Revelation 19 The Day Of Joy And Judgment
Revelation 19 The Greatest Day On Earth! The Day of Joy and Judgment
1 After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out,
"Hallelujah!
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
2 for his judgments are true and just;
for he has judged the great prostitute
who corrupted the earth with her immorality,
and has avenged on her the blood of his servants."
3 Once more they cried out,
"Hallelujah!
The smoke from her goes up forever and ever."
4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, "Amen. Hallelujah!" 5 And from the throne came a voice saying,
"Praise our God,
all you his servants,
you who fear him,
small and great."
6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,
"Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
8 it was granted her to clothe herself
with fine linen, bright and pure"—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
9 And the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." And he said to me, "These are the true words of God." 10 Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, "You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God." For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, "Come, gather for the great supper of God, 18 to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great." 19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. 20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21 And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.
Video Sermon : https://youtu.be/17qVQFM89p4
Questions:
From Easley: Revelation (Holman Commentaries)
- Why did the heavenly multitude praise God and sing hallelujah? Is it right for God's people now to praise him when prominent sinners meet personal disaster in this lifetime? Why or why not?
- If the fine linen of the Lamb's bride symbolizes the righteous deeds that saints do in this lifetime, list some of them. In what areas of righteous deeds are you strong? In what areas do you need to improve?
- Contrast further the two great suppers of this chapter. Who? What? Where? When? Why?
- Compare the symbolic portrait of Christ in this chapter with the portrait of chapter 1. What elements are the same? Which ones are different? Compare the overall impact that each portrait makes on the readers.
- What arguments would you use to support the belief that hell is a literal lake where sulfur burns to produce sulfur dioxide? What arguments would you use to support the belief that hell is a permanent place of horrible torment but not necessarily composed of burning sulfur?
Written
Acknowledgments
Lahaye, Revelation Unveiled
Rogers Revelation
Patterson Revelation
Mounce Revelation (NICNT)
Akin Exalting Jesus in Revelation
Joy and Judgment In This Chapter
I like the term, the glorious Appearing.
Titus 2: 11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
The Glorious Appearing of Jesus Christ is easily the most exciting event in all history in all the universe. Lahaye writes: Every Christian who knows anything about the Bible looks forward to that blessed day when his Lord will truly be glorified. His coming in glory will be in marked contrast to His first coming, when He fulfilled the prophecies of a Savior. On that occasion He came humbly, born in a manger. He suffered Himself to be abused and buffeted by His enemies, even to the point of permitting His creatures to spit on Him and crucify Him. The next time our Lord will not come in humility, but in "power and great glory." His Glorious Appearing will significantly counterpoint His humble birth about two thousand years before.
Hebrews 9: 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
The Lord Jesus said "For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. Immediately after the distress of those days 'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other." (Matt. 24:27-31)
The gathering of the elect is to the great Marriage Feast of the Lamb.
In Revelation 19, the Great Tribulation has come to a close.
A key Old Testament passage is Isaiah 25:6–9, which describes the rich feast God will provide. Jesus also speaks of a wedding banquet in his consummated kingdom (e.g., Matt. 8:11; 22:1–14; 25:1–13; Luke 13:29; 14:16–24). Even the promise Jesus makes to his disciples at the Last Supper assumes the coming reunion banquet: "I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom" (Matt. 26:29).
The "wife" mentioned in this passage is the church of the Lord Jesus.
God chose a marriage to illustrate the moment when we become one with our Lord.
The marriage of the Lamb will be a joyful event when, at the rapture, we are caught up to meet the Lord Jesus Christ in the air.
We do not know when this moment will occur.
It is a time known only to God the Father.
In the marriage of the Lamb, it is the Father who sets the wedding date.
Anyone who claims to know the time and date when Jesus is coming again is bordering on heresy. At any moment, Jesus may come.
We are not waiting on any prophecies to be fulfilled before the rapture can take place.
After the rapture of the church takes place, the judgment seat of Christ occurs and then the marriage of the Lamb.
There are several things we learn about the marriage of the Lamb from this passage in Revelation.
THE MUSIC WILL BE MAGNIFICENT (Revelation 19:1-6)
The wedding music will be the Hallelujah Chorus.
"Hallelujah" is used four times in these six verses. It is included in four mighty stanzas that the apostle John wrote by divine revelation. Whenever we say "hallelujah," we are saying "Praise the Lord."
