THE RETURN OF CHRIST:
INTERPRETING REVELATION BY ITS
ALLUSIONS
IBRI
Research
Report #24
Robert C. Newman
Biblical Theological Seminary
Interdisciplinary Biblical
Research
Institute
www.ibri.org
 |
IBRI Research Report #24 (1985)
THE RETURN OF CHRIST:
INTERPRETING REVELATION BY ITS ALLUSIONS
Biblical Theological Seminary
Interdisciplinary Biblical Research Institute
www.ibri.org
Copyright � 1985 by Robert C. Newman. All
rights
reserved.
EDITOR'S NOTE
| Although the author is in agreement with the doctrinal statement of IBRI, it does not follow that all of the viewpoints espoused in this paper represent official positions of IBRI. Since one of the purposes of the IBRI report series is to serve as a preprint forum, it is possible that the author has revised some aspects of this work since it was first written. |
ISBN 0-944788-24-6
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Commentary on
Revelation 19:11-21
The
Millennial Question in Our Passage
The book of Revelation is probably the most perplexing and
difficult
work in the whole canon of Scripture. Even ignoring those
interpretations which
reject its inspiration, there are still a larger number of really
different
interpretations for this book than for any other in the Bible. Some see
its
overall fulfillment mostly in the first centuries of the Christian era;
others,
mostly near the end. Still others see the events described happening
throughout
church history; yet others deny the visions correspond with specific
historical
events at all.
In regard to details the same interpretive variety is seen. The
"millennium" of Revelation 20 is placed in the future by some and in
the present by others. For some it comes before Christ's return, but
others put
it after. We should not be surprised by divergences in explaining such
mysteries as the name of the beast, apparently coded by the number 666;
or the
identity of the harlot, a city on seven hills with the name of the
ancient
flatland city of
In view of such diversity, one is tempted to give up in despair
or
disgust and turn to more worthwhile pursuits. Yet if we accept the
Bible as
God's word and Revelation as a part of that Bible, then this response
is
inconsistent with our profession and with God's revealed nature as the
One who
has made all Scripture profitable. In addition, Revelation promises a
blessing
(1:3) for all who will read and obey it � perhaps because God knew we
would be
tempted to quit.
But how can be obey it if we don't understand it?
How, for instance, can we avoid "the
mark of the beast" if we don't know what it is? Could
it be Sunday observance (as Seventh-Day
Adventists claim), or use of credit cards, or membership in the World
Council
of Churches, or an international computer identification code?
Doubtless, some of the book is not going to be understood until
it
happens. And anything we have to know in Scripture is sufficiently
clear (or
will be, when the time comes). Biblical Christianity, after all, is not
a
puzzle to be solved or a cult for the clever; it is a Redeemer to be
trusted
and a life to be lived.
Still, the task of understanding Revelation is not to be
ignored. Paul
spent only a few weeks planting the church in Thessalonica, yet he
still took
time to teach them eschatology. We are nearer the end than they were,
so the
subject can hardly be less important for us.
But how do we begin? If we start
with the wrong system of interpretation, we might never break free of
it to
understand what the book is really about. Rather than taking a chance
on
guessing the right system and getting into it from the start, we should
use
some sort of inductive approach which is flexible enough that our
misconceptions may be corrected as we study. Even our hermeneutical
principles
should be open to revision as our study of the book progresses.
One approach to Revelation which has promise along these lines
is the
comparison of Scripture with Scripture � of one part of Revelation with
another, and with other parts of the Bible. This technique seems to be
commended frequently in Scripture itself, e.g., Ps 119:97-100; John
5:39; Acts
17:11; 2 Tim 3:15-16. But what Scriptures do we compare with
Revelation, since
we could easily go astray by equating passages which are actually
unrelated?
One way to approach the book would be to collect as many such
references as
possible for each passage and then examine each one carefully to see if
it can
shed light on the passage. This is what we propose to do here.
Unfortunately, such a study for the whole book of Revelation
could
easily take years. In this paper we shall make a start on such a
project by
examining only one connected passage, namely Rev 19:11-21. We shall
seek to
locate parallel materials in the OT, elsewhere in Revelation, and
elsewhere in
the NT, discussing those which seem to have some relevance and trying
to
understand our chosen passage thereby.
Why did we choose Rev 19:11-21? Primarily beause it narrates the
second
coming of Christ, a central theme of Revelation and of eschatology as a
whole.
