When did you last hear of a Sunday school lesson about the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus the Messiah as a warrior on horseback accompanied by the armies of heaven and striking down His enemies and with His robes spattered with their blood? Isaiah the prophet and the apostle John both wrote about this awesome end-time event that will bring this present age to a close. Even though they lived many centuries apart the blessed Holy Spirit gave both of them the same revelation of this last end-time battle terminating the end of this present age. Now let’s look at this…
Isaiah Chapter 63:1-6
In Isaiah Chapter 63:1-6 we see the Messiah’s Second Coming and taking the war to His enemies located in Edom. (Vs.1) Now Edom in Bible times geographically was not just Southern Jordan but a land mass that swept down into Saudi Arabia, the heart and home of the Islamic world today. In Ezekiel Chapter 25:12-14 we are told that Edom includes the land mass stretching from Teman to Dedan which historically from the geographical standpoint were both regions located in Saudi Arabia. We are also told that the Lord will lay waste Edom because of what they have done to His people Israel. Prophetically it is a clear reference to the Islamic world.
We know from God’s Word that the combined Muslim nations surrounding Israel will invade the land and devastate Jerusalem. (Ezekiel Chapter 38) (Joel Chapter 3) (Zechariah Chapters 12 &14) We are also told in these references that the Lord will judge those nations that attack Israel. We also see in Isaiah Chapter 63:1-3 that Bozrah is mentioned in connection with Edom. Bozrah was the gateway to Saudi Arabia and the Messiah is seen coming up from Edom and Bozrah where He has been fighting Islam.
Also we are told that his garments are dipped in the blood of His enemies that resembles wine being trodden down in the winepress. It is the winepress of the wrath of God and again another reference is made to the blood of His enemies splattering His garments. (Vs 2-3) Then we are told that it is a day of vengeance on God’s enemies, primarily the armies of the Islamic nations and other nations that have joined them as well, that have dared to defy Him and to attack Israel. (Vs 4)
A further description of the complete and bloody destruction of the armies of Islam is seen in Isaiah Chapter 34:2-10 and Edom and Bozrah are also mentioned. We are also told in Isaiah 36:4 that it is the day of redemption when the faithful remnant of Israel will be completely and fully delivered and restored spiritually and nationally. Then in Isaiah 36:5 we are told this redemptive act of God was His action alone and carried out by His own arm working salvation on His behalf. The right arm of the Lord is a term used in scripture for the Messiah our Lord Jesus.
As believers we have already been redeemed by the blood of the Messiah and all of our sins have been forgiven and cleansed. (Ephesians 1:7) Our full redemption out of this present evil age is yet to come and it will be by the right arm of the Lord our redeemer the Lord Jesus our Messiah. When the Lord Jesus returns it will be the day of full redemption which will see all of His enemies destroyed and His saints raptured and resurrected to co-reign with Him in the Millennial Messianic Kingdom. They will be a kingdom of priests co-reigning with their Messiah Lord and Saviour on earth. (Revelation 5:10; 20:6) (Exodus 19:6) (1 Peter 2:9)
Let us remember that Israel and the faithful Church are spiritually connected. They are like two sides of the same coin, separate yet one. You can distinguish between them ethnically but spiritually they are both one new man in the Messiah. (Ephesians 2:11-22) They are grafted into the Olive Tree, being the Commonwealth of Israel. The Lord Jesus is the true vine and root that spiritually sustains and nourishes the branches that are connected by faith in Him that causes them to bear spiritual fruitfulness for God. (Romans 11:17-18) (John 15:1-8)
Now coming back to Isaiah 63:6, we see a horrific description of the bloody judgement on the nations. This is clearly the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus being described and the day of His full redemption that has arrived for all His faithful, beleaguered and persecuted saints on earth.
Revelation Chapter 19.11-21
Now let’s turn to the New Testament to Revelation Chapter 19.11-21. In this passage of scripture we see a description of the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus with the armies of heaven and accompanied by His redeemed saints. Jude also describes this in his letter. (Jude 1:14-15) Now there are two things to notice in Revelation Chapter 19.
Firstly, The Messiah our Lord Jesus is dressed in a robe dripped in blood. (Vs 13) Spiritually speaking, this points to His redemptive act of the atonement for sin at the cross and prophetically it points to the complete and bloody destruction of His enemies. He is the ultimate Commander in Chief riding on a white horse and at the command coming out of His mouth His armies go forth to destroy the enemies of God. (Vs 14-15) In Psalm 45:2-5, we have another picture of Him as a mounted warrior riding forth to fight and conquer His enemies.
