Monday in the Fifth Week of Easter

Revelation 19:11-21

Finally, He Comes

Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” borrows from Revelation 19:6: “Hallelujah!  For the Lord God Almighty reigns.”  We do not mean that God does not reign presently, only that when His Son returns, the victory won on the cross will finally be completed, Satan’s forces consigned to eternal torment, and the kingdom of our Father made visible “on earth as it is in heaven.”  And it is His Son’s return that marks the end – the end of history as we know it – and the beginning of a new history, announced by the prophets long ago, who spoke of the mountain of the Lord being established on earth, swords being beaten into plowshares, lions and oxen eating straw together, and best of all, a mighty king ruling in righteousness (Isaiah 2:1-4; 11:1-9; Micah 4:1-4).  This king will rule with a “rod of iron,” a phrase used in the Bible to depict the coming reign of the Son of God (Psalm 2:9; Revelation 2:27; 12:5).

It is truly a terrible sight.  It seems that the one on the white horse bears little resemblance to the one laid in a lowly manger two millennia ago.  But it is he.  It was necessary that he should suffer before he entered his glory (Luke 24:26).  And he has entered it.  He now waits for his Father’s nod to finish what he began.  And when he comes again, it will be in power and might.  He comes to rule, and not just over men’s hearts, but over all things, bodies as well as souls, the natural world and spiritual world being welded into one, and all things being made subject unto him (1 Corinthians 15:20-28).  I am inclined to think that the way we see him here, and the way we see him in chapter one, is the way he truly appears, for when he walked upon the earth, he was cloaked in the humility of mortal flesh.  When he comes again, he shall appear in his glory, and his glory is no cloak, but his natural state of being.  The little bit of glory he displayed in his transfiguration was his pulling back the veil so we could get a slight glimpse of it even in his human state (Matthew 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-8; Luke 9:28-36).

Then there are the names he is called: Faithful and True, Word of God, King of kings and Lord of lords, and one that only he knows.  These express the nature of who he is.  His robe is dipped in blood – his blood – the blood he shed for us, the blood that was drawn by sinful men.  A sword proceeds from his mouth, and the birds of the air feast upon the flesh of men.  “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” (Romans 12:19).  And so the divine payday arrives.  The martyrs are vindicated.  The rewards are handed out; each goes to his assigned place.  The fierce Lamb comes to judge the world; the gentle Lion comes to rule his people.

Author: The Reformed Baptist

My name is Stephen Taylor, ordained Baptist minister of eighteen years pastoral experience with a Ph.D. in Historical Theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Better than that, I am married to a godly woman, Karla, who has been very patient with me since 1989. I have two daughters, both of whom I homeschooled for extended periods of time, who became godly young women, and who ran off and married godly young men, all of which is very proper. The oldest daughter has even seen fit to bless me with a grandson and a granddaughter, and my youngest daughter with a grandson, all three of whom are bundles of exceeding joy. As you can see, I am quite blessed. This website is dedicated to helping people grow in the wisdom and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ through the gift of writing that the Lord has given to me. It is specifically about helping His people grow in godliness, the theme you see repeated above. I write devotions with this aim and hope that they might be of some help to God’s people. Full disclosure: I am of a Reformed bent, meaning that my understanding of Scripture is primarily informed by the Reformers and their successors of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. However, as a student of church history and theology, I strive to remain true to that teaching handed down once for all unto the saints through every age of the Church. I like to think of myself as a “catholic” Christian, as the Reformers thought of themselves. At any rate, feel free to read, pray, and contact me if you wish, or correct me if need be. As you can see, I tend to follow the church year. Of course, I make no special claims about these devotions. I know very well that others have written better and plumbed the depths of God’s word with greater insight. But if my musings help someone draw closer to the Lord, well then, I have my reward. Blessings to you and may the God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ speak to you that word which He knows you especially need to hear. Grace & peace, Stephen Taylor View all posts by The Reformed Baptist