A visual representation of Messiah's coming as described in the Book of Revelation chapter 19.

Revelation Nineteen Artwork

"And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 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. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God." -Revelation 19:11-13

Oklahoma artist, Keith Birdsong, designed and painted this beautiful artwork, and provided these comments on the symbolism he employed. See Revelation chapter 19 and other Scripture passages.

THE BRIDE:
         Simply adorned, she wears a flowing bridal gown. Her back is to us, the viewer, and represents the bride of Christ; in my painting, she has no face, no identity for the viewer other than what she symbolizes. Awaiting the approaching rider, her raised arms, the crook of her hands, even the leaning-into stance gives to the bride an impression of eager anticipation.

THE HORSE:
         Galloping weightless upon golden mist, the horse has an almost angelic presence, fanning out and floating on air, the mane taking on a feeling of a spread wingspan in flight. The animal appears powerful and determined. From the bit, the reins fall lazily. They are not pulled taut by the rider. This gives the impression that both rider and steed are of the same mind, mutual are their quest, their destination. Being of single thought, it could be argued that the two, joined in single purpose, are not two beings, but one. Hence the golden trimmed, red reins that mysteriously disappear into the tangle of mane.

THE RIDER, CHRIST, THE BRIDEGROOM:
         Leaning forward upon his angelic steed, he reaches for his waiting bride...not as if to catch her up into the crook of his arm, to whisk her away as so often depicted in romantic swashbucklers, for His motive is not romantic. His presence is majestic, the feeling here is more Spiritual in nature. His outstretched hand is inviting, summoning in gesture. She is about to be whisked out in Spirit. Without garishness, yet resplendent in its simplicity, He is crowned with an interweaving golden band; here, depicted without fanfare, are the many crowns of Scripture. Much as many strings braided together make up a rope, many bands of gold make up the crown; at a glance, it almost mimics Christ's crown of thorns at His Crucifixion. From around His waist, a red cloth sash scrolls around and behind the seated figure, thus framing Him into the picture. Obviously, the red of the sash represents His bloodshed; but also, the twisting of fabric depicts His suffering. Demanding the attention of the viewer are His blazing eyes. They seem to pierce right through the viewer. Closely observed, they are affixed to the bride; but step back, from a distance, and His eyes seem to shift from bride to viewer. His face is confident, demanding respect. He appears as both a compassionate being and a bold warrior. He is lamb and lion.

THE COMPOSITION:
         View the artwork from a distance, and your eyes are immediately drawn to the figure of Christ. The red sash frames Him; the robe, although similar in color to the horse and bridal gown, is much brighter; His intense glowing eyes seem to pierce you; and the use of three intense glowing stars that triangulate about Him, framing Him; all of these devices pull your eye, the viewer, into the image of Christ.
         This was a fun project for me. Thank you; I needed the inspiration. The painting came alive for me and almost painted itself. It is one of my favorites.
                                                                                                                                                    -Keith Birdsong, artist

NOTE: This painting was used for the cover of the book, "The Laws Of The Second Coming," which is available under the category, "Moral Law" on this book site.