Revelation 19:13, Robes Dipped in Blood

He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.

//We should start our discussion of this topic back in the book of Isaiah. Chapter 63, verses 1-3, read as follows:

Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah, with his garments stained crimson? Who is this, robed in splendor, striding forward in the greatness of his strength? “It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save.” Why are your garments red, like those of one treading the winepress? “I have trodden the winepress alone; from the nations no one was with me. I trampled them in my anger and trod them down in my wrath; their blood spattered my garments, and I stained all my clothing.”

There we read God’s promise of bloody revenge, verses that were clearly on John’s mind as he wrote Revelation. His robe is stained crimson. But where is Isaiah’s winepress? It’s in this verse:

They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia. –Revelation 14:20

1,600 stadia is 180 miles. Revelation has taken the Isaiac promise and made it even more bloody. But now the topic gets interesting, as we start looking at the Gospel story and Jesus’ victory on the cross. Here comes the crimson robe, which would be immediately saturated with Jesus’ own blood:

They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. –Matthew 27:28

… and here comes the blood flow outside the city.

And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. –Hebrews 13:20

Makes you wonder: have the promises of Isaiah and Revelation already been fulfilled?