Shabbat shalom kol beit Yisrael and Mishpachah and welcome to Part LXVII (67) of our study of the Book of Revelation and to the second part of the final sequence of events.

We're in chapter 19 now in which Messiah and His armies finally conquer the Beast and his false prophet. The harlot city, Babylon, has been destroyed and as we witnessed last week, an allegorical marriage between Messiah and the Messianic Community (Church) was announced. We went at great length not only to describe this allegory but also to examine the kind marriages of the qodeshim (saints, set-apart ones) that would be in place in the Millennium from which the allegory is made, and we saw that after all the warfare and destruction caused by the 7 woes - in reality, 21 woes - there would be a huge gender disparity because of the slaughter of so many men. This, we are told by Isaiah, would result in their being seven times as many women as men which would thereafter define a feature of the Remnant, making plural marriage both common and, contrary to the long-standing current attitude of the apostate Church, accepted once again as both natural and divinely ordained and sanctioned, and as of old, bringing to an end in Christendom, at least, an artificial Roman Catholic restriction first introduced by the Eastern (Byzantine) Roman Emperor Justinian (482-565 AD) in the 6th century (534 AD).

But before any of this can take place, the other enemies of the Lamb must be overcome, and as we are to witness, John sees in vision the overthrow of the Beast and his prophet. Today we shall be looking at verses 11-21 which cover the first 3 parts of a new 7-fold division that includes the artificially divided-off chapters 20 and the first two verses of 21. If you'll look at the Table I gave you two sessions ago, you will see what we're going to cover now, namely

• 1. the Parousia, Presence or Second Comimg of the Saviour;
• 2. the Supper - not of the fabulous Marriage Supper of the Lamb but a grotesque 'supper' consisting of dead wicked humans attended by carnivorous birds; and
• 3. the well-known and oft spoken Battle of Armageddon.

So let us now turn to today's text which is fairly straightforward. Only in verse 16 is there a serious discrepancy in translation that has to be addressed. There you will find I have substituted the noun 'thigh' for 'banner' (marked in red in the text version). I will explain why when we get to it. We shall be reading from a messianised version of the New King James Version (NKJV) as usual:

"11 Now I saw ('perceived' - CLNT) ['the' - ISRV] heaven (the 'shammayim/heavens' - RSTNE, RNAB) opened ('wide open' - NEB, JBP; 'open wide' - Moff.; 'standing open' - Barclay, NIV) (Mt.3:16), and behold, a white horse ['appeared' - Amp.V]. And He who sat on him ('its/whose rider' - RNAB/NIV) (Rev.6:2) was called Faithful ('Trustworthy' - ISRV, Barclay; 'loyal, incorruptible, steady' - Barclay) and True, and in righteousness He judges ('is a judge with integrity' - JB; 'passes judgment' - JNT, Amp.V; 'is just in judgment' - NEB) (Is.11:4) and makes ('goes to' - NLT; 'wages' - RNAB; 'is just in' - NEB) war['fare' - JBP] ['justly' - KNT] ('goes to battle' - JNT; 'He is a warrior for justice' - JB; 'fights' - ISRV; 'just is His warfare' - Moff.; 'wages war in righteousness, holiness, justice and uprightness' - Amp.V) (Mt.10:42; Ezek.1:1; 15:3; Ps.96:13; Is.11:4). 12 His eyes were ('blaze' - Barclay) like a flame of fire ('fiery flame' - RNAB; 'blazing fire' - NIV) (Rev.1:14), and on His head were many ['royal' - JNT, Barclay; 'kingly' - Barclay] crowns ('coronets' - KNT, JB; 'diadems' - NASB, RNAB, AENT, CLNT, ESV, NEB, HRV, RSV, NRSV, Moff., JBP, Amp.V) (Rev.6:2; 12:3). He. He ['himself' - NIV) had a name ('names' - AENT; 'title' - Amp.V) written ('inscribed' - RNAB, Barclay) that no one knew ('had perceived' - ISRV; 'can understand' - Amp.V) ['what it meant' - NTL] except Himself (Rev.2:7; Dan.10:6). 13 He was clothed ('wearing' - Barclay; 'clad' - Moff.; 'dressed' - Amp.V) with a robe ['dyed by' - Amp.V] ('vesture' - KJV; 'His cloak' - JB; 'robed in a garment' - NEB) dipped ('dipping' - Amp.V; 'sprinkled with' - Amp.V alt; 'soaked' - JB, JNT, Barclay; 'drenched' - NEB) in blood (Is.63:1-3), and His name is called ('the title by which He is called is' - Amp.V) The Davar Elohim (Word of God; 'Yahweh' - ISRV, 'LOGOS of God' - Moff.) (Is.63;1; Jn.1:1). (New ¶ - JBP)

