(14) And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. (15) And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. (16) And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Having looked at Christ, in those most glorious and soul-comforting views in which John beheld him, he now saw the armies which followed him; and they were also seen on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. I venture to take for granted, that by the armies which were in heaven, is meant the Church, the Lord's redeemed ones. Their apparel seems to decide this. Not the angels of light. For though elect angels, and preserved by Christ in their holiness; yet, as Christ is here peculiarly seen, from his vesture dipped in blood, as a Redeemer; it should seem, that his followers were the redeemed. Moreover, they are called armies; more, I should conceive, on account of their militant state, than in this place, of their number. For though the word armies implies many, and the Lord's hosts are a great multitude, which no man can number; Revelation 7:9, yet here the Lord himself is, seen, as on his horse of battle, in righteousness, judging and making war; and consequently, those that follow him, of his armies, are in the field of action.
There is somewhat truly interesting and beautiful, in this description of the Church, in her militant state. They are, as their Lord is, beheld on white horses, to intimate their purity and holiness in Christ. They are going after him, and with him, to battle; but not to an uncertain warfare, for He is crowned with the many crowns of victory, and they are clothed in white robes, to intimate, that they have already washed them white, in the blood of the Lamb. Moreover, they are going after Christ, not before Christ. This scripture saith, they followed him. So that everything is in beautiful correspondence to the leading truths of our most holy faith. All is of Him, and through Him, and by Him. And if we love Him, it is because he hath first loved us.
But though we may, as we are called upon so to do, behold those armies in heaven following Christ, and for a moment glance them as they pass; yet, the one only object to dwell upon in this lovely view, is Jesus himself! And the further description given of Him in this scripture, must of necessity hide every other object from anything more than the mere momentary attention. Reader! do observe how blessedly John speaks of him, when he saith: Out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron. It is a grand feature of character in the Lord Jesus, that while coming forth for the salvation of his chosen, he cometh forth also, for the destruction of his, and their enemies. He saith himself, by the spirit of prophecy, ages before his coming, while in the prospect of it; the day of vengeance is in my heart; and the year of my redeemed is come, Isaiah 63:4; Habakkuk 3:13. And it should be particularly remembered, in this scripture we are now upon, that it is for the destruction of the Anti-Christian powers, the East, and West heresies, as well as the whole works of Satan, and his kingdom, the Lord Jesus is here beheld, as coming forth clothed in armor. The terms used, of a rod of iron, and the smiting them with the sword of his mouth, are well known in scripture, Psalms 2:9 and see John 18:6 with the note in the Commentary.
The treading the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God, hath a double aspect; as it concerns the Lord's redeemed ones, and as it concerns the unregenerate. Christ, as his people's Surety, hath trodden the wine-press alone; and of the people there was none with him, Isaiah 63:3. And who shall describe the weight, and pressure, on the Redeemer's soul, when he made himself an offering for sin, when he bore their sins, and carried their sorrows? But the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God hath respect also to the unregenerate; concerning whom the Lord Jesus saith: For I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury, and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments; and I will stain all my raiment, Isaiah 63:3. No doubt, the day, the awful day of our God, when he comes to take vengeance on his enemies, will be so awfully marked. Those Antichristian powers, both of the East, and West, the devil, and his whole host, yea, all the unregenerate, in every nation and clime, will be trodden by CHRTST, in the wine-press of God's vengeance; and when fully ripened in their iniquity, like the vintage of the vineyard, the Lord will tread them in his anger, and trample them in his fury, stain all his raiment, and bring down their strength to the earth.
One sweet view more. Jesus hath another name on his vesture, and on his thigh, which all his redeemed cannot but delight to read, and know him by; namely, KING of kings, and Lord of lords. Yes! Reader! the Lord Jesus Christ hath this glorious title in common with the Father, and the Holy Ghost; and specially and personally so, as God-Man Mediator. There can be nothing more sweet and refreshing to the Church of God, than the contemplation of this distinction of character, both as relating to the nature, and essence of the Godhead; and as relating to the personal glory, and dignity, of the God-Man Christ Jesus. I have, in many parts of this humble work, this Poor Man's Commentary, dwelt upon both; as the several subjects leading to them, from the several parts of the holy scriptures, have presented them before us. But, as I am now drawing towards the close of the whole sacred volume, I would crave my Reader's indulgence once more, to drop a word or two on both, the longer I live, the more I am convinced, of the present awful, Christ-despising generation. And what more trembling times are at hand, I know not; but, from the complexion of things now before us, there appears a sad, sad prospect. Before the final overthrow of those antichristian powers, which this book of God clearly predicts, and of which, this very Chapter sounds the glorious triumph; we must expect, from those scriptures, as the last struggle of the beast, and the false prophet, and the dragon, the most violent oppositions; yea, the two witnesses of our God and Savior, are to lie dead, under their violence, in the great city of the whore, which spiritually is called Sodom, and Egypt, three days and half, Revelation 11:10; Revelation 11:10. I hope, therefore, one short view more in relation to this glorious title of our glorious God, our Savior, both as it belongs to him, as God, in common with the Father and the Holy Ghost; and in his own personal, and Mediator-character, as God-Man, will neither be considered unnecessary, nor found unprofitable, under the Lord's teaching.
