The nineteenth chapter of the book of the Revelation, as well as the twentieth chapter are absolutely and utterly amazing when you take the time to consider it. Within these two chapters we find two distinct battles being fought against the saints of God—and not just against the saints of God, but also against the eternal Word of God.

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon Him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew but He Himself. And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against His army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of Him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of His mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh” (Revelation 19:11-21).

“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. And when the thousand years are exported, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil; that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20:4-10).

 The final two battles recorded in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ are utterly and completely remarkable when you take the time to study them. Upon studying each of these battles you learn some absolutely incredible and astonishing truths when engaging the adversary in spiritual conflict and warfare. If you study each of these battles in their entirety you will notice that the Word of God is present in both battles. In the first battle we discover the Word of God riding alongside the host of heaven and being provoked into battle by the beast, the false prophet, and the armies who fought alongside them. Once more there is another war and battle that is incited against the saints of God—albeit this time the eternal Word of God comes riding on a white horse accompanied by the host of heaven who also ride on white horses. This first battle which is instigated by the beast and the false prophet are quite remarkable, for when they come against the eternal Word of God and His holy saints with Him, the eternal Word of God rides alongside of and rides with the host of heaven. When you come to this first battle you find the eternal Word of God riding upon a white horse accompanied by the host of heaven, while when you come to the second battle you will find the eternal Word of God reigning alongside the saints of God. I feel it necessary at this juncture to actually change the verbiage and language regarding the eternal Word of God, for it is not the eternal Word of God who rides alongside us, but we who ride alongside the eternal Word of God. It is the eternal Word of God which stands at the center and is the extreme focal point and commander of this host which rides with him on white horses of their own. It is not the eternal Word of God who reigns alongside us in the earth, but rather the eternal Word of God who reigns upon the earth and we as the saints of God who reign alongside the Word. “And the armies which were in heaven FOLLOWED HIM upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean” (Revelation 19:14). “AND THEY LIVED AND REIGNED WITH CHRIST a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4). In the nineteenth chapter of the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ it is the host of heaven which follows the eternal Word of God, while in the very next chapter it is the saints of God who lived and reigned with Christ during the millennial reign of Christ.

 WHEN THE WORD OF GOD LEADS & THE WORD OF GOD REIGNS. The nineteenth and twentieth chapters must be studied in their absolutely entirety, for they present us with and bring us face to face with two incredibly powerful concepts within our own lives. In the nineteenth chapter of the book of the Revelation we find the Word of God leading and commanding the host of heaven, while in the twentieth chapter of the same prophetic book we find the Word of God reigning in the earth. Please don’t miss the significance and importance of these two realities, for to do so would be to severely misunderstand the role of the Word of God within our own lives. There are many in the pews and chairs of our churches who choose to “allow” the word of God to come alongside them, as if to somehow appease and join their own ventures and agendas. There are those individuals who will allow the Word of God access to their lives, but only as that which comes alongside their own plans, their own agendas and their own purposes. These individuals are absolutely unrelenting in their willingness to allow the Word of God to lead them as they follow wherever the Word of God goes. There is a passage in the Old Testament book of the Psalms that describes how the word of God is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path—a verse which underscores and highlights the supreme importance of the word of God. This is especially true in spiritual conflict and warfare, for we dare not presume to believe that the Word of God is something which comes alongside our own agendas, plans or purposes—regardless of how well thought out we may think and believe them to be. The eternal Word of God has never and will never be that which comes alongside us in order to suit our own agendas, plans, purposes and ventures. The eternal Word of God is to be that which goes before us—that which leads us into battle, that which leads us into conflict, that which leads us into righteousness, that which leads us into holiness, that which leads us into obedience, that which leads us in our pursuit of and relationship with Almighty God. There have been far too many men and women who have failed and perhaps have even refused to allow the eternal Word of God to lead and go before them as they follow the direction of the Word. If you are unwilling and even unable to allow the Word of God to lead you and you follow wherever it leads then I would dare say that the words of the psalmist concerning the word aren’t true of you—the word of God most certainly is not a lamp unto your feet, and it most certainly is not a light unto your path.