"14 And the armies in ('troops of/in' - Moff./Amp.V) heaven, clothed ('wearing' - RNAB; 'clad' - AENT, JBP; 'arrayed' - Moff.) in fine linen (Rev.19:8), ['dazzling' - JB, Amp.V] white ('shining' - KNT, NEB) (Rev.3:4) and clean ('pure' - KNT, Moff., 'spotless' - JBP), followed Him ['mounted' - RNAB) on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes ('issued' - Barclay) a sharp ['two-edged' - KNT] sword (Rev.1:6; 19:21), that with it He should strike ['down' - KNT, NRSV, NIV] ('smite' - KJV, NASB, ISRV, CLNT, NEB, RSV, Barclay; Amp.V; 'afflict, strike' - Amp.V) (Is.11:4; 2 Thess.2:8) the nations ('pagans' - JB). And He Himself will rule ('shepherd [and control]' - ISRV, CLNT, NRSV fn., Moff., JBP) them with a rod of iron ('staff' - Amp.V; 'iron sceptre' - JB, Amp.V; 'iron club' - CLNT; 'iron flail' - Moff.) (Ps.2:9; Rev.2:27; 12:5). He Himself ['alone' - JBP] treads the winepress ('tead out the wine [press]' - JB, RNAB) (Rev.14:20) of the fierceness ('fury' - RNAB, ESV; 'passion' - Moff.) and ('anger of the' - KNT, JB) wrath ('rage' - JNT; 'indignation' - CLNT; 'retribution' - NEB) of ['the' - ESV] Almighty ('All-Ruler, Omnipotent' - Amp.V) Elohim (God) ('El Shaddai' - ISRV) (Rev.14:20; Is.63:3). 16 And He has on His robe ('vesture' - KJV, AENT; 'cloak' - RNAB, CLNT, JBP; 'garment[s]' - Amp.V, HRV) and on His thigh['s' - HRV] (Heb. regel; 'sword' - JB fn.; Heb. degel = 'flag', 'banner' - ISRV fn.) a name ('title' - NLT, Amp.V) written: KING OF KINGS AND MASTER OF MASTERS (HRV) (LORD OF LORDS) (Dt.10:17; Dan.2:47; 1 Tim.6:15).

"17 Then I saw a ['single' - Amp.V] malak (angel, 'M/messenger' - ISRV, AENT) standing ('stationed' - Amp.V) in the ['blazing light of the' - JBP] sun ('in the air, appearing to be in the sun' (AENT , fn.; 'in the sun's light' - Amp.V); and he cried ('shouting' - KNT) with a loud voice, saying to all the birds ('fowls' - KJV, RSTNE, AENT; 'vultures' - NLT) that fly ['about' - JNT] in the midst of ('across' - Amp.V) ('flying high' - NLT; '[high/directly] overhead' - JB/ESV, RNAB) heaven ('mid-heaven' - KNT, NASB, JNT, ISRV, NEB, RSV, NRSV, Moff.; '[the] sky' - Amp.V, NLT, JB; 'mid[-]air' - JBP, NIV; 'mid-sky' - Barclay) (Rev.8:13; 14:6), 'Come ['here' - KNT] (Jer.12:9; Ezek.39:17) and gather ('flock' - JBP) together ('round' - KNT; 'assemble' - AENT) for the ['great' - NRSV] supper ('[great] feast' - JB, RNAB, KNT; 'banquet' - Moff., Barclay) (Ezek.39:17; Is.34:3,15; Hab.1:8; Jer.12:9; Mt.24:28; Lk.17:37) of the great Elohim (God) ('that God is giving' - JB) (Is.34:6; Jer.46:10), 18 that you may eat ('devour' - Moff.) the flesh of kings ('sovereigns' - ISRV), the flesh of ['great' - JB] captains ('generals' - KNT, JB, JNT, Moff., Barclay, Amp.V, NIV; 'military officers' - RNAB; 'commanders' - ISRV; 'rulers of thousands' - HRV), the flesh of mighty ('important' - JSB; 'valiant' - AENT; 'powerful' - HRV, Amp.V; 'strong' - JBP, Barclay; 'mighty' - NIV) men ('ones' - HRV; 'the strong [ones]' - KNT, Moff., ISRV; '[strong] warriors' - NLT, RNAB; 'heroes' - JB; 'fighting men' - NEB; 'the mighty' - NRSV) , the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them ('their riders' - KNT, JB, RNAB, NRSV, Moff., JBP, NIV), and the flesh of all people ('humanity' - NLT; 'all kinds of men' - JB), free['-born' - AENT; 'men' - NASB; 'freemen' - CLNT, HRV] and slave['s' - NASB] ('bond' - KJV) (Rev.6:15), both small and great.' (Ezek.39:17-20) (New ¶ - NLT, JB)

