Then I saw the sky having been opened up and behold! A white horse, the One sitting upon it being called faithful and true, and in righteousness he judges and does battle, and his eyes a blaze of fire, and upon his head many diadems, having a name having been written which not even one perceives except him, and having wrapped around him attire having been dipped in blood, and having his name be called the “Word of God.”
And the armies, these in heaven, were following him upon white horses, being arrayed in fine, clean linen, white and pure.
And out of his mouth comes forth a large broadsword, sharp and swift, that with it he might strike the nations, he also tends them with an iron rod, and he tramples the winepress of the wine of the passion of the wrath of God the Almighty.
And he has upon the attire and upon his thigh a name written: “King of kings” and “Lord of lords.”
Then I saw one angel who had been standing in the east, and he cried out in a mighty voice, speaking to all the birds, the ones flying in the middle of the sky,
“Come here! You all are to be brought together to the great feast of God in order that you may devour the flesh of rulers and the flesh of army generals and the flesh of powerful ones and the flesh of horses and of the ones sitting upon them, and the flesh of all, both free citizens and enslaved, both small and great.”
Then I saw the beast and the rulers of the earth and their armies who had been gathered together to make war with the One sitting upon the horse and with his army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who produced the signs in the presence of them, by which he led astray the ones having received the engraved mark of the beast and the ones giving homage to its image.
They being alive, the two were cast into the lake of the fire burning with brimstone [sulfur]. And the ones remaining have been put to death with the broadsword of the One sitting upon the horse, the one having come forth out of his mouth, and all the birds were filled to satisfaction from their flesh.
Revelation 19:11-21
It is admittedly a grisly scene, and one very hard for us today to equate with the Jesus of the Gospels. It is not as though the Gospel Jesus was not capable of great power and of righteous judgment. He acted as one man with a home-made hemp whip, overturning tables and cages, and entirely clearing the massive outer court of Herod’s temple. It must have been breathtaking. Was there a transformation? In all the turmoil, was there a glimpse of the divine King of Kings and Lord of lords?
But otherwise, the Jesus we are presented with in the Gospels is gentle, humble, and kind; a healer a forgiver, a Savior.
Who is this Jesus?
Who is this apocalyptic warrior with eyes of blazing fire, and his glittering diadems, astride his brilliant white steed, the radiant white of his fine linen pure and clean, yet stained with blood?
Who is this terrifying ruler, who tends his subjects with an iron rod rather than a shepherd’s crook?
Who is this general wielding a sharp and swift broadsword, slicing through the armies of his foe and casting living beings into the horrific lake of scalding sulfur?
Robes Stained in Blood
Is it possible the blood staining the rider’s pure white attire is Jesus’s own blood, shed for the world? When Jesus prayed, he asked that the cup of God’s wrath might be passed, but then accepted God’s will—Jesus’s will as well—the work of the cross.
In trampling the winepress of the wine of the passion of God’s wrath, Jesus’s own blood was shed.
Word of God
One of the clues that perhaps points to a highly allegorical meaning to John’s vision. All throughout Revelation, there have been allusions to the prophets Ezekiel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, and Zechariah. Now, there is an allusion to the prophet Hosea:
“Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets;
Hosea 6:5 (NRSVUE, emphases added)
I have killed them by the words of my mouth,
and my judgment goes forth as the light.”
At the beginning of this passage, the One on the white horse is identified as the Word of God, the same word identified at the beginning of John’s Gospel.
In the beginning, there was the Word, and the Word was with God and was God.
“Word,” the English word, comes from the Greek word Logos, which was familiar to the Greeks in their philosophy just as it was familiar to Jewish people in their philosophy. To the Greeks, Logos came to mean “First Cause,” the reason or the will behind the universe, an unknowable force.[1] Plato, four hundred years before, had posited the Logos as both in the world and also in the mind of God.
In Hebrew this word was called Debar and it was God’s expression of Godself, “Thus saith the Lord.” Logos, or Debar, was the word that proceeded from God’s mouth and accomplished what God intended to do, almost as a synonym for God.
Translate, then, the infinite and eternal power of God’s words to the Word of God.
Sword of the Spirit
the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God
Ephesians 6:17 (NRSVUE)
The writers of the Christian Testament understood the divine power of the Word.
Indeed, the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12 (NRSVUE)
The sword proceeding from the mouth of the one riding upon the white horse is the living and active Word of God, swift and sharp, to strike down every false concept, every deception, every wrong thought, or desire, or motive.
