War of the Messiah II Revelation 19:11-16 #Endtimes #preterism #lastdays

Alright, welcome back to part two of our message on the War of the Messiah, studying Revelation chapter 19, verses 11 through 16. And we hope you followed along and found some interesting concepts that we shared with you in that particular message. And now we're going to continue in Revelation 19, and now we're looking at the text that speaks about the attributes of Christ, as we were mentioning to you before. These are very, very important as we are noticing them, and we definitely want to keep them in mind. So what we're talking about now is the armies in heaven. The armies in heaven that we are noticing in terms of the text. So let's go ahead and begin. Now, the armies in heaven that are spoken of in Revelation 19, and this hopefully should be seen from the text. I want to go back to verses 7 and 8 so we note something. It says, Let us be glad and rejoice and give him glory. For the marriage of the Lamb has come and his wife has made herself ready. And to her was granted to be arrayed or clothed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Now that's the New King James rendering. I'm not very fond of the New King James rendering, even though I understand how that works as well. But I like the King James reference better because it says the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. And the reason I say the righteousness of the saints is because it is God's righteousness that has been imparted to the saints through their faith and obedience to the gospel. Just like Romans 1, 16 and 17 says, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God and the salvation to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God. See, it's God's righteousness. Therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith. And even in Romans chapter 10, when it talks about those who had a zeal of God, you know, where Paul said, Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge, for I bear them record that they are going about seeking their own righteousness and have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God. So that was the problem. They wouldn't submit to God's righteousness, but they wanted to establish their own righteousness rather than submitting to his. And so these armies who are clothed in fine linen and clean and bright, the Bible says the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints, that righteousness, which they have from God. Another text on that is Philippians 3, 9, where Paul said that he did not want to have his own righteousness, which was of the law, but he wanted to be found in the righteousness of Christ, the righteousness, which was of God by faith. So these saints are identified by their clothing. The fine linen are the garments or is the garments of glory worn by the high priest who enters the heavenly tabernacle and God's throne. As we've mentioned several times from Revelation, excuse me, from Exodus 25 verses 21 and 22 was his throne that was over the mercy seat. And in that throne, this is where God would meet with them and give commandments to them. And so this is where God's throne was in the temple. It was in the most holy place. And these garments match those of the high priest. Thus Christ is the warrior priest of Revelation, and he has come to fulfill what Adam failed to do. So when you look in verse 14, it says, and the armies in heaven clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses. And so that robe that he was wearing is that he does wear is the garment of righteousness. It's his high priestly garment. Now, I believe in this, Christ is also a type of Adam. And that would mean that, at least from my understanding, that Adam was a high priest, a type of Christ. When we look, for example, in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verses 45 through 49, you see this comparison between Christ and Adam. And so the text says, let me make sure I get here for this particular passage. Got some pages sticking here in the Bible. And so he says in verse 45, and so it is written, the first man, Adam, became a living being. The last Adam became a life giving spirit. How be it the spiritual is not first, but the natural and afterward the spiritual. The first man is of the earth made of dust. The second man is the Lord from heaven. And as was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust. And as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one. Now, when we look at those passages, you can see every one of them is a comparison between Christ and Adam. And a lot of people approach 1 Corinthians as though it is a discussion of biology, of a person's physical substance, rather than looking at it as a subject of not physical substance, but of one's stance or relationship before God. And that relationship is affected by the priesthood. And this is why the text begins with Christ dying for our sins. That's an action and activity of the high priest who was making atonement. So throughout Corinthians, it's all about the priesthood. Even when you look in verse 24, when it talks about then comes the end, when he has delivered the kingdom to God, for he must reign, quoting Psalms 110, which is all about the priesthood until he has put all enemies under his feet. The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool. So throughout this text, 1 Corinthians 15, it's all about priesthood. It has the sacrifices, it has the feast days, all wrapped in, first fruits and all of those within this chapter. I did a study on that right here on Facebook, or at least on Facebook a couple of years ago through all of these passages, pointing those things out. So even the clothing, when it talks about putting on immortality and putting on incorruption, that's the clothing of the tabernacle. That's