Burunche’s Blog

Revelation 19:11- 16 “Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war. He has eyes like blazing fire, and many royal crowns on His head. He has a name written on Him that only He Himself knows. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is The Word of God.

The Gospel of John begins “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” The Lord Jesus, Christ, the only Son of His Heavenly Father, is the living Word of God. For thousands of years, people have read these words, but how many people have actually expected Jesus to return as the Living Word with infinite power? Now the time has come for Jesus to show Himself in all of His Majesty and His Glory.

Jesus is the Rider on the white horse, the One called Faithful and True. The Greek term for “faithful” means ”absolutely to be trusted.” Jesus brings truth, His nature is true, and He brings complete reality. Jesus is the One who is capable of judging and waging war righteously. Even though men have attempted to justify their wars throughout the ages, Jesus is the only One who truly wages just war.

Barclay explains: His eyes are a flame of fire…. It stands for the consuming power of the victorious Christ. On his head he has many crowns. The word used here for crown is diadema, which is the royal crown, as opposed to stephanos which is the crown of victory. To be crowned with more than one crown may seem strange, but in the time of John it was quite natural. It was not uncommon for a monarch to wear more than one crown in order to show that he was the king of more than one country. For instance, when Ptolemy entered Antioch he wore two crowns or diadems–one to show that he was lord of Asia and one to show that he was lord of Egypt. On the head of the victor Christ there are many crowns to show that he is lord of all the kingdoms of the earth.

He has a name known to no one but himself….What is this name?…. In Philippians 2:9-11 we read of the name above every name which God has given to Jesus Christ because of his complete obedience; and there the name is almost certainly Lord.

(ii) It is suggested that the name is Y-H-W-H. That was the Jewish name for God.

(iii) It may be that the name is one which can be revealed only at the final union of Christ and the Church.

(iv) It may be… the old idea that to know the name of a divine being was to have a certain power over him.

(v) It may be that we shall never know the symbolism of the unknown name… Only the Son of God can understand the mystery of his own being.” Should a Supreme God be totally knowable, or is it part of that supremacy that mystery should remain? If your god is totally knowable, is it really God or merely something on which you have decided to focus your attention?

v. 13 “He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is The Word of God.” In the past, Jesus was the Lamb of God, slain for the sins of the world. But now the blood on the robe is the blood of Jesus’s enemies. The tables have turned; the Victim has become the Victor. The Gospel of John refers to Jesus as the Living Word. Barclay concludes: Here is the idea in Hebrews 4:12 : “The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword.” When John here called the warrior Christ “The Word of God”, he means that here in action is all the power of God’s word; everything that God has said, and threatened, and promised is embodied in Christ.”

When I was a child, we had a saying “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me!” But that saying is a lie! In fact, words can kill or heal. Just ask the grieving parents of any teen who has been cyber – bullied until he or she commits suicide. How many adults have struggled to overcome hateful pronouncements made by parents or others. “You are stupid! You will never amount to anything! Why try? No matter what you do, you are bound to fail!”

Perhaps you are one of those people who has struggled to overcome horrible curses placed on you when you were young. Take heart, for Jesus, the Living Word of God, has come in His Strength and His Power to remove those curses. If you will only choose to accept the fact that Jesus died on that cross at Calvary to take away the sins of the world, if you will only believe that Jesus can deliver you from the bondage of those curses, you can be free now and forever!

PRAYER: Father God, thank you for sending Jesus, your Living Word! Thank you that Jesus has been, is now, and always will be victorious. Thank you that the Name of Jesus has power to free us from the curses of our sins and the curses spoken over us by others. Lord Jesus, we confess that we are sinners and that we cannot free ourselves. Please deliver us from our sins and free us from the curses placed on us. Thank you that you have promised to give us life and to give it abundantly. In your Name we pray. Amen.

Revelation 19:9 – 10 “Then the angel told me to write, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” So I fell at his feet to worship him. But he told me, “Do not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who rely on the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Of this feast, Barclay writes: The Jews had the idea that, when the Messiah came, God’s people would, as it were, be entertained by God to a great Messianic Banquet. Isaiah speaks of God preparing for his people “a feast of fat things, a feast of wine on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wine on the lees well refined” (Isaiah 25:6). Jesus speaks of many coming from the east and the west and sitting down with the patriarchs in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 8:11). The word used for sitting down is the word for reclining at a meal. The picture is of all men sitting down at the Messianic Banquet of God. Jesus at the Last Supper said that he would not again drink of the cup until he drank it new in his Father’s kingdom (Matthew 26:29). That was Jesus looking forward to the great Messianic Banquet.

In Jewish culture, marriage suppers were among the biggest and most elaborate celebrations possible. Remember that Jesus’ first miracle when he turned water into wine was performed at a marriage feast in Cana when the wine ran out. Is the heavenly banquet likely to look exactly like this description? Probably not! But as Saint Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13 “Our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect….now we see as in a glass darkly…” Remember, John was still human when he was having this vision and so God had to give John pictures with which he could identify so that he would be able to describe the vision accurately.

“So I fell at his feet to worship him. But he told me, “Do not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who rely on the testimony of Jesus.” Throughout history, men have been tempted to worship angels. When angels of the Lord have appeared, they have always warned the men to whom they have appeared NOT to worship them. But it is important to remember that one third of the angels fell from heaven when Satan fell. There are many spiritualist churches that have some angel as their guiding spirit; these angels evidently have no problems with receiving worship and therefore are NOT angels of the Lord.