The Enemy of Christ
Paul, who spent years in Ephesus where John also ministered, wrote to the believers there about the true enemy—and it was not a person.
our struggle is not against blood and flesh but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:12 (NRSVUE)
This is not the only place Paul explained the true source of opposition to the Gospel and believers.
… we live as humans but do not wage war according to human standards, for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NRSVUE)
These are all spiritual forces of dark power, as well as deceptions and strongholds in the mind. Is it possible that the Sword of the Lord is meant to be understood as the powerful truth that strikes down all that is wrong, throwing every deception and stronghold, every godless argument and obstacle to salvation into the lake of fire, everything that has from the beginning of time led humankind—God’s beloved people—astray?
His blood shed for the sins of the world, Jesus will one day come to put to death and permanently destroy all that has led humankind astray, so that all remains is God’s truth, righteousness and love.
Thank you Sister-in-Christ Jesus, Joanne.
This deeply insightful explanation of this very mysterious Biblical Prophecy is very helpful and motivates me to seek God’s truth more diligently!
As I grasp the meaning of these Scriptural verses here as you’ve explained them I start to realize the truth is very logical and orderly. Good and Evil, why do they both exist? God is the “Alpha and the Omega” so before all of this was even here in what we call our reality, He absolutely knew what would happen and why! But He had to allow it to unfold so that His love and truth could be manifested within His new creation, all of it stemming from His absolute eternal love!
But for Good, Love, Joy and Peace to exist the polar opposites of Evil, Hate, Sorrow and Conflict would need to be a part of the full picture of existence in order for “individual consciousness with free-will” which would allow a living being or “we children of God” to know and appreciate these things from Him, and then choose to express them of our own volition; to “reciprocate from our own hearts and souls” what our “Maker gives so lovingly and freely,” to be “created in His image.” “To know Him and love Him!”
1 John 4:7-9 “Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.”
1 John 4:15-17 “If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16And we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. God is love; whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him. 17In this way, love has been perfected among us, so that we may have confidence on the day of judgment; for in this world we are just like Him.”
Let us remember as all of this has had to unfold over what appears to us in this plane of existence millennia or eons;
2 Peter 3:7-9 “And by that same word, the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. 8 Beloved, do not let this one thing escape your notice: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.”
Amen.
Brother-in-Christ Jesus, Lawrence
Beautifully put, brother Lawrence. We may not know all that we will know, once we are in glory with the Lord, but we can know what has already transpired, and what God has given to us to understand. It is true that without a contrast, there would be no poles to choose between. So God placed the tree of the knowledge of good -and- evil in the Garden so that good might be chosen, that love may be chosen, and trust in God, and a willingness to be taught by God at the pace God chose. But also, evil was available to choose. God walked in the Garden with the man and the woman, and they had all God’s goodness around them to urge them to choose good. And, in all fairness, God allowed the serpent to argue for evil.
Those two poles, and two choices, have remained available to us ever since.
What a relief it will be when the Lord finally scours evil away, and we will united for eternity with only good, only the Lord.
Grace and peace, from the Lord and from your sister, Joanne
Oh thank you my sister Joanne, what you have clearly explained here is also so beautiful and it brings tears to my eyes! So amazing how your comment has come today because a few things came into my consciousness over the last 48 hours that tie-in to this work you produced here that is so important and timely for anyone who is seeking God’s truth!
I was talking with someone I met in my area and the gist of what I had to say about the fact that far too many people, and sadly many of them the youngest among us, are caught up in trying to do stunts or even crazy daring feats to get famous and get many likes! I said that if I meet anyone like that I would say don’t you think you exist and are here for a greater purpose that most likely has nothing to do with these human concepts of what gives a life it’s true value! And that we should be seeking God while we can, having this amazing and beautiful opportunity provided for God’s plan and purpose for each of us; and wouldn’t it be so sad and even horrible to finally reach the end of your life here to find out you wasted this one chance you had finding out that you missed the boat!
Interestingly I had written a comment to a posting yesterday in which I knew I should include a quote by Albert Einstein and when I did a search in my files the first thing that came up was the following! This long excerpt is from the body of the essay I wrote in originally in 2020 and revised in 2022.