Also the passage has a substantial number of cross references,
according to my
count of UBS footnotes two per verse, slightly above the book average
of 1.8.
In addition, the passage impinges on the millennial question without
being
wholly taken up with such.
Our format will be to move through the passage verse-by-verse,
noting
parallel passages and discussing each, seeking to draw things together
at the
end. In the commentary which follows, I will use my own rather
literalistic
translation. A chart of parallel passages is given in an appendix for
reference.
COMMENTARY ON REVELATION
19:11-21
(11) And I saw heaven standing
open, and behold! A white horse! And he who sat upon it was called
faithful and
true, and in righteousness he judges and wages war.
The form "I saw" is extremely common in Revelation, far too
frequent to be a divider of major structures. It is probably to be read
naturally as a reminder that John actually saw these things, even
though he was
"in the Spirit," that is, having a vision of some sort.
The reference to "heaven opened" is somewhat like Rev 4:1,
though there a door is opened to admit John to heaven, whereas here
heaven is
opened to let Christ and his armies come to earth. Clearer parallels
are thus
found in the descent of the Spirit as a dove at Jesus' baptism (Matt
3:16), and
the descent of the sheet in Peter's vision (Acts 10:11). The idea of
God
intervening into human affairs seems to be the emphasis.
The "white horse" finds its closest verbal parallel in Rev
6:1, but the meaning of that passage is more disputed than this one is.
Here
the rider is clearly identified (though not by name) as Jesus Christ.
Consequently our passage would seem to shed light on 6:1 rather than
vice
versa.
The color white is frequently used in Revelation. Where its
significance
is discernable, it seems to symbolize righteousness or purity (see esp.
Rev
3:4,5,18; 7:13-14). The OT background for white garments also includes
the idea
of purity as one possible meaning (Isa 1:18). White horses occur twice
in the
visions of Zechariah (1:8; 6:3,8), but they are grouped with horses of
other
colors and no point is made of the color differences.
The phrase "one who sits upon" is used frequently in
Revelation for God the Father and occasionally for Christ. The object
is
regularly the throne, a standard symbol for rule, rather than a horse
as here.
In antiquity, the horse was not used in agriculture, nor as the common
means of
transportation, but principally for warfare. As the context goes on to
show,
Christ is here coming to wage war.
The epithet "faithful and true" has been used already in Rev
3:14 to describe Jesus' testimony, presumably during his earthly
ministry.
Here, by contrast, the phrase seems to refer to his promise-keeping and
righteousness as he comes to avenge and deliver.
Though we shall later see thrones set up (20:4) and judgment
pronounced
(20:11-15), it is probably better in this context to think of judging
as
avenging.
Numerous OT passages speak of the Lord coming "to judge the
world
in righteousness" (e.g., Ps 9:8; 96:12; 98:9). The "shoot from the
stem of Jesse" will also judge righteously, according to Isa 11:4, a
context of deliverance and vengeance which has several parallels with
our own,
as we shall see below. A similar context in Zech 14:3 speaks of the
LORD going
out to fight the nations "as in a day of battle."
(12) Now his eyes were a flame of
fire, and upon his head were many crowns, and he had a name written
which no
one knew except himself.
The reference to Jesus' eyes is paralleled in the opening
Christophany
of Rev 1:14. It is apparently explained in 2:18,23 as depicting his
ability to
search the hearts. The closest verbal parallel in the OT is the angelic
description of
Less parallel verbally but probably closer in content is Isa
11:3-4.
Here the prophet seems to be saying that the Messiah will not be
deceived by
appearance or hearsay, but he will judge rightly. This seems to be the
thought
of Rev 2:23, above.
The "many diadems" of Christ may be contrasted with the
dragon's seven (Rev 12:3) and the beast's ten (13:1). In our own
context,
Christ will later be called "King of kings and Lord of lords." As he rules over other crowned persons, he
effectively has many crowns himself. Satan's offer to give Jesus all
the
kingdoms of the world (Matt 4:8-9) has been rejected. Now the Father
has given
him these kingdoms (Ps 2:6-9;
We are not told where Christ's "name" is written, but the
context suggests either on his head or his diadems. The former would
parallel
the beast and the harlot, both of which have names on their heads
(13:1; 17:3).
As their names seem to characterize them, so perhaps Christ's name is
to be
understood to characterize him.
