousands of His saints to execute judgment upon all" (Jud_1:14-15). Yes, "the Lord shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power" (2Th_1:7-9).
A full length picture of our returning Lord is found in Revelation 19, a picture awful in its solemnity and fearful in its vividness. Let us sit down before it and study it in detail. "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" (Rev_19:11). Every word here calls for close attention.
Our Lord comes seated upon a "white horse."
The Greek word intimates a war-horse or "charger." Note its color. In Scripture, colors are used emblematically. Here, "white" is the fitting emblem of the Rider’s spotless purity and unsullied holiness. Everything in the passage we are now examining is in marked contrast to our Lord’s first Advent. Then He was seen, meek and lowly, seated upon the back of an ass. But now He is coming back to the earth for a different work from that which He performed when He was here before. He returns now for the purpose of subduing wickedness, to destroy evildoers, to overthrow Antichrist and to remove Satan from these scenes. Hence, in keeping with His mission, He appears seated upon a white war-charger! "Gird Thy sword upon Thy thigh, O most Mighty, with Thy glory and Thy majesty. And in Thy majesty ride prosperously, because of troth and meekness and righteousness; and Thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the King’s enemies; whereby the people fall under Thee. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the scepter of Thy Kingdom is a right scepter" (Psa_45:3-6).
He comes as the "Faithful and True."
This is in vivid contrast from the abounding unfaithfulness of men. He comes now faithful to His promises and true to His threatenings. Today, men may single out those parts of His teachings which accord with their own sentiments, and reject and deny His solemn threatenings of judgment against the unbelieving; but, in that day, it shall be seen that He is Faithful and True to every word He uttered, whether of promise or of threatening.
He comes back again as "Judge."
Here we have another striking contrast. When he was here before, wicked men dared to arraign Him. He was brought before the judgment-bar of Caiaphas, Pilate, and Herod. But now the, tables shall be turned, He Himself shall be the Judge. God hath "appointed a day in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained" (Act_17:31). And now the appointed "Day" (the Millennium) has dawned; the ordained Man at hand. Observe it is said, "In righteousness He doth judge" (Rev_19:11). This also points a contrast. He was judged unrighteously. No charge could be preferred against Him. He was guiltless; even His judge had to acknowledge "I find no fault in Him;" and yet he sentenced Him to death! How unrighteous! But in marked contrast, our Lord shall judge "in righteousness:" nought but Justice shall He dispense.
He comes to make war!
Ah! once our blessed Lord ministered to the needy, fed hungering multitude, healed the sick, gave peace to the burdened conscience. Before-time, He invited the heavy-laden to come to Him for rest. But here all is changed. Now He comes seated upon a war-charger, and with the express purpose of making war. At the Red Sea, where Jehovah destroyed Pharaoh, and his hosts, Israel sang "The Lord is a Man of War" (Ex. 15:8), and now has struck the hour when this shall be demonstrated as never before. He reds to earth with the deliberate design of shedding the blood of His enemies.
"And His eyes were a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written that no man knew, but He Himself. And He was clothed in a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called the Word of God" (Rev_19:12-13).
He comes with flashing and flaming eyes.
When He was upon earth before, those eyes had ofttimes shone with tenderness, as when the children were attracted to Him; had glowed with compassion, as when a single look upon guilty Peter melted his heart and caused him to go out and weep bitterly; yea, they had been filled with tears, as when He stood by the graveside of Lazarus and when He wept over the Jerusalem which had rejected Him. But here they flash and flame like fire. Now shall they be seen as the eyes of One who is thoroughly aroused with holy indignation. But not only do those flaming eyes express His anger, they also show forth His omniscience. Those flaming eyes shall pierce through every veil of hypocrisy and scorch into the very souls of His enemies. They will act as a veritable searchlight, penetrating to the thoughts’ and intents. of the heart.
He comes with head decked with many crowns.
This, again, is in vivid contrast to the days of old. Once that holy brow was covered with sweat of agony so intense that it was as it were great drops of blood. Once that head was crowned with thorns—the symbol of the Curse. But here it shall be crowned with glory and honor. He comes forth now, not as the lowly Sufferer, but as the victorious Conqueror vested with complete authority. "Many crowns" observe, for in that day He shall be King not only of the Jews, but King of the Gentiles as well—King of kings. All the world shall then be compelled to bow before Him and submit to His universal sovereignty.
He comes with a Name Known to none save Himself.
In Scripture names express nature—what a person or thing is. So here. Christ has a name which no creature can fathom. That is to say, His Person is incomprehensible; there are mysterious depths in Him which no finite mind can grasp.
He comes with a vesture dipped in blood.
At first sight this seems to suggest a comparison rather than a contrast, but the verses which follow show that it is another of those sharp antitheses with which this passage abounds. Once His raiment had been crimsoned by the flowing of His own blood, but now, alas! it is from the blood of others. He was lifted up that men might shed His blood, but now He descends that He might shed their blood.
He comes, denominated the Word of God.
We are told this so that there may be no possibility of mistaking Him. This title serves to identify Him, and connects the two Advents. He is here designated by His Eternal and Divine name. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (Joh_1:1). He is no longer called by His name "Jesus" which means "Savior," but is termed "the Word of God" which points to the dignity, majesty, and glory of His Person. The use of this Divine title in the present connection is deeply significant. When He was here before He came in weakness and shame: it was His Humanity that was most prominent; but when He comes back again to this earth, He shall return in irresistible power and great glory, and His Deity will be most conspicuous.
"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. And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords" (Rev_19:15-16).
