Now I think I've shown you during
these studies that the book of Revelation is not chronological. You cannot start at chapter one
and think that the events that are recorded there are in a historical
sequence because they're not. I've already told you it's seven
visions of the time in some cases from Christ's return to glory
to the end, in other cases, of the whole of creative history,
from the fall of man right the way through to the very end of
things. For example, at the end of chapter
16, we saw the end of history. But it wasn't the end of the
book. What we then have in chapter 17 to 22 are more revelations,
more aspects, more reporter's angles on different aspects of
the same thing. It's separate reports of aspects
of the end of this world. We saw the harlot and false religion
and what that meant. That everything that looks like
to the world as Christian religion is in fact a harlot. It's false
religion. It's Babylon. It's the whore.
We saw Antichrist and the false prophet and their doings and
their dealings and their ending. We're going to see when we get
to chapter 20 the end of the devil and the nations that are
called Gog and Magog. I know it sounds really weird
in these days but basically Gog and Magog are the nations of
this world that have never really been influenced by the Christian
religion. Never really been influenced
by it. So, you know, there are large tracts of the world where
although missionaries have been, and there are undoubtedly safe
people, because where does God's multitude that no man can number
come from? Every tribe and kindred, without
exception. God has his people everywhere.
God so loved the world a world full of sinners, including Gog
and Magog, that he sent his only begotten son that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish but have everlasting life. But we're
going to see the end of the devil and Gog and Magog when we get
to chapter 20. And then we're going to see the
new heavens and the new earth coming down out of heaven from
God. The new Jerusalem, the new city.
And then we're going to see the glories of that place. And finally,
a closing summation and a call It's interesting, this book finishes
with a gospel call. There's a gospel call right at
the very end. Chapter 17 revealed to us the
truth about false religion. You know, I looked and there
was a woman. Oh, there's the church. No, she's a whore. It's
false religion. It's Antichrist. That which calls
itself Christendom is really anti-Christendom. We saw the
historical reality of Antichrist's striving for unified world power
in opposition to God. Remember? The five that have
been. Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Persia,
Greece, and the one that now is, Rome, and the one that is
yet to come. I think the days in which we
are living, where there is such a striving for unity of thought
and of culture against anything to do with the purpose and principles
and justice of God. this idea that we're going to
live forever everywhere we're building this wonderful peaceful
utopia when all around everybody can see truth if you look there's
nothing other than strife and conflict everywhere but nevertheless
the politicians strive for this worldwide unity that is completely
divorced from anything to do with the justice of God we don't
need the justice of God that's medieval nonsense is that this
is what they say that's what it's aiming towards in chapter
eighteen we saw the utter dismantling of every aspect of Babylon, wasn't
it? It was described how he took
it to pieces, bit by bit, the merchants, the traders, the artisans,
the art, the culture, everything taken to pieces, all world trade,
all civilization, all politics, all culture, and its opposition
to God, the end of it. And then we see God's people
taken out before the climax of these things. Not in some spooky
secret rapture that happens a thousand years before the end. No, no.
Immediately before the end, God's people taken out before the climax
of these things. eternally married, as we saw
last week, to Christ, and then finally coming, as we'll see
this week, with Christ, to execute Christ's judgment at Armageddon. I know the word Armageddon wasn't
in there, but what we read was about Armageddon. That's what
it was about. Now, the details are difficult
to fit together with confident certainty. Every time anybody
tries to tell you, we've got it absolutely right, this is
here, that's there, they end up in the most absurd nonsense
of interpretations. They end up having to draw bizarre
pictures of how it's going to be. That in this day of technological
wizardry, all of a sudden, those who are Christians are suddenly
going to put cloaks on and start riding white horses everywhere.
