Revelation Chapter Nineteen Part I

The Sword of the Spirit
Is the Word of God

Revelation 19:1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:

Now that the beast has fallen, rejoicing begins in heaven. This, the Great Doxology, is a song of triumph, for not only has the Antichrist’s system fallen, but its founder, Satan (the Dragon) is living on borrowed time. Shortly he will be cast into the abyss and locked up there. But first, he will make a last attempt to defeat God before the end of the age. Remember, the mystery of God will be completed when the fall of the mysterious Mystery Babylon takes place after the seventh trump is sounded (Rev 10:7; 11:15,18).

Let us recap. The following is a list of a few of the major occurrences after the seventh trumpet is sounded in the order of their occurrence in the book of Revelation, but not in chronological order, for there is a good bit of recapitulation here:

1. Revelation 11:15, the Angel sounds the Seventh Trumpet. Voices in Heaven shout “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.”
   
2. The 24 elders praise God. Heaven is opened showing the Ark of the Covenant. A mighty earthquake happens (Rev 11:19). (The previous four events are a brief and are detailed in later visions)
   
3. The woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars appears (Rev 12:1). (She represents God’s chosen people).
   
4. The red Dragon (Satan) appears (this is when he stands before the woman which was ready to be delivered seeking to devour her child as soon as it was born) (Rev 12:4), War in Heaven (Rev 12:7).
   
5. The Dragon is cast out of heaven and down to earth and makes war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ (Rev 12:17).
   
6. The two beasts rise out of the sea and the earth. The first beast is the end time kingdom of Antichrist (Rev 13:1,2,3). The second beast is the False Prophet (Rev 13:11.12). The Image of the Beast is made (Rev 13:15).
   
7. The Lamb and the 144,000 stand upon Mount Zion singing the New Song (Rev 14:1).
   
8. An angel preaches the gospel to the world, giving the people a final chance to repent before the wrath of God begins (Rev 14:6)
   
9. An angel heralds the fall of Babylon (the capital of the beast out of the sea). An angel proclaims damnation to those who worshipped the beast and his image and had his mark.
   
10. The harvest of the earth. (The saved are harvested by Christ—this is one of several views of the rapture) (Rev 14:14,15,16). The unsaved, symbolized by the vintage of the earth are reaped by an angel and cast into the winepress of the wrath of God (Rev 14:19).
    
11. The wrath of God applied to the unsaved (Rev 14:18,19, 20; 19:15).
    
12. The pageant of the seven angels with the seven vials that contain the final plagues, comprise the wrath of Almighty God (Rev 15:1-8)
    
13. The multitude of the saved (those victorious over Satan) sing the Song of Moses (Rev 15:3,4).
    
14. The seven vials of the wrath of God are poured out (Rev 16:1-16). As the sixth vial is emptied, Satan gathers the kings of the world to Armageddon, the mount of assembly, to fight against Christ (Rev 16:12,13,14).
    
15. The seventh vial is poured out destroying the world and the wrath of God is complete
    
16. We read of the Great Prostitute, the Mysterious Babylon and the Beast (Rev 17:3,4,5,6)
    
17. A complete picture of the destruction of Mystery Babylon, the kingdom of the Dragon. This includes the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth (chapters 17 and 18)
    
18. The Great Doxology in Heaven because of the punishment of the Great Whore (This verse, 19:1, begins the Great Doxology and it continues through Rev 19:7).
    

    Revelation 19:2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.
    

    The Judgements of God are absolute, completely factual, without error, perfect, and unchangeable. There is no argument against them; when God issues His final judgment at the Great White Throne, it will be irreversible. For Babylon, the great whore, this is the final judgment of God; Babylon will have no appeal. We have discussed her fornication and the blood of God’s servants in Revelation 18. (See the notes on Rev 18:3,9,11,20,24).
    

    Remember the souls under the altar? (Revelation 6:9-11).”And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.” Our current verse (19:2) speaks to the culmination of this answer given to the saints under the altar.
    

    Revelation 19:3 And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
    

    They rejoice and sing praises to God because the Great Whore, Babylon, will never exist again. Smoke rising indicates that a city has been burning or has recently burned. Smoke rising forever and ever tells us that the city will never live again for eternity. Similarly, Jeremiah 50:13 states, “Because of the wrath of the LORD it shall not be inhabited, but it shall be wholly desolate: every one that goeth by Babylon shall be astonished, and hiss at all her plagues.” That city has not been resurrected to this date. Sadam Hussein claimed that he would rebuild the ancient city and had plans to populate it. But alas, Hussein did not survive to finish his plans. The city is still in ruins.
    

    Of ancient Babylon, Isaiah wrote, “It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there.” John drew on Isaiah in his description of future Babylon, the Great Whore.
    

