Revelation 19:11-21 Victory!
The battle lines are drawn. Satan’s armies on one side and the saints of God on the other. Then Jesus and His armies join in the fight.
The time has finally come for Jesus to step back down onto earth. The beast, his buddy, and all his kings have gathered to fight against God’s children. They are expecting it to be a slaughter because those they are facing have no military might. But the beast wasn’t expecting reinforcements for the saints, yet here they come!!! “Then I saw Heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war…And the armies of Heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following Him on white horses” (verses 11 & 14). The tables have turned!
This army reminds me of another battle scene. That scene happened at Dothan. The king of Aram had sent out his army to capture Elisha. They came out in force but God sent an army too for his protection. They were unseen in the natural eye but were there in force nonetheless. As Jesus is returning to earth, I believe the army following Him will be visible to all. I’m sure Elisha’s statement, “Don’t be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (2 Kings 6:16) will stand that day too.
I am not sure who comprises this army following Jesus. It could be angels, it could be the saints who were taken in the rapture, or it could be both. It is not composed of those who were killed during the tribulation and probably not those who died before the tribulation began. We will get into the why of this the next time we meet.
I don’t believe our spirit stays with our body in the ground until the final resurrection but are we called upon to accompany Him in the fight that day? He is powerful enough to defeat ALL of Satan’s armies on His own but He brings along His own army for the battle.
There are two “survivors” on Satan’s side. Everyone else is cut down and becomes bird food. Those survivors are the beast and his buddy, the false prophet. Jesus has something special in mind for them. They get to be burned alive for the rest of eternity! I agree that they deserve the greatest punishment possible for their treatment of the rest of the world. I’m curious though why they are thrown in alive. As physical beings is their torment greater? Are they “feeling” the flames in a different way than those who will join them later will? We all know that being burned is painful but being burned without end for eternity is beyond my comprehension. And these two won’t even have the escape of death to release them from their torment.
I’m curious about something else too. That “something” is the utter stupidity of those who gathered in the valley of Armageddon. Don’t they read? How can they be so arrogant as to believe there could be a different outcome? We have it in black and white what will happen that day. With ALL the signs and plagues that have led them to that day, how could they not know the outcome of the battle? Did they WANT to die? Did the stubbornness of their hearts blind them to the truth of their future? They didn’t heed any of the warning signs, no matter how “neon” and “flashing” they were. Even a non-believer today has heard about the battle of Armageddon that is to come. Maybe they know of it but just dispute its outcome. They think they still have a chance. HOW BLIND CAN YOU BE!?!?
Father God, I just don’t get it! Knowing the outcome before it even begins is enough for me to stay away from trouble. Then again, I’ve been stupid/stubborn enough to do things I knew the outcome to before I got wrapped up in them. Those sins are the hardest for me to swallow. When I KNOW not to do something and do it anyway. Those times are also the times I feel so unworthy of Your forgiveness. I AM unworthy but You give me forgiveness when I turn back to You regardless of how I got myself into that situation.
For those saints on the other side of the battle lines, I can imagine the excitement running through them. They have had a front row seat to watch Your prophecies unfolding before their eyes. Then they see the battle ground set. Do they even look at the enemy or are they so busy watching the sky that they don’t even pay attention to the enemy?
That’s how I want to live ALL my life. Looking to my Redeemer instead of my problems. That’s the kind of faith I want to have! Please help me Holy Spirit to walk in this spiritual awareness every day. I want to see the same armies that Elisha saw. I want to ALWAYS remember; those that are with me are greater than those that are against me!
