Verse 13 also says, “His name is called The Word of God.” The Word of God is the definition, the explanation, and the expression of God. As the Word of God, Christ speaks for God not only by imparting life as grace to God’s chosen people in the Gospel of John (John 1:1, 4, 14), but also by executing God’s judgment upon the rebellious people in the Revelation of John. Even as the Lord fights, He speaks for God and expresses God. The fighting of Christ is the speaking of the Word of God. God is righteous and sovereign. He is also a God of order and He cannot tolerate disorder and rebellion. As Christ fights against the enemy, He will speak that God is sovereign, righteous, and orderly. He will declare that God is the God over everyone and that He does not tolerate rebellion against His authority. Hence, the Warrior is the Word. His fighting is the speaking of God’s Word.
Suppose I come into the meeting hall and find everything is in a mess. Without saying a word, I begin to clean up the hall. My act of cleaning says that I am a neat person and that I cannot tolerate a messy environment. There is no need for me to say anything, because my cleaning speaks for me. Likewise, the Lord’s fighting in the war at Armageddon will be a powerful speaking. It will tell Satan, Antichrist, the false prophet, and the entire universe that God is sovereign and that no one can rebel against Him. God is a God of order and He will sweep away all rebellion.
The Word of God is mentioned both in the Gospel of John (1:1) and in the Revelation of John. In the Gospel of John the Word of God does not speak anything related to fighting; rather, He speaks redemption, light, life, and building. In the Gospel of John the Word of God speaks life and building. In the Revelation of John the Word of God speaks not only life and building, but also fighting. Before God can have the building He desires, He must first clean up His universe. In this book Christ’s fighting is also His speaking for God. As the Word of God, His fighting proclaims to the whole universe what kind of God He is. God is not a God of confusion—He is the sovereign God, a God of order who does not tolerate rebellion. By His fighting Christ declares this to the universe.
Verse 15 says, “And out of His mouth proceeds a sharp sword, that with it He might smite the nations.” The sword, which proceeds out of the mouth of Christ, who is the Word of God, is the word which will judge the rebellious (John 12:48). When the Lord Jesus comes to fight against Antichrist, He will not need nuclear weapons. He will simply need to speak a word. If He were to say, “Antichrist, go to the lake of fire,” Antichrist would immediately be cast there. The Lord’s word is more powerful than a nuclear weapon. As the Lord is speaking, we who follow Him shall say “Amen.” When the Lord says, “Antichrist, go to the lake of fire,” we all shall say “Amen,” and Antichrist will immediately be cast into the lake of fire. This is the Lord’s way of fighting. Undoubtedly, Antichrist will use the most modern weapons, but Christ will defeat him with the sharp sword, the almighty word that proceeds out of His mouth.
The Lord will not only smite the nations; He will also shepherd them with an iron rod (v. 15). To shepherd here means to rule, and the iron rod signifies strong power. Christ will firstly smite the nations with His judging word; then He will shepherd those who remain with His strong power. His ruling with strong power is His shepherding. He will rule over the nations by shepherding them. Today, the elders shepherd the church with love, not with a rod of iron. However, because the nations will still have the rebellious human nature, the Lord will shepherd them during the millennium with an iron rod. That the nations will still have a rebellious nature is proved by the fact that they will follow Satan to make war against Christ at the end of the millennium (20:7-9).
Verse 15 also says, “And He treads the winepress of the wine of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.” The Lord’s fighting in the war at Armageddon will be the treading of the great winepress. All the grapes, the Gentile military forces, will be gathered into the winepress and will be trodden by the Lord Jesus.
Verse 16 says, “And He has on His garment and on His thigh a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.” The fact that Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords will no longer be hidden or mysterious. This name will be written upon His garment and upon His thigh; hence, it will be openly revealed and known by all. The garment signifies Christ’s attributes, especially His righteousness in His humanity. And the thigh signifies Christ’s standing strength, His stability. His title King of kings and Lord of lords is exhibited in His righteousness and stability.