The sharp sword in Revelation 19:15 is the Word of God — the spoken Word of Christ by which He smites the nations.
Les Feldick identifies the sharp sword as the Word of God, drawing on Hebrews 4:12 where the Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword. He stresses that Christ will not come with a literal iron Roman sword or any physical weapon; rather, He will destroy the gathered armies at Armageddon simply by speaking the Word. Since Revelation 19:13 calls the Rider 'The Word of God,' the sword from His mouth is the Word He speaks.
Revelation 19:15 — This is the verse in question — it directly describes the sharp sword going out of Christ's mouth to smite the nations.
Hebrews 4:12 — The key cross-reference Les uses to identify the sharp sword as the Word of God, which is sharper than any two-edged sword.
The book of Revelation describes the return of Christ in chapter 19. Verse 11 says, '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.' Verse 13 reveals the Rider's name: 'And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.' Then verse 15 states, 'And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.' Verse 21 records the outcome: 'And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.' The sword is expressly said to proceed out of the mouth of the Rider, who is called The Word of God. Elsewhere, Hebrews 4:12 describes the Word of God in sword-like terms: 'For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.' And John 1:1 identifies Christ Himself as the Word: 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.'
Les Feldick identifies the sharp sword of Revelation 19:15 as the Word of God. He consistently warns his listeners not to imagine Christ returning with a literal weapon: 'I don't want you to picture Christ coming with an old iron Roman sword between His teeth. The sword is something else in Scripture.' Later he asks directly, 'Does that mean He's going to come with a great big sword, or even a machine gun in His teeth? No. What is the sword of the Lord? It's His Word.' Les anchors this in Hebrews 4:12, where the Word of God is 'sharper than any twoedged sword.' He reminds his audience that Revelation is always written in symbolic language, but every symbolism has a literal truth. The sharp sword is the Word that Christ speaks. 'And so verse 15 says, "out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword," the Word that He speaks. And as He speaks the Word, these millions of troops gathered there in the battle of Armageddon will be zapped.' He compares this to creation: God created the universe by His spoken Word, and He will defeat His enemies the same way — 'He speaks the Word and it's done.' Les also clarifies that the imagery of Christ walking on the armies is an allegory or symbolism rather than literal physical action, even though the destruction itself is real. He connects the Rider's name — 'The Word of God' (Revelation 19:13) — to John 1:1, where the Word was with God and was God. Once the Tribulation ends and Christ returns, Les notes the stage is set for His thousand-year reign, the Kingdom or Millennium, here on the earth.
No. Les Feldick is emphatic that the sword is not a literal weapon. He tells his listeners, 'I don't want you to picture Christ coming with an old iron Roman sword between His teeth,' and later asks, 'Does that mean He's going to come with a great big sword, or even a machine gun in His teeth? No. What is the sword of the Lord? It's His Word.' The sword proceeding from His mouth is something else in Scripture entirely — the Word of God.
Hebrews 4:12 describes the Word of God as 'quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword.' Les uses this verse as the key to unlocking Revelation 19:15 — since the sword comes from Christ's mouth and His name is the Word of God, the sword is the Word He speaks. The same Word that pierces to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit is the Word that will smite the nations.
Les teaches that Christ will destroy the gathered armies simply by speaking. 'And so verse 15 says, "out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword," the Word that He speaks. And as He speaks the Word, these millions of troops gathered there in the battle of Armageddon will be zapped.' He compares this to creation: 'How did He create the universe? Spoken Word. How does He do anything? With the spoken Word. And He'll do it here. He speaks the Word and it's done.'
Revelation 19:13 states plainly that the Rider on the white horse is 'called The Word of God.' Les connects this name to John's Gospel chapter 1: 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.' Since the Christ who returns is the Word of God, the sword from His mouth is the Word He speaks.
According to Revelation 19:21, the remnant who survived the battle of Armageddon 'were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.' Les notes that the scavenger birds are filled with the flesh of the armies gathered in the areas of Jerusalem. He then points ahead: 'as soon as the Tribulation has ended and Christ has returned, we're going to set the stage now for that thousand year reign of Christ, what we call the Kingdom, or the Millennium, here on the earth.'
Armies Gathered Against Israel
Les describes the armies of the world, including the 200 million from the East, packed into the land of Israel to annihilate the nation — the setting for Christ's destruction of the nations with the sword from His mouth.
The Sword Is Not a Literal Weapon
Les connects the sharp sword of Revelation 19:15 to Hebrews 4:12, warning that Christ will not come with an iron Roman sword between His teeth — the sword is something else in Scripture: the Word of God.
The Sharp Sword Is the Word of God
Les explicitly identifies the sharp sword as the Word of God, citing Hebrews 4:12, and explains that the imagery of Him walking on the armies is symbolism rather than literal physical action.
Spoken Word Destroys the Armies
Les teaches that as Christ speaks the Word, the millions of troops gathered at Armageddon will be destroyed or 'zapped' — it is the Word He speaks that accomplishes the destruction.
God Acts by His Spoken Word
Les shows that God created the universe and does everything by His spoken Word, and that is how Christ will defeat His enemies — He speaks the Word and it is done.
His Name Is the Word of God
Les points out that Revelation 19:13 gives the Rider the name 'The Word of God,' connecting to John 1:1 where the Word was with God and was God.
The Sword of the Lord Is His Word
Les answers the question directly — the sword of the Lord is His Word, not a great big sword or a machine gun — as the remnant are slain by the sword proceeding from His mouth.
The Word Pierces to the Heart
Les reads Hebrews 4:12 showing the Word of God is alive, powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit.
Revelation 19:15: And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
The verse in question — it explicitly describes the sharp sword proceeding from Christ's mouth to smite the nations.
Hebrews 4:12: For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
The key cross-reference Les uses to identify the sharp sword as the Word of God.
Revelation 19:13: And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
Names the Rider on the white horse as the Word of God, connecting His person to the sword from His mouth.
Revelation 19:21: And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
Confirms the same sword proceeding from His mouth slays the surviving remnant at Armageddon.
John 1:1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Identifies Christ as the Word of God, which Les connects to His name in Revelation 19:13.
Revelation 19:11: 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.
Introduces the returning Christ who carries the sharp sword of verse 15.
No. Les Feldick teaches it is the Word of God. He warns listeners not to picture Christ with an iron sword between His teeth or a machine gun in His mouth, but rather the spoken Word by which He destroys the nations.
It is the Word of God. As Hebrews 4:12 says, the Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword. Christ speaks the Word, and the armies gathered at Armageddon are destroyed.
He speaks the Word and it is done. Just as God created the universe with His spoken Word, Christ will defeat His enemies at Armageddon by speaking the Word — the armies will be 'zapped' and destroyed.
Revelation 19:13 names Him 'The Word of God.' Les connects this to John 1:1 — 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.' Since Christ is the Word, the sword from His mouth is the Word He speaks.
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