the clothing associated with the high priest. And the kingdom represents the throne, the very things that we are seeing in the book of Revelation. And so from that perspective, we should note that. When we see this text, particularly in verse 49, talking about the image of God, and I think it's important to talk about that as we look at the text, because the putting on of these garments is a reference, you know, and remember they're garments of righteousness. This is a reference to putting on the image of God. Now the image of God is not a physical body. As far as I know, God is a spirit and no man has ever seen him at any time. He does not have a physical body from that point of view. And Christ is in his image, and so that would be spiritual as well in terms of his glory. But nevertheless, in verse 49, notice he says, and as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one. Now how can they be the same? They're not in terms of the image. But let's talk about that image a little more, because I hear people say that the image of God is male and female, that God created the male and female, and that's what he created in his image. I don't think that's what the text is saying in Genesis chapter 1, 26 through 28, when it talks about the being made in the image of God. So let's look at a couple of passages. Sometimes we need a little bit more light to be shed on them, and the first text I'd like to look at for the image of God would be from Ephesians chapter 4, verses 22 and 23. So let's take a look in Ephesians 4, verses 22 and, well, I think maybe 23 and 24. Now notice what he says in the text, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind. So what are we talking about? Being renewed in the spirit of your mind, that's talking about knowledge, that's talking about wisdom, and you'll see that in the comparative text. In verse 24 he says, and that you put on the new man. Wait a minute. Well, weren't they putting on a new man in 1 Corinthians chapter 15? These texts are parallel. And that you put on the new man, and see the new man is put on when they were buried with Christ in baptism, according to Romans chapter 6, 3 and 4, all right? Where the old man was put to death, and they were putting on the new man. And so he says that you put on the new man, which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness. That's the image of God. It's true righteousness and holiness. And again, when we turn to Colossians chapter 3, Colossians chapter 3 and the verse is 10, he will once again tell us, after they had put off the old man, let's see, I want Colossians the third chapter. After they had put off the old man, the text says in verse 10, and have put on the new man, parallel with Ephesians 4, who is renewed in knowledge. You see, the renewing in their minds is the renewing in knowledge. That's the knowledge of God, and you'll see it referenced several times as we continue the study, who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of him who created him. So the image of God means to be renewed in the knowledge of God. It means to, and that's from the new covenant, they shall all know me. It means to be or have true righteousness and holiness. David said in Psalm 17 and verse 15, he says, I will be satisfied when I awake in your likeness, when I see your face in righteousness. And that's what first Corinthians 15 is about. Verse 34 says, awake to righteousness and do not sin, for some have not the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame. And the text that was saying, do not sin, don't go back to the old covenant under the bondage of the law, under that state where sin and death reigns. And so this is what he was telling them from that perspective. Now remember that in Revelation 1, 5, and 6, when the Bible says he washed us from our sins in his own blood and has made us kings and priests. And as such, of course, they wear these holy garments that are clean and bright, the fine linen, which is the righteousness of the saints. But that's the language of the garden of Eden as well. Let's look at Revelation chapter 2 and verse 7, Revelation 2 and 7, and you will see how he associates that with garden imagery. In verse 7, the text says, behold, no, not that text, verse 7 of chapter 2, he who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give to eat, notice, from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Well, when we look at the text, speaking of the midst of the paradise of God, that's a reference also to Revelation chapter 22, verses 1 through 5. And this imagery is taken from the garden because it talks about the tree of life. He says, and he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal proceeding from the throne of God and of the lamb in the middle of its street. And on either side of the river was the tree of life, which bore 12 fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations and there should be no more curse. But the throne of God and of the lamb shall be in it and his servants shall serve him. They shall see his face and his name shall be on their foreheads, see his face in righteousness as David desired. There shall be no more night there. They need no lamp nor light of the sun for the Lord God gives them light and they shall reign forever and ever. And so you see that same imagery from the garden in Revelation chapter 22. Now Ezekiel spoke of the imagery of Eden as the garden of God in Ezekiel chapter 28, which of course we understand to be a chapter speaking about the fall of Tyre and the fall of the king of Tyre. But Ezekiel saw many references to the garden as he's describing this. And we have to therefore, in my judgment, see the references and the illusions there. Let's just start in verse 11 instead of going from the entire chapter, but there are things