What does it mean that no one knows the name except himself?
Obviously
this ignorance could not include God. A similar mysterious name is
given those
who conquer in Rev 2:17, but that is not explained either. Perhaps the
idea is
that the name is now unknown, but it will be revealed at his coming.
That idea
would fit the unknown time of the Lord's return (Mark 13:32) and
probably the
mysterious utterance of the seven thunders (Rev 10:4) as well as the
secrets of
paradise which Paul could not reveal (2 Cor 12:4). In this case, 1 Cor
2:9
would summarize the basic idea that the eschaton will be beyond our
present
experience or imagination.
Another possibility is that Jesus (being God) is so far above us
that we
cannot ever fully know him. Paul speaks of Christ being given the "name
above every name" (Php 2:9-10). The angelic theophany announcing
Samson's
birth (Jdg 13:21-22) says his name is "wonderful" or
"incomprehensible" (13:18); the same epithet is applied to the Messiah
in Isa 9:6. In either case, Revelation reminds us that we don't know it
all.
(13) And he was dressed in a
garment dipped in blood, and his name was called "the Word of God."
The manuscripts of Revelation differ on whether Christ's garment
is
"dipped (dyed)" or "sprinkled" with blood. In the latter
case an allusion to atonement might be involved (cp Ex 24:8; Lev
16:14-15). In
either case the allusion to Isa 63:1-3 (where both ideas occur) is
unmistakable. The passage is striking in that God appears to be the
speaker in
Isaiah (vv 5-6) and Revelation applies it to Jesus. The parallels
between the
two passages are substantial: both picture the day of God's wrath and
redemption; both mention the actor's righteousness; both use a
winepress analogy;
both picture the actor as doing all the avenging by himself.
Yet in Isa 63 the speaker's robe is bloody because he has
(already)
trampled his foes; it is their blood
which stains his robe. In our passage, it appears that Christ has not
yet
trampled them, as that is what he is coming to do. Is the color of the
robe
symbolic of what is is about to do, or could it be Christ's own blood
which
colors his robe? If the latter is the
case, then perhaps a parallel is also being made with the saints: their
robes
have been made white in his blood (Rev 7:13), but he has bloodied his
garments
in cleansing theirs! Some combination of
these two ideas would not be out of place in a passage of both
deliverance and
vengeance.
Only here and in John's Gospel do we have unmistakable
references to
Jesus as the "Word of God." John 1:14,18 gives what seems nearest to
an explanation of this term: Jesus is the one who explains God. I
suggest a
human analogy here. Just as no one knows what another is thinking
unless the other
reveals it, so with God. As our word reveals us to others, so God's
word
reveals God to mankind. Jesus is the epistemological mediator between
God and
man.
In addition, the close connection between the Word and creation
in John 1:1-5
reminds us of the Genesis refrain "and God said." Jesus is the
ontological mediator between God and creation. Thus we can combine
these ideas
under the category "mediator." Jesus is God's mediator in creation,
revelation and now, in Revelation 19, in judgment. With a word he will
slay
God's enemies, pronounce judgment, and condemn or vindicate.
(14) And the armies [that are] in
heaven followed him on white horses, being dressed in pure white linen.
On several occasions the coming of the Lord is described as
accompanied
by "the holy ones." Zech 14:5
is clearly eschatological, with a context of vast geological and
astronomical
events (14:6,7,8,10), the LORD becoming king over all the earth (14:9),
the
destruction of enemies (14:12-15), and apparently the rescue of his
people
(14:1,11,14). So presumably is Jude 14-15, though the aorist must then
be
understood as a translation equivalent of the Hebrew prophetic perfect.
Less
certain is Deut 33:2-3, where the LORD comes from Sinai, Seir and
Paran. This
is somewhat reminiscent of Isa 63:1, where the speaker comes from
Who are the armies? The phrase
"armies of heaven" seems to be most commonly used in the OT for stars
(e.g., Deut 4:19; Ps 33:6); but sometimes it is clearly for angels (1
Kings
22:19; Neh 9:6), and there are many passages where it is unclear which
of the
two is intended (e.g., Isa 34:4;
White horses and white garments have already been discussed
above (verse
11).
(15) And from his mouth a sharp
sword goes forth, that with it he might strike the nations, and he
himself will
shepherd them with a rod of iron, and he himself will tread the
winepress of
the wine of the wrath of the anger of
God the almighty.