It's just absurd. It just becomes utterly absurd
when you try to do that. No doubt the details are difficult
to fit together with confident certainty. There are some things
we know for sure. What Paul wrote to the Thessalonians,
1 Thessalonians chapter 4, verses 16 and 17. Let me read these
to you. For the Lord himself shall descend
from heaven with a shout. He's talking about the end of
things. and with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump
of God. And the dead in Christ shall
rise first. Then we which are alive, when
he comes back, and remain, shall be caught up together with them
in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever
be with the Lord. He's coming for his people, to
take them out of the world, to take them to glory. Christ will
take his people, the dead and the living, that's what we just
read, out of the world immediately before the end. And the anti-Christian
world, as we've been seeing through these visions, will strive for
unity with Gog and Magog, the nations that have never known
any Christian influence. And they'll try to join forces
to battle against Christ and his people. and it will all end
in Armageddon when Christ, united with his church, will execute
final judgment on them. Now a word about Armageddon.
You remember a few weeks ago we looked at it briefly, chapter
14, I think it was. It comes from Mount Medigo, which
is on the outskirts of Israel. It's where there's a plain there,
the plain next to Mount Medigo, where Israel fought many of its
battles with its enemies. And it has become symbolical. It's a symbolical name. In the
history of ancient Old Testament Israel, Medigo was known as the
place where so many of their battles were fought with Israel's
enemies. There's Judges 4 and 5 with Deborah
and Barak fighting their enemies and having a victory. And of
course that was all real history, but it was all picturing and
allegorical of this true spiritual battle which goes on, which is
the battle of Armageddon in Revelation. We read about it in Revelation
14, 17 to 20, where there was that great final battle. There,
you see, the end of all things was at the end of chapter 14,
that was the end of one of the visions. It was a battle that
was so fierce, you remember, that the blood of the battle,
symbolically, came up to the bridles of the horses, it was
that deep. That's the picture is, it was,
it was, everything was covered by it. Then in Revelation 16,
12 to 21, it actually says, they gathered together to the battle
of Armageddon. the sixth vial was poured out,
and the battle of Armageddon culminated in that enormous great
hail. Again, it's symbolism, but it's
speaking of the absolute destruction of it. And then in Revelation
19, where we are this morning, verses 11 to 21, here again is
that battle, but now the focus The attention is entirely on
the victor, on the one who is victorious, our Lord Jesus Christ,
our great God and our Saviour. Armageddon, in a way, the battle
began at the fall in the Garden of Eden. That's when it began.
It has continued through all the ages of world history, but
never in its ultimate final ferocity. But it is going to culminate
in final judgment. When there's this final attempt
to unify by the anti-Christian world, by the forces of Satan,
it's going to backfire. Everything that he plans is going
to backfire. And Christ will come as victor
to execute final judgment. Now, I'm the first to admit that
this is difficult, that it's confusing, that you think you've
grasped hold clearly of, ah, I see, that fits there and then
that fits there, and then all of a sudden, just when you think
you've got it, it's like climbing a rock face, it crumbles away.
Well, grab hold of these firm footholds. There are some firm
footholds that you can grab hold of. I don't care whose interpretation
you follow and whose you don't, but grab hold of these. This
world in which we live This world in which we have to make our
living and raise our families and go about our business, this
world is ending in crushing judgment because of sin and because of
the nature of God. Number one, that foothold is
not going to, that is firm, that is solid. Secondly, Christ will
defeat all opposition to his rule. grab hold of that. However,
in what order, by what means it happens, and most of the time
we're not told precisely, even in Revelation, but the truth
is this, Christ will defeat all opposition to his rule. What
is opposition to his rule? I will not have this man to rule
over me. I will not have this God to be
my God. and direct my life. I will not
have this. I will do my own thing in my
own way. Christ will defeat all opposition to his rule. Next,
the righteousness and truth of God will be upheld and executed
in strict justice. There is no escape from it. the
righteousness and truth of God will be upheld and executed in
strict justice. And fourthly, fourthly, fourthly,
only those who are the Lamb's bride shall escape in triumph
for eternal bliss. Do you get those? Whatever else
the details seem to confuse you with, when is Armageddon happening,
has it already happened, is it coming, is there a rapture, is
there this, that or the other, all of these details that people
argue about, you cannot argue about these. The world is ending
in crushing judgment. Christ will defeat all opposition
to his rule. The righteousness and truth of
God will be upheld and executed in strict justice, and only those
who are the Lamb's Bride shall escape in eternal bliss. let
me say a little bit more about the lamb's bride we saw her last
week the church look at verses seven to ten just again just
for a few moments let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to
him for the marriage of the lamb is come and his wife hath made
herself ready and to her was granted that she should be arrayed
in fine linen clean and white for the fine linen is the righteousness
of saints and he said unto me write Blessed are they which
are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto
me, These are the true sayings of God. And I fell at his feet
to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou
do it not, for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren,
and have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony
of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Last week we looked at this.