"Halle" means "praise." "Jah" means "Jehovah."
The only time the word "Hallelujah" is used in the New Testament is in this chapter in Revelation.
The First Hallelujah of Redemption
1 After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out,
"Hallelujah!
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
2 for his judgments are true and just;
for he has judged the great prostitute
who corrupted the earth with her immorality,
and has avenged on her the blood of his servants."
The Second Hallelujah of Retribution
Revelation 19:2-3 2 for his judgments are true and just;
for he has judged the great prostitute
who corrupted the earth with her immorality,
and has avenged on her the blood of his servants."
3 Once more they cried out,
"Hallelujah!
The smoke from her goes up forever and ever."
They praise the Lord God for He has made things right, His justice has prevailed and He has avenged those who were persecuted down through the ages.
If we look for judgment and justice in this world, we will not find it. But one day we will say, "Hallelujah."
There is a God who will make it all right. They sing "Hallelujah" for the retribution of sin, of God over Satan, of Christ over antichrist and of the Holy Spirit over the false prophet.
The Third Hallelujah of Realization
4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, "Amen. Hallelujah!" 5 And from the throne came a voice saying,
"Praise our God,
all you his servants,
you who fear him,
small and great."
the relationship of the saved.
He is our God.
Psalm 23:1 He is not just a good shepherd or a great shepherd, but He is my shepherd.
I am His, and He is mine.
1.Loved with everlasting love,
Led by grace that love to know;
Spirit, breathing from above,
Thou hast taught me it is so.
Oh, this full and perfect peace!
Oh, this transport all divine!
In a love which cannot cease,
I am His, and He is mine.
4.His forever, only His:
Who the Lord and me shall part?
Ah, with what a rest of bliss
Christ can fill the loving heart.
Heaven and earth may fade and flee,
Firstborn light in gloom decline;
But, while God and I shall be,
I am His, and He is mine.
The Fourth Hallelujah of Christ's Reign
6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,
"Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
8 it was granted her to clothe herself
with fine linen, bright and pure"—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
The reign of the Saviour.
The voice of a great multitude is more than the roar of an enthusiastic crowd in a great football stadium. The voice of many waters is more than the tumultuous sound of the rushing waters.
Mighty thunderings is the sound of thunder rolling up and down the heavens.
Combine the voice of a great multitude, the voice of many waters and the mighty thunderings, and that is what this fourth stanza will sound like.
This mighty sound and stanza is because Jesus is reigning.
We have prayed Thy Kingdom Come..Now it has come.
Psalm 2: "But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain."
7 "I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD:
He said to Me, 'You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
8 'Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance,
And the very ends of the earth as Your possession.
9 'You shall break them with a rod of iron,
You shall shatter them like earthenware.'"
10 Now therefore, O kings, show discernment;
Take warning, O judges of the earth.
11 Worship the LORD with reverence
And rejoice with trembling.
Phil 2: 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Every knee shall bow, and the shouts of His praise will be throughout all of Heaven.
THE BRIDE WILL BE BEAUTIFUL (Revelation 19:7-8)
7 Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
8 it was granted her to clothe herself
with fine linen, bright and pure"—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
The bride is the true church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
At this point in the timeline, the judgment of the false church, the harlot, has already taken place; and now the bride of Christ is being presented to the Lord Jesus.
Currently, we are betrothed to the Lord Jesus; the marriage is yet to come.
With the arrival of the reign of God comes also the long-awaited day of the marriage of the Lamb, the Lord Jesus, and His bride, the church. This is the occasion for rejoicing, exultation, and the giving of glory to "our Lord God, the Almighty." The image of marriage symbolizing the relationship of God and His people appears several times in the Scriptures (Isa 54:5-7; Hos 2:19; 2 Cor 11:2; Eph 5:21-33). Providing helpful historical context, Mounce again notes:
In biblical times a marriage involved two major events [or three if you count the processional], the betrothal and the wedding. These were normally separated by a period of time during which the two individuals were considered husband and wife and as such were under the obligations of faithfulness. The wedding began with a procession to the bride's house, which was followed by a return to the house of the groom for the marriage feast. By analogy, the church, espoused to Christ by faith, now awaits the parousia when the heavenly groom will come for his bride and return to heaven for the marriage feast that lasts throughout eternity. (Revelation, 340)
Verses 7-8 speak of the preparation of the bride for her wedding day. Through sanctification by the Word and Spirit, she has made herself ready (see Eph 2:10). This is the only time in Revelation where the saints are described as making themselves ready, preparing themselves as the bride of Christ for His coming. How do we prepare ourselves and get ready for that day? I believe the book of Revelation itself provides the answer.