    We have another example in Isaiah; he wrote that Edom (Idumea) would be destroyed and never live again: Isa 34:5, “For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment.“
    

    Isaiah continues, this time about Edom, Isa 34:8-10 “For it is the day of the LORD’S vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy¹ of Zion. And the streams [of Edom] thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch. It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.“
    

    Notice that the Lord said that the smoke from the destruction of Edom will go up for ever and ever. Edom is now shared by the southern part of modern Israel and the Kingdom of Jordan. One look at a satellite image of that area shows that there is no continuous fire, brimstone, burning pitch, or smoke rising from the area. This is hyperbolic language that simply means that the entity, which in this case is Edom, was completely destroyed and will never exist again for eternity. Smoke from a fire seemingly rises eternally into the sky. Since we don’t see where the smoke ends, it apparently goes up forever, thus the metaphor.
    

    Revelation 19:4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
    

    The 24 elders lead as the praise continues (Rev 19:1). As they begin to worship, the voice of an angel is heard coming from the throne (Re 19:5) telling all of God’s people to join in the praise including all of the saved, which includes both saved Jews and saved Gentiles—those whose sins were forgiven because of their faith in the shed blood of Christ.
    

    These are the same twenty-four elders and beasts we saw in Revelation chapter four. For more information about the Twenty-four Elders, see the copious notes on Rev 4:4; compare Dan 7:9. For more information on the four beasts, or living creatures See notes on Rev 4:8. See also Isa 6:1,2,3 and Eze 1:5-11.
    

    Rev 19:5-6 And a voice out of the throne did come forth, saying, `Praise our God, all ye His servants, and those fearing Him, both the small and the great;’ (6) and I heard as the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, `Alleluia! because reign did the Lord God—the Almighty!
    

    This is the throne in Heaven that we originally saw in Revelation chapter four, when the Lord Jesus spoke to John when he was in the spirit, saying to him, “Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.” John wrote that a throne was set in Heaven and One sat on it. This One is Yahweh sitting on the throne. This is the throne of Almighty God.
    

    How do we know that this is God’s throne? John is a member of an elite club of men who have seen God sitting on His throne. Besides John, they are Moses (Exo 24:10), Micaiah (1 Kin 22:19), Isaiah (Isa 6:1,8), Ezekiel (Eze 1:26,28,10:1), and Daniel (Dan 7:9,10). We know from their descriptions that this one is Yahweh, the Ancient of Days, Almighty God, the Great I Am, the Creator of all.
    

    This is the voice of an angel calling out. Angels, as well as men and women, worship God (Rev 19:10). Here an angel calls for the multitude to worship “our” God, meaning he was not God Himself, and was one of the worshippers. This worship will be infinitely more powerful and more joyful in heaven than any praise we can lift up to heaven from earth.
    

    The voice of a great multitude is the joyous marriage of the Lamb. Can you imagine it? The entire multitude of all the saved people from throughout the ages and the hosts of Heaven will join in this chorus, singing praises to God! To human ears, the sound would be deafening. John describes them as many roaring or cascading waters and many rumblings of loud thunder (Rev 19:6)². When one listens to a large choir and orchestra performing on earth, one can imagine what it will be like to join this multitude in song. As majestic as earthly choirs may be, they will never achieve the magnificence of this heavenly multitude!
    

    Revelation 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
    

    What is this marriage of the Lamb? It is when Jesus, the Lamb of God, is united for all time with His bride, the elect, which is the church, that is, all believers.
    

    The destruction of Babylon has happened (Rev 18:2), and God has called His people out of her (Rev 18:4). Christ has gathered His bride “from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Mat 24:31).  Here she is His wife; she is no longer His betrothed but His bride and wife. The marriage takes place when Christ gathers His church unto him (Mat 24:29,30,31), which has occurred. He has brought his bride to His Father’s residence in Heaven. There is great rejoicing.
    

His Bride, the Church:

His bride, the church, of course, is every individual throughout history that has faith in Yahweh under the Old Covenant and faith in Jesus Christ as Savior under the New Covenant. This includes Old Covenant saints because they had faith in Yahweh before the Advent of Christ.

We know this because of what the Scriptures say about Abraham: Genesis 15:6, “And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness” (in English Bible versions the word LORD in all caps represents Yahweh (יהוה) in the Hebrew). Thus anyone that lived during the times of the Old Testament and that believed in Yahweh are also counted righteous in His eyes.

The New Testament states (Rom 4:3): “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” Because God has counted the faith of each of us He has credited us with His righteousness. Therefore we are a group of believers that are saved by the blood of Christ, Whose righteousness had been credited to us. That group includes Jews, Gentiles, Males, Females, Slaves, Freemen, etc. That group also includes God’s faithful followers from Old Testament times. All are currently the betrothed of Christ, and at the resurrection, we will all be the bride and wife of Jesus Christ (Rev 21:9).

