INTRODUCTION. Let me remind you of what has been revealed thus far in The Revelation of Jesus Christ. In chapter one we learn that because Christ loves us, He wants His slaves to know what He is doing in history, so that we may not lose heart and obey His commands despite the seeming odds. In chapter four we learn that before the Lord Jesus Christ shows His slaves the suffering of the saints, the defeat of the harlot and the beast, and Christ conquering the nations, He gives them a vision of God high and lifted up, who will sustain them to the end. Chapter five revealed that Christ is the Lionlike Lamb who has conquered, who will bring about God’s redemptive plan in history, and who is worthy of all praise. And in chapter 6, verses 1-2, we learn that Christ has gone out conquering and to conquer. Therefore the slaves of Christ can rest their souls as they labor their bodies for His glory with total confidence. Now we consider what Christ reveals to His slaves in chapter 19:11-6. Chapter 19 comes after the revelation of Christ’s execution of judgements on both apostate Israel and the Roman Empire. Revelation 6:1-2 showed us Christ beginning to ride, and now in we are shown the rider in more glorious detail. 

DOCTRINE. The Lord Jesus Christ is riding on a white horse as He conquers the nations with his saints behind him.

I think we should consider four major things as we look at this text: I) The Accolades, II) Appearance, III) Activity, and IV) Accompaniment of the rider on the white horse. Then we will conclude with exhortations. In Revelation 19:11, John writes, “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse!” John Trapp noted, “[This is] Christ riding as an Emperor triumphing.” John Gill likewise said, “It may denote a very glorious appearing of Christ, not in person, which will be after this, but in his kingdom and power, in defeating his enemies, and reigning spiritually with his saints.“ 

I. THE ACCOLADES OF THE RIDER. 

  I) The Lord Jesus Christ is named Faithful and True. “The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True” (Rev. 19:11b). Christ the rider is faithful, always accomplishing what He promises. He is also true, slaying errors and setting sinners free as the Truth. Wilhelmus À Brakel commented, “He is Faithful to His church. He takes care of her. He never leaves her. He stands by her and helps her. He is the True One. He promises in uprightness and fulfills it in steadfastness.“ What a great comfort to we who are in Christ that the conqueror of the cosmos is not unstable nor fraudulent, but Faithful and True.

  II) The Lord Jesus Christ also has a name that no one knows but Himself. “. . .and he has a name written that no one knows but himself” (Rev. 19:12c). A name refers to all that is true about someone, the totality of the person. Therefore this speaks to the infinite being of the Son of God. Oh the infinite magnitude and excellencies of the Lord Jesus Christ! 

  III) The Lord Jesus Christ is named the Word of God. “. . .and the name by which he is called is The Word of God” (Rev. 19:13b). Christ is the revelation of God Himself, the exact imprint of His nature. 

  IV) The Lord Jesus Christ named the King of kings and Lord of lords. “On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords” (Rev. 19:16). Note, Christ does not have a sword on His thigh, only a name. The sword he uses is not the sword of the hand, but the sword of the mouth.

II. THE APPEARANCE OF THE RIDER. 

  I) The Lord Jesus Christ has eyes like a flame of fire. “His eyes are like a flame of fire” (Rev. 19:12a). This is Christ function in His Prophetical office. His eyes see through religious showmanship and hypocritical facades. He is the Prophet who not only speaks the Word of the Lord, but knows exactly what to say because He sees all. He can say to each of His churches “I know” like he does to the seven in Revelation, and then speak to them according to each of their cases. The Lord Jesus has eyes like a flame of fire. 

  II) The Lord Jesus Christ wears many crowns. “. . .and on his head are many diadems” (Rev. 19:12b). John Trapp quips, “Let the triple crowned pope look to himself; Christ outcrowns him by far.” Christ is King, and he is a King who wears many crowns. These diadems are the rewards of His suffering. 

  One of the diadems on Christ’s head is His divine rights over every soul. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (Jn. 3:36). Christ is the enthroned King to which all men must bow down for salvation, or they will be hewn down in damnation. Christ honoring self-government is owed to Christ for His glory! 

  Another one of the diadems that Christ wears as the reward of His suffering is His divine rights over every home. Christ is King over homes, so much so that the prophet Jeremiah says, “Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name” (Jer. 10:25 KJV). Christ exalting family-government is owed to Christ for His glory! 

  Another one of the diadems Christ wears as the reward of His suffering is His divine rights over every visible Church. Paul writes in Ephesians 1:22-23, “[God the Father] put all things under [Christ’s] feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” Christ extolling church-government is owed to Christ for His glory! 

  Another one of the diadems Christ wears as the reward of His suffering is His divine rights over the civil government. Again, Revelation 19:16, says Christ is the “King of kings and Lord of lords.” Christ magnifying civil-government is owed to Christ for His glory! If any of these diadems on Christ’s head are neglected, you are trying to steal the crown rights of the Redeemer from the Redeemer.

