revelation 19 explained verse by verse revelation 19 explained verse by verse

Again, to my mind it seems demonstrably true that the relation to the beast here brought before us must in all fairness be allowed to look onward to a later stage of Babylon. sound like "mighty thunderings". - Utley, Isaiah 63:1-3; (Source of imagery for the Battle Hymn of the Republic.). (i) It can mean the witness which the Christian bears to Jesus Christ. The final shout is the praise of the host of the redeemed. When we come to the full application of the prophecy, we must look onward to the latter day. After the destruction of Babylon at There is no lack of precision, but the very reverse. In the coming of the Lord all include His coming to the habitable earth. And He is called the True witness. Two sets of people are called on to praise God. In Hebrew writing there were no vowels; the vowels had to be supplied by the reader. Revelation provided a message of hope: God is in sovereign control of all the events of human history, and though evil often seems pervasive and wicked men all powerful, their ultimate doom is certain. Apart from his return to purge his creation of evil, redemption remains forever incomplete." We'll study the Book of Revelation, explained in detail, and learn about every aspect of the Book of Revelation including the apocalypse, four horsemen, great tribulation, great white throne judgement, mark of the beast and so much more! He saw their condition: it was part of the vision. And He Himself treads . Revelation 19:6 "And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as is a myth. But here there is neither; and this again is an evidence of gain, not of loss. That religious system has an incomparably nearer connection with this mysterious harlot than anything we have yet spoken of. universe. He is "true," for He is the answer to all our hopes. they were saying. supreme in authority, and "God", which means supreme deity; you have an It is not only that the angel corrects the act by asserting that he is a fellow-servant of him and of his brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. And God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more, nor sorrow, nor crying nor shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. But a very different point of interest is to be observed. VI. That God is holding back something good and He really isn't fair to you was the insinuation behind Satan's remarks. Whoever this angel is, he too had the testimony of Jesus. "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse." Lastly was the wedding ceremony during which time the vows were exchanged. He has reserved the matter, though not without enough to guide our thoughts, as we have seen. in the Bible, "her" does not mean just women, it is the bride. Here I am obliged to say that our authorized version, and not merely it, but our common Greek Testaments, are altogether wrong. of the bride, the Lamb's wife. He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God Norris' Commentary on the Book of Revelation. The abusso or abyss is probably in the very center of the earth, because it is called and correctly translated "bottomless pit." He wants you to have a relationship with Him, a loving relationship, not a legal relationship. This verse declares it, and there is no other interpretation that can stand even a moment's fair discussion. He is in charge of the Anastausus Ship, but he is facing a jail sentence of three and a half years in Greece because He gave a Bible to a sixteen-year old Greek boy and the boy accepted Jesus Christ as His Savior. the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse ( Revelation 19:21 ). Believers long for a world of justice and it will These are the true sayings of God. Betrothal (often when the couple were children); (2) His Earthly Kingdom (see article . Worship God!". And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses ( Revelation 19:14 ). We do know some of His names "Jesus, the Christ, The Son of God, Shepherd, Redeemer, Saviour, Prince of Peace, King of Kings and Lord of lords"----but the fullness of His love and power none of us has yet realized. Then again the character of it, as derived from Christianity having already taken its place, is asserted. The chronological progression of events on earth resumes from Revelation 16:21. a. Spirit of prophecy: The person and message of Jesus is the I do not doubt that there was a corrupt form in connection with Israel in times past. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And I saw heaven open, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True ( Revelation 19:11 ). In that place the sword seems to be an emblem of his words or doctrines, as penetrating the hearts of people; here it is the emblem of a work of destruction worked on his foes. At a marriage, He has avenged the blood of his servants at her hand ( Revelation 19:2 ). and believers alive in earthly bodies in the kingdom. Thus the difference is complete between past history (if we look at the extinction of the empire and the rise of the ten kingdoms) and the certain fulfilment of the prophecy in the future, when we look at what God has really told us. "For God put [it] into their hearts to do his mind, and to do one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled." And unquestionably God has been awakening the attention of His people in a remarkable manner to the value of His word, and not least of all to the portion we are now examining. But