The church, which was called out of the world by Christ prior to the Great Tribulation, has been in heaven with Him during the end times. When we concluded our portion of Chapter 19 on Thursday, the angel speaking with John informed him, "The wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." No one will ever be able to whisper behind the church's back and say, "How dare she wear white?" Christ has given her the purity to wear white. No matter what her members have done in the past, she has been washed clean by the blood of the Lamb, and now she stands in His presence dressed in the garments of a chaste bride. No one can question her virtue. If Christ says she is pure in His eyes, she is pure. He is the ultimate authority on the perfection of His bride.
In today's passage we find Christ returning to earth to wage war with His enemies. His bride comes with Him. She will never be parted from Him. Wherever her Bridegroom goes, she always follows. But first the angel concludes his previous discussion with John. "Then the angel said to me, 'Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' And he added, 'These are the true words of God.' At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, 'Don't do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.'" (Revelation 19:9-10)
John is overwhelmed at the thought of the wedding supper of the Lamb. The knowledge that the church---made up of ordinary people like him with all their faults and failures---is now a pure and perfect bride drives him to his knees in gratitude. I don't think John is confused or that he sins in bowing before the angel. I think he does something that comes naturally to him in the moment because of his joy and relief. Have you ever had someone give you such good news that you feel overwhelmingly grateful to them? For instance, maybe a doctor told you that some very serious tests came back normal. Didn't your relief make you want to thank the doctor that your results are normal even though the doctor isn't the one who made your results normal? I think that's what's going on in this passage. John is so happy about the good news that he could just about kiss the feet of the messenger.
"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 wages war." (Revelation 19:11) A white horse was the mount of a king in John's day. It was what a king would ride into battle. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to fulfill the prophecy of Zechariah (Zechariah 9:9), He was riding the animal a king rides when he comes in peace. But this time Christ is coming to wage war, so He rides a white horse.
"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." (Revelation 19:12) John told us in Revelation 1:14 that Christ's eyes were like blazing fire when He appeared to him. There is nothing the Lord doesn't see, and this makes Him a righteous judge. No evidence is hidden from His eyes. He wears many crowns because He is the King of kings. When He reigns over the earth, He will be the only political leader in the world. As the prophet Zechariah said of the day when Christ ascends to the throne of the entire world, "The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and His name the only name." (Zechariah 14:9) This name---the name that will be the only name that symbolizes salvation and power---is a name no man has ever heard before. It is a name no man has ever blasphemed. It is a name no man has ever used in vain. Our precious Lord deserves a name like that!
"He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God." (Revelation 19:13) At His first advent, Christ was covered in His own blood. The blood He shed for the sins of mankind ran down His battered and bruised body while He hung on the cross. But at His second advent He will wear the blood of His enemies. We must remember that the enemies of those who love the Lord are His enemies too. So He is coming not only to fight against those who have rejected Him and slandered His name, but He is also going to avenge the wrongs done to His people. He is going to avenge the blood of those who were martyred for their faith during the Great Tribulation. He is going to avenge those who were persecuted during the end times. In the final judgment, He is going to avenge every wrong ever done to the people of God throughout the ages.
"The armies of heaven were following Him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean." (Revelation 19:14) Many mainstream scholars believe that these who are dressed in fine linen represent the church---the bride of Christ. I see no reason to doubt their opinion. We've already been told the church has been given white, clean linen to wear. We've already been told that the church has been in heaven with Christ during the Great Tribulation, and as His bride she will never be parted from Him. I believe this army dressed in white is the bride, returning to the earth with her Bridegroom.
The church has been promised that the Lord will judge her human enemies and her angelic enemies. The people of God have angelic enemies, and these are the angels who disobeyed God and did harm to the human race instead of ministering to us as God intended. In the judgment we who belong to the Lord will sit as judges in the holy courtroom that finds these angels guilty. (1 Corinthians 6:3) The people of the Lord have been assured that, in the judgment, we will give condemning testimony against those who have spoken against us. (Isaiah 54:17) The victory over Satan is so certain and so complete that the Lord says He is going to crush him under our feet. (Romans 16:20)
No wonder John falls to his knees at the glory of the revelations given to him! All these beautiful promises are soon to come true.
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