  III) The Lord Jesus Christ wears a robe dipped in blood. “He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood” (Rev. 19:13a). John Gill notes, “‘And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood.’ Either in his own, by which he became the Saviour of his church and people; or else in the blood of his saints, he now comes to avenge; or rather in the blood of his enemies, with which he appears as stained, before the battle is fought, the victory being sure, and their slaughter unavoidable.” Matthew Poole comments, “And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood; either to denote that he was he who redeemed us by his blood; or rather, to signify that he was now coming forth to shed the blood of his enemies, both in vindication of his own honour and glory, or of his people.” As you can see, there is debate as to what Christ’s blood-baptized robe symbolizes. Does it symbolize the blood of His enemies as He slays them? or the blood of His martyrs that He has come to defend? or does this blood represent His Priestly office and sacrificial death as He rides forth to save His people by applying the blood of the covenant to them? 

  Paul says of Christ’s substitutionary death, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace” (Eph. 1:7). Again Paul writes, “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross” (Col. 1:19-20). The apostle to the Hebrews writes, “The blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God” (Heb. 9:14). Again the apostle to the Hebrews says that believers have come to “Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel” (Heb. 10:24). I believe the blood-dipped robe Christ wears as He conquers the nations is the blood of the covenant, bountiful and free-flowing to save sinners by its application. This is Christ in His priestly office. He rides forth conquering the nations by applying His blood to the elect through the preaching of the gospel, which is represented by the striking down the nations with the sword which proceeds from His mouth. After this, Christ is revealed in His office role Judge when he is said to, tread the winepress of the wrath of God. Thus the appearance of the rider reveals Christ as the Prophet with fiery eyes, the Priest with a blood-dipped robe, and King with many diadems. What a magnificent and confidence building view of our Lord and Savior! 

III. THE ACTIVITY OF THE RIDER. 

  I) The Lord Jesus Christ judges and makes war in righteousness. Revelation 19:11c “and in righteousness he judges and makes war.” This war includes both saving His enemies and destroying others. All of it is done in righteousness. 

  II) The Lord Jesus Christ strikes down the nations with the sword which proceeds from His mouth. “From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations” (Rev. 19:15a). Isaiah 11:4 says, “He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips he will kill the wicked.” How will Christ strike down the nations? Will He do it by conquering His enemies through damnation or salvation? What does the Lord promise of His Christ concerning the nations? Judge for yourself. “I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (Is. 49:6). “And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising” (Is. 60:3). This is the salvation of the nations that is constantly promised throughout the Old Testament. This striking down is not with the sword of His arm but with the sword of His mouth, the gospel. This has happened to you if you are in Christ. Praise the Lord! 

  III) The Lord Jesus Christ will rule the nations with a rod of iron. “. . .and he will rule them with a rod of iron” (Rev. 19:15b). This promised of Christ even in that great Psalm which depicts his crucifixion and its accomplishments. “For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations” (Ps. 22:28).

  IV) The Lord Jesus Christ will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of the Almighty God. “He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty” (Rev. 19:15c). This is what will happen to all who will not repent and go to Christ by faith! John Gill said, “The fierce wrath of God against sinners is compared to a winepress; and the wicked antichristian party are likened to clusters of grapes; who being ripe for destruction, are cast into it, and pressed, squeezed, and trodden down by the mighty power of Christ, the Word of God.“ Those who will not let Christ slay their sins by the word of his mouth (Hos. 6:5), will be slain by the sword of his arm in judgment (Isa. 51:9). He will cut unrepentant sinners into pieces like “Samuel hewed Agag to pieces before the Lord at Gilgal” (1 Sam. 15:33). 

IV. THE ACCOMPANIMENT OF THE RIDER. As Christ rides forth conquering and to conquer, His faithful slaves follow Him as conquerors themselves. “And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses” (Rev. 19:14a). John Trapp wrote of this, “[These are] The heavenly minded heroes that fight his battles, are all in his livery, horsed and habited as he, in whom they are more than conquerors, because they are sure to conquer before they fight.” Are you on a white horse, clothed in the righteousness of God that comes by faith alone in Christ alone, or are you riding a dark horse, clothed in your sin and an enemy of God? Are you riding behind Christ or riding your own direction? 

CONCLUSION. Let me say a few words of application and exhortation under these three headings. First, you must conquer. Second, how to conquer. Third, what is promised to those who conquer with Christ. Consider with me portions of each of Christ’s letters to the seven churches which are founders in Revelation 2-3. I want you to look at each portion which mentions a call from Christ to conquer, and then make application of them to yourself. 

I) You must conquer.

  (i) You must conquer your apathy, by always staying near your first love, Christ. The church at Ephesus had lost their first love, so Christ called them to repent. Then he says, “To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God’” (Rev. 2:7).