he ought to have withstood it I do not mean in vengeance (for that belongs to the Lord), but as holily hating the sin itself, yet withal in the deepest compassion for his parent. of all sorts of jewels when he represented God to the people; but when he went There is no doubt that THE RIDER ON THE WHITE HORSE In 19:11 IS CHRIST. (iv) There is fidelity. honors God and sin mocks Him. They are glorified saints, and not angels. But whatever subsisted then, that which the Spirit here presents as a whole cannot be found realized at any point of time in the past. Preparations and celebrations were much more The seven Spirits of God (Greek: , ta hepta pneumata tou theou) are mentioned four times in the Book of Revelation, and in the Book of Isaiah it names each Spirit.Revelation 1:4: John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven . You might get left. Return We can quite understand that God would comfort His people in the dark ages by this book; and a very imperfect glimpse at its real meaning might in His grace serve to cheer them on in their trials as far as it went. He had a great desire to bring his brothers, Egyptian brothers to the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Verse 7. believers at salvation, but the practical results of that righteousness in Yet it will be found imperfect, for reasons which, I think, will be clear to any unbiassed mind. Thomas viewed the second coming of Christ plus everything else through Revelation 22:5 as part of the seventh bowl judgment. Verse 2. Had he really penetrated under the surface, and seen that beneath the fair guise of Christendom the woman was, of all things under the sun, the most corrupt and hateful to God, it would not be so much to be surprised at. Revelation 1:16; Isaiah 11:4; Isaiah 49:2). It is a question here of distinctive character, apart from that of time, for which we must search other scriptures. Go To Previous Section | "And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white, pure.". Here is a picture which is essentially Jewish. The one therefore throws much light upon the other. 19:3 And again they said, Alleluia And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. Thus everything implies their simultaneous presence for the same time and common action with the beast, in plundering and then destroying Babylon. But this is not to emerge from the bottomless pit. Although there is such a levelling of human distinctions, and men have to do directly with God that is men raised from the dead or in their changed condition we still see the holy Jerusalem "the holy city, new Jerusalem," separate from the rest of those that fill the new heaven and earth. It is thus that God is wont to deal as a rule in His judgments, not necessarily on the one that first introduces an evil, but on those that inherit the guilt, and perhaps aggravate it, instead of taking warning by it. (19:6-9), are evidence of the Church being in heaven prior to the return of "True and righteous are thy judgments, O Lord." "Your Maker is your husband; the Lord of hosts is his name," says Isaiah ( Isaiah 54:5). Hallelujah is a very common word in religious vocabulary but the only time it actually appears in Scripture is on the four occasions in this chapter. discover_revelation@charter.net What is it, seven hundred and fifty million degrees Fahrenheit or something like that? 3:12-15: 2 Cor. (John 17:18). The actual picture comes from Isaiah: "The streams of Edom shall be turned into pitch, and her soil into brimstone; her land shall become burning pitch. Afterwards we come to the description of itself, of its wall, its building, its foundations, and its gates. If my righteousness were dependent upon my keeping the Law, or keeping rules or regulations-Let's say that we said that every day you should be reading five chapters out of the Bible. As when they are the enemies of the Lords flock, for his "club" that He uses to protect them is a "rod of iron", one that will not break, and will devestate the enemy attacking His flock. And he treadeth the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God - This language is probably derived from Isaiah 63:1-4. It is really differing imagery For according to unquestionable testimony the Reuchlinian copy has like some half-dozen cursives, which was probably a mistake for . Why is the word "Lamb" used here to speak of Jesus? In my opinion it is not absolutely so. So, He is coming to bring an end of man's rebellion. would be no salvation. 3. Then another and immensely important act is described the binding of Satan. Polyglot, and all editions of the least critical value. She does not, it is true, say, "Come quickly." We may surely say her cup was not yet full. Here is a grim picture of birds of prey being invited to come from all over the sky to glut themselves on the corpses of the slain. Then and thus is aggravated guilt in the case of this wicked son. 135:1; 146:1). (i) There is love. The Church, the Bride of Christ, is clothed in fine linen, pure and shining. they said, "because the Lord our God, the Almighty, has entered into his kingdom. He comes to execute vengeance, and with a sign of death for rebels. It is suggested that it is on the skirt of his general's cloak, for that is where it would be easiest to read on a horseman. The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy: The central theme of both 12 It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. And because of this there is great rejoicing in heaven. What is