“I immediately noticed a gap in his perception of our earthly reality. My hope here is to help bridge that gap with added insight and revelation, because we all need our own personal epiphany before we depart this short earthly life. I recognize that we humans may come from very different cultures and backgrounds that often give us different frames of reference by which we perceive the world in “varying degrees of difference” that can be similar or vastly different. But again, my hope here is to express my inner most heart and what wisdom I may have acquired in my lifetime to help others to hopefully see the TRUTH, so they won’t “miss the boat” or “not see the forest for the trees!” “This life is an unbelievable, awe inspiring amazing gift” that came from “absolute perfect eternal love” and this short opportunity or window to come to terms with some fundamental principles that we must not overlook should not be marginalized or wasted! But rather, we should with a whole heartened intent ask “the why,” because there is an answer sitting in our proverbial faces to that ancient question! And, that is why, I wrote this blog today, for this man or anyone who will listen. God Bless You.”
http://lawrencemorra.com/2022/07/16/seek-and-you-will-find/
Adding to this I had a very interesting dream that night which woke me up and as I was lying there meditating on it, a song I had heard back in 2012 during a pivotal moment or turning point that coincides I believe with what I had said about “not missing the boat,” and in a way with “God’s Book of Revelation!” The music video as I recalled it had a dark horse with a rider wielding a sword and the horse had red glowing eyes! Later when I was finally up for the day I had to check that video again, and it does have a story to tell as I look at it; pertaining to the conversation talking about younger persons, and your fine explanation in your Revelation presentation here!
Here is that music video which I hope is alright to include here, for at least a cursory relevance as I see this unfolding.
https://youtu.be/zRnDIXsGIyc
(Magnetic Man’s official music video for ‘Getting Nowhere’ ft John Legend.)
God bless you!
Brother Lawrence-in-Christ Jesus.
Oh thank you my sister Joanne, what you have clearly explained here is also so beautiful and it brings tears to my eyes! So amazing how your comment has come today because a few things came into my consciousness over the last 48 hours that tie-in to this work you produced here that is so important and timely for anyone who is seeking God’s truth!
I was talking with someone I met in my area and the gist of what I had to say about the fact that far too many people, and sadly many of them the youngest among us are caught up in trying to do stunts or even crazy daring feats to get famous and get many likes! I said how if I meet anyone like that I would say don’t you think you exist and are here for a greater purpose that most likely has nothing to do with these human concepts of what gives a life it’s true value! And that we should be seeking God while we can, having this amazing and beautiful opportunity provided for God’s plan and purpose for each of us; and wouldn’t it be so sad and even horrible to finally reach the end of your life here to find out you wasted this one chance you had finding out that you missed the boat!
Interestingly I had written a comment to a posting yesterday in which I knew I should include a quote by Albert Einstein and when I did a search in my files the first thing that came up was the following! This long excerpt is from the body of the essay I wrote in originally in 2020 and revised in 2022.
“I immediately noticed a gap in his perception of our earthly reality. My hope here is to help bridge that gap with added insight and revelation, because we all need our own personal epiphany before we depart this short earthly life. I recognize that we humans may come from very different cultures and backgrounds that often give us different frames of reference by which we perceive the world in “varying degrees of difference” that can be similar or vastly different. But again, my hope here is to express my inner most heart and what wisdom I may have acquired in my lifetime to help others to hopefully see the TRUTH, so they won’t “miss the boat” or “not see the forest for the trees!” “This life is an unbelievable, awe inspiring amazing gift” that came from “absolute perfect eternal love” and this short opportunity or window to come to terms with some fundamental principles that we must not overlook should not be marginalized or wasted! But rather, we should with a whole heartened intent ask “the why,” because there is an answer sitting in our proverbial faces to that ancient question! And, that is why, I wrote this blog today, for this man or anyone who will listen. God Bless You.”
//lawrencemorra.com/2022/07/16/seek-and-you-will-find/
Adding to this I had a very interesting dream last night which woke me up and as I was lying there meditating on it, a song I had heard back in 2012 during a pivotal moment or turning point that coincides I believe with what I had said about “not missing the boat,” and in a way with “God’s Book of Revelation!” The music video as I recalled it had a dark horse with a rider wielding a sword and the horse had glowing eyes! Later when I was finally up for the day I had to check that video again, and it does have a story to tell as I look at it; pertaining to the conversation talking about younger persons and your fine explanation in your Revelation presentation here!
Here is that music video which I hope is alright to include here, for at least a cursory relevance as I see this unfolding.
//youtu.be/zRnDIXsGIyc
(Magnetic Man’s official music video for ‘Getting Nowhere’ ft John Legend.)
God bless you!
Brother Lawrence-in-Christ Jesus.
Sister Joanne I’m sure you know all this, but, I had to say sorry for sending the same long commentary twice; as the first time I included the (http) with the two links and I know from news articles I run some commentaries on it won’t go through with that included; I just wasn’t thinking that here it is that way too! I also know you can cancel either one and have whichever works best for your site!
Thank you very much again and blessings to you and yours!