And I saw heaven opened This is a new and peculiar opening of it, in order to show the magnificent expedition of Christ and his attendants against his great adversary; and behold a white horse Many paid little regard to Christ when he came meek and lowly, riding upon an ass: but what will they say or think, when he comes forth upon his white horse, with the sharp sword of his mouth? The white horse, on which Christ is represented as riding, was intended to denote his justice and holiness, and also that victory and triumph should mark his progress. And he that sat on him was called Faithful In performing all his promises; and True In executing all his threatenings; and in righteousness With the utmost justice and equity; he doth judge and make war Often the sentence and execution go together. His eyes were as a flame of fire Gloriously bright and piercing. He is described in such characters as are appropriated to him in this book, and in the ancient prophets; and on his head were many crowns In token of his numerous conquests, and the many countries now become the kingdoms of our God and of his Christ. And he had a name written upon them that no man knew but himself
The praise of his mediatorial undertaking being ineffable and incomprehensible, and his person mysterious and wonderful, Judges 13:18; Isaiah 9:6. Hence we read, Matthew 11:27, No man knoweth the Son but the Father. And he was clothed with a vesture of pure white, emblematical of his holiness; and dipped in blood In token of his sufferings; or rather, as some think, of the blood of the enemies already conquered. See Isaiah 63:1, &c. And his name is called, The Word of God Because he spoke every thing into being, and revealeth his Father and his Father's will to mankind. In other words, he has this name because he is that glorious and Divine Person, said, John 1:1-2, to have been in the beginning with God, and to be himself God; and who was the great medium of divine revelation in all ages. And the armies which were in heaven The heavenly hosts; followed him As being most willingly and entirely under his command; upon white horses All the inhabitants of heaven being pure and holy. and all in a state of joy and triumph. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword Signifying that his word is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword; that with it he should smite the nations That he was now about to use it in a strict execution of justice on his enemies; and he shall rule them Who are not slain by his sword; with a rod of iron That is, if they will not submit to his golden sceptre; see on Psalms 2:9; and he treadeth the wine-press of the fierceness Του θυμου, of the indignation; and wrath of Almighty God Signified, probably, by the blood which stained his garments. The metaphor signifies that he shall subdue the proudest of his enemies with as much ease as men crush grapes by treading them under their feet. And To the everlasting confusion of his enemies, and the perpetual joy of his friends and followers; he hath on his vesture and on his thigh Or on the part of the vesture which was upon his thigh; a name written Different from that mentioned above; KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS To show that he was really possessed of a just dominion over all the princes and kingdoms of the earth; a dominion which the eastern monarchs, and after them the Roman emperors, unjustly attempted to acquire and establish, and a title which, with great vanity, they assumed to themselves. It was usual of old, for great personages in the eastern countries to have magnificent titles inscribed on, or affixed to, their garments.