15 And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the wrath of the rage of God, the Almighty.

16 And He has on His garment and on His thigh a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

— Revelation 19: 15-16

4b He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth and slay the wicked with the breath of His lips.

5 Righteousness will be the belt around His hips, and faithfulness the sash around His waist.

— Isaiah 11:4b-5

8 Ask Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance, the ends of the earth Your possession.

9 You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.

— Psalm 2:8-9

3 I have trodden the winepress alone, and no one from the nations was with Me. I trampled them in My wrath and trod them down in My fury; their blood spattered My garments, and all My clothes were stained.

6 I trampled the nations in My anger; in My wrath I made them drunk and poured out their blood on the ground.

— Isaiah 63:3, 6

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, mercy and salvation from Christ to you.

Hereafter John saw in heaven the Lamb’s armies clothed in white and clean fine linen on white horses following Jesus – the Word of God, the faithful and true One, who comes to execute judgment against His enemies in three images: 1. He appears with a sharp sword coming out of His mouth. With this sword He will strike down the nations; 2. He rules the nations with an iron scepter; 3. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God, the Almighty. Jesus will initiate God’s just and righteous judgment against sin.

Jesus, the Warrior-Messiah, conquers the world’s nations with the same power He used to create them — His powerful Word. His righteous rule and judgments cannot be overcome. Jesus Christ wears a long royal robe as He sits astride His white horse. Across His robe is written the name that thrills His people, “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” When God the Son left the riches of heaven, He “made Himself nothing” and was “obedient to death-even death on a cross.” Yet one day all creation will bow before Jesus and “acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”