Sermon Tone Analysis

Heaven standing open.? In 4:1, John had seen heaven’s door standing open.

In 11:19 the temple in heaven stood open., and now, heaven itself is flung wide open.

The door open in 4:1 let the church in.

The door open in this passage let’s Christ and His followers out.

Make no mistake, this is the climax of the story of the Bible.

In the context of history, this passage is clearly important.

What is about to begin, in this chapter, is the final series of 7 things… the return of Christ, the defeat of satan, the binding of satan, the millennium, the destruction of Satan, the last judgment, the new heaven, the new earth, the new Jerusalem.

Most Bible students see 11-16 as the return of Christ.

Their was a “white horse” in Revelation 6:2

The difference here is , the white horse of 6:1 was the enemy disguised; Here, things are far different.

He is “faithful and true”, unlike the forces of Satan who are full of lies and false truths.

Christ will now keep the long awaited promises He has made.

He is not on a donkey, as when he entered Jerusalem.

He is on a white horse as he exits heaven.

In contrast to those who know not real justice and real peace.... this rider on the white horse judges and makes war in righteousness- who can fight a just war but the most just one?

Who can firht a righteous war but the most righteous one?

Isaiah had foreshadowed this one in Isaiah 11.3- 5

Please note that John is telling us that Christ is not a Patton or an Eisenhower- no, Christ’s war is the execution of justice NOT the winner of a military conflict.

When Christ addressed the 7 churches of Revelation 2-3, his eyes were “a flame of fire”.... John wants us to know who this is.

He is crowned with many crowns- diadems- not a dingle crown,

This power of Christ’s goes so far that no one knows his name but himself.

In antiquity, the name is associated with power- and those who know the name share the power.

In this vision of John’s, two names of Christ have been revealed: “the word of God” (vs.13), and “King of kings and Lord of Lords” (vs.16).

The point here, in the book of revelation, is that the power of Christ is now to be shared with his faithful followers.

The imagery is related to Isaiah 63, a Messianic understanding of God’s wrath.

In that passage, the warrior Messiah slaughters his enemies and their blood is splattered on his clothing.

But there is something different about this Messiah and this robe.

Please pay attention!

He rides that white horse out of the open door of heaven and there is no battle that has yet taken place.

That robe dipped in blood is not the blood of anyone- aside from himself.

The victory that this Messiah wins is not over any individual enemy He has- it is not over any mass number of armies that may gather on any given battlefield- his robe is dopped in his own blood as he rides out to conquer the greatest enemy that has allowed for and created all enemies- sin itself.

If you were to look just a few verses ahead, to verse 15, you would note that the sword that he brings is not in his hand but rather proceeds from his mouth.

He strikes down the nations not with an army but by His own word.

If you remembner John 1:1-ff, the “Word of God”.... imagery.... this passage confirms that .

Christ , in his first visit to earth was consistent in his witness, in his words, and actions, and purposes.... the Word of God was reliable in action and to the purposes of God.

The Word of God and the person of Christ are one.

some have wondered who the armies of heaven are: and many have concluded that these are the angels of heaven- but just one minute there.

These armies are “arrayed in fine linen, white and pure”.

I dont’ want to split hairs in this parenthetical verse, but I must… Angels are not, in the overall, white and pure.

And you just said, “What?”

The pastor is blasphemous!

No, now stay with me- you see, When angels fall we get Satan.

And when angels fall, we get demons.

And both Satan fell and 1/3 of the angels fell, and overall they aren’t that pure and white as we think.

Those in heaven, of course, may be- but not in their entirety because of Satan and his minions.

So who is this army following the Messiah out that open door?

I would suggest it is the church, the faithful, the followers of the Messiah.

And now you might say the pastor is double minded and blasphemous- but hold on that a moment.

We, being really far different than the angels, but so much like them in our sinful and rebellious nature, have no right riding out that open door clothed in white- were it not for the fact that our sins have been bought and paid for.

In heaven, our sins are no more because of the one on the white horse whom we follow out that door whose robe has been dipped in blood for that very purpose!

See 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

Earlier in this book, in Revelation 17:14, John seems to confirm this :

There are 3 concepts in this verse that we have to discuss:

The sword from his mouth

striking down the nations

ruling with an iron rod

The sword from his mouth: John has mentioned this 5 times in the book of Revelation.

IT IS IMPORTANT.

Christ will conquer by His word, not by his violent warrior skills.

It reflects the importance for us of knowing and learning His word.

Of taking His word around the world.

His word preached is what expands the fiath and converts nations to Christ.

Here is a third name of Christ, which is clearly visible as He rides.

You couldnot miss it.

HE is the absolute Lord and King, full of divine power and authority.

The second last thing: the great confrontation between the beast and his army and the Lamb of God.

The vultures are summoned to gorge themselves on the slain corpses on the battlefield.

This passage wants to tease our minds and our hearts into depicting a great battle- but I want you to look closely.

Note:

The Beast and the false prophet are simply seized and throwninto the lake of fire.

Their followers simply fall at the word of Christ.

NO BATTLE IS ACTUALLY FOUGHT.

If you were to go back and read chapter 5, you would find that the Lamb had already won by his death.

Satan has been cast out and defeated by the blood of the Lamb and the word of his followers’ testimony.

In all of the book of Revelation… it appears that there is actually only one battle described.

I am no expert, and some may prove or attempt to prove me wrong- that’s ok, I can take it.

I don’t have to be wrong, but I’ll stand on the principle that I believe John is making: THE DECISIVE BATTLE HAS ALREADY BEEN WON, AND IT HAPPENED AT THE CROSS OF CALVARY.

Yes.

there is evil in the world today.

Yes, we’ve seen it in the likes of Nero, and Hitler, and Idi Amin, and other political tyrants who have persecuted people across time.

But Satan had a death blow dealt to him at the cross

Look at what Jesus said in going to the cross:

Some would say.... but pastor, evil is still in the world!

How can this be?

Remember these passages and others like them:

yes, for a while, during which God’s purposes are being finished up, Satan is loose.

But this is not the indication that He wins, rather that his sentence is set.

When you see Him at work the most, remember that He knows He is on borrowed time.

Yesterday there was a birthday party for Janice’s mother, and I didn’t think I’d make it, but I did… I didn’t think any of my kids would make it, but they did....

I didn’t think any of my grandkids would make it but they did.... and there was a handoff of my grandson Easton between grandparents.

When the great hand off came last night, there was only about 10 minutes before the other grandparents would pick him up- and he wanted to play video games… do one more thing....

Fit in one more game, one more song on the keyboard, one more this one more that.... but there’s only 10 minutes.

This is the position that Satan finds himself in....

He wants to destroy so much more, devour so many more people, carry out so much more chaos- but he only has 10 more minutes.

In the grand scheme of things, Satan’s time is short.

When you consider creation and the return of Christ to earth, in the grand scheme of something called eternity- Satan’s time is actually quite insignificant!

But there’s the mean time, the here and now- and He is at work.

But friends, hear me- his 10 minutes are almost up.

Hismoment of fame has come and gone.

And not only is the time almost gone, He’s a dead man walking (so to speak).