Here Christ is pictured rather grotesquely with a sword coming
from his
mouth. This picture, presented previously in Rev 1:16 and 2:12,16,
seems to
demand a figurative interpretation, as does the "Lamb standing as if
slain" of Rev. 5:6.
The figure of God's word as a sword appears in Heb 4:12 and Eph
6:17.
The destructive power of even the human tongue is so pictured in Ps
57:4:
My soul is among lions;/ I must
lie among those who breathe forth fire,/ Even the sons of men, whose
teeth are
spears and arrows,/ And their tongue a sharp sword.
However, the closest parallel to our passage occurs in the
Servant
section of Isaiah, where the Servant says that God has made his "mouth
like a sharp sword" (Isa 49:2). Though once called
Christ's striking the nations is strongly paralleled in Isa 11:4:
With righteousness He
will judge the poor,/
And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth;/ And He will
strike
the earth with the rod of His mouth,/ And with the breath of His lips
He will
slay the wicked.
Paul uses similar words to
describe
Jesus' destruction of "the lawless one," whom Christ "will slay
with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of
His
coming" (2 Th 2:8). The identification of Paul's "lawless one"
with John's "beast" is obvious. All this reinforces the natural
interpretation that our passage is describing Christ's second coming
rather
than (say) the fall of
John continues on to picture Jesus' activity as that of
shepherding, but
(significantly) with a rod of iron. This clearly alludes to Ps 2:9,
where the
Hebrew verb is pointed to read "shepherd" (with the LXX) rather than
"break" (with the MT), even though the latter seems more natural in
the context. John elsewhere alludes to "shepherding with a rod of
iron" in Rev 2:27 and 12:5, where the former is an eschatological
promise
to the overcomer and the latter a prediction regarding the male child
born to
the woman clothed with the sun, presumably Jesus Christ. Signifcantly,
the verb
in the last of these is a present infinitive, apparently implying
extended rule
rather than momentary destruction. Taking the three passages together
suggests
that Jesus and his overcomers will be involved in an extended period of
rule
against opposition beginning with his
return, thus something of a
silver age.
(See our discussion of the millennial question, below.)
John has already employed the winepress analogy to picture God's
judging
wrath in Rev 14:19,20. There the action is located "outside the
city," presumably either
(16) And he has a name written on
his garment and on his thigh: "King of kings and Lord of lords."
As suggested above (verse 12), the name characterizes its
possessor.
John has already designated the Lamb by this title in Rev 17:14, where
the
beast and his ten kings are gathering to
fight him. The battle there
predicted is
here about to be narrated, or else its description is here
recapitulated.
The embroidering of a name on a garment seems natural enough,
though I
know of no Scriptural examples. The inscription "Holy to the Lord" is
engraved on the high priest's turban (Ex 28:36-37); eschatologically it
will
occur even on the bells of horses (Zech 14:20). Likewise the fourteen
stones on
the ephod were also engraved, in this case with the names of the tribes
of
Why is the name located on the thigh?
This was a common location for wearing a sword (Jdg 3:16,21; Ps
45:3;
Song 3:8) and would fit our military metaphors here except that Jesus'
sword
comes from his mouth. Perhaps consistency should not be pressed in such
a
symbolic passage.
Another possibility involves the idea of an oath. At least in
Patriarchal times, oaths were sometimes made on the thigh of the person
sworn
to (Gen 24:2,9; 47:29). Perhaps the name on Christ's thigh reflects
God's oath
that all will bow to him (Isa 45:23; cp Php 2:9-11), a promise that
will be
brought to pass as Jesus carries out his military commission as Messiah
(Ps
2:7-9).
(17) And I saw an angel standing
in the sun, and he cried out in a loud voice, saying to all the birds
that fly
in mid-heaven, "come, gather together for the great dinner of God, (18)
that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of generals and the
flesh of
strong men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, even
the flesh
of all, both free and slave, both small and great."
I have found no close analogies to the angel
standing in the sun. The woman in Rev 12:1 is clothed with the sun, and
the
faces of Christ in Rev 1:16 and of the angel in 10:1 shine like the
sun. These
seem to speak of the glory of each, and it is possible that this is the
only
point being made in our passage.
However, it is also possible that some idea of the universality
of the
angel's message is in view, that he is calling all birds throughout the
world.
