Revelation 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. 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.
He comes visibly at the last day as the Faithful and True One on a white horse and on the cloud, in His own glory and His Father's glory brighter than the sun, escorted by the armies of heaven on white horses and surrounded by angels. His gaze burns like fire, searching all creation through and through, piercing the souls of His enemies, exposing all evil, and trying His own people. The many crowns upon His head declare Him supreme Ruler and eternal King in exalted loveliness, crowned with glory after laying aside His priestly dress for kingly robes in place of the crown of thorns. The name written that none knows but Himself marks His exalted glory as the Word of God, clothed in a blood-dipped vesture and whitest garment with golden girdle and bearing the title King of kings and Lord of lords as He leads the heavenly armies. In righteousness He judges and makes war with the sword of His mouth, ruling the nations with a rod of iron and treading the wrath of Almighty God to avenge His persecuted children and vindicate His authority and law, which calls all to seek pardon, be cleansed from sin, keep His commandments, and be ready to stand before Him.
Christ's Glorious Appearing
The verse portrays Jesus Christ at His visible second coming as the Faithful and True One on a white horse and on the cloud, in His own glory and the glory of the Father. He comes majestic and bright, shining brighter than the sun, escorted by the armies of heaven on white horses clothed in fine linen clean and white and surrounded by angels. He rides forth to conquer as a mighty and honored King, with a crown of glory and the title King of kings and Lord of lords on His vesture and thigh.
His eyes as a flame of fire are a searching, blazing gaze that burns into the very souls of His enemies. That fiery gaze searches all creation and searches out all evil. It also searches His own children and people through and through as He comes on the cloud.
The many crowns on His head show Him as supreme Ruler high above all rule, the eternal King, in exalted glory and loveliness. They are pictured as a crown within a crown, seven in number, a crown and diadem of glory replacing the crown of thorns. This is after He has laid aside His priestly attire and clothed Himself in kingly robes.
The written name that no one knows but Himself shows His exalted glory. He is further identified as the Word of God clothed in a vesture dipped in blood. He is clothed in a garment of the whitest white girded about the breast with a golden girdle, bearing on vesture and thigh the title King of kings and Lord of lords and leading forth the heavenly armies.
He comes to the soon-to-be-fought battle of Armageddon. He leaves heaven surrounded by angels as the plagues fall on the earth, after His work of intercession and the plan of salvation are finished. This belongs to a chapter that will soon be fulfilled in the events of the last day.
Judgment and Vindication
He comes as the Faithful and True One who in righteousness judges and makes war, striking the nations with the sword from His mouth, ruling them with a rod of iron, and treading the winepress of the wrath of Almighty God. His eyes like a flame of fire search out all evil, the many crowns on His head declare Him supreme Ruler high above all rule, the King eternal, and His hidden name known only to Himself declares His exalted glory. Clothed in a vesture dipped in blood and called the Word of God, followed by heavenly armies on white horses, He stands revealed as King of kings and Lord of lords.
He comes to avenge His persecuted children who were falsely accused, fettered, and burned, repaying in proportion to the pain inflicted on them with suffering and death. Those Christians persecuted by apostate powers will not be forgotten, and He destroys those who carried out the spirit of Satan in causing them pain. They enforced the worship of the beast and did all in their power to compel men to do evil and to transgress the law God commanded all to obey, and to compel people to do evil is a heinous sin before God.
He comes soon from heaven to vindicate His authority and the laws of His kingdom as a divine conqueror and victorious King, no longer wearing the crown of thorns but crowned with glory. Those who despised and mocked Him at His crucifixion will see His majesty in heavenly glory as a mighty and honored King and be forced to recognize His kingly authority. The men who degraded Him and acted out the farce of His trial will see Him as He is and understand what is comprehended in the wrath of the Lamb, with their degrading deeds standing before them in living symbols and with a knowledge of the Christlikeness they might have obtained and did not.
At His return His searching gaze that searches His children and people through and through brings paleness and darkness to those God has rejected. While all ask who can stand and whether their robes are spotless, Jesus declares that those with clean hands and a pure heart can stand by His sufficient grace, which brings them joy. After the redeemed are caught up to meet Him and ascend to the sea of glass, He places crowns on their heads and gives crowns of immortal glory to His faithful ones. The redeemed washed white in the blood of the Lamb stand surrounding Him as His trophies of victory and witnesses that His mission of suffering and sacrifice was not in vain, seen even by those who refused His reign.
Warning and Readiness
The chapter to which this description belongs will soon be fulfilled as part of the events of the last day. Its truths are to be read and understood in connection with the last warning, God's judgments, and the approaching day of judgment. It holds messages for the closing scenes of this earth's history now being lived.
Every minister as a watchman on the walls of Zion must discern these messages and proclaim them with a certain trumpet sound. To pass along without discerning them quiets souls to sleep. That sleep results in eternal loss.
The glorious, crowned appearance presented here is Christ coming in judgment and searching creation. That coming calls people to seek pardon, be cleansed from sin, and be ready to stand before Him. Because that coming from heaven to vindicate His authority and the laws of His kingdom is near, believers should desire now to be wholly the Lord's. The many crowns are crowns within crowns on the head of Jesus, expressing His exalted glory and loveliness, and He shines brighter than the sun. Those who keep God's commandments will enter the city, have a right to the tree of life, and remain in His presence.