"19 And ('then' - JB) I saw the ['wild' - CLNT] beast ['of prey' - AENT) ('monster' - KNT; 'animal' - JBP) (Rev.13:1), the kings ('sovereigns' - ISRV; 'rulers, leaders' - Amp.V) of the earth (Rev.16:14,16), and their armies ('troops' - Moff., Amp.V, NIV), gathered ('massed' - JBP) together ('mustered' - NEB, Moff., Barclay, Amp.V) to make war against ('do battle with' - JNT, NEB; 'fight' - ISRV; 'wage battle with' - AENT; 'join battle with' - Barclay) Him who sat on the horse ('the Rider' - NEB, JBP, Moffat; 'rider on the horse' - NRSV, NIV) and against ('with' - KNT) His army ('soldiers' - HRV; 'troops' - Moff., Amp.V; 'the rider [of the horse] and his army' - JNT, JB, Barclay). 20 Then the beast ('monster' - KNT) was captured ('seized [and overpowered]' - NASB, ISRV, Moff., Amp.V; 'taken' - KJV; 'taken prisoner' - JB, NEB; 'caught' - RNAB, HRV; 'arrested' - CLNT), and with him the false navi (prophet) (Rev.16:13) who worked ('performed [the miraculous]' - KNT, RNAB, NIV; 'wrought' - KJV) signs ('[mighty] miracles' - NLT, JB, KJV; 'did these prodigies' - AENT; 'wonders and performed miracles' - Amp.V) (Mt.24:24) in his presence ('before him' - KJV; 'on behalf of the beast' - NLT, JB; 'on his behalf' - NIV) (Rev.13:12), by which he deceived ('led astray' - RNAB, ISRV, Barclay, Amp.V; 'seduced' - AENT, HRV, Moff.; 'deluded' - NEB, NIV) (Rev.13:14) those who received ('[had] accepted' - RNAB, JBP, Amp.V; 'permitted to be placed on them' - Amp.V) the mark ('emblem' - CLNT; 'stamp' - Amp.V) of the ['wild' - CLNT] beast ('monster' - KNT; 'animal' - JBP) (Rev.13:16) and those who worshiped ('paid homage and gace divine honors to' - Amp.V) his image ('statue' - JB, Moff., JBP, Amp.V) (Rev.13:15). These two ['went down and' - HRV) were cast ('thrown' - NASB, JB; 'flung' - Moff.; 'hurled' - Barclay, Amp.V.) alive into the ('a' - HRV) lake of fire ('fiery lake' - JB; 'fiery pool' - RNAB) (Rev.20:10,14-5; 21:8) burning ('that [burns and] blazes' - Amp.V, Moff.) with brimstone ('sulphur' - KNT, NLT, JB, JNT, RNAB, ISRV, AENT, CLNT, ESV, HRV, NRSV, JBP, NIV; 'with its sulphurous flames' - NEB, Barclay) (Rev.9:17). 21 And ('All' - JB) the rest ('entire army' - NLT) were killed with the ['sharp' - NLT] sword ('blade' - CLNT) which proceeded ('came out' - KNT, NLT, JB; 'that issues [forth]' - Moff., RSV, JBP, Barclay, Amp.V) from the mouth ('lips' - Moff.) of Him who sat ('is mounted' - Amp.V) on the horse ('the rider [on the horse]' - JB, JNT, JBP, NRSV, Barclay, NIV; 'went out of the Rider's mouth' - NEB). And all the birds ('fowls' - KJV, RSTNE, AENT; 'vultures' - NLT; 'every bird of prey' - HRV) (Rev.10:1; 18:1) were filled ('was full' - HRV; 'satiated' - AENT; 'satisfied' - CLNT; 'glutted' - Moff.; 'fed ravenously' - Amp.V) with ('feasted on' - KNT; 'gorged themselves on' - NLT, JNT, RNAB, NEB, JBP, NIV; 'gorged with' - JB, ESV, RSV, NRSV, Barclay; 'glutted themselves with' - Amp.V) their flesh ('the dead bodies' - NLT)" (Rev.19:11-21, NKJV).

