And Now, Here's the Groom!

Last Sunday morning, Bro. Ronnie shared a message with you from Revelation 19:1-10 entitled, “Here Comes the Bride!”  That message was about the global body of Christ or the universal church coming to the “marriage supper of the Lamb” according to Revelation 19:9.

 

Today, we are going to look at the second half of Revelation 19 and a sermon entitled, “And Now Here’s the Groom!”  By the way, don’t overlook this imagery of a marriage in describing eternity in heaven using a single bride and a single groom.  That is God’s design for marriage.  That is biblical marriage.  It is not two brides or two grooms. 

 

Think about this end times chronology.  Between Revelation 4 and 6, I believe you will have the Rapture of the Church when Jesus comes for the Church and takes everyone to heaven who is alive and born-again. 

 

Then, a seven-year earthly tribulation will begin and include earthly judgments from God described in Revelation 7-19 as seals, trumpets, and bowls.  In the first half of the Tribulation, Babylon, the system of belief, will be highly influential in gaining a world-wide following.  It will seem as if all is well. 

 

However, at the mid-point of the Tribulation, the antichrist will destroy Babylon, the system of belief, and require world-wide allegiance to him.  The last half of the Tribulation will be the absolute worst time in all of human  history to be a follow of Jesus on the earth.  Persecution will be unbearable. 

 

The end of the Tribulation will be signaled by the Battle of Armageddon and the return of Christ.  The Groom will one day come with the Church to a wedding and judge unbelief and to a war and judge the unholy trinity. 

 

Now, here’s the Groom.

 

 

16. The Groom will return to a wedding to judge unbelief, Revelation 19:11-16.

11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. 

 

As it pertains to the Groom, notice His appearance.  In verse 11, John saw heaven open and a white horse was coming to the earth.  His white horse is reminiscent of Roman generals parading through town after their victory showing off their spoils of war. 

 

The horse’s rider was called “Faithful and True.”  Have we heard that name previously?  See Revelation 3:7, 14.

 

7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”:

 

14 “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:

 

His eyes will be like a flame of fire.  Have we heard that previously?  See Revelation 1:14.

 

14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;

 

On His head will be many crowns demonstrating His authority, and He will have a name that no one knows except Himself.  Have we heard that previously?   See Revelation 2:17.

 

17 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”’

 

In verse 13, His robe is dipped in blood.  Whose blood is this?  Some say it is the blood of Christ.  Others say it is the blood of His enemies.  I believe it is the blood of the saints who have been martyred.  Why?  Look at verse 14 and who is with Jesus on His white horse?

 

This leads us from the Groom’s appearance to the Groom’s accompanists.  Again, notice who is with Him in verse 14.  The armies of heaven are with Him in their white robes symbolic of purity and on their white horses too.  I believe this to be the Raptured Church, the Tribulation Saints, and the OT Saints.

 

In verses 15-16, we see the Groom’s activity.  In verse 15, a sharp sword comes from His mouth.  With it, He strikes down the nations, and will rule them with a rod of iron.  Have we heard this previously?  See Revelation 1:16.

 

16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.

 

Notice the second half of verse 15.  The Groom will judge the sin of unbelief on behalf of God.  He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the almighty.  Have we heard this previously?  See Revelation 14:20.

 

20 And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs.

 

Why would God be so angry?  He hates the sin of unbelief.  He hates the sin of not believing or receiving or surrendering your life to His Son, Jesus Christ, as the Savior of the world, and Lord of your life. 

 

Therefore, who is this Groom?  It is none other than the Lord Jesus.  He is identified as the Word of God in verse 13 and in John 1:1, and He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords in verse 16 and in 17:14. 

 

14 These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”

 

By the way, does verse 16 say that Jesus will have a tattoo when He returns?  It’s possible even though I don’t have a tattoo or plans to get a tattoo.

 

If Jesus were to return today, would He judge your unbelief?  Have you received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?  Have you called on Him to save you from your sin?  Have you invited Him into your life and surrendered the throne of your heart to him? 

 

 

21. The Groom will return to a war to judge the unholy trinity, Revelation 19:17-21.

 17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, 18 that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.”  19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.

 

In this war, there will be carnage, captives, and a conquest.  By the way, what war is this?  See Revelation 16:12-16.

 

12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.  15 “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”  16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.

 

Back to Revelation 19:17, notice the carnage of this war.  This is a pretty gruesome picture as an angel summons all the birds which fly in midheaven to come and eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of captains and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses.  

 

When I read these verses, I immediately think of vultures.  They are some of the ugliest and dirtiest animals ever created but created specifically for this purpose.  Did you know that God created 23 species of vultures and their digestive systems contain acids that dissolve anthrax, botulism, and cholera bacteria?  Their eyesight is also remarkable as some species can spot a carcass 4 miles away. 

 

Verse 19 shows us the captives of this war.  The beast, the anti-Christ, and the kings of the earth and their armies will be assembled to make war against Jesus and His army, but praise the Lord, we know who wins!

 

When Jesus returns, He will take the beast from the sea, which is the antichrist, and the beast from the earth, which is the false prophet, and throw them into the lake of fire.  This is the final hell where Satan will join them after Jesus’ millennial kingdom. 

 

Finally, in verse 21, we see the conquest of war.  And the rest are those who followed the antichrist and the false prophet.  The Lord Jesus and His Saints will defeat them, and they will die twice.  They will die physically and spiritually and eventually join the unholy trinity in the lake of fire.

 

 

Conclusion

Don’t let the nations of verse 15 and the rest of verse 21 be you.  Call on Jesus today to save you, and He will, and we will rejoice.