“From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:15-16).”
Imagine someone who went with a group to see the Grand Canyon but who never left the parking lot. When everyone else returned from the overlook, this person excitedly told everyone that he had a chance to see a 1969 Ford Mustang. When people asked: “Yeah, but what about the canyon?” He could only reply: “What canyon?” That would be a sad story indeed!
It is an even sadder story when people spend time reading Revelation only trying to find clues regarding the identity of the Anti-Christ but never standing in awe of our great Lord Jesus. The graphic portrayals of the dragon and his unholy trinity are not meant to give us nightmares but rather to drive us to the One who is greater. In the text noted above, we hear of Jesus riding out on a horse to strike down the nations that have gathered to defeat him. And there is no king like Jesus. He alone is “King of kings and Lord of lords.” He is the one who will “tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God.”
Please never come away from a study in the book of Revelation content that some puzzle has been solved for you. No, always, always come away awed by the one who will win in the end. For several years I was involved in some form of prison ministry. I will always remember the one song more than any other that the inmates sang with great vigor: “The Battle Belongs to the Lord.” When fear grips our hearts concerning some issue that seems beyond our control, let us remember the one revealed to us in Revelation. The cosmic battle in which we are engaged is one that is not up for grabs. No, the battle belongs to the Lord!
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