Secondly, in Revelation Chapter 19 we notice that it also mentions the winepress of the wrath of God. (Vs 15b) Clearly this last battle is the same battle described in Isaiah Chapter 63. In both passages the Messiah’s robes are dipped in the blood of His enemies as they are trampled in the winepress of the wrath of God. At the end of the battle we are told that the Antichrist and his beast empire and the false prophet are thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulphur. (Revelation 19:20)
Now when you connect Isaiah Chapter 63:1-6 with Revelation Chapter 19:11-21 we clearly see that the Antichrist and his beast empire and the false prophet are Islamic. Why? Because the battle is seen as having been fought at Edom which today is Saudi Arabia, the heart of the Muslim world.
Joel Chapter 3:13: Revelation Chapter 14:17-20
There are two other passages of scripture that also mention the winepress of the wrath of God and one also mentioning the blood of the wicked being shed. These two passages of scripture are describing the same battle we see depicted in Isaiah Chapter 63 and Revelation Chapter 19.
In Joel 3:13 we see the nations that have attacked Israel harvested by God as a sickle harvests the grapes and this harvest is swept into the winepress of God’s wrath because of their great wickedness. It is a harvest of judgement and mirrors Isaiah 63 and Revelation 19.
Then in Revelation 14:17-20 we see the sickle mentioned yet again sweeping the harvest of the wicked into the great winepress of the wrath of God. We are also told that their blood flows out of the press outside of the city (Jerusalem) and that it rises up as high as the bridles of the horses and flows for a distance of 1,600 stadia (about 180 miles)
It all starts and ends in the Middle-East
The Bible is a Middle-Eastern book and was written by Middle-eastern men and history started in the Middle-East and it will end in the Middle-East. Bible prophecy is not centred in Europe or the western nations but in the Middle-East. We have also seen from connecting Isaiah 63:1-6 with Revelation 19:11-21 that the Beast, being the Antichrist and his empire, and the false prophet would have to be Islamic because this last end-time battle takes place in Edom (Saudi Arabia) and at Bozrah which geographically today would be located in Southern Jordan.
To sum up…
All of these scripture passages mentioned collectively all describe the one and the same end-time battle when the Lord Jesus comes back to fight the Antichrist, his empire and all of the nations that have opposed God, loved wickedness and oppressed His people Israel and by extension and inclusion the faithful Assembly (Church). In these passages in Isaiah Chapter 63 and Revelation Chapter 19 we see the Messiah’s robes dipped in the blood of His enemies and their ‘crushing’ in the winepress of the wrath of God.
Under His banner
In the Book of Genesis we read concerning the Messiah our Lord Jesus; ” The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between His feet, until tribute comes to Him; and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples.” (Genesis 49:10) If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus, born again, justified by faith and washed and sanctified through the blood of the Messiah, filled with His Spirit, and His bond slave through the obedience that proceeds from saving faith in Him, then you will be at this end-time battle fighting under the banner of the Commander in Chief of the armies of the Lord. You will fight alongside Him and alongside the remnant of Israel and see the enemy of your soul and his minions fall before the command coming out of the rider on the White Horse our Lord Jesus.
We will co-reign with Him
So then when the seventh and last trumpet is blown and there is a loud shout from heaven the rapture and resurrection of all the elect saints of God will take place. (Matthew 24:29-31) (1 Corinthians 15:51-52) (Revelation 11:15) At that very same hour the wicked will be swept into the winepress of the wrath of God and trampled underfoot and their blood will flow as the juice flows from the crushing of the grapes in the winepress. After this the Messianic Kingdom will commence when “the Kingdom of the world have become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Messiah, and He will reign for ever and ever” and we also will reign with Him on earth! (Revelation 11:15) (Revelation 5:10)
The Blessed Hope!
The Second Coming of our Lord Jesus to earth is a great incentive to live a life that pleases Him and is set apart to Him for His exclusive use. In his letter to Titus the apostle Paul wrote; “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to everyone. It instructs us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live sensible, upright, and godly lives in the present age, as we await the blessed hope and glorious appearance of our great God and Saviour Jesus the Messiah. He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.” (Titus 2:11-14)
