January 20: ANGELS AT HIS COMING
And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Revelation 19:14
Jesus’s own description of His return, “they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30b), alludes to the heavenly armies of angels that will accompany His return for His bride. A multitude is sometimes symbolically referred to as a cloud or clouds (see Daniel 7:13; Matthew 26:64; Mark 13:26; 14:62; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; Hebrews 12:1; Revelation 1:7). Even though Lucifer succeeded in deceiving one-third of the angels (12:4), the two-thirds who resisted his deceptions have remained faithful to their Commander in Chief ever since. They comprise massive armies riding white horses that will follow Jesus from heaven to earth. You may remember that, in a historical context, a victorious general would ride a white horse across the battlefield of a defeated foe. In today’s verse, both Jesus and His armies are riding forth in victory even before the final battle, for victory is assured!
Notice that the armies in heaven are clothed in fine linen, white and clean – a purposefully similar description of the attire of the wife of the Lamb to whom it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright (v.8), symbolizing her journey of faithfulness to the Lord, her righteous acts in this fallen world. This detail adds credence to the angel’s words to John, “I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus” (v.10).
For centuries and millennia, God’s faithful armies of angels have been working behind the scenes for the salvation of individuals upon the earth. We should draw great encouragement in this fact, rather than allowing the situations that we cannot control to overwhelm us.
The final battle in the great war between good and evil is fast approaching. Many things will be happening at this time. The book of Revelation helps to put the picture together, piece by piece, and very often brings to mind other places in the Scriptures that fill in more details. Jesus has told us of the angels’ activity when He returns: And [the Son of Man] will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other (Matthew 24:31).
In Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth that he had planted, he addresses numerous problems of the church plant in the midst of a very pagan city. Amid many needed rebukes, he wants to encourage those who are Christ’s by speaking of what will happen at His coming (1 Corinthians 15:23): Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed – in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (vv. 51-52)
That You would…remember me! …I will wait, Till my change comes. Job 14:13b,14b
More angels! Genesis 28:12; Psalm 91:11; 103:20; Matthew 4:11; 13:41,49; 16:27; 22:30; 25:31; 28:1-4; Mark 8:38; Luke 2:9-14; Hebrews 1:14; 12:22; Revelation 3:5; 5:11; 7:1