The bride prepares herself by remaining faithful to Christ in a fallen and evil world.
The bride prepares herself by enduring hardship in the midst of suffering.
The bride prepares herself by trusting God in the face of martyrdom.
The bride prepares herself by obeying God to take the gospel to all tribes, languages, peoples, and nations.
As Philippians 2:12 says, we are to "work out [our] own salvation with fear and trembling." But don't miss what Philippians 2:13 says, for it matches up perfectly with Revelation 19:8. Philippians tells us, "For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to desire and to work out His good purpose." And in Revelation 19:8 we read, "She was given fine linen to wear, bright and pure. For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints."
The true church is the dearest object in all the universe to our Lord and Savior.
The relationship between a husband and wife is only a faint representation of the love that Jesus Christ has for us.
The bride, the true church, has made herself beautiful and ready.
How do we make ourselves beautiful and ready?
We get saved.
If you are not saved, then you are not part of the bride.
Being saved is known as Redemption. Be ready by Being Saved
We have been saved (past tense) from the penalty of sin.
Being saved is known as Regeneration. We are being saved today (present tense) from the power of sin.
At redemption, we receive the inner nature of the Lord Jesus Christ.
2.Heaven above is softer blue,
Earth around is sweeter green;
Something lives in every hue
Christless eyes have never seen:
Birds with gladder songs overflow,
Flow'rs with deeper beauties shine,
Since I know, as now I know,
I am His, and He is mine.
3.Things that once were wild alarms
Cannot now disturb my rest;
Closed in everlasting arms,
Pillowed on the loving breast.
Oh, to lie forever here,
Doubt and care and self resign,
While He whispers in my ear,
I am His, and He is mine.
Being saved is known as rapture. We will one day be saved from the presence of sin.
When the rapture comes, we will be changed in a moment; we will be made like the Lord Jesus Christ.
All of the sinful proclivities of the old flesh will be left behind.
Ladd says it perfectly: While the bride must make herself ready for the marriage, her glorious raiment is not something she can acquire for herself; it must be granted her, i.e., given to her as a divine gift. . . . The fine linen, bright and pure, stands in sharp contrast to the brilliant robes of the harlot. The wedding garment is a simple white garment which has been washed and "made . . . white in blood of the Lamb" (Rev 7:14). (Commentary, 249)
Redemption, Now Regeneration Now rapture soon,
And Reward will make us ready.
At the judgment seat of Christ, we will receive rewards according to the deeds that we have done.
There are many things that happen in Christian's lives that are not great. Sometimes they are done by Christians. Sometimes they are done by the false church false believers. Whatever they are, they hurt. The apostle Paul had to deal with harsh hurtful harmful criticisms aand attacks, often by Christians. He decided not to defend himself but to leave it all to that great day at the Judgment seat of Christ when hidden motives will be revealed. If you are brewing over how a Christian has hurt you, leave it to get sorted until that day.
1 Corinthians 4: 1 Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.2 In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.3 But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself.4 For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord.5 Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts; and then each man's praise will come to him from God.
THE GUESTS WILL BE GLAD (Revelation 19:9)
9 And the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." And he said to me, "These are the true words of God."
There will be guests at the wedding other than the bride.
These guests are the redeemed of all the ages who were saved before or after the church age.
The church is the bride of Christ.
The Old Testament saints are not the bride but are guests.
John the Baptist called himself a friend of the Bridegroom, but he is not the bride. John 3:29
Matthew 11:11
The church is greater than John the Baptist.
There is a sense in which the church is specially privileged.
THE GROOM WILL BE GLORIFIED (Revelation 19:10)
10 Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, "You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God." For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
This wedding doesn't centre around the bride but around the groom. In Revelation 19:10, the angel warns John not to worship him.
John made a social blunder when he fell at the angel's feet to worship him.
The Bible tells us that there is only one who is to be worshipped: God.