Ps 19:6 speaks of the sun, that "nothing is hidden from its
heat." In this case, our passage is
somewhat like that of the eagle announcing the three woes in Rev 8:13,
who
speaks to all those on earth, or like Satan's going out to the four
corners of
the earth to gather Gog and Magog against the saints (20:8). This also
fits
with the universal terminology of our verses, in which mankind is
categorized
(as in Rev 6:15 and 11:18) in such a way as to include all kinds, or at
least
all that might be in the beast's army.
The call to the birds to come and dine is clearly an allusion to
Ezekiel, principally 39:17-19, but also to 39:4. A similar picture
occurs in
prophecy against
(19) And I saw the beast and the
kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war with
the one
who sits upon the horse and with his armies.
The beast and the kings reappear for the first time since Rev
17:11-14,
where we are told that they are going to fight against the Lamb and be
conquered by him. This may be a recapitulation, but it looks more like
a
dramatic device in which events yet to be narrated are intimated in
advance to
whet the appetite and arouse the interest of the reader. In Rev
16:13-16,
frog-like spirits go out from the dragon, beast and false prophet to
gather the
"kings of the whole world" for the "war of the great day of God,
the Almighty." Our passage seems to be the continuation of this one,
the
final showdown between Christ and the beast.
The OT has several similar pictures, notably Psalm 2, Ezekiel
38, Joel
3, and Zechariah 12 and 14. All but the first use eschatological
terminology.
In Psalm 2, the "kings of the earth" plot rebellion against the Lord
and His Annointed (2:2); God answers by installing His king at Zion
(2:6); and
the rulers are warned to submit before the wrath of the Son is kindled
(2:11-12).
In Ezk 38:2-6, armies from north, east and south (at least) will
invade
Israel, and God will destroy them with sword, pestilence, rain, hail,
fire and
brimstone (38:21-22). In Joel 3:2, all nations will be gathered to the
Zechariah 12 pictures a gathering of "all the nations" (12:3)
against
(20) And the beast was taken, and
with him the false prophet who performed the signs before him, by which
he deceived
those who took the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.
The two
were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with sulfur.
The allusion back to Rev 13:13-17 is clear, where the miracles
of the
second beast (not identified as the false prophet until 16:13) and the
mark of
the beast are described. A similar passage is 2 Th 2:9‑12, which speaks
of the "lawless one" as coming with deception and miracles to deceive
those who prefer wickedness. His destruction is to come by "the breath
of
[Christ's] mouth" (2:8), which in our passage is only expressly applied
to
his armies. Since these passages are almost certainly referring to the
same
event, such phenomena warn us not to build too much on arguments from
silence,
e.g., to assume that our passage has the armies of heaven only sitting
and
watching while Christ does all the fighting with one word.
The lake of fire is first mentioned here and again in Rev
20:10,14-15.
It is clearly John's term for the eternal state of the lost. Something
similar
may be in view in Isa 30:33, where the king of
(21) And the rest were killed by
the sword belonging to him who sits on the horse, the sword which comes
from
his mouth, and all the birds were gorged on their flesh.
The destruction of armies gathered against the Lord is narrated
in Ezk
38:21-22, Zech 12:4-6, and 14:12-13, as noted above (verse 19), but the
details
are dissimilar. Closest is Isa 11:4, where the "branch" from Jesse
will "strike the earth with the rod of his mouth" and kill the wicked
"with the breath of his lips." Also very similar is the reference in
Isa 30:27ff, where "the name of the Lord" comes from a distance;
"his tongue is a consuming fire"; he "shakes the nations back
and forth in a sieve"; he disposes of the king of
If one consistent figure is employed, then the destruction of
the armies
leaves enough for the birds to feast on. An ironic role-reversal may be
in view
here also: as man since Gen 9:2 has been feeding on the birds, now the
birds
will feed on man! Possibly the disgrace of non-burial is also in view
here.
Eccl 6:3 suggests that being a miscarriage is preferable to having no
burial.
Though
Jehu is
inclined to bury Jezebel in spite of her wickedness, her body was eaten
by dogs
before he could do so (2 Kings 9:34-37). Jeremiah frequently refers to
this as
a curse upon sinners (Jer 8:1-2; 16:4,6; 25:33).