¤BIBLE VERSIONS KEY: AENT = Aramaic English New Testament (NT, Gabriel Roth), Amp.V. = Amplified Version (1958 ed.), Aram.Pesh. = Aramaic Peshitta (NT), Barclay = William Barclay New Testament, B.Wilson = Benjamin Wilson's Emphatic Diaglot, Vatican MS 1209 (NT), CLNT = Concordant Literal New Testament, CJB = Complete Jewish Bible (David Stern), HCSB = Holman's Christian Standard Bible, HRV = Hebraic Roots Version (James Trimm), JBP = J.B.Philips New Testament, MRC = Messianic Renewed Covenant (NT), NASB = New American Standard Bible, NIV = New International Version (1984 edn.), NKJV = New King James Version, NRSV = New Revised Standard Version (1995 edn.), ISRV = Institute for Scripture Research Version ('The Scriptures', 2009 edn.), JB = Jerusalem Bible (1st edn.), JNT = Jewish New Testament (David Stern), KJV = King James Version, Moff. = Moffat Translation, NEB = New English Bible (1974 edn.), NLT = New Living Translation, RNAB = Revised New American Bible, RSTNE = Restoration Scriptures True Name Edition (2005 edn., Moshe Koniuchowsky), RSV = Revised Standard Version (1952 edn.), Tischendorf = Tauchnitz Edition, Vol.1000, 1869 (NT), S&G = Smith & Godspeed // ¶ = new paragraph

And so, before the fulfillment of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, Yahweh's enemies must be utterly destroyed. We now see Christ come forth in a completely new rôle, not as the meek and mild Lamb of the First Coming, but as a warrior. Psalm 45 contains important prophetic imagery combining both the military aspect of the Messiah and the plural nature of the Royal Bride. The setting is that of a dyanstic wedding in which King David's seven brides are called to mind, which has been symbolically combined into an Echad Bride as a single woman here in the Book of Revelation to represent the whole household. Not only that but this is an international wedding, something I'll be covering in more detail next week. We'll read this from the New International Version (NIV):

"3 Gird your sword upon your side, O mighty one (the king);
clothe yourself with splendour and majesty.
4 In your majesty ride forth victoriously
in behalf of truth, humility and righteousness;
let your right hand display awesome deeds.
5 Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king's enemies;
let the nations fall beneath your feet.
6 Your throne, O Elohim (God), will last for ever and ever (throughout the æons);
a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
therefore Elohim (God), your Elohim (God), has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy.
8 All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia;
from palaces adorned with ivory
the music of the strings makes you glad.
9 Daughters of kings are among your honoured wives [1] (GNV - 'women' in NIV & most Eng. transl.);
at your right hand is the royal bride (shegal = queen-wife) in gold of Ophir" (Ps.45:3-9, NIV).

