Revelation 19:14 Commentary and Bible Study

Who are these armies which accompany the Lord on such a triumphant journey and where are they going? They follow the Lord who goes at their head, just as in bygone days a brave general would lead his troops into battle. He will strike the first blow, for he comes down from heaven to earth to deal the enemy a final fatal blow. The saints join this great procession from heaven. This is the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, in which, in this vision, his people are privileged to accompany him. The armies in heaven certainly include the angels. He is called the Lord of Hosts, a title which refers to the great host of angels in heaven. They have taken part in all the great events of redemption and they will also be present here. They will come to add glory and honour to our Saviour. How could any angel be absent or engaged in any other task at such a moment as this, which the whole of earth’s history has led up to? They will have work to do at such a time: ‘The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; ⁴² And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth’ (Matthew 13:41-42), and, ‘And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other’ (Matthew 24:31), and again, ‘when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, ⁸ In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (2 Thessalonians 1:7-8). But the saints are also there. ‘And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, ¹⁵ To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him’ (Jude 1:14-15). They too will witness this final triumph and share in it. Perhaps angels could be clothed in white garments (15:6), but on nearly all other occasions in the book of Revelation, it is redeemed men and women who are in mind, as in Revelation 19:8, where the words are very similar.Paul tells us about the order of events on this great day as they affect believers. The Lord will descend from heaven with a shout, he will bring with him the souls of those who have died in faith, who, as we have learnt, are waiting eagerly under the altar for this day. These will be given their resurrection bodies first and then those who are still alive at the time and who trust in Christ will be caught up into the air with the rest. So all will come together with the Lord and never more depart from him. The verses that follow show that this vision particularly has in mind the overthrow of those unbelievers that still remain at the end of the world. This is the day of vengeance of God and the saints will witness it and enjoy the triumph of the Lord when as Paul says, ‘The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly’ (Romans 16:20).