 Within these two chapters found in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ we find the Word of God riding and leading the host of heaven in battle, but we also find the eternal Word of God reigning on earth, and the saints of God reigning with the Word of God. This is absolutely stunning when you examine it thoroughly, for these two chapters bring us face to face with the eternal Word of God within our lives, and the role of the eternal Word of God in at the end of time. The eternal Word of God first comes riding on a white horse leading the host of heaven on horses which they themselves ride, but then that same eternal Word of God is seen reigning in the beloved and holy city of Jerusalem. Please pay attention to this, for the Word of God is meant to lead you in all aspects of your life, but the Word of God does so much more than that. The Word of God doesn’t just come riding on a white horse leading us upon the earth, but the Word of God reigns upon the earth on the very throne of David. We must allow and bring ourselves to follow the direction and leading of the Word of God, but that is not the only objective of the Word of God. There comes a point when the eternal Word of God must actually be enthroned in our lives and be permitted to reign over every area and aspect of our lives. The Word of God must be established in that place where it governs every aspect and facet of our lives, thus commanding our complete and total obedience and allegiance. I absolutely love the fact that the eternal Word of God is first seen riding upon a white horse accompanied by the host of heaven, and is then seen reigning upon a throne from the city of Jerusalem for it suggests and reveals the ultimate objective of the Word of God. The Word of God comes riding on a white horse, and from His mouth comes a sharp two edged sword which devours and consumes His adversaries and enemies. The eternal Word of God comes riding upon a white horse and subdues a great and powerful army and upon the complete defeat and overthrow of that force is seated upon a throne in the beloved city of Jerusalem. The Word of God comes riding on a white horse and comes in righteousness and doth judge and make war, thus suggesting that when He comes riding upon the white horse, He comes to execute justice against and make war with the beast, the false prophet and their horde upon the face of the earth. This is incredibly important because before we read of the eternal Word of God reigning upon the earth we find Him first defeating and overthrowing the army of the beast and the false prophet, and then Satan himself being bound, cast into the bottomless pit, and sealed for one thousand years.

 The ultimate objective of the Word of God within our lives is to reign upon the throne executing and exercising the justice and judgment of the Most High God. The eternal Word of God comes to sit upon the throne within our lives, but before the Word of God can actually reign from and reign upon that throne, certain adversaries must be defeated, thwarted, overthrown and cast down. Before we read of the eternal Word of God reigning upon a throne in the city of Jerusalem we find the Word of God defeating the horde which accompanied the beast and the false prophet. Not only do we find the beast and the false prophet being captured and cast alive into the lake of fire, but we also find Satan himself being bound, cast into the bottomless pit and sealed for one thousand years. Thus the reign of God is established when Satan is bound, cast down and sealed—unable to deceive, accuse, persecute or make war with any upon the earth. The reason this is so incredibly important is because before the Word of God can truly reign within ones life, there are certain adversaries and foes which must be dealt with. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of souls and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:12-13). The eternal Word of God comes into our lives riding on a white horse, yet before it can actually and officially reign within our hearts and within our minds, there are adversaries and enemies which must be defeated and overthrown. The eternal Word of God must reign within your life and it must reign within my life, but before the Word reigns within our lives it must first overthrow everything that is unholy, evil, vile and wicked within our lives. In essence, you cannot have the reign of the Word of God without first having the riding of the Word of God. You cannot expect or hope for the Word of God to reign within your heart and life until it has first been permitted to ride into your life and devour those enemies and adversaries which have long waged war against your heart, soul and mind.

 Consider that when the eternal Word became flesh and came to the earth He didn’t come to immediately reign. When Jesus Christ came to this world He didn’t come to establish His throne and His authority at that time, for before He would reign on the earth, there were adversaries and enemies which had to be dealt with. Sin, death, hell and the grave would have to be dealt with in the earth before the Word of God could reign upon the earth”Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14). “”For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). “Blotting out the handwriting of the ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross; and having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it” (Colossians 2:14-15). These three passages make it abundantly and plainly clear that when the eternal Word of God took upon Himself the likeness of men He did so to spoil principalities and powers, to destroy him that had the power of death, and to destroy the works of the devil. The eternal Word of God came to the earth the first time because sin, transgression, rebellion, wickedness, idolatry, immorality and the like would be dealt with upon the cross upon which He nailed them to. When the eternal Word of God came to the earth the very first time He came to deal with sin, death, hell and the grave—a reality that is manifested and expressed even in Jesus’ own words when He first appeared to the apostle John. “Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death” (Revelation 1:17-18). All these verses make one thing perfectly clear—namely, that before the eternal Word of God will reign upon the earth, He must first deal with those things which have sought our destruction and devouring.