  (ii) You must conquer the temptation to abandon Christ when persecution comes. The Church at Smyrna was about to suffer, so Christ promised them the crown of life if they be faithful unto death. He said, “The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death” (Rev. 2:11). 

  (iii) You must conquer the seduction of idolatry and sexual immorality. The Church at Pergamum had been allured by the doctrine of balaam, tempted into idolatry and sexual immorality. Jesus said, “To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it” (Rev. 2:17).

  (iv) You must take part in the conquering of the nations by holding fast the pure doctrine of, and pure conduct in, Christ. The Church at Thyatira had some that had followed the course of idolatry and sexual immorality, but some had kept themselves pure. To the faithful Christ said, “The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father” (Rev. 2:26-27).

  (v) You and I must conquer the temptation to sleepwalk in our duties, slipping into mere formality or superstition. The Church at Sardis had an external reputation of being alive, but inside they were dead. Therefore Christ called them to repent. Then He said, “The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels” (Rev. 3:5). 

  (vi) You and I must conquer the world, the flesh, and the devil by patient endurance. The Church in Philadelphia was commended for “[keeping Christ’s] word about patient endurance.” Therefore the Lord says to them, “The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name” (Rev. 3:12)

  (vii) You and I must conquer the evangellyfish allure of being neither hot nor cold. The church at Laodicea was neither hot nor cold, and they are almost as famous as The Gospel Coalition for it. “The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne” (Rev. 3:21). We must learn from these failures and resolve to stand firm. Stand for truth. Stand for the innocent. Stand for Christ. Stand firm knowing all who desire to live a godly life on Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 

II) How to conquer. 

  You will conquer only through faith in Jesus Christ. “ For everyone who has been born of God overcomes (conquer) the world. And this is the victory that has overcome (conquered) the world—our faith” (1 Jn. 5:4). You will conquer by refreshing yourself constantly by focusing on Christ the true Conquerer. “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome (conquered) the world” (Jn. 16:33). You will conquer by great suffering through Him who loves you. “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Rom. 8:37).

III) What is promised to those who conquer with Christ.

  “And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death” (Rev. 21:6-8). There is a promise and a warning here. Tremble at the warning; rejoice at the promise; press on through faith alone in the Lord Jesus alone. 

B.B. Warfield, commenting on Revelation 19:11-21, is worth quoting at length here: “The section opens with a vision of the victory of the Word of God, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords over all His enemies. We see Him come forth from heaven girt for war, followed by the armies of heaven; the birds of the air are summoned to the feast of corpses that shall be prepared for them: the armies of the enemy - the beasts and the kings of the earth - are gathered against Him and are totally destroyed; and "all the birds are filled with their flesh" (xix. 11-21). It is a vivid picture of a complete victory, an entire conquest, that we have here; and all the imagery of war and battle is employed to give it life. This is the symbol. The thing symbolized is obviously the complete victory of the Son of God over all the hosts of wickedness. Only a single hint of this signification is afforded by the language of the description, but that is enough. On two occasions we are carefully told that the sword by which the victory is won proceeds out of the mouth of the conqueror (verses 15 and 21). We are not to think, as we read, of any literal war or manual fighting, therefore; the conquest is wrought by the spoken word - in short, by the preaching of the Gospel. In fine, we have before us here a picture of the victorious career of the Gospel of Christ in the world. All the imagery of the dread battle and its hideous details are but to give us the impression of the completeness of the victory. Christ's Gospel is to conquer the earth: He is to overcome all His enemies.

  There is, of course, nothing new in this. The victory of the Gospel was predicted over and over again even in Old Testament times under the figure of a spiritual conquest. It is thus also that Paul pictures it. It is thus that John himself elsewhere portrays it: it is indeed the staple representation of this whole book. In particular we perceive that this splendid vision is, after all, only the expansion of the parallel vision given in the second verse of the sixth chapter. When the first seal was opened, "And I saw," says the seer, "and, behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon had a bow; and there was given unto him a crown: and he came forth conquering, and to conquer." It is the same scene that is now before us, only strengthened and made more emphatic as befits its place near the end of the book. We recall now the principle of "recapitulation" which governs the structure of the book, and see that this first vision of the last section, in accordance with the general method of the book, returns to the beginning and portrays for us, as vi. 2 and xii. 1 do, the first coming of the Lord and the purpose and now, with more detail and stress, the issue of this coming. What we have here, in effect, is a picture of the whole period between the first and second advents, seen from the point of view of heaven. It is the period of the advancing victory of the Son of God over the world, emphasizing, in harmony with its place at the end of the book, the completeness of the victory. It is the eleventh chapter of Romans and the fifteenth of I Corinthians in symbolical form: and there is nothing in it that was not already in them - except that, perhaps, the completeness of the triumph of the Gospel is possibly somewhat more emphasized here.” To that I say, “Amen!”