We are continuing A New World . . . a series from Dylan DeMarsico which will soon become his third book. This will conclude a theological trilogy that began with The Happy Trinity and continued with Made Perfect.

Last time we talked about the love expressed and defined in 1 Corinthians 13. We’re now going to attempt to connect that agapè love with the rider on the white horse in Revelation 19. It’s in the latter that we find:

“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. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems (crowns), and He has a name written that no one knows but Himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which He is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”

(Revelation 19:11-16)

Let’s keep the entire story of the Bible in mind as we work through this beautiful display of Christ’s power. First off, the author John explains that the rider on the white horse is called “the Word of God.” This alludes back to John 1:1-3 where we find the Word of God who created the entire universe with the Father in the beginning. That passage also says that He is the light of all humanity. So why is Jesus making war and striking down the nations? 

It is because the nations are resisting His light. Though He made the world and sustains every last person with His love, many are still resisting. In his love, passion, and zeal for His lost children, He must make war with their pride and show them the truth of who He is. His wrath is in alignment with His love. It would be like a husband whose wife was deceived and stolen by an abuser. The husband would arrive in his fury and wrath, defeat the abuser, and win his stolen wife back. 

In the same way, Jesus desires that the people of the nations would say “yes” to His marriage proposal at the cross, and that they would be His bride. He is willing to fight for it and get messy. In fact, the passage says that He wears a robe dipped in blood (Revelation 19:13). This shows the blood of the cross that He still wears on His sleeve, still fighting with the same passion for His sleeping bride to awaken. 

Remember this also, that His eyes of fire show His ability to see through people and see their true hearts. His purity is as hot as a flame and He desires to restore humanity to that same purity. In the gospels He would lovingly expose people like the woman at the well (John 4:17-18) in order to bring healing to their hearts. His war is for people to be healed with His love. He is not wielding a literal physical sword in this passage, but the good news coming from His mouth. 

This gospel makes war with all human pride and sin that gets in the way of receiving His love. And make no mistake, Jesus will never force His love on any single person. As the greatest song of all songs so eloquently puts it, “that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases” (Song of Solomon 8:4). People and nations can resist Him and He will honor their terrible choice. The lake of fire will be there for anyone who doesn’t want the free gift of the water of life (see Revelation 20:14; 22:17). 

Let’s be clear that the war that Jesus fights is not like a regular human war. Jesus does not use guns or swords to physically hurt people. He hurt not one single person in His earthly ministry; on the contrary, He healed everyone He could. He is not changing in the future. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). And again in Malachi 3:6, “For I the Lord do not change.” The nations have to deal with the reality that He died for them, and this is a hard pill to swallow for many. 

It is like in the book of Zechariah when it reads, “When they look on Me, on Him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over Him, as one weeps over a firstborn” (Zechariah 12:10). The nations will see clearly that Jesus was pierced for them and it will cause a deep mourning and weeping. Perhaps this will lead many to repentance but maybe some will only deepen their own pride. Time will tell. 

The Lord doesn’t want the second coming to be about punishment. His desire is to cast out all fear of punishment from the world as they become perfected in His perfect love. This is what the apostle John wrote about when he said, “By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as He is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment and whoever fears has not been perfected in love” (1 John 4:17-18). And he adds, “We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). 

If we are overly eager for Jesus to come back and punish everyone, there is a solid chance that we are missing the point of the gospel. Jesus wants to perfect all of humanity in His perfect love, and by doing so driving out all fear and desire for punishment. If anybody has a right to punish, it’s the One who was wrongfully hung on the cross by the creatures He created. But even from that place He remarkably uttered the words, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). 

The war that Jesus is fighting in His second coming is the war to make all things new. To make all things beautiful. To perfect humanity in His love. If this is the war you want to fight, then He will gladly have you in fine linen, white and pure, following Him on a white horse (Revelation 19:14). After all, like John said, He wants us to have confidence on judgment day, and to love the world just like He loved us (1 John 4:17-19).