 There are many who seek the eternal Word of God to reign within their lives—to govern every area and facet of their lives. While this is ideal and is to be desired—it is not the way the eternal Word of God operates within our lives. I am firmly convinced that before the Word of God can reign within our lives it must first deal with, defeat and even destroy those things and those areas in our lives that need to be addressed. The eternal Word of God must first be permitted to go into those deep and secret and hidden places within our hearts, our souls and our minds in order that it discern the thoughts and intents within us. The eternal Word of God must be permitted to pierce and penetrate deep within our hearts and souls—much like the sword which the prophet declared would pierce the very being of Mary. We must desire the eternal Word of God to reign within our hearts and lives, but before the Word of God can truly reign within our lives, He must first lead us into battle against those adversaries, foes and enemies which have long taunted, and perhaps even overcome us. With each conflict, each struggle, each battle, each war we face with the Word of God leading us, we grow closer to that point where the eternal Word of God is the only One that can reign within our lives. Principalities, rulers of darkness, spiritual wickedness and the like must be defeated and overthrown within our lives before the Word of God can reign. There are conflicts, battles and struggles the Word of God will lead us into in order that the adversaries and foes which have long plagued our lives might once and for all be defeated and overthrown. The ultimate goal of spiritual warfare and conflict is the establishment of the kingdom, the government, the dominion and the throne of God being established within our lives. When the Rider on the white horse comes He comes to reign, but before He reigns He must first deal with an army that would seek to march out against both He and the host that ride alongside and with Him. The nineteenth chapter of the book of the Revelation describes the Word of God riding upon a white horse accompanied by the host of heaven, and the Word of God defeating the armies and horde of the antichrist and the false prophet with the sword proceeding from His mouth. Oh dear brother, dear sister—the Word of God must be permitted and allowed to reign completely, entirely and totally within your life, yet before that can happen there are adversaries, foes and enemies which must first be dealt with and removed from the picture. The eternal Word of God did not begin reigning in the city of Jerusalem until the beast and the false prophet were removed from the scene once and for all, and Satan bound and sealed within the bottomless pit.

 With all of this being said, these two chapters reveal something else that is absolutely astounding and must be carefully considered by each and every saint of God. When studying the final two conflicts in the book of the Revelation, it’s interesting and worth noting that the first battle and conflict was won while the saints of God—the host of heaven—rode alongside the Word of God on white horses. The second battle and conflict was won while the saints of God were reigning with Christ within the beloved and holy city of Jerusalem. There is an absolutely amazing prophetic picture that is contained within these two chapters—the truth is that there are those conflicts within our lives that will be won while we accompany and follow the leading and direction of the eternal Word of God, while there are other conflicts within our lives that will be won while we reign with Christ. Both in the riding accompanied by the host of heaven and in the reigning in Jerusalem with His holy saints we see the dominion, the authority, the strength, the might and the power of the Word of God—both in heaven and in the earth. It is the eternal Word of God who leads the host of heaven to the earth in His authority and dominion, as His adversaries and enemies are once and for all defeated and cast out. It is that same eternal Word of God who reigns with the saints of God upon the earth within the beloved and holy city of Jerusalem. The battle between the beast, the false prophet and their armies was won while the Word of God rode upon a white horse, while the battle of the dragon and his armies was won while the Word of God reigned in the midst of the city. Please don’t miss the prophetic significance of this, for it reveals something incredibly powerful within our lives concerning spiritual conflict. There are battles and conflicts that are won within our lives when the eternal Word of God rides forth leading us into conflict and war, while there are other battles and conflicts that are and can only be won within our lives when the eternal Word of God reigns and we alongside Him. In other words, there are battles and conflicts in our lives that are won when we follow the Word of God into battle, while there are other battles and conflicts that in our lives that are won when we reign with the Word of God—when we allow the Word of God to reign within our lives. THERE ARE BATTLES WON RIDING UPON A HORSE WHILE THERE ARE BATTLES WON WHILE SITTING UPON A THRONE.