Once married, the bride becomes the wife. Yet during the wedding celebration and for a period of time afterward the terms bride and wife are used interchangeably. This custom holds true even in modern times.

The Marriage of the Lamb:

We can gain a better understanding of the marriage and the marriage supper, or feast of the Lamb (Rev 29:9) by looking at weddings in ancient Israel in the Second Temple Period³. Those marriages were involved endeavors. We will simply list the basics. Marriages in that period essentially consisted of the marriage proposal, betrothal, paying the price for the bride, the wedding, the feast, and the consummation of the marriage.

The marriage proposal or engagement was made by the proposed groom or his father to the father of the proposed bride. If the marriage was agreed to by the proposed bride, then a contract was made. The groom would offer a cup of wine to the proposed bride and if she accepted the cup that was how she agreed to the marriage. It the proposed couple were children then their two fathers would make the contract. The groom or the father of the groom would pay the price of the bride, and then the couple were engaged or betrothed. The groom would return home and the bride would stay with her father.

After the betrothal period passed the wedding would occur. On the day of the wedding the groom and the friend of the groom would go to the bride’s father’s house and bring the bride and her bridesmaids back to the groom’s father’s house, where the wedding would take place. The bride would be dressed in her beautiful wedding clothes. When they arrived, the guests would be there, having a reception, feast, or supper, which is an integral part of the wedding. It is a joyous occasion, happily and merrily celebrated by all. There would be a brief ceremony. The father of the bride would give her hand to the groom, which signified the father was giving his daughter to the groom to be married.

Then the bride and groom would then go into the bridal chamber where the marriage was consummated. The friend of the bridegroom would stand by the door of the bridal chamber while the guests were still celebrating in the guest area. When the consummation was complete, the groom would give the friend the cloth with the blood on it as proof that the bride was a virgin. The friend would give it to the bride’s parents. At that point, the couple were married. The newlywed couple would reappear and the joyous feast would continue, perhaps for a week.

This is a picture of Jesus Christ and His bride, the church. The betrothal takes place when a person trusts Jesus Christ as personal Savior (2 Cor 11:2). The marriage takes place when Jesus comes to earth from His Father’s house to get His bride and take her to His Father’s house in heaven. He will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other (Mat 24:31). We will then be caught up together and meet the Lord Jesus in the air and then we will be with Him forever (1 Thes 4:16). That is the marriage and consummation of the Lamb and his bride, and the celebration in heaven will begin.

For more New Testament scripture concerning marriage, see the Parable of the Wedding Feast, Mat 22:3-13

Revelation 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

Because of the righteousness of the saints, the wife of Christ was allowed to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright. Please note also, that the verse in the KJV says that the fine linen, clean and white, represents our righteousness. Unlike other versions, the King James does not translate it righteous acts, but simply righteousness. To gain a better understanding of this, let us do a word study.

The Koine Greek word is δικαιωματα, dikaiōmata, which is the verb participle perfect passive nominative masculine plural form of δικαιωμα dikaiōma. It can be rendered, righteousness, righteous acts, deeds, etc. It could even be rendered “righteousnesses” (See Isa 64:6; Eze 33:13; Dan 9:18 KJV, RV, ASV, NKJV). In modern Greek, the inflection simply means rights. However, we are not interested in modern Greek, but in Koine Greek, which was the common language of the Roman world in New Testament times, during the period that Jesus lived and the Biblical writers wrote.

The word here is a different inflection than the word Paul used in Romans chapter four for the righteousness of Christ that is imputed to us (Rom 4:11). He used two different inflections of the word. The first use of righteousness in 4:11, is a singular noun and the second use of the word is a singular noun object of a verb. Our word here in 19:8, is a plural verb.

In Koine Greek, the word δικαιωματα, dikaiōmata came from the root word, δικαιόω, dikaioō, meaning “to render righteous,” (Thayer’s Greek Definitions). This is echoed by The Complete Word Study Dictionary, Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament, New American Standard Exhaustive Concordance, Lidell-Scott, Gingrich, and others.

The works of righteousness of the saints were made righteous because of our faith in Christ. His righteousness was credited to us when we believed in Him (Rom 4:23,24). Since that time all the acts we do according to His will, are righteous acts and are no longer regarded as filthy rags (see Isa 64:6) in God’s eyes. Our context is the Bible, and especially the New Testament. In that context, because of our faith we are assured that Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us. “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Rom 10:4).

Revelation 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

The marriage of the Lamb and marriage supper of the Lamb are the same event as we saw in the notes on Rev 19:7. The word rendered supper, δεῖπνον, deípnon, has other meanings, e.g., dinner, a banquet, a feast, an evening meal, or a wedding feast.

