"He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God."
(Revelation 19:13)
The name Word of God, as in John 1:1, reminds us of his role of power in creation (Gen. 1:3; Ps. 33:6) and providence (Ps. 147:15; Lam. 3:37-38; Heb. 1:3). By virtue of his divine and his Lordship over all, he has ability to wrap up in final form the history that he has ruled over from the beginning (Isa. 11:4).
The significance of the robe dipped in blood is ambiguous. Some think that Christ’s own blood, the blood the redeems the saints, is in view (5:9). This view is possible, because Christ’s sacrifice is the key to the working out of God’s plan for all of history, including its consummation (5:2-6). But the picture developed in 19:13 has close affinities with Isaiah 63:2-3, where God as the divine warrior spatters his garment with the blood of the enemies whom he tramples in the winepress (as in Rev. 19:15). The context in Revelation 19 is one where Christ destroys his enemies in blood, not one where he redeems the saints. Hence, the connection with (Isaiah 63:2-3) is the significant one.
(Vern Poythrees)
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