 These two battles are absolutely incredible to consider in light of spiritual conflict and warfare within our lives, for while one battle was won with a sword, the other battle was won with fire. When riding upon the white horse the battle was won with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Word of God, while when reigning upon the throne the battle was won with fire from heaven. A SWORD WHEN SEATED UPON THE HORSE AND FIRE WHEN SEATED UPON THE THRONE. There are those battles within our hearts, minds and lives that are fought with the sword which proceeds from the mouth of the Word of God, while there are other battles in our lives that are fought with fire coming down from heaven above. The battle against the beast, the false prophet and their armies was fought and won with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of the eternal Word of God, while the battle against the dragon and his armies was fought with fire which came down out of heaven consuming them all. THE SWORD COMES WHILE RIDING WHILE THE FIRE COMES WHILE REIGNING. The sword was necessary in the first battle for it reveals those adversaries and enemies which can only be dealt with by and with the sword which proceeds from the Word of God. There are battles in our lives which can only be won by the sword of the Word of God, while there are other battles and conflicts in our lives that can only be won by the very fire of God which consumes. SLAIN WITH THE SWORD & DEVOURED BY FIRE. There are areas in our lives that can only be dealt with with the sword of the Word of God, while there are other areas in our lives that can only be dealt with by the fire of God. There are areas in our lives that need to be slain with the sword of the Word of God, for it is only through their being slain that they can truly be defeated, conquered and overcome. Conversely, there are areas in our lives that need to be utterly and completely consumed by the fire of God, for only the fire of God can bring about the deliverance and the victory that is so desperately needed within our lives. There are enemies and adversaries within our lives that can only and must only be slain with the sword which proceeds from the Word of God, while there are enemies and adversaries within our lives that can only and must only be devoured and consumed with the fire of God which proceeds forth out of heaven. WHEN ADVERSARIES ARE SLAIN BY THE SWORD AND ENEMIES ARE DEVOURED BY THE FIRE!

 These two chapters bring us face to face with the reality that there are battles that are won while riding alongside Jesus in battle, while there are other battles that are won while reigning on thrones alongside Jesus in the city. There are some battles we face that can only be won with the sword which proceeds from the mouth of the Word of God, while there are other battles we face that can only be won with the fire of God. These two chapters reveal that before the Word of God can reign within our lives it must first go forth and slay adversaries and enemies alike. Christ came forth riding on a white horse accompanied by the host of heaven to reign upon the earth with His holy saints, but before He could reign in the beloved city the beast and the false prophet needed to be removed from the scene by being cast alive into the lake of fire, and the great dragon needed to be bound, cast into the bottomless pit, and sealed for one thousand years. We must read these chapters and understand them as being tremendously encouraging to us in the spiritual conflict and battles we encounter throughout the course of our lives. When it comes to spiritual conflict and battle we must first allow the Word of God to go before us as we follow Him wherever He goes. Do not proceed to think that you can reign with Christ in Jerusalem if you cannot ride with Him in battle. While those who rode alongside Christ in the nineteenth chapter were the host of heaven, it nonetheless reveals the tremendous truth that before we can ever reign with Christ upon the earth we must first learn to ride with and alongside Him. There are far too many people who want to reign without ever making the decision to ride with Christ. Tell me dear brother, tell me dear sister—are you willing to ride alongside and ride with the Word of God and to follow and accompany Him wherever He goes? There are conflicts and struggles in our lives that can only be won when we begin to reign with Christ and exercise the dominion and authority we were created to. What an incredibly powerful truth it is to consider that victory and triumph is always made available through and with the Word of God, yet the means to bring about that victory may be drastically different. Oh that we would rise up and make the decision to ride with and follow the eternal Word of God in battle and conflict, for we cannot reign with Christ if we cannot ride with Christ. BEFORE YOU REIGN WITH CHRIST YOU MUST RIDE WITH CHRIST! Oh that we would let the word of Christ slay those things within our lives that need to be slain in order that He might be permitted to reign from His throne and Satan once and for all defeated and overthrown. Oh dear brother and sister permit me to ask you this question—Are you finally ready for the adversary to once and for all be defeated within your life?