even in the earlier verses that are important. So you can read that in your leisure. He says, moreover, the word of the Lord came to me saying, son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre and say to him, thus says the Lord God, you were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom. You see, there's your knowledge concept and your wisdom concept and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God. Every precious stone was your covering. The Sardius, topaz and diamond, beryl, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and emerald with gold. These are the gems, the gemstones that were in the high priests' garments. And they were also a part of the tabernacle. But notice, he says, the workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created. You were the anointed carob who covers. I establish you and, you know, the carob who covers, all right, which indicates a covering. And then he says, you were on the holy mountain of God. Now I've had people push back and say, Eden was not a mountain. He just referred to Eden and he says, you were on the holy mountain of God. So that's imagery indicating that Eden was a cosmic holy mountain. Then he says, you walk back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created. Those are allusions to Adam till iniquity was found in you. So he's describing the king of Tyre as though he were as Adam in the garden. Then he says, by the abundance of your trading, you became filled with violence within and you sin. Therefore, I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God. And I destroyed you all covering carob from the midst of the fiery stones. Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty. So he cast him out of the garden, out of that temple garden. You corrupted your wisdom. There is wisdom and knowledge corrupted the sake for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground being sent back to the dust. I laid you before kings that they might gaze at you. You defiled your sanctuaries by the multitude of your iniquities. And by the way, I know that they had sanctuaries, you know, these ancient Middle East temples and ziggurats, et cetera, even among the heathens. But again, here we are looking at this imagery that is described from the perspective of Eden. And he says, by the iniquity of your trading, therefore, I brought fire from your midst. It devoured you and I turned you to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all who saw you, all who knew you among the peoples are astonished that you, you have become a horror and shall be no more forever. And so that was his casting out. Then as we further contemplate this, and we look at the comparison between the garments, when you go to Exodus chapter 28 and verse 13, he tells them you shall make. Well, let's see in verse two, he says, and you shall make holy garments for Aaron and your brother for glory and for beauty. Look at the glory that he talked about in Ezekiel and the beauty that he talked about there. That's priestly language that he's describing. And so with the work of an engraver in stone, you know, he's talking about these engravings on these various stones that were a part of the priestly garments. And so all of that being a reference to those, those particular garments. Now, when we look in verses 15 through 18, and I won't spend any time there, actually you can go all the way through verse 20. Again, you see those, those precious gemstones that were used and all of these things were part of the priestly garments. Now let's go back to Revelation chapter three and verse 18 and look at that text as well. The scripture says that I counsel you to buy from me, talking to the church at Laodicea, gold refined in the fire that you may be rich and white garments that you may be clothed that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed and anoint your eyes with eyesalve that you may see. So he talked about them being clothed with these garments and those are the garments of righteousness that the shame of their nakedness does not appear. Well, that's also going back to Genesis two, where it says that Adam was naked and was unashamed. The reason I believe he was unashamed was because he had been clothed with the garments of glory, equipping him to be the high priest and to have rule and dominion to expand the garden of Eden beyond the chaos of the outer world from which he had originally been taken. And, and that's why I see those references. And so that is what it means in taking on the image of God. And as Romans 8, 29 says that Christ gave men the opportunity to be conformed to the image of his son, or at least God did to be conformed to the image of his son. And how were they conformed? Not by going into the ground and coming out with a body that is the antithesis of the physical body, but it was through their dying with Christ and being justified. In other words, becoming righteous. And by the way, justification and righteousness come from basically the same root word. The text says in verse 29, for whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren, moreover whom he predestined these. He also called, called him how by what through the gospel whom he called. He also justified and whom he justified. These, he also glorified. He clothed them with the garments of righteousness. And therefore this is what Ezekiel is talking about in that particular text. And so Adam was to guard and to keep the garden words that are not limited to agriculture, but words that throughout the old Testament references of speaking of the priesthood have to do with ruling and reigning and preventing evil coming into the sacred space. Now, the next part of the text says they followed him on white horses. This is spoken of in Ephesians 6, 12, when the text