Rev 19:11-21 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Rev 19:11-20:15: 19:11–20:15 The drama moves into its climactic scenes: God’s enemies are defeated and punished in two episodes (19:11-21 ; 20:7-10 ). Meanwhile, the faithful experience a 1,000-year resurrection (20:1-6 ) followed by the final judgment (20:11-15 ). Summary for Rev 19:11-16: 19:11-16 Then I saw: John describes a new vision of Jesus Christ as the holy warrior and conquering King (see 14:1 ; see also Exod 15:1-7 ; Pss 24:8 ; 78:49-50 ; Isa 59:16-17 ). 19:11 The rider is both a judge and a righteous warrior (see Isa 11:1-5 ). He is named Faithful and True: He embodies God’s authenticity and reliability (see Rev 19:2 ; 21:5-6 ).

Summary for Rev 19:11-20:15: 19:11–20:15 ^a The drama moves into its climactic scenes: God’s enemies are defeated and punished in two episodes (19:11-21 ^b; 20:7-10 ^c). Meanwhile, the faithful experience a 1,000-year resurrection (20:1-6 ^d) followed by the final judgment (20:11-15 ^e).
Summary for Rev 19:11-16: 19:11-16 ^f Then I saw: John describes a new vision of Jesus Christ as the holy warrior and conquering King (see 14:1 ^g; see also Exod 15:1-7 ^h; Pss 24:8 ⁱ; 78:49-50 ^j; Isa 59:16-17 ^k). 19:11 ^l The rider is both a judge and a righteous warrior (see Isa 11:1-5 ^m). He is named Faithful and True: He embodies God’s authenticity and reliability (see Rev 19:2 ⁿ; 21:5-6 ^o).
19:12 ^p His eyes were like flames of fire: See 1:14-16 ^q; Dan 10:6 ^r.

• Christ, wearing many crowns, is contrasted with the dragon, whose seven heads were each crowned (see Rev 12:3 ^s).
19:13 ^t He wore a robe dipped in blood: This description may refer to (1) the blood of Christ’s enemies, signifying his total victory (Isa 63:2-4 ^u); or (2) Christ’s sacrificial death for humanity (Rev 1:7 ^v).

• The Word of God is John’s distinctive designation for Jesus (see John 1:1 ^w, 14 ^x).
19:14 ^y Christ’s armies of heaven, dressed in victorious white and riding on white horses, contrast with the locust forces of the abyss (9:3-11 ^z), the three frog-like evil spirits (16:13 ^aa), and the defeated armies at Armageddon (16:16 ^ab; see also 19:19 ^ac).
19:15 ^ad From his mouth ... a sharp sword: See 1:16 ^ae; Heb 4:12 ^af; see also Isa 49:2 ^ag; 2 Thes 2:8 ^ah.

• The iron rod represents Christ’s power as ruler and as supreme shepherd (see Pss 2:9 ^ai; 23:4 ^aj).

• God, the Almighty: See Rev 1:8 ^ak; 4:8 ^al; 11:17 ^am; 16:7 ^an, 14 ^ao; 21:22 ^ap.

• His fierce wrath will crush his enemies like grapes in a winepress (Isa 63:2-4 ^aq).
19:16 ^ar King ... and Lord: See 1:5 ^as; 15:3 ^at; 17:14 ^au.
Summary for Rev 19:17-19: 19:17-19 ^av Gather together for the great banquet: This feast upon the flesh of the armies gathered together to fight against Christ is contrasted with “the wedding feast of the Lamb” (19:7 ^aw). The enemies that form for battle are quickly destroyed (19:20-21 ^ax; see also 14:17-20 ^ay; 16:16-21 ^az). Two feasts—the marriage supper of the Lamb (19:7-8 ^ba) and the “great supper” of God’s judgment (19:17-18 ^bb, 21 ^bc)—provide two perspectives on the end of time. They illustrate the two sides of the Good News: grace and judgment, reward and punishment (cp. John 3:16-18 ^bd).
19:20 ^be beast ... false prophet See 13:1-10 ^bf.

• The fiery lake of burning sulfur provides a picture of eternal punishment (see 20:10 ^bg, 14-15 ^bh; 21:8 ^bi; see also Isa 66:24 ^bj; Matt 13:41 ^bk, 49-50 ^bl; Mark 9:43 ^bm, 48 ^bn).

• God’s enemies are thrown into the fiery lake. The two beasts (Rev 19:20 ^bo) are followed by the dragon (20:10 ^bp) and then by death (20:14 ^bq) and unsaved humans (20:15 ^br).
19:21 ^bs The entire army of enemies is dispatched by the sword from Christ’s mouth (see 1:16 ^bt; 2:12 ^bu, 16 ^bv; see also Isa 11:4 ^bw; 49:2 ^bx; 2 Thes 2:8 ^by). While one side of God’s word (grace) leads to repentance, the other side (judgment) carries out the death sentence.