The Faithful Rider

   Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 

   His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 

   He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 

   And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 

   Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 

   And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.  19:11-16

   These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful. 17:14

The nations were Angry

This story of Christ fighting the beast and the kings of the earth must be placed into 11:18, where there is an allusion to this war in these words, The nations were angry (seething in agitation).

   Mankind is bent on having war.  Much of this talk about war, in The Apocalypse, refers to The Battle of Armageddon and it has taken a lot of space in the book.

   People, powered by Satan, have started the last war, but Christ is coming to finish it.  Thanks to His intervention, it will not be as bloody as it otherwise would have been!  It sounds as if Psalm 110:-5-6 speak of this war, He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath. He shall judge among the nations, He shall fill the places with dead bodies, He shall execute the heads of many countries.

His eyes were like a flame of fire.  This phrase is also used of Him in 1:14.

  He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood. Foster*** says that the blood represents a day of vengeance and crushing judgment for his enemies. He is depicted as being blood stained before his encounter with the Antichrist to emphasize the character of the mission he is on. 

   His view does not follow through logically, because, his armies, which followed him, also on white horses, were on the same mission, they were also clothed in fine linen, which was white and clean.  If the blood represents vengeance, would not the whole army be wearing garments red with blood?  

Rather, it seems to me, that, as stated concerning the vesture dipped in blood, which Christ is wearing in 1:14, this is a picture of Calvary, and it is a sign to Christ's army, and to his enemies, that He already has obtained the victory by His death and resurrection.  All he and His army need to do now is to tie up some loose ends.

In the post called the White Horse; the Red Horse in chapter 6, we studied about Christ's name and His wardrobe.      
http://ikefehr1939.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-white-horse-red-horse.html      

  With His sword, the word of His Mouth, He will lay out the program to His soldiers: 

1. He will strike the nations. 
2. He will rule the nations with a rod of iron (strength)
3. it is for The Almighty God, that Christ is treading the wine press of the fierceness and wrath. 19:15.  The grapes of sinfulness and rebellion have been seeded, nurtured and brought to fruition.  Now is the time to tread the grapes in the presence of his enemies.

As Quiet as a Thief 

Christ said that when He returns it will be unannounced, as a thief in the night, but when the seventh trumpet sounds the stillness of the night will be shattered in the twinkling of an eye.

Then, when people see Him, they will know who He is, because on His slacks and on His coat will be written His title, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.  Then, according to Paul, at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and ... every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Phil. 2:10-11

those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful. Throughout my studies I have declared that ordinary Christians do not go to heaven until after the seventh trumpet sounds; the only Christians in heaven at the time that the Battle of Armageddon begins will be the martyrs of Jesus; if my thinking about this is right, these might be the ones who would be riding into battle with Christ.
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*** Shadow of the Antichrist, Ivan Foster