We looked at the clothing. We looked at the gracious qualification
being made righteous in God, being made the righteousness
of God. But how do you know that you're
counted among the bride? Isn't it important to know? Am
I among that bride of Christ? Am I among that people of God? Am I among them? They're the
only ones who are going to escape the strict justice of God, for
only they are in the Lamb's Book of Life. How do I know I'm among
them? they're brethren. This tells us they're brethren
with the testimony of Jesus. Are you amongst the brethren
who have the testimony of Jesus? What is it to have the testimony
of Jesus? It's to live by the gospel of
his grace, the truth of his grace. It's what John says in his epistle. It's confessing that Jesus Christ
has come in the flesh. What does that mean? Don't all
the churches around here confess that Jesus Christ came in the
flesh? No, they don't. because they don't confess that
Jesus of Nazareth, the man, is the Messiah of the Old Testament. Who was the Messiah of the Old
Testament? The one who would save his people
from their sins. The one who in particular redemption
would come to die in the place of a people that the Father gave
to him before the beginning of time in the covenant of grace.
Not for everybody. Not for a whole world of sinners.
for the people the Father gave to him. A multitude that no man
can number. But that's what it is to confess
that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. That everything he
is and everything he did was in complete fulfillment of everything
the Old Testament says about the Messiah. Now you read the
Old Testament from front to back. You need to. Keep doing it. When
you've read it, read it again, and then again, and then again.
So it's ingrained in your mind, but you will see there you will
see that you must see that that he came for his people particularly
that's what it is to be to live by the gospel, to be brethren
with the testimony of Jesus. We, as we were thinking at Merton
last Sunday about discerning the body and blood of Christ.
You discern, you know what it means. That first hymn that we
sang spoke of feeling the blood of Jesus. Feeling his blood. Ye who have felt his blood sealing
your peace. You felt it. You know it in your
heart. His blood has sealed my peace
with God. You've discerned his body and
his blood, that your offence against the law of God that would
condemn you to hell, he has come and in your place, as a substitute,
has stood in your place and saved you. You rejoice in his salvation
accomplished. You don't rejoice in your faith.
It's not your faith that saves you. Not that at all. It's what you believe in, that
God gives you sight to see that saves you. All that Christ has
done. Living now, with this testimony, as the bride of Christ, we make
ourselves ready. The rest of the world that rejects
that is not ready. They don't make themselves ready.
Secondly, we live in the world But we live in, where did God
put his people? Revelation 12, the church, where
did he send the woman to after the child was taken up to glory?
Into the wilderness. What wilderness was that? It
was a wilderness of separation from the world. Do you know what
it is? We have to touch the world in
everything we do every day. But you don't need the affection
of the world in your heart. You don't need the love of the
things of the world in your heart. You take them and use them as
God gives them to you, but you don't need to embrace them in
your heart and your affection. We're living in wilderness separation
from the world. We're trying to live as much
as in us is, at peace with all men. We don't want to be obnoxious,
we don't want to make a nuisance of ourselves, we try to live
at peace with all men. But we don't imbibe the culture
of the world, the values of the world, the morals of the world,
the antichrist teaching of the world, the ambitions, the aspirations
of the world. We look to Christ. We seek a
city which has foundations, whose maker and builder is God, not
this world in which we live. We're living, as I've said before,
on the tiptoe of faith, looking, anticipating, hoping. Christ
told the parable of the virgins and some were ready and some
were not ready for the bridegroom to come. These were the bridesmaids
and it was at night and they had the oil for the lamps but
only some had the oil for the lamps and the others didn't.