In other translations, the “marriage supper” is translated “marriage feast,” “wedding supper,” “wedding feast,” “wedding banquet,” etc. The Greek word can be translated in those ways. This is much like the wedding at Cana (Joh 2:1), which is called a feast (Joh 2:9) That was a joyous and entertaining feast with food, wine, singing, dancing, and gaiety.

Many commentators falsely state that the church will be away from earth in heaven at the marriage supper of the Lamb for seven years while the supposed “Great Tribulation” against “Israel” goes on. That is the belief of many thousands of folks. Yet it is a false belief. The teaching states that at the end of the age there is coming a great tribulation that will last seven years. That tribulation, according to the theory, will be God’s Wrath poured out on unbelieving Israel. This is the false doctrine of Dispensationalism.

According to that doctrine, which is false, during those seven years of tribulation, which will unleash untold horrors against the Jewish people, the church, which is believers in Christ, will be raptured. In other words, according to the false doctrine, believers will be caught up to meet Jesus in the clouds before the “great tribulation” occurs. Then the church will supposedly join Jesus in heaven at the marriage supper of the Lamb which will continue for the entire seven years. Again, according to that false teaching, Israel will undergo great suffering and tribulation during that seven year period.

Also again, according to the teaching, After the seven years’ tribulation against Israel, Christ, and His church will return to earth and defeat his enemies at the battle of Armageddon, and after that the Millennium takes place. This is a brief synopsis and incomplete discussion of the false Pre-tribulation Rapture theory. The traditional thought about the Rapture is just that, a tradition.

That theory is antisemitic, unbiblical, elitist, and a complete fabrication of the truth. These things are not scriptural and many Scriptures have been twisted to produce this elaborate eisegesis.

The actual truth is that before Christ comes and gathers His church to himself, which is the harvest of the earth, and before the marriage supper of the Lamb, the Dragon, that is, the Devil and Satan, will persecute the church. He will “make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev 12:17), which is the church. Thus the church will go through the Great Tribulation.

The Devil or Dragon will persecute the church, which includes both Jewish and Gentile believers. He will preside over the beast, who rises out of the sea (Rev 13:1) in the spirit of Antichrist (1 Joh 4:3), and over the beast with two horns like a Lamb (Rev 13:11), also known as the False Prophet (Rev 19:20). That is the “great tribulation” that Jesus spoke of in Mat 24:21&29.

This persecution is undertaken against both Jewish and Gentile believers (Rev 12:17), and not against Israel and Jews alone as some false teachers teach. After that, the church, which includes both Jewish and Gentile believers, will be caught up to Heaven with Christ (Mat 24:29-31). In context, the elect of Matthew chapter twenty-four, refers to saved Jewish and Gentile believers in Christ. The elect does not include unbelieving Jews.

The book of Revelation states that the tribulation against the church will last three and one-half years⁴. Three and one-half years is repeated five times in the Book of Revelation: Rev 11:1-2; Rev 11:3; Rev 12:6, and Rev 12:14. We read in Rev 13:5-7:

“And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.  (6)  And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.  (7)  And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.“

Who is invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb? The scripture says that those invited to the feast are blessed. We know that all Jews and Gentiles that believe in Christ as their Savior, who make up the Church of Jesus Christ, which is the bride and wife of Christ, the Lamb of God, will obviously attend. The great innumerable multitude of the heavenly hosts will be there as guests (Rev 19:6).

We do know that in the traditional Jewish marriage the feast occurs as the marriage is consummated. Isaiah 25:6-8 gives insight into the food served at such a feast.

1. The word, controversy indicates hostility, strife, quarrel, or dispute. The hostile disputes Edom had with Zion are in view here.
2. In the KJV, we read ” the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings.” Other translations have roaring waters, cascading waters, loud thunders, rumblings of thunder, the crash of ocean waves, etc. Take your pick, any of those will suffice. The sound would be deafening to human ears, but not to those praising God in Heaven. The excitement of the worship will be unlike any worldly experience.
3. The Second Temple Period is the part of Israel’s’ history spanning from the destruction of the first temple (Solomon’s Temple) in, the mid sixth century BC (the exact date is somewhat disputed) until the destruction of the second Temple in 70 AD. That spans approximately 500-600 years depending on which date one accepts for the destruction for the first temple. The most common date is 586 BC. Jesus’ ministry on earth took place during the Second Temple Period.
4. This factual passage emphasizes that the Dragon’s tribulation against believers in Christ only lasts for three and one-half years. See Dr. Bob Utley’s Commentary on Forty-Two Months at Bible lessons International: http://www.freebiblecommentary.org/special_topics/forty-two_months.html.