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Our Mission: Revelation 14:6-12
If I Were Told the Future - Lesson 62
The
Faithful and True Rider
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Let's pray:
Our Father,
In this last lesson about Your servants, we wish to study another prophetic character: the
«Faithful and True Rider». Who is He, and what role does He play in prophecy?
We thank You in advance for answering these questions, through the Revelation of Your
inspired Word. In Jesus Christ we pray.
Amen.
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Revelation 19:11
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse.
And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True.
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The last prophetic character that we will examine in this section
about the servants of God is the rider called «Faithful and True».
This rider, who appears near the end of the book of Revelation, is very similar to another
character which we studied in a previous lesson...
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Revelation 6:1,2
Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one
of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, «Come and see.»
And I looked, and behold, a white horse. And he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was
given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.
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Revelation 19:11,12
Then 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.
His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns.
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Let's note the striking resemblance to the rider presented in the first seal, that we studied in the lesson «The Rider on a White Horse».
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Psalm 45:2-4
You are fairer than the sons of men; grace is poured upon Your
lips; therefore God has blessed You forever.
Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O Mighty One, with Your glory and Your majesty.
And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness; and
Your right hand shall teach You awesome things.
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The first seal illustrated the apostolic Church's success during
the first century.
Described with the same features, the Faithful and True rider goes out conquering, to
resoundingly carry out God's will.
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Psalm 40:10,11,16,17
I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not
concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation.
Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O Lord; let Your lovingkindness and Your
truth continually preserve me. (...)
Let such as love Your salvation say continually, «The Lord be magnified!»
But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinks upon me. You are my help and my deliverer; do
not delay, O my God.
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By combining the words «Faithfulness» and «Truth», this rider's name calls to mind a work of salvation, which the believer eagerly awaits.
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Jeremiah 42:2,5,9,11
«We are left but a few of many, as you can see. (...)
Let the Lord be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not do according to
everything which the Lord your God sends us by you.» (...)
[Jeremiah] said to them, «Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel (...):
"Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid; do not be afraid of
him," says the Lord, "for I am with you, to save you and deliver you from his
hand."»
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The name «Faithful and True» also calls to mind God's
intervention which liberated the scattered remnant of Israel from Babylon's hands.
Likewise, at the end of times, the Faithful and True rider will free spiritual Israel from
spiritual Babylon's oppression.
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Luke 16:11
Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
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The combination of «Faithful» and «True» also refers to Jesus' words about the reward of men at the end of times.
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Revelation 3:14
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.»
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The book of Revelation clearly identifies the Faithful and True
rider: Jesus Christ, the author of the letters to the seven churches.
Jesus is indeed the One who will bring salvation and deliverance to spiritual Israel, that
is, His remnant Church at the end of time, from the hands of spiritual Babylon, which will
be the subject of a future lesson.
Jesus is also the One who will reward men when He returns.
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Revelation 19:11
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse.
And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True.
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Revelation 11:19
Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His
covenant was seen in His temple.
And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.
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The words «heaven opened» indicate that the deeds of the Faithful and True rider take place at the end of times, that is, at Jesus' return.
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Revelation 19:11
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.
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Psalm 96:12,13
Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the Lord. For
He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth.
He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with His truth.
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According to the prophecy, the Faithful and True rider comes to
judge and make war with righteousness.
That is exactly what Jesus Christ will do when He returns.
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At His return, Jesus will save His people and judge with righteousness:
«Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent; a fire shall
devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous all around Him. He shall call to the
heavens from above, and to the earth, that He may judge His people: "Gather My saints
together to Me, those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice." Let the heavens
declare His righteousness, for God Himself is Judge.» (PSALM 50:3-6)
«Give the king Your judgments, O God, and Your righteousness to the king's Son. He will
judge Your people with righteousness, and Your poor with justice. (...) He will save the
children of the needy, and will break in pieces the oppressor.» (PSALM 72:1,2,4)
«There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his
roots. (...) With righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the
meek of the earth. (...) Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, and faithfulness
the belt of His waist.» (ISAIAH 11:1,4,5)
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Revelation 19:11,12
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. His eyes were like a flame of fire.
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Revelation 2:18
And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write,
«These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire.»
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«Eyes like a flame of fire» is another feature helping us to
identify the Faithful and True rider as Jesus Christ.
This description indicates Jesus' perfect insight, which enables Him to judge with
righteousness.
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Revelation 19:12
His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns.
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Hebrews 2:9
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor.
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Having died on the cross for our salvation, Jesus, «crowned with glory and honor» by the Father, now has «many crowns» on His head.
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Revelation 19:12
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.
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Revelation 2:17
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.
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By showing that the Faithful and True rider has a name «that no one knows except Himself», the prophecy calls to mind one of Jesus' promises to him who overcomes.
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Genesis 32:29,30
Then Jacob asked [the Man], saying, «Tell me Your name, I
pray.»
And He said, «Why is it that you ask about My name?» And He blessed him there.
And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: «For I have seen God face to face.»