As ever, the monogamy-only prudery of Western Anglo-Saxon translators has tried to make out that the 'honoured wives' are but mere female court attendants, ladies in waiting, ladies of honour, or 'bridesmaids' (in the modern British sense) and the shegal or Queen Wife is but the king's monogamous queen. This is not, however, a modern Western setting, but that of the ancient Middle eastern Davidic Court where the whole of David's or Solomon's large family is in view. King David is the type and Messiah the anti-type Revelation 19, not a later European monarch in the Catholic or Protestant tradition. There are those who believe the regal type in Psalm 45 was Solomon but remember Solomon never personally went into battle as King David did, and inherited a Kingdom at peace. Though there were uprisings latterly in his reign, Solomon never personally fought in the army. So the typology is definitely that of the Warrior-King David (e.g. Mt.15:22) and the Shegal or Queen-wife either his 7th wife, Bathesheba, or his 4th wife, Princess Ma'akah, daughter of Talmai, King of Geshur (2 Sam.3:2-3; 1 Chr.3:1-2).

I'll leave a chart on the website article (below) for those who would like to study this subject in greater detail.

I would like, in particular, to draw your attention to one important detail from this chart which lists and describes the seven wives of David who on an important prophetic level correspond to the Seven Congregations (Churches) of Asia Minor in chapters 2 and 3 of the Book of Revelation. You will notice that I have omitted David's 8th wife, Bathsheba, because she was acquired by the crimes of adultery and murder, David's only sin in regards to an abuse of marriage. The reason I have done this is because Bathsheba, though likely the one depicted in Psalm 45 in verse 9 as "the royal (shegal or queen) bride in gold of Ophir", is not - and cannot be - a picture of the Millennial Bride who is, as we're seeing from our studies of the Book of Revelation, pure and sanctified through faithful endurance through trial and tribulation. Bathsheba was acquired through muderous cheating.

The seven brides of David represent both the Seven Ruachot (Spirits) of Elohim (God) (Rev.1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6) and the Seven Annual Festivals of Messianic Israel. Nevertheless, this Royal or Queen (Shegal) Bride in Psalm 45:9 nevertheless anticipates, as a general type, the 8th or Resurrection Bride of the Millennium (remember Christ was raised on the symbolic '8th day' that corresponds to the 8th Annual Festival of Messianic Israel, namely, Shemini Atseret or the 'Last Great Day', which now assumes greater prophetic significance. This Shemini Atseret or Millennial Echad Bride represents a new 'set' of 7, as it were, without the imperfections of the first Davidic 'set' of 7 from the previous Æon or Age which correspond to the imperfections of the Seven Congregations of Asia Minor. She also corresponds to the highest scripturally-named aspect of the Ruach haQodesh, the Neshamah (e.g. Gen.2:7). Thus the 8th Bride represents a New Beginning and New Creation of the Millennial Æon (Age). Note also that David's first wife, Michal, daughter of King Saul, was also a 'problem' bride who failed to live up to expectations and was quite the royal snob, despising her husband when he danced wrapped only in a loincloth on the street before the Ark of the Covenant, for which sin Yahweh made her barren. Isn't it interesting how everything ties so neatly together? Yahweh, our Heavenly Father, makes no mistakes.

I ought at this point to quickly explain the qualitative difference between the Hebrew words ruach and neshamah which in our English Bibles are both simply translated as 'spirit' without any sort of differentiation between the two. Thus a critical meaning gets lost. This, once again, emphasises the great need to get back to the original Hebrew. 'Ruach' properly translates as 'wind' and 'neshamah' as 'breath' which are metaphors for the two qualitative types of 'Spirit' - a lower aspect (representing lifeless wind) and a higher aspect (representing actual breath that comes from a living being). (I'll not get into the Greek equivalents today, if you don't mind). There is a third kind of 'spirit' that in Hebrew is called nephesh that again I'll not get into today as it's complicated. For those who would like to learn more about these three different aspects of spirit, and how the meangings became blurred and interchangable over time (because language, being a living thing, sadly, evolves), please see my very first Bible study called The Bible Teaching on 'Soul'. A failure to properly understand these terms and their changes in meaning over time has led to all sorts of doctrinal errors (like 'soul-sleeping') that are a feature of the mistaken teachings of the Jehovah's Witnesses, Worldwide Churches of God, Seventh-Day Adventists, Christadelphians and a lot of Messianics. Suffice to say that whereas 'ruach' belongs to this imperfect æon or age we live in now, 'neshamah' belongs to the perfect messianic æon- or age-to-come. Though oday we see as through "a glass, darkly" (1 Cor.13:12, KJV) or as a "poor reflection as in a mirror" (NIV), in the next æon (age) we shall see perfectly. That's the qualitative difference between ruach and neshamah.