They were neglectful, they were not ready. The true people of
God make themselves ready. They have that oil, that oil
of Holy Spirit unction, that oil of Holy Spirit guidance and
direction. like those good virgins, those
wise virgins, with oil in their lamps, ready for the bridegroom
to come. Who is the bridegroom? The Lord
Jesus Christ, when he comes again. That's how, as the bride of Christ,
we make ready. Now then, with that said, let's
focus on the Lamb's victory. because if you're the bride of
Christ this morning there is nothing more glorious and thrilling
to your heart in this fallen world which hates everything
that you stand for than the fact that your bridegroom is coming
and he's coming in victory and he will end all opposition In
verses 11 to 21, we're given a vision of the Lamb's victory.
Some say it's a new vision, starting at verse 11. I'm not sure, and
I'm not sure it really matters. Some say that this passage is
still part of 17, 18, and 19. Others say a new vision starts
here that runs on to the end. It doesn't really matter. I don't
think so. What's important is that we see
the eternal reality of it. You see, things are not as they
seem. I'm gonna be repeating some territory,
I don't mind that, I think it just, you know, as God said to
the people in Isaiah, precept upon precept, line upon line,
I'll teach you it again and again, over and again. In 2 Kings chapter
six, we have the account of Elisha and his servant, and the Assyrians,
one of those five powers that we saw about, of Antichrist.
and uh... I'll just let me read this to
you. Remember when it was, Elisha followed on from Elijah so it's
all that time ago and the Assyrians are attacking and about to consume
Israel and they're very much minuscule compared with the military. Am I talking fiction here? Go
down to London, go to the British Museum, wander around the British
Museum, what will you see? Display after display of the
artefacts of the Assyrian Empire. Archaeological artefacts. It's
there. There's hordes of it. There's
masses of it. They're in the British Museum.
The Assyrian Empire. This is not fiction. This is
fact. This is not speculation, this
is fact, right? So anyway, in verse 15, they're
about to be overcome by that nation which is displayed in
the British Museum. And when the servant of the man
of God, the man of God being Elisha, was risen early, so this
is the young man, the servant, he got up early, and gone forth,
behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. They're there, all the Assyrians
are there, the Assyrians. And his servant said unto him,
alas, my master, how shall we do? In other words, we're done
for. We've had it. There's no hope
for us. What on earth should we kill
ourselves now effectively, he's saying, before they come and
kill us in a brutal way? What a dreadful state to be in.
And Elisha answered, fear not. for they that be with us are
more than be with them. Oh, but he can't see them. All
he can see is himself and Elisha. And Elisha prayed and said, Lord,
I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see. And the Lord opened
his eyes, the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold,
the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about
Elisha. Now, children of God, people
of God, this is the situation, this is eternal reality. We may
think that we're in a minority of next to none, we may think
that we're despised and rejected, we're ridiculed, we're regarded
as not fit to teach in schools or do other things like that,
we're regarded as not fit to trade with in so many ways because
if you have the views that we have, which is against the false
doctrine of the false prophet of this world, then nobody wants
to deal with you. But don't worry. For look, if
God opens our eyes, he'll show us what he shows us in these
verses in Revelation 19. You see, in a sense, this is
always how things are in the conflict between Satan and God. Those so often appearing that
Antichrist is winning This assures us that he most certainly isn't.
Down the ages of history, though it seems as though, you know,
the two prophets, the two witnesses are killed and lie dead in the
street. Ah, right, Antichrist is triumphant, the Satan is triumphant. No, he's not. This is the reality
all along. Certainly, what we see here is
the final triumph of Christ over the beast, over the false prophet,
and all of this world's powers who serve and worship them. This
is Armageddon, the final victory of God over Satan. This is it,
whether it's one event, or whether it's a series of things building
to a climax before the end, doesn't really matter. The fact is, it's
the final victory of God over Satan. It's divine righteousness
and divine justice vindicated. It's the lie of Satan which is
heaven without the satisfaction of justice. That's his lie. That
lie is crushed. The divine righteousness and
justice of God is vindicated. The lie of Satan is crushed in
this battle. What are we shown about our leader,
about our captain? If you're a child of God, this
is your leader we see here. This is our captain. This is
the captain of, you know, when Joshua was about to take Jericho
and the man came to him the day before. And who are you? Are
you for us or against us? I am come as the captain of the
host of the Lord. It was the Lord Jesus Christ
who came and spoke to Joshua and assured him that he would
be with him in the battle, which seemed so strongly set against
them to take a highly defended city. Now, clearly, this is a
vision. Clearly, this is symbolical of
reality. Clearly, this is not literal. The things we read in verses
11 to 21, it's symbolism. But nevertheless, it's very,
very true. I'll give you an example. I think
I mentioned it last week. If you try to say that this is
literally, exactly literally, as things happen, then you run
into all sorts of difficulties. Did I not tell you that when
they put one crown on Elizabeth I in 1953, 1953 wasn't it? June
1953, they crowned her. And when they put one crown on
her head, it looked very regal. If they then tried to balance
two or three more on her head, it would have become comically
silly, wouldn't it? It's a vision. So he's got many crowns on his
head. What's that saying? Does it mean there's a man standing
there trying to balance all these crowns on his head? No! It means
he's got all power. All the power of the crowns that
were usurped from him by Satan and his forces, he has taken
them. They're his. He controls all
things. We look further down, verse 17.