Over and over again in Scripture, we find that Jesus Christ is worshipped.
Jesus is worshipped with approval, and Jesus Himself allows it.
Jesus Christ is God. The spirit of prophecy is Jesus Christ.
If we read the book of the Revelation and do not come to know and love Jesus more, then we've missed it all. It is the revelation, the unveiling, of Jesus Christ.
A false religion will tell you to believe something.
A true Christian will ask you to receive someone, and His name is Jesus.
At the marriage supper of the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ will be glorified.
1. The sands of time are sinking,
The dawn of heaven breaks;
The summer morn Iv'e sighed for -
The fair, sweet morn awakes:
Dark, dark had been the midnight
But dayspring is at hand,
And glory, glory dwelleth
In Emmanuel's land.
2. The king there in His beauty,
Without a veil is seen:
It were a well-spent journey,
Though seven deaths lay between:
The Lamb with His fair army,
Doth on Mount Zion stand,
And glory, glory dwelleth
In Emmanuel's land
3. O Christ, He is the fountain,
The deep, sweet well of love!
The streams on earth I've tasted
More deep I'll drink above:
There to an ocean fullness
His mercy doth expand,
And glory, glory dwelleth
In Emmanuel's land.
4. The bride eyes not her garment,
But her dear Bridegroom's face;
I will not gaze at glory
But on my King of grace.
Not at the crown He giveth
But on His pierced hand;
The Lamb is all the glory
Of Emmanuel's land.
5. O I am my Beloved's
And my Beloved is mine!
He brings a poor vile sinner
Into His house of wine
I stand upon His merit -
I know no other stand,
Not e'en where glory dwelleth
In Emmanuel's land.
We love the Lord Jesus, not because we've seen Him, but because the Holy Spirit has made Him real to us. The wedding is not far off. "That Magic Moment"
He Will Return Visibly
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself.
The Reality Of His Return
Acts 1: 9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them.11 They also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven."
This image of the multi-crowned King Jesus inspired Matthew Bridges in 1852 to pen a majestic hymn that God's people still love to sing:
Crown Him with many crowns,
The Lamb upon His throne:
Hark! How the heav'nly anthem drowns
All music but its own!
Awake, my soul, and sing
Of Him who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless King
Through all eternity. (Insights, 249)
13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
He Will Return Victoriously At The Revelation Of His Return
Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men:"See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him." (Jude 14-15)
He Will Return With Vengeance With The Results Of His Return
17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, "Come, gather for the great supper of God, 18 to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great." 19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. 20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21 And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.
This is the most dramatic moment in world history! After winning four successive battles, Christ will set His feet on the Mount of Olives.
A day of the Lord is coming when your plunder will be divided among you. I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it;the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. (Zech. 1 4:1 -4)
Our Lord ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives. In Acts 1:11 the angels said, "This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." Our Lord will not only come in "the same way," meaning visibly and physically, but He will actually come to the same place, the Mount of Olives. When His feet strike the Mount of Olives, that hill will divide in two.
When Christ consumes all before Him through the earthquakes, lightnings, and the sword that proceeds out of His mouth, not only will the Holy Land be destroyed but the entire country will be literally bathed in the blood of unregenerate, God-hating, Christ-opposing people. It is hard for us to envision the hordes of troops from all over the world that will oppose Christ. Who can conceive of a time when the blood of slain men will flow as high as the horses' bridles by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs? That is just about the length of the entire land of Palestine! Naturally many skeptics and those who do not take the book of Revelation literally find it difficult to believe that so much blood could be shed.
A point to be kept in mind is that part of the destruction of the troops around Jerusalem will include a hailstorm. "From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible" (Rev. 16:21). Millions of pieces of ice will fall to the earth weighing a hundred plus pounds each, melting in the torrid heat of Palestine, and mingling with the blood of those slain until the land of Palestine will be literally bathed in a bloody liquid that is almost too horrible to describe. What a price human beings will pay for rejecting Christ! Lahaye.
It may be at midday,
It may be at twilight.
It may be perchance
That the blackness
Of midnight will burst
Into light in the blaze
Of His glory
When Jesus comes for His own.
Oh, Lord Jesus,
How long? How long
E'er we shall the glad song:
Christ returneth.
Hallelujah, hallelujah, amen.
Hallelujah, amen.
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