Articles
Revelation 19
Today’s reading is Revelation 19.
Do you remember the rider on the white horse from Revelation 6:1-2? He’s back. And this time, we absolutely know who He is. He’s actually been riding throughout the book, but it is not until this last cycle we see His ultimate victory. He went out conquering and to conquer, but what happened next was shocking. Instead of immediate conquest and ensuing peace, the enemies seemed to be conquering. No doubt, we’ve read the cycle multiple times. We know Jesus always wins no matter how it looks in the moment. However, with each cycle, we got a fuller and deeper picture. Now, he circles back and brings complete closure and demonstrates full victory. He went forth conquering and to conquer, and now we see it truly happening. But not only do we see Him, we see the armies in fine linen, white and pure. Do you remember who was given the white garments in the fifth seal in Revelation 6:11? Those martyrs are part of the conquering army now. God had told them to wait. The waiting is done. Victory has come. In Christ’s kingdom even death doesn’t signal defeat. It is merely a rest stop on the way to victory. Praise the Lord! Over and over and over again, the message is found: Jesus Always Wins!
A Word for Our Kids
Hey kids, in today’s reading we see John’s masterful story telling abilities. On the one hand, he has told the same story over and over again throughout this book. We’ve seen various ways of telling us that Jesus went out to conquer, then it looked like He was going to lose, but then He won. However, at the same time, John has told one big overarching story of this Rider on the White Horse. Now we finally see it come to its conclusion. And who wins? Jesus. Not only Jesus, but those who remained faithful to Him. Whether they lived or died in the battle, those who remained faithful gain the victory. And there is the lesson for us. Our hope isn’t in this life. Our hope is in the next. With that in mind, death is not defeat. It is merely another step on the path to victory. We’ll say it again several times this week, but let’s say it today: hang on to Jesus no matter what; He always wins.
Edwin Crozier
