Jesus: The Conquering King

Photo by Minu Pradeep on Unsplash
It has been said that the best way to sum up the book of Revelation is to say, “Jesus wins.” Now, that is true as far as it goes, but this doesn’t go far enough. The book tells us more than just Jesus wins, because it tells us how Jesus wins. Details are important, because details give us a clearer picture of who Jesus is and always was.
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This scene is an important detail in our Portrait of Jesus series because it helps form the final word of the subtitle I stole from Beth McGrew for this series: Jesus, Meek and Wild. This is the wild part.
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Jesus isn’t a general leading from the rear. His garments have blood on them. He is getting personally involved. His eyes are described as flames, and His mouth wields a sword! This is a very different picture of a Lamb being led to slaughter, but I think a careful study of this passage will enhance your view of Jesus.
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For one, this picture will help us appreciate how patient Jesus was. At any moment, He would have been justified to slaughter everyone there, especially at the cross. But He doesn’t.
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I think that this also shows us where Christmas is ultimately going. We rightly talk about that Christmas begins in the manger and goes to the cross, but that isn’t all there is. The cross is the redemptive moment for us, but the ultimately victorious moment is here. It begins in the manger, and it ends on the Throne, all enemies and threats to it being decisively defeated.
Our King Will Return
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While the book of the Revelation is complex, what comes here in this chapter is not overly difficult to understand. While we simply don’t have time to unravel all of the arguments as to when or precisely how this takes place, let’s simply look at what it is showing us about Who is doing all this work.
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We begin in verse 11 with an introduction to a figure sitting on a white horse riding into battle. As this passage unfolds, it becomes blindingly obvious that this is Jesus riding this horse. There are many names and titles that are given to Jesus that when they are all stacked together, you paint this picture of a really imposing figure! He is called Faithful and True. This title is given to Jesus earlier in the letters that are sent to the churches (3:7, 14).
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He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and our faithful High priest, but there is something that is not often talked about: Jesus brings war. His eyes are described as a flame of fire, crowns stacked on top of each other on His head, and most graphically, is wearing a robe that is dipped in blood!
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Let’s take a look at that robe for a moment. Some might think that the blood on the robe is actually His own blood. After all, His is known for shedding His blood for our redemption, isn’t He? Obviously, yes, that is still true, but as always, we have to look at the context of the rest of the passage to see what is going on.
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Verse 15 gives us a pretty good hint as to what exactly this blood is. The last line of that verse mentions Him treading the winepress of God’s wrath, and this image isn’t something that John is coming up with on His own. One key thing to understand about Revelation is that there is a reference to the Old Testament practically every three verses. This is just loaded with call backs and allusions to the Old Testament, and this is one of them. Specifically, this is pointing back to
Isaiah 63:1-3. God is speaking in this chapter, and He arrives, as it were, with stained garments, stained with blood. They are splattered like one who’s garments are stained from a wine press.
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A winepress would have looked like a small pool dug into the ground and lined with stone. You would pour the grapes into the pool and then stomp around with your bare feet to press all the grapes down to squash the juice out of it. This would not be the time to wear your best garment. Can you imagine the mess you would make on a tunic stomping around a wading pool of wine? Can you also imagine what this would be like from the perspective of a grape? This is utter destruction. This is absolutely apocalyptic!
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This is the image that is ascribed to Jesus. He has dominated His enemies like a winepress of grapes, and His robe tells the tale. He has stomped them, and now He rules with a rod of iron. This is a rule that is not going to expire. This is a definitive victory that was prophesied all the way back in
Psalm 2
. This judgment has been a slow burn, and absolutely no one can be said to be surprised by it. God has been announcing that it is coming for the last 3,000 years. When Jesus comes to reign, He takes that title of King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
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The battle that ensues here is quite definitive. And quick. We are going to skip down to verse 20 showing that the beast and false prophet (without getting into all the ways that we can look at the specific identity of this beast and prophet, let’s suffice it to say that these are Satanic agents bent on harming the Church). The heads of this resistance (with Satan himself bound up in the next chapter) are cast into hell, and “the rest” are slain by the sword. Who are “the rest”? Well, these are the kings of the earth and their armies. This would be absolutely terrifying to witness on the horizon, yet Christ defeats them all with His Word. This isn’t even a contest or challenge.
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What happens to all the bodies? Well, the birds are commanded to come to a feast. Here is God still taking care of the birds. What you’ll notice is that no one gets special treatment, either. Kings, captains, mighty men, animals, free men, and even slaves. There are no social categories that excuse from the wrath of God. There is no one above the law and no one too lowly to be noticed. Everyone is equal before the judgment of God. If this chapter were to be fulfilled today everyone opposed to God from the halls of power to the projects lie slain. The only thing that delivers anyone from a fate like that is a relationship with the King.
