SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/3/2015 9:10 AM
My Worship Time Focus: The Rule of the Conqueror
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Revelation 19:15-16
Message of the verses: "15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.’"
We begin by looking at the word "sword" which John tells us is in the mouth of our Lord Jesus Christ. "1) a large sword 2) properly a long Thracian javelin, also a kind of long sword wont to be worn on the right shoulder." This is how the Greek/English dictionary that I have on my Online Bible program describes this word. When we look at Revelation 1:16 we read "In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength. This word for sword is the same Greek word as we see in verse fifteen of chapter nineteen. MacArthur writes on 1:16, "where it was used to defend the church against the onslaught of Satan’s forces. Here it is the ‘sword’ of judgment, the flaming ‘sword’ dealing death to the King’s foes. The sword comes out of ‘His mouth’ symbolizes the deadly power of Christ’s words. Once He spoke words of comfort, but now He speaks words of death. As previously noted, the armies that accompany Christ when He returns carry no weapons. He alone wields the ‘sword’ with which He will slay the wicked."
There is another reason that Christ destroys His enemies at this time of His return and that is so that those who are believers living on the earth at that time will be saved from the armies that Christ fights against. I remember a book that I read a very long time ago, somewhere around 1978, a book that I bought when I went to my first Moody’s Founders Week where the theme was on the Second coming of Christ, and the author of this novel about the end times had a girl in the story who was blind. She had to be led around by her family and friends as they hid from the enemies of true believers and at the end of the book when the Lord Jesus Christ was returning to earth her husband began to tell her about what he was seeing and she said that she now could see. There will be a lot of miracles when the Lord returns for He has only a sword, but that sword is more powerful than all the military mite of all the nations at that time. Jesus will immediately be killed by the sword that Christ has, and we mentioned before that perhaps this sword represents His Words, for after all what we read in the book of Genesis about the creation of the earth and all we see in the skies came about by His Word, so no need to wonder if this slaughter of His enemies can come about by His Word. John MacArthur gives a list of verses that speak of what has been written about before about this time. "The rest of the world’s unredeemed people will be judged and executed as the sheep and goat judgment (Matt. 25:31-46) that follows Christ’s return. This is the final stroke of death in the Day of the Lord (cf. Isa. 66:15-16; Ezek 39:1-4, 17-20; Joel 3:12-21; Matt. 25:31-46; 2 Thess. 1:6-9; 2:8)."
This kind of rule that we see here at the second coming of Jesus Christ is a sample of how things will be ruled during His Millennial Kingdom as we read that "He will rule them with a rod of iron," now we mentioned that He will not go about with a rod beating those who are not obedient, but Christ will have others who will rule different places in the world and there will be swift judgment to those who break His Law. You will not see a slackness in judgment like we see in today’s world that is ruled by those who have the most money as we just looked at in the books of Amos and also James. The world will be ruled by our Lord and things will run perfectly because He will be on the thrown.
We conclude with comments on "He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty." MacArthur writes "That vivid symbol of God’s wrath comes from the ancient practice of stomping on grapes as part of the wine-making process. The splattering of the grape juice pictures the pouring out of the blood of Christ’s enemies (cf. 14:18-20). The imagery of a ‘wine press’ also portray judgment in the Old Testament. Isaiah 63:1-3 describes Messiah’s destruction of Israel’s implacable foe, Edom, which represents the God-hating world:
‘1 Who is this who comes from Edom, With garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, This One who is majestic in His apparel, Marching in the greatness of His strength? "It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save." 2 Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press? 3 "I have trodden the wine trough alone, And from the peoples there was no man with Me. I also trod them in My anger And trampled them in My wrath; And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, And I stained all My raiment.’
"Joel 3:12-14 also uses the wine press imagery to depict Messiah’s judgment of His enemies:
‘12 Let the nations be aroused And come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat, For there I will sit to judge All the surrounding nations. 13 Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread, for the wine press is full; The vats overflow, for their wickedness is great. 14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.’
We now see a name that John did understand that Christ wore as a banner which goes across His chest and hangs down on His upper leg as He rides along and that banner says "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." We can compare this with Rev. 17:17; Deut. 10:17; 1 Tim. 6:15). We note that this is the third name given to the Lord Jesus Christ in this passage, and as stated this one we can indeed understand. The second name is "The Word of God."
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I am saddened by those believers who were killed in Oregon a couple of days ago, but I know that they instantly went to be with the Lord as their assailant went instantly into the debts of hell where he says that he wanted to go. As we read of the wine press of judgments that is coming we can be sure that all those who have, are, and will oppose the Lord Jesus Christ by doing things like this will meet the same fate.
My Steps of Faith for Today: I trust that the Lord will work things out in this world that seems to be falling apart in a way that will glorify Him and cause Him to return to take His bride to heaven with Him very soon.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible question: "Israel" (Romans 10:21).
Today’s Bible question: "How many devils or demons did Jesus cast out of Mary Magdalene?"
Answer in our next SD.
10/3/2015 9:56 AM
No comments:
Post a Comment