Having
gone
through Rev 19:11-21 verse by verse, we have found numerous
places where
allusions to material found elsewhere in the Bible shed light on our
passage.
Some of these insights can be presented in the form of a free,
explanatory
paraphrase as follows:
(11)
John in his vision saw Jesus Christ about to intervene into the affairs
of
human history at his second coming. Christ will come in purity to bring
vengeance on his enemies as the One who keeps his promises and does
what is
right. (12) He will then be revealed as fully God, and the Father will
have
given him the right and power to rule everything. His judgment will be
based on
what men are really like inside, so no one will get away with anything.
(13) As
the one Mediator between God and man -- in creation, revelation,
redemption,
and now in judgment -- he will descend to trample his enemies.
(14) His
triumph will be shared by the pure in heart, both men and angels, who
will come
with him. (15) With an all-powerful word of command he will strike the
unbelieving nations, displaying God's anger, and set up a period of
stringent
rule over those who survive. (16) All this will fulfill God's promise
to give
him universal rule. (17,18) The birds will be called together to feast
on all
who oppose him, whatever their station in life. (19) The Antichrist and
his
allies will in fact seek to resist Christ, (20) but the Antichrist and
his
propagandist who used miracles to lead so many astray will be taken and
cast
into eternal punishment. (21) Then Jesus will speak the word which
destroys
Antichrist's armies, and they will be disgraced by becoming food for
the birds.
This
paraphrase,
to be sure, is a very limited substitute for the original. It is
certainly
clearer, and may help someone who has not done the sort of work we have
to gain a better insight into what is going on. However, not being
inerrant,
the paraphrase by clarification may in places have replaced what John
(and God)
intended by something quite different.
Artistically,
the paraphrase is prosaic and rather flat, though doubtless a better
writer
could improve the situation. Yet stylistic enhancement by the addition
of new
figures might be no real improvement at all. A more artistic
paraphraser
would merely replace God's metaphors by his
own -- in C. S. Lewis' phrase, the master's metaphors by the
student's.
Furthermore, no paraphrase can do justice to the richness and economy
of the
original figures. Apparently these original figures often do double
duty even
beyond the natural ambiguity of a figure: they not only (1) give a
vivid
metaphor or symbol of the reality being described, but also (2) call
attention
to an Old Testament parallel passage.
The
use of
figures in Revelation has a price, of course: figurative language is
looser
than literal; there is more room for misundertanding. But what
alternative
exists when one is describing what "eye has not seen"? No language
has a large
vocabulary for
objects which have never entered human experience, and even if one did,
how
would anyone know what the words meant? Clearly this raises
serious
problems in deciding what is figurative and what literal for events
that have
never yet happened. Yet if we are not to reduce the book of
Revelation
to mere mystification, we must be cautious in assuming things are
figurative
without good warrant. Even clearly symbolic items in Scnpture are often
actual
physical events as well, as for example baptism and the Lord's supper.
In
any case,
setting passages in Revelation beside other Biblical passages to which
they
actually allude still involves interpretive problems similar to those
faced in
harmonizing parallel passages in the Gospels. Does the allusion in
Revelation
refer to the same thing as the OT reference or to a similar thing?
(Recall our
remark on the lampstand-olive trees of Rev 11:4, in our discussion of
verse 18,
above.) How far are we to press arguments from silence in deciding such
questions? (Does Rev 19:21 require that Christ do all the fighting
while the
rest of the heavenly army merely watches?) If
we decide the events pictured are the same, does one passage
give the
literal picture and the other the figurative, or are both figurative,
or both
literal but complementary? It appears we must work on listening to the
material
in each passage rather than rushing in too quickly to explain.
THE
MILLENNIAL QUESTION IN OUR PASSAGE
In
concluding
this paper, I would like to address the millennial question as it
relates to our
passage. I trust this will be an example of listening to the material
in the
passage rather than of rushing in too quickly to explain!
We
noted in
discussing verse 18 a point that seemed to favor an amillennial
perspective.
Ezk 38-39 is used in both Rev 19:18 and 20:8, which suggested they may
both
refer to the same event and that chapter 20 recapitulates chapter 19.
Perhaps
there are more such features in our passage, but I have not noticed
any.
Admittedly, it is easier for amillennialists to see them than it is for
premillennialists, at least for one with a temperament like mine. One
value of
listening to other viewpoints is to see things we haven't seen before,
some of
which are really there! In this passage I see two kinds of data that
seem to
point to a premillennial position: (1) indications of continuity with
chapter
20; and (2) "silver age" features in passages alluded to. Let us
examine each of these in turn.
