Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

On our last occasion we were introduced to John’s vision into Heaven whereby his eye is captured by the sight of the Rider on the white horse.

We said that the rider is Jesus.

We said that the white horse signifies His triumph over his enemies.

Hence, it symbolizes His power and rule over all who dare come against Him.

John also characterized Jesus with the name “Faithful and True” indicating that He always is faithful to do the will of the Father and is faithful to His people and word.

He lives out truth, for He is the truth.

He has never done anyone wrong.

He makes war and judges with righteousness.

His judgments are always exactly as they should be.

He wages the true ‘holy’ war against His enemies.

And even His enemies testified that He always spoke the truth and dealt with others in truth.

His eyes are flames of fire showing that He sees all things.

Nothing is hid from His eyes.

There are no secrets kept from Him.

He knows you and me through and through.

He is the supreme ruler for He wears ‘many diadems.’

He is over and above all other rulers.

He wears a name no one knows except those He chooses to know.

He also wears a garment dipped in the blood of His enemies.

and His name is the “Word of God.”

So we saw Christ Characterized in the first part.

Now we come to the the second point of this section.

II.

Christ’s followers, v.14

He has many followers.

While He lived in this world, He had many followers.

There were those who followed Him to see what He would do next.

They saw Him as entertainment.

There were those who followed Him because He was the source of their hope of healing from sickness, leprosy, blindness, deafness or muteness.

They basically used Him for their own meeting of what they wanted.

I think much in the same way people do today.

They saw Him as the source of their daily food, when He fed the 5,000 or 4,000.

At times He vanished from their sight, mostly at night when He pulled away from the crowds into the wilderness to commune with the Father, they awoke to His absence and sought Him ought not because they knew who He was, but because they wanted more give aways.

When He began to talk to them about His being the bread of life and they would have to eat of Him, and that He was the true manna from Heaven, many said this was a hard saying and believed not.

And that only those whom the Father had given Him would come unto Him.

Many of those following Him left off following Him ().

However, there were also those true disciples, man or woman, who followed Him all the way to the cross.

And then all but one of the disciples abandoned Him.

Jesus graciously receives them back after His resurrection.

Now we have these followers who will follow him everywhere.

This is an army that follows the Lord on white horses like His.

Who are these soldiers?

The word is used of military men ; the garrison at the fortress of Antonia, and Herod's bodyguards, .

Lets look at the clues we are given as we see the soldiers described.

1.

They are in Heaven,

Of course, John is seeing in heaven so it is reasonable to assume they were in heaven even if this wasn't mentioned.

In fact, given the context why even mention this?

Where else would His army be?

This was not a human army, ie.

one that was flesh and blood with human weapons of war.

This is more like the heavenly army that Elisha saw and that he had his servant see.

When his servant went out in the morning he saw with human eyes “an army with horses and chariots was all around the city.”(2

kings 6:15) But when his spiritual eyes were opened he saw “the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” ().

In the same way, this is not an earthly army, ie.

one on earth ready to fight with flesh and weapons of human warfare.

This is a heavenly army.

This is not an earthly army, ie.

one on earth ready to fight with flesh and weapons of human warfare.

This is a heavenly army.

Thus, their weapons must be spiritual able to fight spirits.

In fact, it is not even mentioned that they are armed.

For an army, that is inconceivable that it would go to war without weapons.

That can only be because they didn't need weapons for Jesus, the rider on the white horse is fighting for them.

They overcame the devil by the blood of the lamb.

This fight is the Lord's, not theirs.

2. Second point John uses to describe them is that they are followers of Him.

++Faithful

++Love

++Gracious

These are those who have put there faith in Him.

They are followers of Him.

This word doesn't just mean to follow as in going behind or coming behind someone, but actually to accompany as a follower, or a disciple.

In other words they follow His movement, His leading into battle.

To follow as in being a disciple.

The opposite of which would be to follow after other gods.

This would be in this case, a warrior following their Leader.

Christians are said to be followers of Jesus.

It can have as in the gospels a wide sense where people followed Jesus, but a narrow sense in which they leave everything to follow Jesus as did the disciples.

In this case it signifies a commitment.

A disciple does what his rabbi does.

He goes where He goes, mimics his rabbi.

So it is here a good evidence that these are Saints who have died and gone to heaven.

The primary use of the word refers to those who are followers of Jesus as the Messiah.

This is one of the evidences that these may not be Angels, for the word is not used of Angels following Jesus.

They are either the church, believers of all ages, not the bride described in v.8.

They could be all three with no significance given to the difference in description of the garments or they changed their garments from wedding attire to fighting attire.

There is a parallel verse in which would indicate the above, for those with him are "called, chosen and faithful."

the saints come with him.

I have to throw a monkey wrench in the whole thought, because there are those who claim these are angels.

They could be angels, cf. for Michael and his angels, There are many passages that indicate this sort of idea “For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

however, They could be angels, cf. for Michael and his angels, There are many passages that indicate this sort of idea, , ; Jesus could call legions of angels to his rescue.

In , the angels are called ministers who serve him.

He will send them out to gather others.

This host might be these angels.

Jesus could call legions of angels to his rescue.