There's an angel standing in the sun. How absurd is that,
if it's literally true? It's a picture. What's it saying? He's clearly seen. There's nothing
clearer. Look at it now, the sun's shining
out there. Can you look at it? No, you can't. You mustn't look
at it. It's far too bright. There's an angel standing in
the sun. There's an angel as brightly visible as the sun.
Ravenous birds are coming. Ravenous birds are coming to
eat flesh. Literally? No, it's picturing that when,
you know, those ancient terrible battlefields, you know, like
we had in this country in the Civil War and, you know, those
ancient battlefields with swords and spears, and the dead were
left, and the crows and the ravens would come and peck the flesh
off them. It's a picture of utter defeat. Right then, well let's
look. I saw heaven opened. It's a picture,
it's a vision of heaven. And behold a white horse. What's
the white horse? A symbol of? What does it picture? It pictures military triumph. That's what it pictures. And
there's one sitting on this white horse. The white horse was the
majestic horse. This majestic animal, this white
horse. This is clearly God in the person
of his son. He's coming to judge. and to
make war, as it says at the end of that verse. In righteousness
he doth judge and make war. As God, in the holiness of his
being, with all the authority of his office. You know when
you, even in this country, if you go and stand at the assizes
the crown courts that are scattered around the country, if you go
and stand there and watch proceedings on the day of a criminal trial
taking place, then you will see the judge and his entourage dressed
in their finery and in their wigs, and there's a certain reverence
for that situation. This is the sword of justice
of the laws of the land of the nation is going to be enacted.
And there's, you know, contempt of court is a serious thing.
If you, you know, there was a case just the other day where two
drug dealers were given a suspended sentence and they tweeted on
Twitter afterwards their contempt for the judge who let them off
so lightly. So you know what she did? She locked them up for
two years. She said, I'll turn your suspended
sentence into two years inside. That will teach you to have contempt
for the justice of this land. Think how much more severe is
the justice of God. Think how much more inflexible
is the justice of God. This is God coming in the holiness
of his being with all the authority of his office, like a judge,
but much more splendid and regal and magnificent. And his name
is faithful. and true. The judge that comes
is faithful and true. Ah, you know when Nebuchadnezzar
came upon Jerusalem to destroy it and they were in fear and
awe of him and their terror was compounded by the fact that he
most certainly was not faithful and he most certainly was not
true. He was vicious and violent and
merciless that this one is faithful and true. He's faithful to his
Father, to God the Father, to the principles of the Godhead.
He's faithful to fulfil the covenant, the covenant that he undertook
to save his people from their sins. He's faithful to them.
He's faithful to his people. If you're amongst his people,
know this, that this one who is seated in this vision on this
white horse he's faithful to his people in all of his promises
he's faithful to his enemies in judgment for he has promised
judgment to his enemies and he will faithfully fulfill it there's
a contrast to the lies of satan and if you're an unbeliever you
unbeliever have believed the lies of satan but he's faithful
and true he came in time This one, this Son of God, this Lamb
of God, came in time, in humility, when he laid his glory aside.