He comes to smite the nations with a Sword that goeth out of His mouth.
Here again we have another contrast. When He was here before, He spoke words of blessing to cheer: He came not to judge the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. But now all is changed. The "Sword" which proceedeth out of His mouth is the Word of God (Heb_4:12). Throughout the centuries of this Dispensation He has sent forth His Word that it may slay sin in men, but in the days of His humiliation His mouth was opened to bless men, now it shall be opened to curse and slay them. It is the fulfillment of Isa_11:1—"And He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked." It marks the ease with which He performs His purposes: He speaks, and it is done; He gives the command, and it is accomplished. Something of this was pre-intimated on the occasion of His arrest in the Garden (Joh_18:6-7). When the soldiers came to take Him, He said, "Whom seek ye?’ and they replied, "Jesus of Nazareth," and we read, "Jesus said unto them. I am and as soon as He had said unto them I am, they went backward and fell to the ground"! If so mild an utterance prostrated His enemies then, what will it be when He girds Himself for judgment!
He comes to rule the nations with a Rod of Iron.
How different this is to the popular conception of the "Gentle Jesus"! Human sentimentality has pictured our blessed Lord as being so tender that He will never find in His heart to punish sin and slay the workers of iniquity. For the most part, the world today hears from the pulpit only a one-sided presentation of the character of God—that side which is most agreeable to man in his fallen condition. But God is not only Love, He is Light; not only is He Merciful; He is Holy and Righteous. Because He is Holy He cannot ignore sin, yea, "He can by no means clear the guilty." The claims of His Throne must be. maintained, even though a thousand worlds be destroyed. Long has God dealt with our race in wondrous grace and infinite patience, and evilly have men repaid Him. But when Christ returns to the earth, the Dispensation of grace will have ended and He comes back, no longer inviting voluntary allegiance, but to compel obedience. The insignia the returning Lord shall be the Iron Rod. Iron was the symbol and emblem of the Roman Empire, and stood for resistless power, rigid rule, and indomitable government. History shows us what it meant to be crushed beneath "the iron heel of the Romans." And "iron," the Iron Rod and rule, will be the fitting emblem of Christ’s government in that day when He returns to crush the head of the Serpent, subdue His enemies and put down all opposition.
He comes to tread the Winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
This is the fulfillment of the prophetic word of Isaiah—"Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in His apparel, travelling in the greatness of His strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art Thou red in Thine apparel, and Thy garments like Him that treadeth the winepress? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with Me: for I will tread them in Mine anger, and trample them in My fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon My garments, and I will stain all My raiment. For the day of vengeance is in Mine heart, and the year of My redeemed is come. And I will tread down the people in Mine anger, and make them drunk in My fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth" (Isa_63:1-6). Unspeakably dreadful will be the carnage for we are told, "The winepress was trodden without the city (Jerusalem) and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horses bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs" (that is, 200 miles!) (Rev_14:20). Yes, terrible shall be the slaughter, but who shall say it was not fully merited and demanded. Mercy had been slighted and abused. A "murderer" had again been preferred above the Lord of life. God Himself was being openly blasphemed. And now the Executioner steps forth. This is the hour promised Him by the Father, that His enemies shall be made His "footstool" (Psa_110:1)!
He comes followed by "armies."
"And the armies which were in Heaven followed Him upon white horses clothed in fine linen, white and dean" (Rev_9:14). The "armies" that follow the Divine Warrior will be made up by both the Old Testament and New Testament saints. Those armies are not "angels" as some teach, though these "armies" will certainly be accompanied by angels as we learn from 2Th_1:7. That the "armies" are not angels appears from Jud_1:14, where those who accompany the Captain of their salvation .are denominated "saints" a term which is never applied to angels; and also from Rev_17:14, where those that are "with Him" are styled "called and chosen and faithful"—language which is applicable to none save the children of God. The saints who are one with Christ, then made "like Him," will fully share His feelings and participate in His victory, though He alone will do the fighting.
He comes to overthrow the Antichrist and his legions.
The issue of this battle, the Battle of that great day of God Almighty (popularly but unscripturally called "Armageddon") is never in doubt. Its issue is fore-announced. A call is given to the fowls of the air to devour the carcasses of the slain before the battle begins—"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; 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" (Rev_19:17-18). It is to this same terrible event the prophet Ezekiel bore witness, "Thus saith the Lord God; Speak unto the feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to My slaughter that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh and drink blood. Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan. And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of My sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you. Thus ye shall be filled at My table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord God. And I will set My glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see My judgment that I have executed, and My hand that I have laid upon them. So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day and forward" (Eze_39:17-22). But to continue, and complete our review of Revelation 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. And the Beast was taken, and with him the False Prophet that wrought miracles before, him, and with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the Beast, and them that worshipped his image. Those both were cast alive into the Lake of Fire burning with brimstone. 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" (Rev_19:19-21). Comment is needless. The Antichrist and the False Prophet are both cast into the Lake of Fire where, a thousand years later, Satan shall join them. During the Millennium Satan is secured in the Bottomless Pit. The awful but richly deserved fate which overtakes the armies of the Antichrist is dramatically portrayed in Zechariah 14—"And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth. And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the Lord shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one the hand of his neighbor" (Zec_14:12-13). Thus will end the present Age. What a termination! What a climax! What consummation of wickedness! This is the goal—now so near at hand—toward which all our boasted enlightenment, progress, and civilization is headed. The end will witness all Christendom (minus the Body of Christ, previously raptured) in organized and open revolt and rebellion against Almighty God, to be utterly destroyed at the Redeemer’s Return.