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Judges 13:17,18
Then Manoah said to the Angel of the Lord, «What is Your name,
that when Your words come to pass we may honor You?»
And the Angel of the Lord said to him, «Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?»
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Jesus, as the Man who fought with Jacob, or as the Angel of the Lord, often refused to reveal His name, «that no one knows except Himself».
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Revelation 19:13
He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood.
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Isaiah 63:1
«Who is this who comes from Edom, with dyed garments from
Bozrah, this One who is glorious in His apparel, traveling in the greatness of His
strength?
- I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.»
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Showing Jesus clothed «with a robe dipped in blood», the
prophecy calls to mind this passage from the book of Isaiah, announcing the glorious
coming of the Messiah, the Savior.
But why are His garments dipped in blood?
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Isaiah 63:2-4
«Why is Your apparel red, and Your garments like one who treads
in the winepress?
- I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with Me. For I have
trodden them in My anger, and trampled them in My fury; their blood is sprinkled upon My
garments, and I have stained all My robes.
For the day of vengeance is in My heart, and the year of My redeemed has come.»
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Jesus' robe is dipped in blood because, when He returns, He will
bring about the destruction of those who have rejected His call to salvation.
But in spite of this scene of desolation, Jesus announces good news: «The year of My
redeemed has come».
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Isaiah 63:2
Why is Your apparel red, and Your garments like one who treads in the winepress?
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Revelation 19:13,15
He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood (...).
He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
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The books of Isaiah and Revelation both compare the punishment of the wicked to a great vintage, in which the red grapes trod in the winepress symbolize those who rejected God's call to salvation.
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Revelation 14:18-20
«Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine
of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.»
So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and
threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
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.
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This great vintage, described in the books of Isaiah and Revelation, will be the subject of a future lesson.
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Revelation 19:13
He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
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John 1:1,14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God. (...)
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the
only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
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The Faithful and True rider is also called «The Word of God», another expression which designates Jesus Christ.
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Revelation 19:13,14
His name is called The Word of God.
And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white
horses.
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2 Thessalonians 1:7,8
(...) when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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When He returns, Jesus, the Faithful and True rider, will be accompanied by the heavenly armies, mainly made up of angels.
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When He returns, Jesus will come with His armies of angels:
«When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels
with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.» (MATTHEW 25:31)
«Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, "Behold,
the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict
all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an
ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against
Him."» (JUDE verses 14 and 15)
«Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more
than twelve legions of angels?» (MATTHEW 26:53)
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Revelation 19:13,14
His name is called The Word of God.
And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white
horses.
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Revelation 19:8
The fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
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In addition to the angels of God, the heavenly armies accompanying Jesus when He returns will also include the saints whom Jesus took with Him when He ascended to heaven, as we have seen in the lesson «The 24 Elders and the Four Living Creatures».
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Revelation 19:15
Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations.
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Revelation 1:16
Out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword.
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Revelation 2:12
These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword (...).
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A sharp sword comes out of the rider's mouth.
In our lessons on the letters to the seven churches, we have seen that this sword
symbolizes the Word of God.
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Revelation 2:16
Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.
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Revelation 19:21
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.
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The sharp sword, clearly separating the truth from lies, will become an instrument of punishment for those who choose the path of evil.
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Revelation 19:15
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.
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Revelation 2:26,27
And He who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations - He shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the potter's vessels shall be broken to pieces - as I also have received from My Father.
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The prophecy announces that the Faithful and True rider will rule the nations «with a rod of iron», once again calling to mind one of Jesus' promises to him who overcomes.
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Revelation 12:5
And she bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod
of iron.
And her Child was caught up to God and to His throne.
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Psalm 2:8,9
Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance,
and the ends of the earth for Your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them in pieces like a potter's
vessel.
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In our lesson «The Pure Woman», we have seen Jesus Christ's work of judgment of all nations, described with the words «to rule with a rod of iron».
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Revelation 19:16
And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:
«King of kings and Lord of lords.»
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Revelation 17:14
[The kings] 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.
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Finally, the Faithful and True rider is called «King of kings and Lord of lords», clearly designating Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.
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Just like His Father, Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords:
«Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the
name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those
in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth.» (PHILIPPIANS 2:9,10)
«The king answered Daniel, and said, "Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of
kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret."» (DANIEL
2:47)
«(...) He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who
alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see,
to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.» (1 TIMOTHY 6:15,16)
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John 14:1-3
Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also
in Me.
In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come
again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
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Let's close this lesson with this important point: «Faithful and
True» is a name which fills us with hope.
This name gives us the assurance that the promise of Jesus' return is True, and that Jesus
is Faithful to fulfill His promise!
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Let's thank God:
Our Father,
You said, through Your inspired Word: «Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that I
will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute
judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will
dwell safely; now this is His name by which He will be called: The Lord our
righteousness.» (Jeremiah 23:5,6)
This «Branch of righteousness» designates the same person as the Faithful and True
rider: Jesus Christ.
Please accept our sincere gratitude for the work of Your Son, which opens the way to
eternal life. In His precious name we pray.
Amen.
The test of Lesson 62 is waiting for you!