"I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; . . . From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." (Revelation 19:11-16.)

      This is the Great Event, the climax of all prophecy. To this goal not only all the book of Revelation but the whole Book of God looks forward. And in this lies all the final issue and the consummation of God's plans and covenants. Here merge the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah's royal glory with the New Testament vision of Christ's glorious appearing to judge and to reign. All through the centuries thus far there was never a time when it was not true that

      But here we see Him arise to exercise His royal right and authority. Because He is the Son of man, His is the authority to execute judgment (John 5:27). So he comes to break in pieces the oppressor, to set the captive free, to destroy the wicked, and to deliver the earth from the tyranny of Satan's misgovernment.

      Upon His head are many crowns. He comes to add yet one, the crown of all the earth, His by ancient heritage, bought and overpaid with His precious blood.

      But though this is the Man Christ Jesus, He is infinitely more. He has a Name too wonderful for creature-mind to know and comprehend--"He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself." (Matthew 11:27.)

      "He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood." It has been taken that this is His atoning blood, sprinkled upon His priestly garments. But rather (for He is not on a mission of atonement now, but of Judgment), this is the blood of the winepress of the wrath of God the Almighty--here seen symbolically upon His robes, in token of His dreadful but most necessary work of vengeance and retribution. (See Revelation 14:17-20 with Isaiah 63:1-6.)

      With Him are armies--"the armies which are in heaven." "Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all," prophesied Enoch, the seventh from Adam, who in times before the Flood rejoiced to see this Day (Jude 14). But who are these "holy ones" (i. e., saints) and who are these armies of heaven that follow in His train "on white horses" and "clothed in fine linen, white and clean"? The answer is indicated to us a few verses above (19:1-9). In heaven the saints, previously taken up, have been joined to their Lord in eternal wedlock. "The marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready"--the event long before celebrated in the prophetic 45th Psalm. "It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints." It is in this "fine linen, white and clean," that we see the armies of heaven dressed, who follow Him as he comes forth. These "armies" are not angels; they are His saints, composing His Bride, "the wife of the Lamb." Henceforth He and she are inseparable. ("And so we shall always be with the Lord." 1 Thessalonians 4:17.) Wherever He goes, follows His Bride. Whatever He is, she shares with Him. If He judges, she is associated with Him in judgment. (1 Corinthians 6:1-3; Revelation 2:27.) If He sits down in His throne as King, she is the Queen sitting down with Him to reign. (3:21.) If He goes forth as the Captain and Leader, she follows in His train as His army. These, then, are the saints of Christ who are with Him, the "called, chosen and faithful." (17:14.)

      The weapon with which He will smite the nations and execute judgment upon the wicked is the sharp sword that comes out of His mouth; whereas, the "rod of iron" with which He shall rule (Psalms 2:9) is the iron scepter, a shepherd's rod, betokening His administration of inflexible justice and righteousness.

      Now the stage is set for the Great War, "the war of the great day of God, the Almighty." (16:14.) The enemy is gathered together--having been summoned through demon-activity. "And I saw coming out of the [40] mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty . . . And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon." (16:13-16.) To speak of the "battle of Armageddon" is perhaps not strictly correct; but Armageddon (or Har-Magedon, the mountain of Megiddo) is the mustering place of the forces of the Beast. This is the world-call to arms, foreseen by Joel the prophet. It issues in judgment upon the nations by the personal interference of Jehovah. It also issues in the redemption of Jerusalem, and in the salvation and restoration of Israel (Joel 3:9-21). After which, as the Old Testament prophets predict, Jehovah is King over all the earth. (Zechariah 14:1-9.)

      The "battle of Armageddon" is not a conflict between nations. During the first world-war (and of course again during the second world-war which began Sept. 1939), there was much questioning whether perhaps this might be "Armageddon." But any student of prophecy might have known better. In the war of "the Great Day" it will not be a case of nations arrayed against each other in conflict among themselves; but the armies of the great last universal world-power, united under the leadership of the Dragon (Satan), the Beast, and the False Prophet, will gather themselves together to fight against Jehovah and His Christ.

      That so mad a campaign could be conceived of--that human beings would in seriousness undertake a warfare against the Almighty seems at first incredible. But here we must take in account two facts.

      1. Their intention is not to strike at God directly and personally, but to counter Him and foil all His plans and purposes concerning the earth by exterminating from the earth the people in whom all God's plans and covenants for world-rule and the earth's redemption are bound up--the people of Israel. "Come," they say, "let us wipe them out as a nation, That the name of Israel be remembered no more."¹

      But whoever undertakes that encounters God and breaks himself against the thick bosses of the buckler of the Almighty. Of old has He sworn and pledged Himself that while the earth remained Israel should not cease to be a nation forever. (Jeremiah 31:35, 36.) The ancient word to their fathers--"whoever curses you I will curse."--operates still, and "Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep." (Psalms 121:4). Now this concerted assault of Satan and the world-power to exterminate the remnant of Israel both marks the climax and limit of their Great Tribulation ("the time of Jacob's trouble" Jeremiah 30:7, ASV), and constitutes the final challenge to God which He cannot, and will not ignore.²

      So from heaven, riding forth for Israel's help, comes their Messiah at the head of the heavenly host. Then will they greet Him with joy and acclaim: "BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!" (Matthew 23:39.)

      2. This marks the extreme limit of man's delusion. These hordes have believed with one heart in the Beast as supreme God. For he is none other than the one of whom Paul tells us who opposes and exalts himself over everything that is called God or is worshipped, and sits in the temple of God, and even proclaims himself to be God. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12.) This is the Beast whom the whole world worships and marvels after, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?" (13:4.) This is the one who came in Satanic power, with signs and powers and lying wonders. They seem at first undismayed at the tokens of Christ's appearing. Do they think, perhaps, that this monstrous deity of theirs would enable them to triumph against Him? Such will be the blind infatuation, such the unspeakable madness of the world in that day!

      And if anyone should doubt that human hearts could be deluded to such an extent, let him observe how terribly some hearts are hardened even here and now!

      An angel, heralding the impending judgment, now summons all vultures to the feast of the flesh of the slain.

      The clash is but an instant. There is no conflict, no fighting, no struggle. Paralyzed by the flashing forth of Christ's glory, the Beast is taken³ and with him the "False Prophet" (the "other beast" of Revelation 13). [41]

      And at the word of His judgment which comes out of His mouth, the armies of rebellion sink into death. (2 Thessalonians 2:8; Isaiah 11:4; 34:1-4; Psalms 110:5, 6.) The "sword of his mouth" does it. No other weapon comes into play. The "armies of heaven" are wholly unarmed. It is not a case of Christ leading forth His followers in "carnal warfare" (as some critics would make it appear), but the Lord going forth to execute judgment.

      But the Beast and the False Prophet are cast alive into "the fiery lake of burning sulphur"--the first, so far as the Book shows, to be cast into that awful place from where no one ever returns.

[TR4R 40-42]