Revelation 19:11–16. Now before I read these verses, so this is more than we normally read and reflect on, but I just want to give you a picture. So when we think of Jesus all throughout the Gospels, we see He came as a child in a manger. And yet Revelation 19 has given us a picture of what He’s gonna look like when He comes back, and He’s not a child in a manger. So hear the picture of Jesus when He comes and His return.
“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.“
– Revelation 19:11–16
I share that picture with you just to give you a glimpse, and there’s obviously so much we can dive into in those verses, but just to give us a glimpse of Christ, Jesus, in all of His glory. He who came as a child in a manger is coming back as a King on a horse, and the picture is His rule, His reign, His might, His judgment, His love, His mercy, He will bring with Him. The whole picture here just causes us to praise Jesus, to look to Jesus.
Revelation 19:11–16 Exalts God for His Faithfulness
Oh, Lord Jesus, we bow our hearts before You right now and we praise You. We exalt You. This vision is breathtaking of You. You are faithful and you are true. You are the righteous judge and you are a messianic warrior. Jesus, You see all. Your eye is like a flame of fire. You know all. You judge all. Jesus, You are our judge. You’re my judge. You’re all of our judge. You will come with many crowns on Your head, with mystery to Your name. You will come as a conqueror, revealing God’s Word.
Jesus, You are the Word of God, and You will bring about the end of the history of this world and the beginning of Your kingdom fully and finally reigning over all the nations of this world. You will bring God’s ultimate consuming wrath on those who have turned from God and not trusted in the grace available in Your death on the cross in the gospel. You will reign as King of kings and Lord of lords forever and ever and ever.
This Verse Calls Us to Give God our Hearts
We bow our hearts in awe of You. Jesus, we praise You and we long to see You. We long for Revelation 19:11–16, for faith to be sight like this. Jesus, we long to see You. We love You. We want to follow You. Help us to follow You and to obey You today. Help us to walk with You and live in a way that glorifies You today. We praise You for Your love for us, Your loving reign over our lives. Jesus, we trust in You, we seek You, and we need You. We worship You. You are our King, and we exalt You, Lord Jesus, and we pray all of this in Your name. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