Oh yes, he rode on a horse-like animal. He rode not on a majestic
white horse, but he rode on an ass's colt, didn't he? Just on an ass's colt. a humble
animal, a simple animal, when he rode into Jerusalem as king
of kings and went to the cross of shame to pay the penalty for
the sins of his people. But here we see him in majesty
and in certain victory. Let me read the scriptures. I could you'll be pleased to
know this, but if I'd got carried away I could have made a sermon
of several hours after this because there's just so much that you
could read. But let me read Psalm 45 verses
1 to 6. This is the one who is on this
white horse, faithful and true. My heart is indicting a good
matter. I speak of the things which I have made touching the
king. My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Thou art fairer
than the children of men. Grace is poured into thy lips,
therefore God hath blessed thee forever. Gird thy sword upon
thy thigh, O Most Mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty, and
in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness
and righteousness, and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible
things. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies,
whereby the people fall under thee. Thy throne, this one on
the horse, thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever. The scepter,
the symbol of power of thy kingdom, is a right scepter, a right scepter. Here he is, faithful and true. Verse 12, follow with me, verse
12. His eyes were as a flame of fire,
this one who is coming, to draw close to all things. His eyes
were as a flame of fire. What does that mean? It means
he sees in the darkest corners of human iniquity. There is nothing
hidden from his gaze. None can escape. Where should
I go that I might flee from thee? Christ's Psalm 139. If I go to
the depths of the ocean to flee from you, you are there. Your
spirit will find me. Wherever I go, you will find
me. He has eyes that are as a flame of fire. On his head were many
crowns. All the crowns of the defeated
usurpers, those forces of Satan, that took his place of authority
in this space-time creation, they're there on his head because
he deserves them all, because he is the rightful owner of them
all. They've only been allowed for a time to do that thing. And his name, he has a name written,
verse 12, he has a name written that no man knew but himself. What could that mean? What could
be that name that no man knows but himself? I freely confess
I've had the help of some commentators with this and I think this is
right. I think the name that only he knows is his name as
mediator. You know the scriptures say there
is one God and there is one mediator between God and man, the man,
Christ Jesus. Now, what does that mean? It
means that this one man, the Lord Jesus Christ, This God-man,
the Lord Jesus Christ, mediated between sinners and God. He is
the one by whom those who are deserving of hell are rewarded
with the glory and bliss of heaven. How does that happen? Well, He
takes their sin, and He is punished for their sin, and the law of
God is satisfied, and they are crucified with Him. I am crucified
with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in
me, and the life I allow live in the flesh, I live by the faith
of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Yes,
yes, I know all of these things, and that blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ as a lamb without blemish and spot, a Passover lamb, our
Passover lamb is sacrificed, but how has that made us righteous
with God? Answer, I don't know. I don't
know, but he knows. He alone knows how he has done
it. God alone knows how he has remained God in the fullness
and consistency of his divine nature, and yet made mediation. That's his name. He's got blood-stained
garments. Look at verse 13. He was clothed
with a vesture dipped in blood. and his name is called the Word
of God. Bloodstained garments, is this redeeming blood? Some
commentators insist that this is his redeeming blood, and I'm
not going to argue with that, but I also think it is most definitely
the blood of judgment that he has been exercising. If I turn
you to Isaiah 63, you don't need to go there, let me read this
to you. Who is he that cometh from Edom with dyed garments
from Bosra? this that is glorious in his
apparel traveling in the greatness of his strength I that speak
in righteousness mighty to save wherefore art thou red in thine
apparel stained with blood and thy garments like him that treadeth
in the wine vat you know he's been treading the grape if you
tread red grapes you will end up covered in red stain red wine
stains pretty hard doesn't it I have trodden the winepress
alone, and of the people there was none with me, for I will
tread them in mine anger, that's judgment isn't it, and trample
them in my fury, and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments,
and I will stain all my raiment, for the day of vengeance is mine.
This is Christ coming in judgment. He came 2,000 years ago, how
did he come? He came as saviour. How is he
coming at the end? He isn't coming as saviour. Oh
yes, he saved his people, but he isn't coming to save anymore,
he's coming as judge. And I believe that this staining,
more likely, is the blood of judgement that's been poured
out in the seals that he let loose. His garments, undoubtedly,
when, as Habakkuk 3.13 says, he went forth for the salvation
of his people, his garments were stained with redeeming blood.
