Revelation 19

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Read Revelation 19

Threefold Hallelujah Over Babylon’s Fall

19 After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting:

“Hallelujah!
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
    for true and just are his judgments.
He has condemned the great prostitute
    who corrupted the earth by her adulteries.
He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”

And again they shouted:

“Hallelujah!
The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.”

The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried:

“Amen, Hallelujah!”

Then a voice came from the throne, saying:

“Praise our God,
    all you his servants,
you who fear him,
    both great and small!”

Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

 

“Hallelujah!
    For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad
    and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
    and his bride has made herself ready.
Fine linen, bright and clean,
    was given her to wear.”

(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)

Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”

10 At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”

The Heavenly Warrior Defeats the Beast

11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS

17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God,18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small.”

19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. 20 But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21 The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

Go Deeper

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!”

Questions

  1. Real faith is acting like God is telling the truth. The truth we see in this passage is that Jesus has the final victory and will one day return and reign in glory! How does knowing how the story ends influence the way you act today?   
  2. There is an invitation for everyone to the wedding supper of the Lamb, and we just have to accept it! Have you accepted the invitation to be with Jesus? Who can you tell today about this invitation?  
  3. It is always fitting to praise the Lord and proclaim “hallelujah” for all He has done! What can you praise God for today?

Did You Know?

David Guzik in the Enduring Word commentary has this note on the crown Jesus is wearing in verse 12:

“The last time this earth saw Jesus He wore a crown of thorns, but not in Revelation 19. Now, He wears many crowns. The ancient Greek word used for crowns here is the diadema, the crown of royalty and authority, not the stephanos, the crown of achievement.”

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5 thoughts on “Revelation 19”

  1. Ella Snodgrass

    “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!” (V7)

  2. Woohoo!!!!! Our God is to be greatly praised!!!! This is not just personal praise but the entire cosmos is singing hallelujah!!!!!!!

    God thank You for the picture of what rejoicing is going to happen when the final culmantation happens. I am thankful for Your grace and mrecy for us now as we wait, anticipating the arrival of our bridegroom. Hallelujah!! in Jesus name amen
    WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  3. “Hallelujah” is such a cool word! It captures feelings of elation and adulation! I intend to use it more frequently!

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