When Christ Wages War Part 2 | Revelation 19:11-21 | Richard Caldwell

Scripture

• Revelation 19:11–21

About this sermon

Introduction: We are looking at the day when Jesus returns from heaven to earth. He comes at the end of a war campaign — the battle of Armageddon. He comes when the nations have been gathered in unison against Jerusalem and Judah. They have come to devour His people, but they do not know that they are on the menu for the great supper of God. What is most prominent in this description of that final war, is the glory of God. And preeminently His glory in the great Warrior-King, the Messiah, who will wage war and establish justice. And so, last Sunday morning we began looking at five truths God puts on display when Christ wages war. Five reasons to praise GOD FOR THE GREAT JUDGE HIMSELF. I. THE PURITY OF THE GREAT JUDGE (vs.11-13) (REVIEW) The first thing we focused on, in verses 11-13, is the purity of the great judge. We saw the purity of His character, the purity of His assessment, and the purity of His privileges. He is judge with the right of royalty, the right of divinity, the right of redemption, and the right of truth. Here is where our praises begin as we think about the final judgment, we give praise for the purity of the one who wages war and brings His judgment. II. THE PEOPLE OF THE GREAT JUDGE (vs.14) The second truth on display when we look at this day of holy war and righteous judgment is the people of the great judge. HE ALONE WAGES THE WAR. BUT HE IS ACCOMPANIED BY A GREAT ARMIES OF PEOPLE. This is tremendous picture of spiritual victory. We are in the Lord’s army. We accompany Him as He brings His victory to bear on the world. And yet, we do not fire a single shot (so to speak). Read the entire account, and every act of the conquering army is carried out by the WARRIOR-KING HIMSELF. There are some who would argue that these armies are angels. And we know that angels will participate in the final judgment. ESV Matthew 25:31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. So perhaps the angels are included in that word “armies.” But I think the details reveal that the EMPHASIS in this description of the armies is on His saints. TWO THINGS STAND OUT ABOUT THOSE WHO ARE FOLLOWING HIM. A. A RESCUED PEOPLE Their clothing is fine linen, white and clean. Where have we heard that before? In the immediate context that is the description of the Lamb’s bride. ESV Revelation 19:7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure"-- for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And elsewhere, this is how the redeemed are described. ESV Revelation 3:1 "And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: 'The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. "'I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. 4 Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. ESV Revelation 6:9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. 10 They cried out with a loud voice, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" 11 Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been. ESV Revelation 7:9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" What kind of whiteness is this? It is the whiteness of forgiveness. It is the removal of all the stains of sin. Revelation 17:14 clearly indicated that the elect of God will accompany their Savior when He comes.

Topics

• Bible Study
• Jesus Christ
• Prophecy & End Times