9b”Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” The Word of God is rich in layers upon layers of meaning and this statement is a perfect example. 1. The testimony of Jesus may refer to the testimony of believers who have followed Jesus and have found Him to be completely true.

2. The testimony of Jesus may refer to those who have listened to Jesus and who have then brought His messages to men. With such men, their words and works all bear evidence of Jesus and point people toward Jesus.

Recently, one of our friends lost her older brother, a fascinating and multi – talented man. Although this man first thought he was called to be a preacher, he became an entrepeneur, conducting all kinds of businesses. But wherever this man went, he bore witness to Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior and pointed the way to God for many of those who first encountered him through their business connections. The compassion, the faith, the joy, and the peace this man demonstrated drew many to Jesus Christ. This man was truly a prophet, albeit an unconventional one. But then, most prophets defy conventions.

Generally, when people send out wedding invitations, they only invite family and friends or close business associates. But Jesus is coming back for His Bride, the Church, and the invitation is open to anyone who will respond. Your invitation is waiting; what are you going to do with it?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank you for loving us so much that you came as a man to live and to die for our sins. Thank you that you have invited us to be with you forever. Help everyone who reads this to say “yes” to that invitation. In your mighty and precious Name, Jesus. Amen.

Revelation 19:3 – 8 “And a second time they called out: “Hallelujah! Her smoke rises forever and ever.” And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne, saying: “Amen, Hallelujah!”

Then a voice came from the throne, saying: “Praise our God, all you who serve Him, and those who fear Him, small and great alike!” And I heard a sound like the roar of a great multitude, like the rushing of many waters, and like a mighty rumbling of thunder, crying out: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him the glory. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. She was given clothing of fine linen, bright and pure.” For the fine linen she wears is the righteous acts of the saints.

“The smoke rises forever and ever…” This statement indicates that the corrupt city that has spelled doom for so many has been completely destroyed and shall never rise again. Remember that here “Babylon” or Rome represents every entity that has seduced mankind from the beginning of time. That ancient enemy of all believers has been crushed into the dirt!

Now the twenty – four elders and the four living creatures, those closest to the throne, are worshiping God. Joining them are the prophets and martyrs and all believers. When these voices cry out, the sound is like that of an enormous waterfall – greater than Niagara or Victoria Falls or Iguazu Falls in Brazil as pictured above. And what is the song that they are singing?

“Hallelujah! For our Lord God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him the glory…”

Ages upon ages, believers have trusted, have continued to act in faith, and have frequently have faced persecution or death as their immediate reward. But now at long last, that faith has been justified! God’s promises are coming true! Now the final union of God and His Church is about to take place.

It is the Lord God Almighty who is being worshiped. The term here in the Greek translates to “He who controls all things.” God is the ultimate Authority and worthy of all praise and worship. Here God is described as the ultimate Bridegroom with the Church as His Bride.

For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. She was given clothing of fine linen, bright and pure.” For the fine linen she wears is the righteous acts of the saints.” When have brides NOT concentrated on preparing for their weddings? Even in the days of the early church, brides spent time preparing their costumes, the linens they would use in their homes, and preparing their bodies so that they would be as attractive to their bridegrooms as possible. In modern times, an entire industry has grown up around weddings and the celebrations surrounding them.

Throughout the Old Testament, God repeatedly referred to Israel as the chosen bride of God. That theme comes out even more clearly in the New Testament.

Barclay explains: “The marriage symbolism runs all through the Gospels. We read of the marriage feast (Matthew 22:2); of the bride chamber and the wedding garment (Matthew 22:10-11); of the sons of the bride chamber (Mark 2:19); of the bridegroom (Mark 2:19; Matthew 25:1); of the friends of the bridegroom (John 3:29). And Paul speaks of himself as betrothing the Church like a pure virgin to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2), and for him the relationship of Christ to his Church is the great model of the relationship of husband and wife (Ephesians 5:21-33). This may seem to us a strange metaphor. But it conserves certain great truths. In any real marriage there must be four things which must also be in the relationship between the Christian and Christ.

(i) There is love. A loveless marriage is a contradiction in terms.

(ii) There is intimate communion, so intimate that man and wife become one flesh. The relationship of the Christian and Christ must be the closest in all life.

(iii) There is joy. There is nothing like the joy of loving and of being loved. If Christianity does not bring joy, it does not bring anything.

(iv) There is fidelity. No marriage can last without fidelity, and the Christian must be as faithful to Jesus Christ as Jesus Christ is to him.

…The Church, the Bride of Christ, is clothed in fine linen, pure and shining. There is a contrast with the scarlet and gold of the great harlot. The white linen represents the good deeds of God’s dedicated people; that is to say, it is character which forms the robe which arrays the Bride of Christ.”

If the marriage metaphor fails to speak to us, it is because our modern world has cheapened marriage into a matter of ceremony for the sake of convenience. But such a tawdry concept was never God’s intent. And this marriage is a union that will last forever.

“But,” you say, “I know that I am a rotten sinner. I know that I can never be good enough to be part of such a ceremony!” Congratulations! Welcome to the human race! NONE of us are good enough. By ourselves, not a single one of us can possibly earn his or her way into heaven. That is the message of Christmas: Jesus was born as a baby to become a man, the only perfect and innocent man ever created, so that He could die for our sins and conquer death and the grave. If we accept what Jesus has done for us, that is the only invitation we will ever need… if we will accept it. But don’t let that invitation just sit there. Now is the time to follow Jesus!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank you for everything you have done for me. I confess that I am a sinner. And I confess that I cannot earn my way into heaven. But thank you that because you have died for my sins, if I follow you, one day I will join you in heaven. Amen.