there to hinder it? Further, after this Jesus introduces Himself, as well as sends His angel. In the description of the total destruction of Babylon, come the words: "Rejoice over her, O heaven, O saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!" So for the most part in the book of Revelation, there will be the angel speaking to John and revealing to him the things that were being revealed to him by Jesus Christ. Then He is called the "True and faithful witness" in the third chapter of Revelation. In verse 1, this great voice from heaven was whom? It is not now lightnings and thunders and voices. It was John's instinct to worship the angelic messenger; but the angel forbids him to do that, because the angels are no more than men's fellow-servants. The word that goes forth out of His mouth. So, it is the righteousness of Jesus Christ that is imparted to me through my faith in Jesus Christ. Here is one of the most dramatic moments in the Revelation, the emergence of the conquering Christ. It can govern and bless but not convert man. "Let him that heareth," then, be encouraged to "say, Come." To a Jew a word was not merely a sound; it did things. This is the meaning of "one hour with the beast.". And here is John falling on his knees before the angel that is giving him all of this revelation and he is so overawed and thrilled with what is in store for him he falls at his feet to worship him. It is reigning. The redeemed The ambiguity springs from the fact that the testimony of Jesus can bear either of two meanings. It furnishes material for a contrast between the earthly Jerusalem and the heavenly city, because if there be one thing more remarkable than another in Ezekiel's description, it is the temple. In the Revelation two kinds of people are specially called the servants of God; the prophets ( Revelation 10:7; Revelation 11:18; Revelation 22:6), and the martyrs ( Revelation 7:3; Revelation 19:2). The color of crushed grapes reminded the ancients of blood, death, and battle! Accordingly the resuscitated Roman empire will carry men away by a storm of wonder at its revival. Verse 9. News Links, Recommended Books, News Sites, and Bibles judgment. "And the angel said unto him, Wherefore didst thou wonder? Everything that belongs to the body of Christ is unearthly and unworldly. Revelation 19:4 "And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down Hence He must have come back previously to both. "True and righteous are thy judgments, O Lord.". Who are the persons thus invested with judicial authority of so glorious a nature and to reign, as we see later, with Christ? "The tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he shall dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, their God. (iv) It may be that here is a lingering relic of the old idea that to know the name of a divine being was to have a certain power over him. Here we have the purely Jewish idea of the Word of God. Ruling includes destroying as well as reigning over (Psalms 2:9). The marriage These are representative of (b) He is true. Verse 3. but it does not follow that various bodies are not raised at different times. Isaiah says of the heavenly king: "He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked" ( Isaiah 11:4). I admit that there may be something more in the symbol than the literal hills of Rome, because they are said to be also seven kings. bride doesnt get invited, she invites. You worship God. This tells us something about our approach to Exactly the same thing is repeated here, and what makes it more apparent is the similarity of the introduction on each occasion. All the dead are there who had not part in the first resurrection. It was the religious leaders that insisted that the Roman government put Him to death. But now He is ready to return and establish His kingdom and take us unto Himself and the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife, or bride, has made herself ready. (ii) It can equally mean the witness which Jesus Christ gives to men. He says: "The possession of the prophetic spirit, which makes a true prophet, shows itself in a life of witness to Jesus, which perpetuates his witness to the Father and to himself" A prophet's message lies in the personal witness of his life, even more than in the spoken witness of his words. It is a description, and not one of the visions that carry us onward. That picture stands for the final union between Jesus Christ and his Church. (compare 1 Thess. Accordingly it is another figure. The glorified saints are to administer power in a way far beyond angels. In any real marriage there must be four things which must also be in the relationship between the Christian and Christ. There were two particular effects of her evil: the one, illicit commerce with the kings of the earth; the other, intoxicating the inhabitants of the earth with the wine of her fornication. Now there was nothing more repulsive and fatal to paganism in every form than the truth revealed in Christ, which exposed every thing that was not itself not the truth, definite and exclusive. First, he came from a world in which there were many gods--Zeus, Hera, Apollo, Aphrodite and the rest, What was easier than to keep the old gods in the form of angels? They begin to worship, in a sense, the instrument that God has used. We find that Jesus is called the faithful witness. The beast is the expression of the will of man setting itself up in direct antagonism to God. Nothing is hidden from Him. God said, "Light be," and light was. The word of God, or the judiciary sentence of Christ according to it, and which he will fully execute, to the utter destruction of all his enemies; :- that with it he should smite the nations; the Gentiles, the Papists, the antichristian states, those that have adhered to Babylon, and have drunk of the wine of her fornication. 