But he's coming in judgment at the end, and his garments bear
the stains of the blood shed in the seals, in the trumpets,
and in the vials, in the winepress. Look, verse 15, He treads the
winepress of the fierceness of Almighty God. And he's got his
armies with him, verse 14. The armies which were in heaven
followed him upon white horses, in fine linen, white and clean.
Do you notice what these armies haven't got? If you look at an army, what's
the thing that they most want to show you? Their weapons. There's
no weapons, just their clothing. They're on horses, and they're
clothed in fine linen, white and clean. This is his saints. This is his bride that's in heaven
with him. They follow him wherever he goes,
as Revelation 4.14 says. They're on white horses like
his, because, as it says now, 1 John 4.17, as he is, as Christ
is, so are we in this world, and if in this world, then so
in eternity, and in the one to come. No weapon, simply armed
with righteousness. They don't need weapons. Why
don't they need weapons? In 2 Chronicles 20, verse 15,
there was a battle with Israel going on, and they said, the
battle is not yours, but is God's. The battle is not yours, but
is God's. This is spiritual warfare. This
is spiritual armor. The only weapons are the word
of God and prayer. And speaking of the word of God,
look, his name, verse 13, is called the word of God. He is
the Word of God. In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He is the Word
of God. Psalm 138 verse 2, Thou hast
magnified thy Word above all thy name. The Word which is written
on the page speaks of him in every page who is the Word of
God. These are they, said Jesus, which
speak of me. These words. Beginning at Moses
and the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures
the things concerning himself. So Paul said, I determined to
know nothing else among you. So Jesus Christ and him crucified. And to the elders on the beach
at Ephesus, he said that that was the same as not shunning
to make known to them the whole counsel of God. Because what
is the whole counsel of God? Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. He is the Word of God. He is
the one who manifests the fullness of the Godhead to His people. He has a sword, but it's not
a sword in His hand, it's coming out of His mouth, and it's the
Word of God. Because the weapons are the truth,
the Word of God. The Word of God, we learn in
Ephesians chapter 6, is the sword of the Spirit. He consumes His
enemies by the word of His mouth. This is your God. Read Psalm
2 again. We don't have time now. Read
it again. Talks about a rod of iron. You'll see that in Psalm
2. He rules them with a rod of iron. This is the one who now
and always, in truth, is in control. But at this culmination, at this
climax, at this Armageddon climax, he will show that he is absolutely
in control. And I tell you, this is a fact.
Everyone, everyone that has ever lived, including all of us here,
and anybody that might listen, will be compelled by one of two
things. Either by the gospel of God's
grace, or by the iron rod of justice. Compelled to do what?
To bow the knee to Christ. Where are you? Are you amongst
those who you know you have been compelled by his
grace and you will be told welcome come enter the blessing prepared
for you from the founder or will you be those who will bow before
the rod of iron which is his justice for your sin. Verses
17 and 18 the angel cries out come and see I'll summarize come
and witness judgment being executed on all the mighty men and everything
of this world, verses 19 and 20, that which is at the root
of it, the beast and the false prophet, these instruments of
Satan, this antichrist, this world unity against the things
of God, look what happens to them? The war is finished as
soon as it's begun. There's not a blow struck. It's
finished before it's begun. They're cast alive into the lake
of fire, burning with brimstone. This is the certain end of all
things, of all opposition to God's rule, to God's righteousness,
to God's justice. But before I close, time's gone,
turn over to the end, Revelation 22, verse 16. Now, is that not A striking, stunning declaration
of the truth of things. It is ending. And everybody,
everybody is caught up in it. Not one will escape. You'll either
be there as the objects of God's grace or you'll be there to suffer
the rod of His eternal justice. Verse 16 of chapter 22. This
faithful and true rider of this horse, I, Jesus, have sent mine
angel to testify unto you these things in the churches." He's
sent his preachers to preach these things. He says, I am the
root and offspring of David, the bright and morning star,
and the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth
say, Come. and let him that is athirst come,
and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." If
that says nothing else, it says this, the door of salvation is
open wide. Will you try to claim, will anybody
try to claim, that election stopped you from being on the Lord's