An
amillennialist may concede that Rev 20 chronologically follows Rev 19,
but
claim that the rider on the white horse represents not the second
coming but
rather some such judgment in history as the destruction of Jerusalem in
AD 70.
Thus the millennium is our present age. This seems to leave such an
interpreter
with a serious problem -- Revelation then has no clear description of
the
second coming! One way to avoid this problem and retain an amillennial
prespective is to have Rev 20:1 begin a recapitulation by going back to
(say)
the atonement or ascension of Christ as that which effectively binds
Satan. We
will be responding to this latter sort of approach here rather than to
the
former.
Some
recapitulation surely exists in Revelation, if no more than the
description of
the birth of Christ in 12:5 after the references to his atoning death
in
5:9,12. We cannot therefore rule out such a backward transition at
20:1, though
I would think the burden of proof rests upon one who proposes it.
In
our passage
several features seem to indicate a chronological continuity from
chapter 19 into
20. In 16:13-16, the counterfeit trinity of the dragon (Satan), the
beast, and
the false prophet gather armies together for "the war of the great day
of
God the Almighty." In 19:20-21, it appears this war now occurs: the
beast
and the false prophet are taken and their armies destroyed. In a
recapitulation
scheme, nothing is said here about what happens to Satan. On a
non-recapitulation scheme, however, the verses immediately following
(20:1-3)
dispose of Satan by putting him in the abyss. For a recapitulationist,
this
immediate reference to Satan is just an unfortunate accident, since
Satan is
actually cast into the
Perhaps
this
lack of reference to Satan in chapter 19 is a matter of emphasis. One
might
claim that the last few chapters
through 19 picture the inter-advent activity of the beast and false
prophet,
while chapter 20 returns to do the same for Satan. But the fact is that
all
three of the Satanic trinity are involved in collectmg the armies in
chapter
16, and the beast and false prophet are explicitly referred to in 20:10
when
Satan is put in the
Similarly,
the
beast and false prophet are disposed of in 19:20, with specific
reference being
made to the mark of the beast and the worship of his image In 20:4
martyrs are
brought to life who have died rather than receive the mark of the beast
or
worship his image, and they reign with Christ for a thousand years. If
the beast
and false prophet are truly end-time figures (rather than, say,
institutions
which exist throughout the whole inter-advent penod), then the thousand
years
naturally follow the time of the beast's persecuting activity. If the
thousand
years mean anything chronological, then those martyrs killed
at the end
of the beast's rule must reign a while after the beast and false
prophet
are off the scene. I am not aware of any clear examples (in Revelation
or
elsewhere) of chronological terms with a figurative use that is
non-chronological.
In
19:11 it
looks like Christ comes to judge and make war. In 19:15, we are
told he
comes to smite the nations and shepherd them w1th a rod of iron.
Overcomers are
promised a part in both of these activities in 2:26-27 and 3:21. We
suggested
that believers probably make up a part of Christ's army, so that they
make war
at his side in chapter 19. Rev 20:4, understood as chronologically
subsequent,
provides a good passage which has them judging and ruling, otherwise
missing
from the cycle in chapter 19 if a recapitulation occurs at 20:1.
Finally,
Christ
comes to "shepherd" the nations with a rod of iron (19:15). We
suggested earlier that the verb is not a very good one to describe a
one-time
destruction. This is reinforced by its use as a present-tense
infinitive (poimainein rather than the aorist poimanai) for the action in 12:5. As
best I can tell from a quick survey, John really does distinguish
"spread-out" action by the use of present-tense infinitives in the
book of Revelation. These phenomena suggest that the millennium is a
lengthy
period following the second coming.
Our
second kind
of data for a premillennial understanding of the passage involves its
OT
allusions. Of the passages alluded to in Rev 19:11-21, two or three
seem
clearly to refer to "silver age" phenomena in such a way as to
indicate that such an age follows the Lord's return. Let us consider
these in
turn.
Zechariah
14
seems to be alluded to obliquely several times in our passage (see our
discussion of verses 11, 14, 19 and 21). It pictures the Lord coming
with his
holy ones to wage war against the nations gathered at
Then
it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went
against Jerusalem
will go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts,
and to
celebrate the Feast of Booths.
