And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse, and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness doth He judge and make war. Revelation 19:11
We recently picked up some DVDs that contained episodes from some of the popular programs on television 50 years ago. Among the programs were several from the Lone Ranger series. This masked rider fought for justice and strove to help those who were victimized by outlaws and unscrupulous operators. Each episode opened with a scene in which the Lone Ranger dashed to the rescue on a magnificent white horse that he called Silver. It was an impressive sight, but not nearly as impressive as the sight described in today’s text.
The Lone Ranger was just a character of fiction. Nobody ever actually saw him, or was rescued by him, or had him on their side – or on the other side – in a fight. How different the magnificent Rider in our text, One Who everyone will eventually see and the One Who holds our eternal destiny in His hand. Perhaps His coming as fortold in our text will be similar to the great horse and rider in a Salvador Dali painting that hangs in the lobby of the New Brunswick Museum in Fredericton. This painting is about three meters high and much of it is an equestrian scene in which a massive and beautiful horse rears up many miles above the surface of the earth. I have always marvelled at that painting, wondering whether Dali had today’s text in mind when he created it. But nobody on earth could ever imagine the scene in this verse. This great appearance of the white horse and his Rider is a sight that should thrill every saint and will terrify every sinner. Those who mock the Lord Jesus today will find no venue for mocking in that day.
Consider the Name of this great Rider: Faithful and True. You and I have received exceeding rich and precious promises from His word. We have received assurances of eternal bliss and comfort. The Rider is the One Who will always be faithful and can never be anything but. Those promises and assurances are as good as His Name. Faithful He ever will be. He is also True. Just as every word He spoke during His earthly sojourn was the truth, so too are every word that spoke worlds into existence, that guided the tongues and pens of prophets, and that intercedes for His people daily before the Throne. Whether our accuser speaks lies or not, his evil designs are smothered in the reality that the One Who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life has shed His own blood to redeem us.
The scene our text describes is in the future. But the One Who it describes is just as Faithful and True today as He will be when He rides forth in righteousness to judge and make war. -Jim MacIntosh