In today’s reading we see a celebration in Heaven! The Lord’s victory is sealed, the defeat of Babylon is final, and it’s time to party! There is a great multitude, of every nation and tribe, proclaiming hallelujah to our God! They proclaim two hallelujahs with the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures doing the same. It is interesting to note, this chapter is the only time the word “hallelujah” appears in the entire New Testament. Hallelujah is a Hebrew word that means “praise the Lord,” and it is fitting to praise Him in this chapter. In Revelation 19, we see a celebration in Heaven, the return of Christ, the wedding supper of the Lamb, and the beast and its armies defeated.   

The great multitude celebrates because the time has finally come for the Lamb to return and be united with His people. This return is depicted as a beautiful marriage. The Lamb of God, which is Christ, has come for His bride, the Church. A marriage is used various times throughout Scripture to depict God and His relationship with His people. It is important to look at the wedding customs of the day to understand the significance of this passage. During the time of Jesus, the parents of a bride and bridegroom would sign a contract that included a dowry, or payment to the bride or her parents. The betrothal period would consist of the bridegroom leaving to prepare a place for the bride and himself. The bridegroom would then return to the house of the bride, and the bride would be ready for his return, dressed in fine linen and pure. The marriage would take place, and there would be celebration for days. 

This custom is clearly shown in this chapter as Christ returns for His bride. The dowry or payment took place on the cross as Jesus paid for our sins, and we accepted the payment as we put our faith in Christ. The bride of the Lamb was given fine linen to wear, bright and pure. Jesus is the one who makes us pure and clean; we cannot do that on our own. He became sin so that we would become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). Now as the Church today, we wait for the return of our bridegroom. In Matthew 22, Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.” All of us are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb, we simply have to accept the invitation. 

The chapter continues as we see heaven open, and a rider comes on a white horse, which is the return of Christ! We see some of the most detailed descriptions of Jesus in this chapter as the Son of Man returns in victory! He is called faithful and true (v. 11), His eyes like a flame of fire (v. 12), and He wears many crowns with a name that no one knows (v. 12). He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood (v. 13) and His name is called the Word of God (v. 13). The armies of heaven followed him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean (v. 14). Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with an iron rod (v. 15) He will pour out God’s wrath (v. 15) and on his robe and on his thigh, he has this name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 

The Son of Man comes to defeat the Beast and its armies. This war is a description of the Battle of Armageddon, which takes place in Revelation 16. The kings of the earth and their armies rise up to wage war against Christ and His army (v. 19). Donald Barnhouse, an American theologian, describes the Battle of Armageddon as the “laughter of God against the climax of man’s arrogance.” It is a one-sided war, and ultimately an act of judgment against those who rebel against the Lord. Our God wins! We can have a hope that is firm and secure because we know how the story ends. Jesus has the ultimate victory, and He is worthy of all glory and praise! Let it be today we join with all of Heaven saying, “Hallelujah our God reigns!”