Lion & Adder Defeated

Psalm 91:13 “On the lion [King Herod] and adder [the “Chief Priest” of Israel] you shall tread, you shall trample the lion cub and the snake [the most power opponents to the Kingdom of righteousness taking a political posture over and against the worship of the “true and Living God”].”

The King's Victory Over Earth's Kings
Holman Commentary.- From his spot in the desert , John has been watching the rider descend.

KING OF KINGS ON A WHITE HORSE

REVELATION 19:11-16 “And I (John) saw Heaven having been opened, and behold, a white horse, and the (one) sitting on it being called faithful and true.”
Verse 12 “And in righteousness he judges and wars. And the eyes of him as a flame of fire, and on the head of him many diadems, having a name having been written [bestowing upon him the honored entitlement of: JESUS OF NAZARETH, KING OF THE JEWS] which no one knows [to be true- at the time] except him; being clothed (in) a garment having been dipped in blood, and is called the name of him, ‘The Word of God.’ And the armies of Heaven [divine agents having borne the prophetic witness of the word of God] followed him on white horses, having been dressed (in) fine linen, white and clean. And out of the mouth of him goes forth a sharp (word) sword [accomplishing the prophetic word of God], that with [the fulfillment of] it he may [in a judiciary capacity] smite the nations [who have set themselves over and against the worship of the “True and Living God”]; and he will shepherd them with an iron rod [of moral authority in accordance to the holy standard of God]. And he treads the press of the wine of the anger and of the wrath of Almighty God. And he has on the garment and on the thigh of him a name having been written: KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

JESUS

* Holiness to Jehovah

* Exclusive Covenant on Earth

* Produces Civil Government of Democracy on Earth

VS

Anti-Christ

* God Manifest - Evil Incarnate

* Wilfully Disobedient Theocratic Opportunist on Earth

* Self-Deification Producing Terrorism on Earth

THE BEAST AND FALSE PROPHET CAPTURED
(Christ Conquers the Beast & False Prophet)

REVELATION 19:20-21 “And I (John) saw the beast [the center of the “temporal powers” of (Antiochus Epiphanies) - Anti-Christ], and the [conspiring] kings of the earth [taking their stand against the Lord and against His Anointed One], and the [hostile] armies of them [under the power and influence of the “mad man” Antiochus] being assembled to make war with the (one) [the “King of the Jews”] sitting on the horse, and with the army of him [the Prophets of the Old Testament having borne witness to the Word of God].”

“The allusion here is to an assembling of hostile forces for the great decisive battle that is to determine the destiny of the world- and settle the question whether the Messiah or Antichrist shall reign.”

Mounce Commentary.- John now sees the beast and his armies arrayed against the Messiah and his army. The battle of Armageddon has arrived. The scene is eschatological [concerning religious doctrine] in an absolute sense. The Seer (John) is not describing the gradual conquest of evil in the spiritual struggles of the faithful, but a great historic event that brings to an end the Antichrist and his forces and ushers in the long-awaited era of righteousness. History may offer examples of the triumph of right over wrong, but far from exhausting the truth of Revelation, they merely prefigure the actual consummation with its end to [idealistic] wickedness [the “Reign of Terror”] and beginning of universal peace.
Interestingly enough, there is no description of the actual warfare. This should remind the reader that the Apocalypse is dominated by metaphor and symbol. While the events portrayed in apocalyptic (prophetic yet symbolic) language are to be taken with all seriousness, they are not to be taken literalistically. Armageddon portrays the eschatological defeat of Antichrist [Antiochus Epiphanies] (an event that takes place in time and brings to a close this age as we know it) but does not require that we accept in a literal fashion the specific imagery with which the event is described.

Holman Commentary.- John picks up the action of the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies at the same point we have seen them before: gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. The action has been moving toward a climactic battle scene. We are poised for a description of “the battle of Armageddon.” What is described is more an anticlimax then a climax. Poof! The battle is over before it even begins.The war at the end of the world never really materializes. John puts it simply: the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet.

(The Messiah Prevails)

PSALM 91:13 “On the lion [King Herod] and adder [the “Chief Priest” of Israel] you shall tread, you shall trample the lion cub and the snake (the Dragon) [the most power opponents to the Kingdom of righteousness- taking an aggressive political posture over and against the worship of the “true and Living God”].”

Joseph Caryl Commentary.- “You shall tread upon;” “you shall trample under feet.” Thou shall tread upon them, not accidently, as a man treads upon an adder or a serpent in the way; but his meaning is, you shall intentionally tread upon them like a conqueror, you shall tread upon them to testify the dominion over them, so when the lord Jesus gave that promise to his disciples, that they should do great things, he said, “You shall tread upon serpents;” that is, you shall have power to overcome whatsoever may annoy you: serpentine power is all hurtful power, whether literal or mystical.