Revelation 19
After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! 2 For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.” 3 Again they said, “Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!” 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!” 5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!”
After these things -This indicates time progression
heard a loud voice- Here the inhabitants of heaven are rejoicing over the fall of the false religion in chapter 18
true and righteous…His judgments– he was not overlay harsh, but his judgment was correct and proper for the crimes committed against him
6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! 7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
And I heard-This rejoicing is not about what has happened (chapt 18) but what is about to happen.
For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns- The second coming of Christ
9 Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”
who are called to- there are no levels in heaven but that does not mean we are all the same!
Israel- is not the Bride
Gentiles before the cross – not the bride
The Church – The Bride of Christ
Tribulation saints- not the bride
We all will be in heaven, we all are forgiven but there is only one bride and those who will be attending the wedding.
marriage supper-
to understand the bride and groom we first need to understand weddings in the first century.
In the 1st century weddings have three stages:
(1) the legal consummation of the marriage by the parents of the bride and of the groom, with the payment of the dowry; (church age)
(2) the bridegroom coming to claim his bride (as illustrated in Matt. 25:1–13 in the familiar Parable of the 10 Virgins); (rapture)
(3) the wedding supper (as illustrated in John 2:1–11) which was a several-day feast following the previous phase of the wedding. (not yet)
10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
do not do that- The angel was like John, a servant
spirit of prophecy-The reason we have prophecy is to bring glory and praise and honor to Jesus.
Everything John saw and recorded should make us worship God and bring us to a point of worship .
11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
This is Jesus Christ
white horse- triumph.. It was customary for a triumphant Roman general to parade on the Via Sacra, a main thoroughfare of Rome, followed by evidences of His victory in the form of booty and captives 2 Cor. 2:14
His head were many crowns-right to rule
no one knew-indescribable
Word of God-John 1:1
dipped in blood -Isa. 63:2–3; Rev. 14:20
14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron.
He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
armies in heaven- 2 ideas
- Heavenly army
- 2 Kings 6
- All those in heaven
- Evidence
- 17:14
- 19:8
- 6:11
- This is my view
- Evidence
white horses– Animals in heaven
He Himself will rule- no longer will the kings rule
rod of iron-no more “Mr. Nice Guy”
fierceness and wrath -awfulness of the impending judgment.
17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, 18 that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.”
supper of the great God- The Dead from the battle
Matt 24:30
Zech14:2
Rev 16:12-16
19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.
First Baptist Church Delmar 