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The King of Kings. 11 [a]Then I saw the heavens opened, and there was a white horse; its rider was [called] “Faithful and True.” He judges and wages war in righteousness.(A) 12 His eyes were [like] a fiery flame, and on his head were many diadems. He had a name[b] inscribed that no one knows except himself.(B) 13 He wore a cloak that had been dipped in[c] blood, and his name was called the Word of God.(C) 14 The armies of heaven followed him, mounted on white horses and wearing clean white linen.(D) 15 Out of his mouth came a sharp sword to strike the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod, and he himself will tread out in the wine press[d] the wine of the fury and wrath of God the almighty.(E) 16 He has a name written on his cloak and on his thigh, “King of kings and Lord of lords.”(F)

17 [e]Then I saw an angel standing on the sun. He cried out [in] a loud voice to all the birds flying high overhead, “Come here. Gather for God’s great feast, 18 to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of military officers, and the flesh of warriors, the flesh of horses and of their riders, and the flesh of all, free and slave, small and great.”(G) 19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered to fight against the one riding the horse and against his army. 20 The beast was caught and with it the false prophet[f] who had performed in its sight the signs by which he led astray those who had accepted the mark of the beast and those who had worshiped its image. The two were thrown alive into the fiery pool burning with sulfur.(H) 21 The rest were killed by the sword that came out of the mouth of the one riding the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

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Footnotes

  1. 19:11–16 Symbolic description of the exalted Christ (cf. Rev 1:13–16) who together with the armies of heaven overcomes the beast and its followers; cf. Rev 17:14.
  2. 19:12 A name: in Semitic thought, the name conveyed the reality of the person; cf. Mt 11:27; Lk 10:22.
  3. 19:13 Had been dipped in: other Greek manuscripts and versions read “had been sprinkled with”; cf. Rev 19:15. The Word of God: Christ is the revelation of the Father; cf. Jn 1:1, 14; 1 Jn 2:14.
  4. 19:15 The treading of the wine press is a prophetic symbol used to describe the destruction of God’s enemies; cf. Is 63:1–6; Jl 4:13.
  5. 19:17–21 The certainty of Christ’s victory is proclaimed by an angel, followed by a reference to the mustering of enemy forces and a fearsome description of their annihilation. The gruesome imagery is borrowed from Ez 39:4, 17–20.
  6. 19:20 Beast…false prophet: see notes on Rev 13. The fiery pool…sulfur: symbol of God’s punishment (Rev 14:10; 20:10, 14–15), different from the abyss; see note on Rev 9:1.

The Heavenly Warrior Defeats the Beast

11 I saw heaven standing open(A) and there before me was a white horse, whose rider(B) is called Faithful and True.(C) With justice he judges and wages war.(D) 12 His eyes are like blazing fire,(E) and on his head are many crowns.(F) He has a name written on him(G) that no one knows but he himself.(H) 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood,(I) and his name is the Word of God.(J) 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen,(K) white(L) and clean. 15 Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword(M) with which to strike down(N) the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.”[a](O) He treads the winepress(P) of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:(Q)

king of kings and lord of lords.(R)

17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds(S) flying in midair,(T) “Come,(U) gather together for the great supper of God,(V) 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people,(W) free and slave,(X) great and small.”(Y)

19 Then I saw the beast(Z) and the kings of the earth(AA) and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse(AB) and his army. 20 But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet(AC) who had performed the signs(AD) on its behalf.(AE) With these signs he had deluded(AF) those who had received the mark of the beast(AG) and worshiped its image.(AH) The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake(AI) of burning sulfur.(AJ) 21 The rest were killed with the sword(AK) coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse,(AL) and all the birds(AM) gorged themselves on their flesh.

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 19:15 Psalm 2:9

But the King of kings(A) aroused the anger of Antiochus against the scoundrel. When the king was shown by Lysias that Menelaus was to blame for all the trouble, he ordered him to be taken to Beroea[a] and executed there in the customary local method.

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Footnotes

  1. 13:4 Beroea: the Greek name of Aleppo in Syria.
'2 Maccabees 13:4' not found for the version: New International Version.

15 that the blessed and only ruler will make manifest at the proper time, the King of kings and Lord of lords,(A)

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15 which God will bring about in his own time(A)—God, the blessed(B) and only Ruler,(C) the King of kings and Lord of lords,(D)

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among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ;(A)

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And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.(A)

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[a]But you are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises” of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 2:9–10 The prerogatives of ancient Israel mentioned here are now more fully and fittingly applied to the Christian people: “a chosen race” (cf. Is 43:20–21) indicates their divine election (Eph 1:4–6); “a royal priesthood” (cf. Ex 19:6) to serve and worship God in Christ, thus continuing the priestly functions of his life, passion, and resurrection; “a holy nation” (Ex 19:6) reserved for God, a people he claims for his own (cf. Mal 3:17) in virtue of their baptism into his death and resurrection. This transcends all natural and national divisions and unites the people into one community to glorify the one who led them from the darkness of paganism to the light of faith in Christ. From being “no people” deprived of all mercy, they have become the very people of God, the chosen recipients of his mercy (cf. Hos 1:9; 2:25).

But you are a chosen people,(A) a royal priesthood,(B) a holy nation,(C) God’s special possession,(D) that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.(E)

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Address and Greeting. [a]Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and brother of James, to those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept safe for Jesus Christ:(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Jude…brother of James: for the identity of the author of this letter, see Introduction. To those who are called: the vocation to the Christian faith is God’s free gift to those whom he loves and whom he safely protects in Christ until the Lord’s second coming.

Jude,(A) a servant of Jesus Christ(B) and a brother of James,

To those who have been called,(C) who are loved in God the Father and kept for[a] Jesus Christ:(D)

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Footnotes

  1. Jude 1:1 Or by; or in