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We can try to soften this, but there is no way to do so. Some might say that this is just symbolic, and in a way, they are correct. After all, Jesus isn’t literally going to produce a sword from between His teeth. “But” as one scholar asks, “if that is a mere symbol, what will be the reality?” (Wilcock, 187). That’s a good question. This wedding ring that I have on is meant to symbolize everlasting love for my wife. But this circular piece of metal in and of itself pales in comparison to wedded love. The same is true of God’s wrath. It is put here in terms that we can understand, but this isn’t even the half of what God’s wrath really looks like when it is spilled in judgement on the last day.
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This is a very different picture from a wriggling infant from Luke 2, isn’t it?
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So why bring all this up now? After all, this is Christmas, isn’t it? Aren’t we supposed to be ending things on a little bit more of an encouraging note?
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Well, for one, this is who Jesus is. As one scholar puts it, “Apart from the reference to
Psalm 2 (‘he will rule them’), there is not even a verb in the future tense anywhere in these verses. They describe not what Christ is going to do but what he is: conquering King, righteous Judge, Captain of the armies of heaven.” (Wilcock, 183) If we are going to do a portrait of Christ, we have to include the meek and the wild.
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So why are we often uncomfortable with this picture? I think there are a couple of possibilities.
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1) We might have forgotten how awful sin is, and that this is actually the right response. This is actually what justice looks like. Jesus isn’t overdoing here. He isn’t flying off the handle and doing things that He will later regret. Sin really is that bad, and it is a passage like this that reminds us of that.
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2) We might shudder to bring this kind of Jesus to the world who expects Jesus to be “Nice.” Of course, we have defined “nice” by the world’s standards of non-judgement. But Jesus is gong to judge, and no amount of pretending is going to change that, so it is, in fact, not nice to hide that fact from people! There is a warning as well as an invitation around Christmas time.
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But why should we want to have this perspective on Jesus?
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One, we need a proper fear of the Lord. There is a place to be reminded that our Lord is a lion. Not safe, but He is good. Let us not be found on the other end of that sword.
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Two, this should comfort us in that no one is going to get away with anything forever. When we ask, “Is there no justice in this world?” We can point to this passage and say, “It is on its way.”
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Three, we need a proper compassion for the lost. This is their fate if they step out of this world without Christ. Remembering these things is what helps us pray for the most despicable people in our world. Those who oppose Christ will one day be slain and fed to the birds. Then it gets worse. So pray for them. Tell them about the gospel, because the same person who could be covered in their blood shed His.
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Finally, we need to be reminded that this same King is our King. He bled for us so that we don’t have to be the slain in the final battle. We have been delivered from this fate, if you are a believer in Christ. He spared us. He calls us to go and spread the good news that more of the world can be spared, too!
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Seeing this kind of picture shows how merciful God is. Jesus isn’t some kind of pushover that felt guilted into saving us. He isn’t some sort of overly permissive parent that just couldn’t stand the idea of punishing. No, He is a King radically committed to His own glory and justice but is yet a gracious and merciful God who delights to show mercy. He loves to, despite His obvious hatred of sin, despite His obvious disgust and wrath against rebellion, show mercy to the undeserving. The same one who comes riding in with bloody robes is the same who rescued you.
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That is your Champion on that horse. So, y’all, don’t fret this Christmas. There is so much evil in this world. That fact is undeniable. Satan doesn’t take Christmas week off. There will be more sin and tragedy during this time just like the rest of the year. But its time is coming to an end. Unrepentant evildoers find their end here. Evil finds its end here, the birth of Christ hails the destruction of the wicked. You are not being abandoned in this world.
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This fact is why Christians can sing in the ICU. It is why we should sing loudly and heartily here. We sing as people who have been redeemed from this fate. We sing as those who love our enemies and are praying for them to the same loving and gracious God Who saved us. We sing as those who have been waiting in a dark night yet know that the sun will rise soon.
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Jesus isn’t done yet. Redemption has only begun. So sing, Christian. Rest today. The fate of the world does not rest on your shoulders. Mom and Dad, making Christmas magic for your family is retelling this story to your children. Give them this foundation of hope. Enchant their world with the true story of the Hero Who beats the Beast.
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Grandma and Grandpa, I know you often worry about the world that is being left to your kids and grandkids. I can’t promise anything in the short term, and even if I could, it wouldn’t be better than what is here. The world is in good hands. Everything is going to be set right.
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Kids, you have a real Hero looking after you. You don’t have to be afraid of anything. Really. Get used to that. The world tries to scare you, but we have a God who doesn’t want you to be scared. He told you what the end of the movie is so you can enjoy it.
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Rest today, everyone. Celebrate this week. I know, there is so much going on. Please, try to take a moment. Everything is going to be ok. Rest, and then, in the New Year, let’s get back to it. Let’s go and win the world. It is already won in Christ, so let’s be involved in showing the world that victory.
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Work Cited 
Michael Wilcock, The Message of Revelation: I Saw Heaven Opened, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1986), 187.