21:1-2). The betrothal takes place on earth during the church age; (2) 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 ( Revelation 19:7 ). All these things have their place in Babylon the great. Such is the meaning of the verse "The rest of the dead lived not again till the thousand years were finished. Nor is there any real reason to wonder at their deriving help from partial light. The tree of life: The Bible begins with a tree of life ( Genesis 3:22-24) which man was not allowed to eat from after the sin at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. for the smoke from her rises for ever and ever. The, nature of the case exempts of course the saints of the millennium;* and this very simply, because they are never said to die at all. This is never the case with an angel. Pilate said, "I find no fault in Him. They were in three distinct stages which first involved the betrothal or God accounts my faith for righteousness. This is the declaration that is made all through the period of judgment, "true and righteous are thy judgments, O Lord".The concept that Satan brought to Eve in the Garden of Eden was that God was not fair, that God was trying to hold her back from something that was beneficial, that God was somehow trying to protect Himself. The book is traditionally attributed to John the Apostle, [1] [2] but the precise identity of the author remains a point of academic debate. "Praise our God," says the voice, "all you his servants, you who fear him." The seventh bowl contained under it the fall of Babylon, which "was remembered before God, to give to her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.". In the Testament of Dan ( Daniel 6:2) the angel who intercedes for men is mentioned. ], "Those who believe in the reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ must also look for his return." How can it be said that this vile, corrupt, idolatrous system of the last days was guilty of the blood of all martyrs? These are the martyrs of Revelation 6:1-17, those long since seen under the altar, poured out like burnt-offerings to God. Jesus Christ. That is to say, the heavenly saints are viewed still as the heads of the glorified priesthood, and also the executive in the administration of God's judgments. Here we learn at once of what His train consists. It is a description, not of Babylon's relation to the beast, but of the city's fall, with certain dirges put into the mouth of the different classes that groan because of her extinction here below. Gods permanent crushing of mans rebellion (verse 3); (4) If there was any Gentile power since John's day, which did not sustain but persecute and suppress Jerusalem, it was Rome, instead of being a gaudy harlot mounted on that vast empire. . See it explained in the notes on that place, and on Revelation 14:19-20. They "lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.". Never worry about the righteousness of God's judgments. From Rome saints had suffered; and it was easy to see that the revealed persecutress is called Babylon, and identified with the governing city of Rome. ). Our own righteousness had been as filthy rags, but var _gaq = _gaq || []; If a person drew from this, for instance, that the boast was to carry the woman, Babylon, when it had as a fact all that is meant by the seven heads and the ten horns, it would be an error. 12:10; 13:9; and Roman They broke up the beast yet more than Babylon. Bad as pagan Rome was, it would be false to affirm that it ever had come out of the bottomless pit. And he carried me away in [the] spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God." "Upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of the harlots and of the abominations of the earth.". (3) First, "I saw thrones, and they sat upon them." The judgment on Rome is the guarantee that God never in the end abandons his own. There was judicial discernment with the distinct possession of all titles to sovereignty. Such was her influence stretching out far beyond the beast. (i) He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, not his own but that of his enemies. var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); One of our pastors, Imad, spent some time in the Egyptian jail. faith during the Tribulation (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Zech. (Eph. Let us look at the different groups that are seen to have part in the first resurrection. When God is so gracious, His word rich, full, and deep, it does seem sad to see His children content with just enough to save their souls, or keep them from positive starvation. The name was in fact so holy that it was never pronounced. I am accounted righteous by God because I believe and trust in Jesus Christ. understand the testimony of Jesus, then you must preach and prophesy so that Let us bear this in mind. This is the last main section of the Book of Revelation. Persecuted Christians have been encouraged to endure their trials by the assurance that God is still in control. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword - See the notes on Revelation 1:16. Do not wonder at the vast numbers, or at their defection. Revelation 19:13; Revelation 14:8; Revelation 14:10; Revelation 14:19-20; Revelation 16:19; Isaiah 63:1-6). That great multitude, I expect personally to be a part of that multitude. They received their power as kings when the beast ceased to exist. 19:6-8 And I heard a voice which sounded like the voice of a vast multitude, and like the sound of many waters, and like the sound of mighty crashes of thunder. There was not yet fairly out before men what God foresaw as that which must finally provoke His judgment. Man gets hung up and he stops short. There will be here upon the earth millions of people who have gathered together to war against Him at His coming. 9:7; Babylon had once heard the varied testimony of God; for what had she not heard of truth? 1. But now there is but one throne: Christ judges the dead. But the attempt, again, to apply what is said here to a future city of Babylon in Chaldea seems to me no less vain. 14:1-3; 1 Thess. Every strange coded word and phrase is meant for this generation. As far as the display of government goes, it is according to God morally, and for His glory, though I deny not for a moment that there are elements of evil which are never allowed, but kept under if not expelled. At the pouring of the seventh bowl, God's voice was heard from the Temple saying, "It is done!" (Rev. On His robe where it spreads out at His waist HIS TITLE is inscribed. "Flesh and blood," we know, "cannot inherit the kingdom of God." marriage is the eternal union of the church with Christ following the Rapture I am a servant of God just like you are. It is not complicated, just bare all to God. Zechariah 14:18, but nowhere else with a sword. Again, death and hades are said to come to their end, personified as enemies. But it really is. 11:25-27). We have not to learn what the other mystery means; we know well that it is according to God and godliness. They are joined by the twenty-four elders (Revelation 4). This has no time element attached. and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.". Once Jesus enters the battle, it is soon over. It may well be from that old Jewish idea that there came the idea of the marriage feast of the Lamb, for that indeed would be the true Messianic Banquet. . oceans will become thick, dark, and coagulated, like the blood of a corpse. The angels are never "called," although they may be "chosen;" and though termed holy, I do not recollect that they are ever spoken of as "faithful." No marriage can last without fidelity, and the Christian must be as faithful to Jesus Christ as Jesus Christ is to him. That is what prophecy is about. That kings had dallied with her, that the beast had once borne her up, will only turn to gall the more bitter to her, who, faithless to God, had staked the usurped and abused name of Christ to win what was now lost for ever. At the end of the millennium the righteous and the wicked form two distinct arrays, though even then there would appear to be a line drawn between the surrounding camp, and the beloved city Jerusalem on earth, where the Jews were. And of course, this proselytizing law was prompted by the Greek Orthodox Church, and he has been sentenced to spend three and a half years in jail in Greece. It is an added digression for the purpose of describing an object already named passingly in the foregoing series, which closes at Revelation 21:8. The bride represents those that are spoken of in the normal possession and enjoyment of their privileges. We do not have to pretend to be something we are 252-53. 23:5). But the church consists of souls called out from the earth, and is not of the world: consequently to the church the time is always at hand. Still God acts in a wisdom far above man, and holds to His principles even there. The Complutensian edition, and all the Oriental versions, with the Vulture Latin, read, "a sharp twoedged sword". They were caught in flagrant treason and rebellion: what further need of any process of judgment whatsoever? Revelation 2:27; Revelation 12:5; Psalms 2:9; Psalms 45). In Asia Minor even the tribunal of the proconsul was subject to bribery and to maladministration. Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! Revelation 19:9 "And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed [are] they which are You just have to come on the basis of God's grace and love for you and cast yourself upon His mercy, but that God is merciful. 20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. Jesus at the Last Supper said that he would not again drink of the cup until he drank it new in his Father's kingdom ( Matthew 26:29). As Dr. John Paterson puts it in The Book that is Alive: "The spoken word in Hebrew was fearfully alive. Next comes the marriage of the Lamb to his bride. But here is a mystery altogether different: "Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of the harlots and of the abominations of the earth.". "And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. Judas returned the money to the priests saying, "I betrayed innocent blood" ( Matthew 27:4 ). "These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them (for he is Lord of lords and King of kings), and they that are with him, called, and chosen, and faithful.". He is a threat to them, because He tells you, you don't have to be religious to be accepted by God. With a rod of iron He shall execute the severest judgment on the opposers of his truth. derives from a Hebrew word meaning "to be firm," and may be translated "truly"