Let's now move on. Our first task, it seems to me, is to clearly distinguish the Rider on the White Horse in verse 11 from another white horse we came across earlier on which is common misidentified by Bible students. Let's read the verse 11:

"Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse. The One sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and He judges and makes war justly" (Rev.19:11, KNT)

Unfortunately, this rider on a white horse is often confused with another in chapter 6:

"And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer" (Rev.6:2, NKJV).

Sadly, many believers stumble at this obvious and clear interpretation and are not sure whether they believe the Saviour has this war-like nature too because they care only about 'love' and not truth-based justice. They only know the Yah'shua (Jesus) of the First Coming, of the incarnate Elohim (God) riding on a humble ass as prophesied in Zechariah 9:9 and as fulfilled in Matthew 21:4-11. Do we believe this new Second Coming description? We'd better! Just as modern believers, liberals in particular (but increasingly also many 'conservatives'), with a watered-down view of 'Jesus' as some sort of teddy-bear, stumble in Revelation 19, so the Judeans (Jews) stumbled at the prophecy of Zechariah as too 'weak' and 'feeble' for their exclusively aggressive, militant mind-set. In truth, it is as easy to believe in one prophecy as the other - it's not an 'either/or' choice. We believe both because He is both Love and Justice. Before, Messiah came in humiliation. Now, He will come in glory, as we have already read in Psalm 45, as a mighty warrior of righteousness, attended by His allegorical uniplural wife/wives as confirmed by Paul's short letter to Jude, quoting from a prophecy made by Enoch [2]:

"See, the Master (Lord) is coming with thousands upon thousands of his qadoshim (holy, set-apart ones) to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against Him" (Jude 14-15, NIV).

Paul helpfully goes on to tell us who these ungodly people are and why they can never be a part of this army:

"These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage. But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Master Yah'shua the Messiah (Lord Jesus Christ) foretold. They said to you, 'In the last (end) times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.' These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Ruach (Spirit)" (Jude 16-19, NIV).

So we know, unambiguously, who the latter Rider on the white horse is and who is accompanying Him. All of them are elohim, that is, judges coming in righteous judgment of all the scoffers, flatterers, manipulators, exploiters, grumblers and faultfinders with their evil desires. Thus the whole of the Kingdom of Elohim (God) is pitted against the whole of the Kingdom of Satan. So, yes, there are plenty of those calling themselves 'christians' or 'messianics' who are part of the Kingdom of Satan and who war against Yahweh's true believers, thinking they are serving the Second White Horseman (true Christ) when they are, in fact, serving the first (false Christ or Antichrist). You see, the Antichrist and the true Christ look alike outwardly but inwardly they are of totally contrary character. They do totally different things and are driven by entirely different motives. That should come as no surprise to us because we're told in that famous parable that the wheat and tares - the true and the false believers - will grow up together, members of the same 'church', until the final separation and burning that must take place at the end of the æon (age) (Mt.13:24-30). That separation is of the Remnant - the spiritually regenerated (born-again, Spirit-filled) Messiah-trusting, Torah/commandment-obedient Messianic Bride - from the false, antinomian Christians and Talmud-leaning Messianics following false spirits, leaving the latter behind in the churches and messianic synagogues which then become absorbed into the One World Religion of the Anti-Messiah.

Which brings us to the translation issue I have already alluded to in verse 16. Let me read a typical English translation - which is all of them (that I know of), in fact, with the exception one (if anyone knows of others, please let me know):

"On His robe and on His thigh, is written a name: King of kings, and Lord of lords" (Rev.19:16, KNT)

Well, the only example I know of that is in Genesis 47:29 where a 'thigh' is a euphemism for the male generative organ in the taking of oaths. Anciently, when a covenant was made between two men, the one making the oath laid his hand on the thigh of the one he was making the covenant with. This does not mean he laid his hand on the man's male seed-bearing organ (as I once naïvely believed, mistaking the euphemism for the literal act). It simply means that as a man's generative organ was rightly held to be sacred because it represents his posterity, which the thigh symbolised (presumably because it was in close proximity), the oath was sacred. In other words, his seed was the 'guarantee'. If he failed to keep his word, his children would be forfeit, that's how serious the oath was.

