The Second Advent of Jesus Christ in the Book of Revelation (Doctrinal Bible Church in Huntsville, Alabama)

Doctrinal Bible Church

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Wednesday October 23, 2024

The Day of the Lord Series: The Second Advent of Jesus Christ in Revelation 19:1-20:3

Lesson # 45

Revelation chapter 19 teaches extensively regarding the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 19:1-10 reveals the events in heaven leading up to the Second Advent, which is taught in Revelation 19:11-20:3.

In Revelation 19:1-6, John presents “hallelujah” choruses after the destruction of the city of Babylon and Revelation 19:7-10 records the proclamation of the wedding of the Lamb and Revelation 19:11-20:3 records the “Second Advent” of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 19:11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. (NIV84)

The “white horse rider” is a reference to Christ and is distinguished from the white horse rider in Revelation 6:2, which refers to Antichrist coming as a peacemaker during the first half of Daniel’s Seventieth Week.

In the ancient world, the horse was an animal used for warfare, thus here it speaks of Christ making war against His enemies.

During His First Advent, He came riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, which was an animal that symbolized peace, which He was offering to the nation of Israel, which they rejected when they crucified Him.

The fact that Christ is on a white horse is alluding to the ancient Roman Triumph.

Revelation 19:11-16 presents a twelve-fold description of Jesus Christ when He appears at His Second Advent.

Our Lord is described as “faithful,” which means that He can always be counted on to keep His promises unlike rulers throughout human history who made promises they could not or did not fulfill.

He is described as “true” meaning that He is the “real deal,” the perfect ruler for this world who always tells the truth because as to His divine nature, He is truth.

The second description “with justice He judges and wages war” means that every enemy of God on the earth is about to be judged and executed and removed from the earth and this is in accordance with His perfect righteousness.

This stands in stark contrast to Christ’s “First Advent,” when He came full of grace and truth, not to judge but to bear the penalty of sin, to be judged for our sin, however, at His “Second Advent” He comes as Judge.

The third description of our Lord is that His “eyes are like a blazing fire,” which is symbolic language for the fact that at His Second Advent, He will come to judge those on the earth in rebellion against God and to put down all unrighteousness.

The fourth description of Christ is that “on His head are many crowns,” which symbolizes Christ’s right to rule as absolute, sole ruler of planet earth and the fifth description of our Lord is that “He has a name written on Him which no one knows but He Himself.”

The word “name” refers to our Lord’s character and Jesus Christ is unique as the God-Man in that He is the only member of the Trinity with a human nature and He is the only member of the human race who has a divine nature as God, thus no one knows His name except Himself.

The sixth description of Christ is that “He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood,” which anticipates the defeat of His enemies (See Isaiah 63:1-6) and the seventh description of our Lord is that “His name is the Word of God,” which refers to the fact that He is the Word of God incarnate.

Revelation 19:14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. (NIV84)

This verse presents the eighth description of Christ at His Second Advent.

The armies following Christ are composed of two groups: (1) Elect angels (Matthew 13:41; 16:27; 24:30-31; Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26; 2 Thessalonians 1:7) (2) Old Testament saints in resurrection bodies (Dan. 12:1-2) (3) Tribulational martyrs in resurrection bodies (Rev. 6:9-11) (4) The church (Revelation 19:1-8, 14).

These “overcomers” from the church age are “dressed in fine linen,” which Revelation 19:8 describes as “the righteous acts of the saints.”

Revelation 19:15 Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. (NIV84)

The ninth description of Christ when He comes back at His Second Advent is that “Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations,” which speaks of the fact that Christ will remove all His enemies from the earth.

The tenth description “He will rule them with an iron scepter” refers to Christ wielding absolute governmental authority over the entire earth during His millennial reign and will require all men to conform to His righteous and just standards and that He will not tolerate lawlessness or injustices.

The eleventh description of Christ at His Second Advent is that “He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty,” which speak of a harvest of judgment that is deliberate and continuous until it is complete and demonstrates how much God hates sin and is an expression of God’s holiness.

Revelation 19:16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords. (NIV84)

Revelation 19:16 records the twelfth description of Christ when He returns at His Second Advent, which refers to the majestic power of Christ since the robe in the ancient world was a symbol of majesty and the thigh suggested power.

Revelation 19:17-20:3 presents the conclusion of the Armageddon campaign, which began with the Antichrist’s desecration of the temple in Jerusalem during the midway point of Daniel’s seventieth week and Daniel 11:40-45, Zechariah 12 and 14 describes this war from Israel’s perspective and Revelation 19 records the outcome of this war.

Therefore, the events recorded by John in Revelation 19:17-20:3 present the conclusion of the Armageddon campaign.

Revelation 19:17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great.” (NIV84)

The angel’s invitation to the birds of the earth anticipates how devastating and complete Christ’s victory will be over the Tribulational armies.

Revelation 19:17-18 teaches that Jesus Christ will destroy all who resist Him regardless of class and status in life and also teaches the principle that God’s judgment upon man is no respecter of persons (See Romans 2:6-11).

Revelation 19:19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. (NIV84)

The armies of Antichrist will be fighting the Eastern Confederacy in the valley of Jezreel, which is also called “Armageddon,” however, Revelation 19:19 teaches that they will stop pointing their weapons at each other and will point them at Christ.

“The beast” is a reference to the Antichrist who is identified by this designation in Revelation 13:1, 2, 3, 4; 14:9, 11; 11:7; 15:2; 16:2; 17:3; 19:20; and 20:10.

“The kings of the earth” would include the seven remaining kings of the ten nation European Confederacy (See Revelation 17:12-17; Daniel 7:18) as well as the kings of the East (Revelation 16:12-17).

Revelation 19:20 But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. (NIV84)

“The beast” and the “false prophet” are the first human beings that will occupy the Lake of Fire and the rest of unsaved humanity will join them at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15).

Satan is not sent to the Lake of Fire until after the millennium when he starts one final rebellion, which God puts down (Revelation 20:7-10).

Revelation 19:21 The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh. (NIV84)

This passage teaches that Christ’s victory over Antichrist, the false prophet and the kings of the earth and their armies is a total and complete and absolute one.

Revelation 20:1 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. (NIV84)

The “abyss” is a prison for fallen or non-elect angels and the expression “The dragon” emphasizes Satan’s vicious and cruel character and emphasizes his end time activity and behavior.

“That ancient serpent” draws our attention to Satan’s crafty character and reminds us of the Garden of Eden, the fall of man, his usurpation of man’s rule on earth, and his constant activity of temptation and deception.

“Devil” is the noun Diabolos, a legal term meaning “slanderer, false accuser” and “Satan” is the noun Satanas, which is a legal term meaning “adversary.”

The fact that Revelation 20:3 teaches that Satan will be incarcerated for a thousand years at Christ’s Second Advent clearly implies that he is not incarcerated at this present time in history and will not be until the Second Advent of Christ.