The
passage goes
on to threaten drought on those who disobey. The threat hardly fits the
eternal
state, and the reference to "year by year" indicates that this is not
some brief mop-up at the second coming. The only alternative to a
millennium of
some sort after the Lord's return would seem to be to deny that Zech 14
relates
to the second coming. This is problematical in view of the strong and
extensive
eschatological language of Zech 14 and John's use of Zech 12:10 in
connection
with the second coming in Rev 17.
The
parallels between the beast of Revelation and
I
kept looking, and that horn of the fourth beast was waging war with the
saints
and overpowering them until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was
passed
in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when
the saints
took possession of the kingdom.
Like
Rev 20, the
time sequence here is most naturally read as a simple one in which the
reign of
the saints follows the destruction of the beast rather than following
the
individual martyrdoms of each saint scattered over some period of time
(cp
I
kept looking until the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and
given to
the burning fire. As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was
taken away,
but an extension of life was granted them for an appointed period of
time.
The
three beasts
seem to live on without power after the fourth is destroyed, perhaps a
parallel
to the nations which survive in Zech 14:16-19.
Lastly,
Isa.
30:27,33 seems to be alluded to in Rev 19:20-21, since both make
reference to
God defeating the nations (30:28) by his words and casting their leader
(here
the king of Assyria) into burning fire. This may be only a figurative
picture
of the destruction of the ancient Assyrians, but the terminology seems
eschatological. Chapter 31 is parallel, and pictures God coming down on
Though
not
putting much weight on this last passage, I would suggest that both (1)
the
indications of continuity discussed above and (2) the "silver age"
terminology in these OT allusions make a strong case for a
premillennial understanding
of Rev 19-20.
ALLUSIONS
AND PARALLELS IN REV 19:11-21
Under each verse below, we
give the
feature, then any Old Testament passages to which it appears to be
alluding,
then parallels in the New Testament, first from Revelation, then
elsewhere.
Verse 11:
heaven
opened: Ezk 1:1; Rev 4:1; Mt 3:16; Jn 1:51; Acts 10:11
white
horse: Zech 1:8; 6:3,6; Rev 6:2; 19:14
Faithful & True: Rev 3:14;
Rev1:5; 3:7
in righteousness judges & wars: Ps 9:8; 96:13; 98:9; Isa
11:4; Zech
14:3
Verse 12:
eyes
flame of fire:
many
diadems: Isa 62:3; Rev 6:2; 12:3
name written no one knows: Rev 2:17; Php 2:9?
Verse 13:
robe
in blood: Isa 63:1-3
named
Word of God: Jn 1:1,14
Verse 14:
armies
of heaven follow: Dt 33:2-3; Zech 14:5; Jude 14-15
clothed
linen: Rev 3:4; 19:8
riding
white horses: Zech 1:8; 6:3,6
Verse 15:
from
mouth sharp sword: Isa 49:2; Ps 57:4; Rev 1:16; 2:12,16; 19:21
smite
nations: Isa 11:4; 2 Th 2:8
rule
w/ rod iron: Ps 2:9; Rev 2:27; 12:5
tread
winepress: Isa 63:3; Joel 3:13; Rev 14:19,20
Verse 16:
name
on robe: Isa 30:27ff
thigh:
Ps 45:3; Gen 24:2
King
of ks, Lord of lords: Dt 10:17; Dn 2:47; Zech 14:9; Rev 17:14; 1 Tm
6:15; Php
2:9
Verse 17:
angel
in sun calls birds to eat: Ezk 39:4,17-20; Ezk 29:5
Verse 18:
eat
flesh of men (see v 17)
kings,
etc., horses: Rev 6:15
free,
slave, etc.: Rev 6:15; 11:18
Verse 19:
beast, kings: Ps 2:2,12; Ezk 38:16; Rev 11:7;13:1;17:12-14
armies:
Zech 12:3; 14:2; Rev 16:13-16
Verse 20:
(beast
& false prophet seized)
deceived
w/ mark: Rev 13:13-17; 2 Th 2:9-10
thrown
in lake of fire: Isa 30:33;
Verse 21:
rest
killed: Ezk 38:21-22; Zech 12:4,6; 14:12-13
sword
of mouth: Isa 11:4; 30:27,33
& birds filled: Ezk 39:19-20
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