We know this to be true from the fact that the penalty for deliberately attacking and injuring a man's testicles by a woman in defence of her husband in a fight berween two men was the that of having the perpetrator's hand cut off, the only instance of this kind of punishment in the Torah (Dt.25:11-12)! (In Islam, which can at times be extremely cruel, this is their excessively harsh punishment for thieving). So the question is begged, if the translation is indeed 'thigh', what is going on here?? If the literal thigh is meant, then we are left with the rather ridiculous (not to say irreverant) image of a warror charging into battle with his robe lifted to expose one of his thighs with the same words written on His robe written on his flesh too. What for? Well, it can't have been a tattoo because in Leviticus 19:28 we are forbidden to mark the flesh. Worse, the only other symbol an exposed thigh represents in Scripture is that of nakedness - a man (or woman) with an exposed thigh is regarded as naked in Mark 14:51; 1 Samuel 28:42 and Leviticus 16:4, which is usually a negative thing - a shameful thing. An essentially naked Warrior-Messiah makes no sense either. Indeed, the image is almost comically perverse.

I have never seen a credible explanation for what this alleged 'thigh' means. Nearly all the commentaries I have read just skip over this and leave the matter shrouded in mystery. The few who don't, speculate it might be His girdle roughly where His sword sheath would have been attached (cp.Ps.45:3 above). But that's just guesswork and is without scriptural or historical precedent - thighs just aren't known metaphors for swords or scabbards (sword-sheaths).

A far better explanation is that 'thigh' has come about as the result of a copyist error. This is, incidentally, a piece of strong evidence that Revelation was originally written in Hebrew (for one thing, it is a perfect example of Hebrew apocalyptic literature and full of Hebraisms), in which case the word for 'thigh' would have been regel. If there has indeed been a copyist error, as I now firmly believe, and if the original was degel - an error easily made as the Hebrew letter dalet () and resh () look almost identical - then this 'thigh' would have been a cloth banner or flag the Rider was carrying bearing the inscription, "King of kings, and Lord of lords" as on His vestment (robe). Both are of cloth, both are prominent - an inscription on an areas as small as a thigh couldn't be read by anyone except very close-up. So though only the South African Institute for Scripture Research Version (ISRV) alone uses this rendition of 'banner', I am willing to stick my neck out and claim this to be the only reasonable explanation, something I don't normally do. This is a military picture showing a Commander's uniform and His regimental flag. It's as simple as that. For once the overwhelming majority view and concensus is clearly not right. I have taken this radical stance with one or two other controversial passages that the Greek translation obscures like the eunuch/believer controversy of Matthew 19:12 and the 'camel/rope' controversy of Matthew 9:24 (also Mk.10:25; Lk.18:25).

There are many prophetic references to banners in the prophetic literature [3], of which perhaps this 'In that day' one in Isaiah 11 is one of the best known and definitely applicable here:

"In that day the Root of Jesse (Messiah) will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to Him, and His place of rest will be glorious. In that day the Master will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the remnant..." (Is.11:10-11, NIV).

And so it is, in these 10 verses, things said earlier start to come together. Chapter 16 has prepared us for this conflict. Chapter 17 has shown us the enemy and his allies. Chapter 18 gave us the details of the judgment as far as the Whore, 'Babylon the Great', is concerned. But now, in Chapter 19, we have, the final fulfilment of Psalm 2. Let me quickly read that messianic Davidic psalm to you so that you can see and understand:

"Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against Yahweh and against his Anointed One. 'Let us break their chains,' they say, 'and throw off their fetters.'

"The One (Yahweh) enthroned in heaven laughs; the Master scoffs at them. Then He rebukes them in His anger and terrifies them in His wrath, saying, 'I have installed my King on Zion, my qadosh (holy, set-apart) hill.'

"I will proclaim the decree of Yahweh:

"He said to Me (Messiah), 'You are My Son; today I have become Your Father. Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will rule them with an iron scepter (rod); You will dash them to pieces like pottery.'

"Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve Yahweh with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you be destroyed in Your way, for His wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him" (Ps.2:1-12, NIV).

