Kings, a victorious warrior with unassailable strength. True enough, the bound beast is released for a short time in chapter twenty. He will wreak havoc but only on those who lose sight of the Rider on the White Horse. In face of an uncertain future, it is the image of a coming king that sustains the saints through the thick side of suffering. These images are not merely aesthetic or theological. They drive the narrative in Revelation. They are the foundational images John offered a church in crisis.