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Rev 19:11- 16 – The Meaning of An “Opened Heaven”
Rev 19:11  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.
Rev 19:12  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.
Rev 19:13  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
Rev 19:14  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
Rev 19:15  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.
Rev 19:16  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Introduction
Knowing what heaven is and where heaven is located is essential to understanding all prophecy. There is no way to know God or His Son if you do not know where these two dwell. How well would I know any of you if I didn’t even know where you lived? I know many hundreds of people by name through e- mails, but those who I really know are those who feel comfortable telling me where they live, and these are those who want to get to know me by more than just a vocalized name. I have had literally dozens of people who have come to my house over the years, and I have been to many of their homes, simply because we want to get to know each other better.
We have gone to great lengths to demonstrate that God dwells in the heavens:

Psa 2:1  Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
Psa 2:2  The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, [ saying],
Psa 2:3  Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
Psa 2:4  He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
Psa 103:19  The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
Psa 115:3  But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.

We have also demonstrated that “the true heavens” are within God’s own people and that He dwells on His throne within His people in what the scriptures call “the heavens themselves”.

Heb 9:12  Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption [ for us].
Heb 9:22  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Heb 9:23  It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
Heb 9:24  For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

“… By His own blood He entered in once into the holy place…” Christ never once entered the physical holy place in the temple while He was on this earth, because He was not a physical priest. But it was revealed to Christ that he was both a king and a priest and that His kingdom and His priesthood were not of this world, or this age, but are all “within you”.

Joh 18:33  Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?
Joh 18:34  Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?
Joh 18:35  Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?
Joh 18:36  Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
Joh 18:37  Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
Luk 17:20  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Christ knew that He, just like you and me, was not just on this earth, but while He was on this earth He was also, at the very same time, in the heavens.

Joh 3:13  And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

Now here is how our heavenly Father reveals such wonderful, heavenly Truths to us.

Luk 3:21  Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
Luk 3:22  And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

This was revealed to Christ just before He was “driven of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil.” Of course His mother had told him about the circumstances of His birth, but an “opened heaven” was required before Christ could be tempted by the Devil and before He could begin His earthly ministry. We too, require an opened heavens before we will be granted the exponential growth in the understanding of the mysteries of the kingdom of God (Mat 13:9-15).
An opened heaven was needed to convince Peter that the gospel was going to the Gentiles.

Act 10:11  And [ Peter] saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:
Act 10:12  Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
Act 10:13  And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.

Only after Peter saw heaven opened was he then given to understand that the gospel was going to the hitherto unclean Gentiles.
The revelation of Jesus Christ comes through “a door being opened in heaven”:

Rev 4:1  After this I looked, and, behold, a door [ was] opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard [ was] as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
Rev 4:2  And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
Rev 4:3  And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

So it is through “a door [ being] opened in heaven” that we are given this entire “revelation of Jesus Christ.”  including “they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb”.

Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Rev 19:9  And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

It is through a “heaven [ which is] opened, that we see beyond that first resurrection, “marriage supper of the Lamb”, and we are permitted to see what takes place “in heaven” after that “blessed and holy” event. “These are the true sayings of God”.
Rev 19:11  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.
This is Christ sitting on a powerful “white horse”, coming to conquer all that is within His kingdom which is within us. This was announced at the opening of the very first seal:

Rev 6:1  And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
Rev 6:2  And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

He is “called Faithful and True”, but why is this so?

Joh 15:9  As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
Joh 15:10  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. (1Jn 5:2-3)

Christ was obedient to His Father to the end. That is how He “abode in His Father’s love” to the end. That is how He could Truthfully make this statement:

Joh 14:5  Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 14:7  If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
Joh 14:8  Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
Joh 14:9  Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou [ then], Shew us the Father?

Those who “have known Christ, have known the Father also”. But here is Philip admitting that he does not yet know either Christ or His Father. It is do very typical of babies to tell the Truth and not even realize that they have done so.
When we state emphatically, ‘No one can know that what he believes is the Truth’, what we are saying is that we do not believe it is possible to really be sure that we “know the Truth”, which is Christ, and if that is true and from our heart, then we will be “judged out of our own mouths [ as a] wicked and slothful servant” who says “I knew you…” but acts as if he does not know his Lord at all.

Mat 25:26  His lord answered and said unto him, [ Thou] wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:

Luk 19:22  And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, [ thou] wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:

Christ is “faithful and true, and in righteousness He is judging us and making war” against all these false and lying spirits within us.

2Co 10:3  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
2Co 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
2Co 10:5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
2Co 10:6  And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Just stand with Christ, and you will know what those words mean. It is considered complete fanaticism to teach that we should even strive to “bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ”, much less to teach that “every idle word that men shall speak they shall give an accounting thereof”. But Christ’s Words stand true:

Mat 12:35  A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
Mat 12:36  But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
Mat 12:37  For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

There is a spirit which teaches that fighting and seeking revenge is an ungodly trait, and that certainly is true when it is sought on our schedule for the satisfying of our flesh. But our God is a just God, and He Himself makes no bones about the fact that there is “a day of vengeance”, and that “vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord”.