Of the great slaughter of the enemies of Yahweh, the Beast's Confederacy of kings, military commanders, worldly heroes, and all wicked men and women, the raging heathen (Ps.2:1-3) and those filled with strong delusion because of their rejection of Elohim (God) (2 Thess.2:9-12), who gather together to finally (as they vainly suppose) subdue the whole earth and to shut out its heavenly Ruler; of Messiah's red blood-drenched robes and the feast of the vultures afterwards in verses 17 & 18, I don't think any more needs to be said as that gory part of today's passage is self-explanatory. We'll talk more about that next week and in our study of chapter 20. This is the day of Yahweh's vengeance and it's final. So more about this next time.

By way of a footnote, a quick remark, if I may, about the malak (angel) standing in the sun (v.17) might perhaps be in order, though, and then we'll finish. This is not, of course, literal. It is simply a picture of a heavenly being, representing Yahweh the Creator of the cosmos, having an exalted position since he is there to announce the permanent destruction of the Beast and his allies. And there is nothing the Beast can do about it, anymore than he can do anything about the sun. This may also be an allusion as the "sun of righteousness" (Mal.4:2).

I have more thing I want to say about verses 11-21 but we'll continue with that next week before moving on to Chapter 20 the week after. Today I have done my usual practice of overview followed by detailed study, but in reverse order, because we need the details to get the overview right this time. There are also new things that keep turning up that must be addressed for the sake of thoroughness. So until next Sabbath, Yahweh bless you and prosper your studies and meditations of this great and important text - the Book of Revelation. In Yah'shua's (Jesus') Name. Amen.

Endnotes

[1] As accurately rendered in the Protestant Geneva Bible (GNV) of 1560 & 1599. The Hebrew ishshah is a generic term that can mean both women and wives, leaving the context of usage to distinguish between the two. Here, beyond any historical shadow of a doubt, the reference is to the king's wives.
[2] Though this is likely a quotation from 1 Enoch it is not an endorsement of that apocryphal work which is corrupt even if it contains some authentic material which Paul quotes from
[3] e.g. Exodus 17:15; Numbers 2:2; Psalm 20:5; 60:4; Song of Songs 2:4; 6:4; Isaiah 5:26; 11:10,12; 13:2; 18:3; 30:17; 49:22; 62:10; Jeremiah 50:2; 51:12,27; Ezekiel 27:7

Acknowledgements

[1] Tom Wright, Revelation for Everyone - The New Testament for Everyone Commentary Series, Vol.19 (SPCK, London: 2011)
[2] E.W.Bullinger*, Commentary on Revelation (Kregel Classics, Grand Rapids, Michigan: 1984)
[3] David H. Stern, Jewish New Testament Commentary (JNT Publications, Clarksville, Maryland: 1992)
[4] ESV Study Bible (Crossway, Wheaton, Illinois: 2011)
[5] The NIV Study Bible (Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan: 1995)
[6] Ed. J.R.Dummelow, A Commentary on the Holy Bible (MacMillan, London: 1909)
[7] David Pawson, Unlocking the Bible: A Unique Overview of the Whole Bible (Collins, London: 2007)

*E.W.Bullinger was a brilliant Anglican clergyman and scholar whose works merit careful study by serious students of the Bible. He was, however, seriously in error in at least three main areas, namely, (1) he believed the 'Church' has been raptured before the Book of Revelation opens, (2) he believed that the 7 churches in Revelation 2-3 are 7, literal Jewish churches or assemblies yet to come, and (3) he believed in a pre-tribulation, pre-millennial rapture.

• C. The Far Future
  • C1. Chapter 19
    
    • C1.1. Yahweh's Victory Celebration (19:1-10)
    • C1.2. The Beast Defeated (19:11-21)
  • C2. Chapter 20
    
    • C2.1. The Millennial Reign (20:1-6)
    • C2.2. The Final Judgment (20:7-15)
  • C3. Chapter 21:1-21
    
    • C3.1. The New Heaven & Earth (21:1-5)
    • C3.2. The New Jerusalem (21:6-21)
  • C4. Chapter 21:22-22:21
    
    • C4.1. New Jerusalem (21:22-22:7)
    • C4.2. 'I am Coming Soon' (22:8-21)