references, we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. You see, the book of Revelation was written to the seven churches in Asia. Ephesus was one of those churches. And you see, therefore, that it is those who were in Ephesus were engaged with the rest in this holy battle, but they were fighting against spiritual wickedness. They were fighting against the rulers of the darkness of that age. And that's what Ephesians 6 and verse 12 says. And they weren't fighting with literal physical military warfare, like shining metal swords, et cetera, and daggers, but they were fighting with a different sword, with the sword of the spirit, just like in Exodus 15. And in Deuteronomy 32, it mentions that the battle would be with this glistening sword. Well, that sword that the Lord was using is the word of God. The text says in 2 Timothy chapter 10 and verse 3, for though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God. For the pulling down of strongholds, casting down arguments, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. And so this is what is alluded to in Revelation chapter 12, seven through nine. And remember, again, that we're talking about this war that took place in the heavenly places. And certainly Ephesus was a part of that. In Revelation chapter 12, verses seven through nine, John says that he saw a war that broke out in heaven, Michael and his angels fought, and the dragon and the dragon with the dragon and the dragon and his angels fought. You know, that's just like the dragon in Exodus fighting with Pharaoh. And now you see the same imagery. And even as you look in chapter 12, you'll see Exodus imagery in this particular text also. But he says, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out. That serpent of old called the devil and Satan who deceives the whole world. He was cast to the earth and his angels were cast out with him. And so they are defeated. They are being defeated in this particular context. And then notice the statement that follows in verse 10. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, now salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ have come for the accuser of our brethren who accused them before our God day and night has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony. And they did not love their lives to the death. Well, in Revelation 19, the same thing is said upon the fall of mystery Babylon. The text says in 19 after these things, verse one, I heard a loud voice and a great multitude in heaven saying, hallelujah, salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God for true and righteous are his judgments. So compare those two statements, Revelation 19 verse one with Revelation 12 and verse 10 and you'll see that the events are the same from the same battle that is being recapitulated in Revelation 19. So it's very important to see that. Now, the text talks about out of his mouth goes a sharp sword with it, he would strike the nations. Verse 15, now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword that with it he should strike the nations and he himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He himself treads the wine press of the fierceness and the wrath of almighty God. That's a quote from Psalms too. When the text says, why do the nations rage and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed saying, let us break the bonds in pieces or their bonds in pieces and cast away their courts from us. They are in a state of rebellion. They don't want to be under the yoke of the Lord. Where Jesus pleaded with them and said, come unto me, all you who labor in a heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and you shall find rest into your souls. They said, oh no, we will not have this man to reign over us. And the Bible says, he who sits in the heaven shall laugh. The Lord shall hold them in derision. Then he shall speak to them in his wrath and distress them in his deep displeasure. Yet I have set my king on my holy hill of Zion. We've talked about that. I will declare the decree. The Lord has said to me, you are my son today. I have begotten you ask of me and I will give you the nations for your inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron. You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel. Notice in Revelation 2, 25 through 27, we're looking at the armies who followed him in heaven. These are the saints. But likewise in Revelation chapter two, verses 25 through 27, the scripture also talks about the saints being those who likewise would reign and rule with a rod of iron as well. It says, but hold fast what you have till I come. Well, that's the coming in 70 AD. That's the coming of the Lord in judgment upon Jerusalem. He says, and he who overcomes and keeps my works until the end to him, I will give power over the nations. He shall rule them with a rod of iron. They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels. And I also, as I also have received from my father and I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches. Now in verse 21, he had told Revelation three, excuse me. And verse 21, he told them that whoever overcomes, he would grant to sit with him in his throne, even as he overcame and sat down with his father in his throne. But notice also as the text in Revelation 19 and 15 speaks about, it says out of his mouth goes a sharp sword. That's the sword, which is the word of God, which is quick and powerful, sharper than any two edged sword piercing to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intent of the heart in Ephesians in that same text where we were discussing the battle that they were fighting. He talks about the armor that they used and the text says in verse 13, therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand, stand therefore having girded your waist