| THE RIDER ON THE WHITE HORSE |
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| This section describes the Rider on the White Horse, the Sanctified Church of the end days, who “treads the winepress of the fierce wrath of Almighty God” in Rev 14:20, and Rev 19:15. The Rider is actually the Spirit of Christ as the Body of Christ. This Rider is not the man Jesus Christ. We can see Christ as the Son of Man on the clouds in Rev 14:14, watching the Rider tread out the wine press in Rev 14:20. This will become clear in the description given here. The Body of Christ is explained in 1 Cor 12:13, “for by one spirit we were baptized into one body.” There are many who loosely refer to all Christians in the world as “the Body of Christ.” But the Body of Christ in the Bible, is a spiritual body, created by the baptism of the holy spirit. It is the Sanctified Church. The appearance of Christ as this “Body” in Revelation tells us that the Sanctified Church has been restored. The Rider on the White Horse was first prophesied in Isaiah Chapter 28, a “mighty agent” (Isa 28:2-3) that will speak with “stammering tongues” (Isa 28:11) to the drunkards of Ephraim, those who are drunk with the wine of Babylon. The Apostle Paul identified the “stammering tongues” as “speaking in tongues” (1 Cor 14:21). Indeed, “stammering tongue” could not be a better description of the “tongue emitting sound,” laleo glossa, the evidence of receiving the holy spirit (Acts 10:46). |
| 11 I saw the heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it is called Faithful and True. In righteousness he judges and makes war. |
| Rev 19:11 a white horse – in Zech 6:4, black horses, the spirits who follow the Antichrist, go to the North Country (the king of the North in Dan 11), and white horses go after them. “Those (white horses) going toward the North have appeased my wrath in the land of the north.” (Zech 6:8). Faithful and True – the true Church is faithful to the words of Christ and God. The Spirit of Christ is called the “faithful and true witness” in Rev 3:14. This is also the description of goodness applied to the seven Churches, as the body of Christ, see Rev 2:2, Rev 2:10. He judges – judges what is true. wages war – against the false teachings of the beast. |
| 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has names written and a name written which no one knows but he himself. |
| Rev 19:12 eyes are a flame of fire – from Dan 10:6; Rev 1:14. There are different explanations for the eyes with flames of fire. Perhaps it represents the wrath of Almighty God. Fire, represents the holy spirit, the spirit of truth. With the spirit of truth, the saints can see the truth of the Bible clearly, and so their eyes are as flames of fire. on His head are many diadems – similar to the many crowns of the saints (Rev 3:11); these are actually the diadems of these saints. Diadems are thin bands worn by those in battle, which were first worn by the beast, see Rev 13:1. Now diadems are worn by those on the side of Christ, signifying the victory of the Spirit of Christ. a name which no one knows but himself – describing the saints in Rev 2:17. The opposition to Satan’s deception is fought by unknown warriors, those who only have a reputation in the eyes of God. |
| 13 He is clothed in a garment sprinkled with blood. His name is called “The Word of God.” |
| Rev 19:13 clothed with a robe dipped in blood – we might relate this to the stain of blood described in Isa 63:3, the “lifeblood sprinkled on the garments” of the Spirit of Christ, who treads the wine press. But it seems that the Rider has only just appeared in heaven, and not yet begun His battle. The Rider is the saints, as the Body of Christ, whose “robes are washed white by the blood of the lamb,” Rev 7:14; Rev 22:14. The word “dipped” is actually baptó, with essentially the same meaning as baptismos, “to dip,” and refers to the washing away of their sins through baptism. The “martyrs” who went through the Great Tribulation were “given” white robes when they died, but these in the Sanctified Church have their robes washed white through baptism. The Sanctified Church has the evidence of the Spirit to wash away sins through baptism (John 20:22-23). His name is the Word of God – the Sanctified Church follows the Word of God, the Bible. |
| 14 The armies which are in heaven followed him on white horses, clothed in white, pure, fine linen. |
| Rev 19:14 armies which are in heaven – these are the Angels, the Spirits of God, who support the preaching of the Church. |
| 15 Out of his mouth proceeds a sharp, two-edged sword, that with it he should strike the nations. He will rule them with a rod of iron. He treads the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty. |
| Rev 19:15 a sharp two edge sword – see also Rev 1:16, this is the Word of God (Heb 4:12) which the Sanctified Body of Christ uses to fight the deceptions of the beast. to strike down the nations (or Gentiles) – who corrupted the holy city (Rev 11:2) for 42 months, 1278 years. He will rule them with a rod of iron – this comes from Psa 2:9, see also Rev 2:26, “I will give authority over the nations” He treads the wine press – the Sanctified Church treads the wine press of the wrath of God as described in Revelation Chapter 14. |
| 16 He has on his garment and on his thigh a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” |
| Rev 19:16 On His robe and on His thigh – He displays His name in two places, representing “the brightness of His coming.” From 2 Thess 2:8, “(the lawless one) whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming.” This is a glorious Rider. King of Kings and Lord of Lords – this name was given to Christ, the Lamb, when He defeated the kings in Rev 17:14. |
| 17 I saw an angel standing in the sun. He cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the sky, “Come! Be gathered together to the great supper of God, |
| Rev 19:17 An angel standing in the sun – the Angel standing in the sun, may refer to the Spirit of Christ, whose face is “shining as the sun,” Rev 1:16. Christ stands on the clouds, as the Son of Man, in Rev 14:14, while the Rider on the White Horse treads out the wrath of God in Rev 14:20. The “sun” as we relate in Rev 1:16, Rev 12:1, Rev 16:8, and Rev 21:23, refers to the glory of God. Paul called this “the glory of God in the face of Christ,” (2 Cor 4:6), “the radiance of the glory of God” (Heb 1:3). to all the birds which fly in midheaven – these birds are the eagles, the end time saints, who eat the flesh, see Rev 4:7. This description of the birds eating flesh can also be found in Ezek 39:17. |
| 18 that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, and small and great.” |
| Rev 19:18 the flesh of kings… – the Spirit of Christ is now the King of Kings, and the birds, who are the saints, as the body of Christ, rule over the Kings of the earth. In Daniel Chapter 7, we are told that “the greatness of the kingdoms of the under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High.” (v27). The Apostle Paul said that the end will come, “when He has abolished all rule and authority and power . . . for He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet” (1 Cor 15:24-25). the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves– all men from Rev 13:16, who “received the mark of the beast” etc. |
| 19 I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him who sat on the horse, and against his army. |
| Rev 19:19 the beast and the kings of the earth – all the powers of this world, both religious and political, are unable to withstand the White Horse who is followed by the armies of heaven. |
| 20 The beast was taken, and with him the false prophet who worked the signs in his sight, with which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. They two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. |
| Rev 19:20 and the beast was seized and with him the false prophet – this is similar to the seizure of the 850 false prophets after Elijah brought fire down from heaven (1 Kgs 18:40). signs in his presence – the lying signs and wonders are brought to an end. thrown into the lake of fire – a figurative ending. |
| 21 The rest were killed with the sword of him who sat on the horse, the sword which came forth out of his mouth. All the birds were filled with their flesh. |
| Rev 19:21 the rest were killed with the sword – the rest are all others who oppose the truth. They are convicted by the Word of God. When the spirit of truth comes, “He will convict the world of sin and righteousness, and judgment” (John 16:8). |