Isa 61:2  To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
Isa 63:3  I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.
Isa 63:4  For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.
Isa 63:5  And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that [ there was] none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.
Isa 63:6  And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.
Jer 46:10  For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates. [“Babylon the great the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth”]

These words are all a part of this revelation of Jesus Christ within you and within me. It is Christ who treads out the winepress of His wrath.

Rev 16:19  And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

Today is judgment day for those who are now being judged, and it is our words which will either justify or condemn us. If the words from our hearts are the words of Christ who has told us “man… shall live by every word that proceeds forth out of the mouth of God”, then we will be judged now, and He will tread the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God” now and in this life. If we say we will not do so, then we will be judged out of our own mouths, and we will endure those words at a later judgment. If we are given to agree with our Lord, then this is what will be done in our lives while yet in these vessels of clay:
Rev 19:12  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.

Christ’s eyes, His Words, His messengers, His ministers and His walk are all “as a flame of fire, because everything about our Lord is going to serve to purify our lives.

Psa 12:6  The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

Jer 5:14  Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.
Act 7:30  And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush.
Heb 1:7  And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.
Rev 1:14  His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
Rev 1:15  And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

Rev 19:13  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
Rev 19:14  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

Christ’s “vesture is dipped in blood” while “the armies which were in heaven” are “clothed in fine linen, white and clean”. What is the difference? What are we being told?
Well, once again “the dream is one” and the “vesture dipped in blood”, and the “fine linen, white and clean” are one and the same thing.

Isa 1:18  Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Rev 7:14  And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

But who shed “the blood of the Lamb”, and how do we come to “wash our robes in the blood of the Lamb”?
Rev 19:15  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.
Until the words of Christ are in our mouths, and as long as the doctrines of the great whore are in our hearts and mouths, we abide under the wrath of God, and are subject to the work of the “sharp sword” with which Christ will rule the nations with a rod of iron”.

Joh 3:36  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

It is in this position that Christ, in our lives, “treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” These are the very words of the seventh vial of God’s wrath upon Babylon in our lives.

Rev 16:17  And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
Rev 16:18  And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
Rev 16:19  And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

So how does His vesture come to be “dipped in blood”? We were just informed how that was done.

Isa 63:3  I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.

“Their blood” means your blood and my blood. It is we who have shed “the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth” while we were the slaves of that great whore, Babylon the great. In shedding their blood we have all shed the blood of Christ Himself.

Act 22:8  And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

Rev 16:6  For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

Rev 18:24  And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

We “have not yet resisted unto blood”, and yet all of God’s elect are said to be “lying dead in the streets of that great city where our Lord was crucified”. So what is “the blood of the saints and prophets” which “stains all the raiment” of our Lord?

Heb 12:4  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

Rev 11:8  And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

Is it not “the sharp sword that goes out of His mouth” which causes this blood to flow? Is it not with this sword that He “smites the nations and rules them with a rod of iron? Is it not with this same sharp sword that “he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God”? Let’s read it again:

Rev 19:15  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.

What is this sharp sword?

Heb 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Here is this same verse according to The Bible In Basic English.

Heb 4:12  For the word of God is living and full of power, and is sharper than any two- edged sword, cutting through and making a division even of the soul and the spirit, the bones and the muscles, and quick to see the thoughts and purposes of the heart. (BBE)

It is our sins and our rejection of this living and powerful word which causes us to be guilty of the blood of Christ, and of all the saints and prophets. In the same manner, it is the rejection of our false doctrines, which gives the Word of God its sharpness and its ability to bring life to those whose blood it sheds, by ‘casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ’, and His sharp two- edged sword Words.

2Co 10:3  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
2Co 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
2Co 10:5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
  And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

If “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal” and they “keep us in readiness to revenge all disobedience, when our obedience is fulfilled”, it follows that the blood that flows to the horses’ bridles is the result of the work of the weapons of our warfare, and is nothing less than the destruction of all the lies of Babylon. The length, depth and height of this blood, which is tread out by our Lord, is but a measure of the number of false doctrines with which this great whore rules over our lives.

Rev 14:19  And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
Rev 14:20  And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

“The vine of the earth” is filled with the doctrines of Babylon. Remember it is Christ and His Christ who tread this winepress. Here is how He does this:

Rev 19:15  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.
Rev 19:16  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

But all the nations are “as the small dust of the balance” to our Lord and Christ, and His Words of Truth are far more powerful than all the lies of Babylon. That is why Christ is said to have come “on a white horse, conquering and to conquer”, and that is why His name is said to be “on His vesture and on His thigh” and that is why He is called “King of Kings, and Lord of Lords”.

Isa 40:15  Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.

Rev 6:2  And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

Next week, if the Lord wills, we will learn what is “the supper of the great God”, and we will discover why ‘the fowls that fly in the midst of the heaven are called together unto that supper’.

Rev 19:17  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;
Rev 19:18  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.
Rev 19:19  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.
Rev 19:20  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.
Rev 19:21  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.