with truth. You see, that's the knowledge of God. That's the gospel having put on the breastplate of righteousness and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace above all taking the shield of faith with which you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. And so this is why you see the references to righteousness in just about every text as part of the imagery in the battle, which we find in Revelation. And then he says he treads the wine press of the wrath of almighty God. That's a scene from Revelation chapter 14. You can look at verses six through 20. It was the time or the hour that the judgment had come, just like we see in chapter 18 with the judgment on Jerusalem. The angel announces that Babylon is fallen, is fallen. That great city, the city in which according to Revelation 11 in verse eight, the dead bodies would lie in the street of that great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And of course, that would be the city of Jerusalem and a warning was given to those who worship the beast and who followed them. And so those who received the mark of the beast, and that's what these saints were resisting. This is why they were clothed with the holy garments and these garments of glory, these priestly garments, because they were along with the Lord fighting against them with the sword of the word of God. And then he says the smoke of their torment ascended forever, just like Revelation 19 in verse three, when Jerusalem was destroyed, he said that the, their torment or their smoke arises forever. Again, they said, hallelujah, her smoke rises forever, and therefore Jerusalem would never rise again. That means they rule in the kingdom. They're now in the eternal rest of God as this victory has been completed. Just as he said, they rest from their labors, Revelation 14 in verse 13. And again, he talked about the wine press of God in the latter verses of Revelation chapter 14, and that's what he's referring to in verse 15, when he says out of his mouth goes a sharp sword that he should strike the nations and he himself will rule them with the rod of iron. He himself treads the wine press of the fierceness of the wrath of God almighty. And we look at that both in verse 10 of chapter 14 and verse 19, where it says he himself verse 10 shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out in full strength into the cup of his indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the lamb. Verses 19 and 20. So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth and threw it into the great wine press of the wrath of God. And the wine press was trampled outside the city and blood came out of the wine press up to the horse's bridles for 1600 furlongs. Now look, it was trodden down outside the city. Revelation 11 too says, but leave out the court, which is outside the temple and do not measure it for it has been given to the Gentiles and they will tread the holy city under foot 40 and two months. So that's the destruction on Jerusalem. That's the treading down of the wine press. That's what was taking place at the time of the coming of the Lord in 70 AD. That was the time of the marriage. And finally, the Bible says that he had a name written on his side. Let's take a look at that very quickly and then we will be closed. The text in verse 16, it says, and he has on his robe and on his thigh, a name written. You see, he's gotten a name for himself. He's conquered his enemies, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Then, and so from that, this is a name that is above every name, not only in the age of the old covenant, but also in what is called the age to come, which is now the present age that has come as a result of his coming. And Christ has a name, which is above every name. Every knee should bow to this name. He earned that name through the defeat of all of his enemies, something that the law could not do, something that no other power within the world, whether Pharaoh and whether any of the other rulers, Nebuchadnezzar or any of the other rulers of the Old Testament, even the Roman emperors, none of them could do. Herod nor any of the rest. Christ was able to do in destroying all of his enemies, not even the high priest of the Old Covenant who had reign over the people of God could accomplish what Christ accomplished. And thus, this is the name. And I believe that's what he's referring to in Revelation 3, 12. When he says he who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God and he shall go out no more. 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 out of heaven from my God, and I will write on him my new name. So he has the name of the city, the heavenly city, but he also has the new name of Christ, the victorious one, the glorious one. It's a name above every name. It's a name to which we all should bow. It's a name of conquering. It's a name of reigning and prospering. We encourage you to take up that reign, to continue to fight and to conquer on behalf of the Lord as a result of the victory that he has won, that you might wear these garments of glory in righteousness as God has given them to us. That's the message. Once again, we want to encourage you to subscribe to our channel by clicking that red button. Hit the like button if you found some things that were helpful to you in your search and quest for the knowledge of God. If you have questions and comments, we encourage you to leave them in the chat area. Also, subscribe to our newsletter, which is absolutely free, allthingsfulfilled.com forward slash subscribe. And we encourage you to visit our website. With that, we want to say good morning to you. Sorry about the delay in getting the messages to you due to some technical difficulties we had, but that's it. And take care. We will see you in our next message.