Of the divine unity, of one God in essence, the whole scriptures are full. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is One Lord, Deuteronomy 6:4. All, and every part of revelation, confirms the glorious truth. There is, there can be but one God. For as all the divine attributes and perfections are, in the highest possible extent, illimitable, and immense; so of necessity, the Lord God Almighty, fills all space, and is Omnipresent, and of an Eternal ubiquity. So that, the very idea, of another God, is excluded; for this immensity, and this ubiquity, would be broken in upon. A thing impossible.
The scriptures of God, which declare this first and leading truth, do no less at the same time declare, the existence of this first, great, and eternal cause, as existing in a threefold character of Persons, known and distinguished by distinct names, as revealed to the Church: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. They are called the Holy Three, which bear record in heaven; the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these Three are One. 1 John 5:7
And here, before we go further, I stop the Reader humbly to propose one short and plain question. Supposing that we had never received this testimony from the scriptures; and supposing, for the first thine, that you, or I, were Made acquainted with the revelation of the Being of God; should we not expect to find, that the nature of his Being and existence, when made known, would be in a way of perfect distinction, from all his creatures? I say, should we not be inclined to think, that when any discovery was made to us, concerning the nature, and Being of God, we should expect to find him to differ wholly from our own? Here then it is. The testimony of Scripture on this grand point is, that the Lord Jehovah doth exist, in the eternity of his nature and Being, in a way totally distinct; and distinguished from, all his creatures; and that, in the nature and essence of the Godhead, there are three distinct personalities, of equal glory, power, wisdom, and existence; Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Reader! what a mercy is it, to every child of God in relation to this great truth, that over and above this blessed scripture testimony, he hath a personal knowledge and apprehension of each glorious Person, in the revelations made to himself; in the Father's love, the Son's grace, and the Holy Ghost's fellowship?
But, to return. The holy scriptures, which declare the unity of the divine essence, and the existence of the Three PER Son S in that Unity, have as graciously condescended, and in a variety of parts in the divine word, to call each of them by same distinction of character and title, to make known to the Church, their Oneness in Being, in honor, in dignity, worship, power, and in short, all the glorious prerogatives of God. Hence also, in all the departments of nature, providence, grace, and glory, we are taught, that each glorious Person hath taken part, and doth take part; and both in creation, redemption, sanctification, and all that concerns the Church; in the life that now is, or that which is to come; the whole Persons have come forward, and do come forward, to the Church in Christ in Him, as the only possible way, or channel of communication; to teach the Church, from whom jointly, and severally, their Mercies flow; and to whom again, in and through Christ, their endless praises are to be returned, both here and hereafter. I stay not to quote, or even in this place to refer to the numerous scriptures which are express to this purpose in proof. In numberless parts of this Work, I have already done it; and I hope, most plain and satisfactory to everyone taught of God. I am only now bringing forward, once more, the blessed subject itself, before I conclude my Poor Man's Commentary.
Here, however, let the godly Reader pause again, find, as he reads his Bible, let him recollect, if he can, the very many sweet and gracious passages, the Word of God abounds with, in proof of the Personality of the Holy Three in One. How often do we find them conversing together? Genesis 1:26; Isaiah 6:8; John 17:1 throughout; Isaiah 49:1 throughout; John 12:28. How often speaking of their delight in each other, Proverbs 8:22 to the end; Matthew 3:17; John 17:23-24; Revelation 3:21; John 16:15; John 16:15. These are precious things; and precious scriptures in the confirmation of them! Let the godly Reader be very cheery of them.
One word more. The several titles, honors, and dignities, by which the Holy Three in One are known in scripture, in common one with the other, are all so many further confirmations, and of the most blessed nature, to this divine doctrine. How often do we meet with ascriptions of praise, to each, and to all; as to the blessed, and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords! And to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, is ascribed glory, both to the Father, Son, and Spirit, 1 Timothy 6:15-16; 1 Timothy 6:15-16. Compare 1 Peter 5:11 with 2 Peter 3:18 and Jude 1:25. Compare Isaiah 6:3 with Revelation 4:8 and Revelation 1:4
And the same we find personally offered to the Person of Christ, as Mediator; not only in this text before us, but in every part of the word of God. In this very book of Revelation, to go no further, we have many instances, Revelation 5:9 to the end. Revelation 1:5-7. Reader! look at both. Bless God the Spirit, for his gracious testimonies to the whole, in his word of truth; and pray for his teachings, to make the whole profitable.