The new thing
Heaven is only the background of the story. Open heaven and what do you see? Look again at our verse:
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. (Revelation 19:11–ESV)
Heaven is seen behind a white horse and its rider: Jesus Christ. The main story is that heaven will be opened differently at some point in the future. When that happens Jesus Christ, the Faithful and True will be seen astride a majestic, powerful, war horse. So, the world will see that Jesus Christ is real, has been real all along. He has just been somewhere else. He came at Christmas and lived a life of obedience even unto death on a cross. He was raised from the dead and in Acts chapter 1 we see that he ascended to heaven.
The molecules of a human body he was given on Christmas day. The new body, his heavenly body, he was given by the working of God’s mighty power when he raised Jesus from the dead. That body was solid and firm, able to do things like eat, drink, be touched by Mary Magdalene outside his tomb or the doubting Thomas. His body was not confined to our world. It was molecular and beyond.
So Jesus has been denied since that day when the guards ran off to the Pharisees with the first news of the resurrection. He is not forever gone, but in heaven awaiting his Father’s command to return to the earth and finish the purifying task.
Known by his character
As we have studied many times before Jesus is known by his character and by his deeds. He was faithful to the point of death and so is called Faithful. He taught truth all those years on the earth and those words have been borne out all down through history. He said he was the way, the truth and the life. So it is seen.
In this eleventh verse he is coming as a judge. He is coming as a warrior. Even so the standard in which he judges and makes war is righteousness. That is God’s way, the way of heaven, God’s house. Those who accept this can enter his house and be part of his team while those who do not get to raise a feeble defiance. They will be swept away by truth and their own ill-alignment with it.
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