I have a hard time stomaching religious people. "Behold I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the words of the prophecy of this book." In Revelation 16+, John was shown the pouring forth of the final seven bowls which contained God's wrath. It is called "the first resurrection." After the destruction of Babylon at No one can soberly deny that Babylon in some sort had a place then; but that the special, and above all, the full character of Babylon was manifested as here portrayed is another matter. Directly he had sinned, the word of God came, and he was called. We. He doesn't want you to be religious. In verse 1, this great voice from heaven was whom? Supposing, for instance, a drunken father: if the sons had one spark of right feeling, not only must they feel the utmost shame and pain on account of their parent, but they would endeavour (like the sons of Noah who had a due sense of what was proper to their father) to cast some mantle of love over that which they could not deny, yet would not look at, but surely above all things they would watch against that shameful sin. And as a result was thrown in jail in Egypt and was then released because of the family influence, and told to get out of the country for his own welfare or he would be put to death if he stayed. sound like "mighty thunderings". to Top Whereas for the Jew, there are necessary dates and momentous changes that must take place; and hence, as Daniel represents the Jew, we have the difference kept up. This web site explains the Book of Revelation, each individual scripture. I would like to say a few words about this "fine linen". It is hard to see how Roman city, or anything civil connected with it, could be called "mystery." "Owr hayah owr hayah", "Light be and light was". 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. "That day" does not mean a time when everybody will be converted, but when the Lord Jesus will govern righteously when overt evil will be judged, and good be sustained perfectly for a thousand years. supreme in authority, and "God", which means supreme deity; you have an It was, as H. B. Swete puts it, like "the din of a vast concourse, the roar of a cataract, the roll of thunder.". It was not uncommon for a monarch to wear more than one crown in order to show that he was the king of more than one country. Revelation 19:1-3. union of the church with Christ following the Rapture (see 1 Thess. The Book of Revelation: Verse by Verse Commentary By Robert Clifton Robinson on September 16, 2020 ( 2 ) The Book of Revelation is the most important book for this precise time in history. union of the church with Christ following the Rapture (see 1 Thess. This being so, it adds immense clearness in the understanding of the book. The biblical narrative of the revelation at Sinai begins in Exodus 19 after the arrival of the children of . Second Edition, Revised - 1871 To be crowned with more than one crown may seem strange, but in the time of John it was quite natural. "Flesh and blood," we know, "cannot inherit the kingdom of God." Then, when the Lamb and His purchase by blood are celebrated in heaven, the four living creatures join the elders, though each is distinct. Here were joined good and evil in godless union, for the worse, not for the better, this alliance, unholy in principle, irremediable therefore in practice, between God and the natural man, who substitutes rites for the grace and word of God, for the blood of Christ, and the power of the Spirit, and employs the name of the Lord as a cover for grosser covetousness and ambition, yet more aspiring than the vulgar world. The effect of these their praises: when the angels and saints cried Alleluia, her fire burned more fiercely and her smoke ascended for ever and ever, v. 3. The word used for sitting down is the word for reclining at a meal. This tells what Christ is depicted as doing in this scene. This chapter explains how it was that Babylon was so offensive to God, and wherefore He judged her thus sternly. The Old Testament points forward to Jesus, beginning in Those who are invited to the marriage supper are Israel (see article Marriage After that honors God and sin mocks Him. (verses 1-10), and returns with Christ in His Triumphal Second Coming (verses Christ, the glorious Head of the church, is described as on a white horse, the emblem of justice and holiness. The living creatures are, from Revelation 5:1-14 coupled with the elders, as we find them in the beginning of Revelation 19:1-21. WATCH ON YOUTUBE Book of Revelation Explained 2: The Last Days (Revelation 1:1-5) [Note: Ladd, pp. As King of kings and Lord of lords he exercises Gods rule over all humankind, and in divine wrath punishes the wicked (13-16).An angel calls flesh-eating birds to prepare for a feast such as they have never had before, for the corpses on the battlefield will be beyond number (17-18). And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet, who performed in his presence signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast, and who worship his image. })(); Return to Revelation Menu | 19:14-16 The armies which are in heaven followed him, on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and pure. Righteousness of saints: Not Christs imputed righteousness granted to It is not into a wilderness the prophet is carried, but he is set on "a mountain great and high," and shown not the great, but. | So, Jesus was at odds with the religious leaders of His day and they are the ones that prompted His crucifixion. there is rejoicing and giving of honor. That is what prophecy is about. And it is pretty well ascertained that there was a discussion among them, even to the suggestion by one of the most wicked of their emperors, whether Christ should not be owned and worshipped in the Pantheon, hundreds of years before Constantine, indeed from the earliest epoch of the gospel. When Christ at God's right hand was announced, even from the very beginning, He was ready to judge the quick and the dead. And the marriage is the eternal 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. Study Revelation 19:19-19 - 'King James Version' translation alongside Secrets of Heaven (New Century Edition, Cooper) #2694 and Secrets of Heaven (New Century Edition, Cooper) #3880 . There are many who are not so; but the Lord does not forget them. Such is the meaning of the verse "The rest of the dead lived not again till the thousand years were finished. I am accounted righteous by God because I believe and trust in Jesus Christ. The Gothic hordes were not yet incorporated with the empire, still less were they horns of the beast, nor did they give their power to it, but destroyed it rather. Revelation 19:2 "For true and righteous [are] his judgments: for he hath judged The letters Y-H-W-H (Yahweh) are called the sacred tetragrammaton, the sacred four letters. "And when the thousand years are completed, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to war." There is more that we still have to learn of Him. And their voice on this One of our pastors, Imad, spent some time in the Egyptian jail. When a person dies, it will be a positive curse from God; if he die even a hundred years old, it will be like a baby dying now. God is making sure that you know that Jesus is innocent as He hangs there on the cross. It is for your sin that He is dying. Revelation 19:9 "And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed [are] they which are To the church the end is always near. He is praised for judging religious Babylon and avenging the martyrs. ages, which becomes clear in the remainder of the book. In our day men prophecy "the end of Christs church", but Christs Word is mightier than any word that men can utter. Any other intermediary than Jesus Christ between God and man must be utterly opposed. I agree one hundred percent. So here He is sitting upon a white horse. Jeremiah hears God say and appeal: "Return, O faithless children, for I am your master" ( Jeremiah 3:14). Babylon symbolized by its capital city of Babylon. We have already seen that God will cause a third part of the sea to turn to Imagine when all living creatures in the seas die. Again the righteousness of His judgment attested to. The bride breathes out this word to the bridegroom; and the Holy Ghost it is that gives strength to her desire that He should come. "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. ( John 1:14 ) And now again He comes as the Word of God. First, "I saw thrones, and they sat upon them." We usually pronounce it JEHOVAH; but the vowels in Jehovah are really those of the Hebrew word 'Adonay ( H136) , which means Lord, the name by which the Jews called God in order to avoid pronouncing the sacred name. It is not complicated, just bare all to God. Man on the earth has his portion in the goodness of a God who is manifesting His kingdom. To be sure, the language here suggests Armageddon, the great spiritual conflict going on throughout history, the results of which will be announced and executed on the last day. The thrones were already filled. These remain as yet in the condition of separate spirits. faith during the Tribulation (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Zech. "Amen," they said, "Hallelujah!" Can anything be less reasonable (even taking that ground, low as it is) than that the various rulers of the western powers, Catholic kings, join the Pope in destroying his own city, or his own church, whichever Babylon may be made? Afrikaans; Alemannisch; ; ; ; Azrbaycanca; ; Bn-lm-g; ; Bikol Central They themselves were to judge. 11:2; Eph. Here we have the purely Jewish idea of the Word of God. And then those men who have chosen to cast their lot with Satan in rebellion against God. But when Christ and the church peacefully reign, such is the imagery that suits "a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. (i) There is love. I say not on but over the earth. 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. Bear this in mind: to leave the last part out is fatal to any accurate understanding of the Revelation. Their doom was awful, but by no means after the same sort as their two leaders. If not blessing it judges. The true reading here is neither hard nor doubtful save to unbelief. It will be understood when one says "spiritual" that none is meant save of a wicked kind. 3. "All three of the figures in this verse are representations of the word of Christ, by which he executes with indisputable authority the judgment of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses ( Revelation 19:14 ). for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication ( Revelation 19:2 ). 3. God uses them for this object,-the setting aside of her, the great religious corruptress, whose centre is found at Rome. The individual has his own fruit too. "And the nations shall walk in the light of it." the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse ( Revelation 19:21 ). 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. Now, the time has come for the Lord Jesus Christ Himself to return in power and great glory and establish God's kingdom upon the earth. II. And God said, "Let the waters above the firmament be separated from the waters below the firmament." And the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. "Praise our God," it said, "all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great.". I will give to him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. I agree with the majority. (3) But the most ordinary knowledge suffices; for who does not know from the Bible that there was a Roman empire when Christ was born, one emperor, and no such state as that empire divided into ten kingdoms? That is, Satan will be the spring of its final rise and power; he, and not God in any way whatever, will give it its character. ", All things are thus made new; and, further, "these words are faithful." 16:16. Here is the idea in Hebrews 4:12: "The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword.". When you couple that with "Lord", which means The guests also will include tribulation saints Literally "fierceness of the wrath". William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 19:11. By and by, after our translation to heaven, He will work, and as vitally in those who bow to God, when it will be the reception of the prophetic testimony which is here owned to be none the less the testimony of Jesus. This very naturally filled him with intense wonder. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. She followed and had inherited the spirit of all, from the days of Cain, who had lifted up their hands against their righteous brethren. It was the religious leaders that insisted that the Roman government put Him to death. "And hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand": And by these judicial See it explained in the notes on that place, and on Revelation 14:19-20. It is to Jesus. The fine linen, clean and white, represents the 18:20. He spoke these things into existence; the power of the Word of God.If we would only realize the power of the Word of God. Revelation. An allusion to Psalms 2:9 ; shall rule them . cum cdd. That is, it is simply an expression of the homage that they pay. It will be a state of nature unexampled for the fruits of the earth and the enjoyment of all that God has made here below. They were in three distinct stages which first involved the betrothal or "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." VI. The beast is the expression of the will of man setting itself up in direct antagonism to God. "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heavens fled away." If so, they are there in the quality not of the bride, but of those invited to the marriage of the Lamb; but I do not think them the Apocalyptic saints for the simple reason that, as shown in the next chapter, the Apocalyptic saints are not raised from the dead yet. Once again John finds his model in the words of the Old Testament, for that is a quotation from Psalms 135:1; Psalms 135:20. Like Hosanna ( H3467 + H4994 and G5614) it is one of the few Hebrew words which have established themselves in ordinary religious language. It is not meant that he who was more honoured in service than any of the twelve, he whom the Lord used for bringing out the church of the heavenly places, will not have his own most singular dignity in this glorious scene. From his mouth . And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war with him who rides the horse, and with his army. The word "church" (Greek ekklesia), appears nineteen times (in Revelation We can see that, for instance, in the old story in which Jacob filched Esau's blessing from Isaac ( Genesis 27:1-46). In other words, this is the characteristic title for God in the Revelation. This is of great importance. It was ruled in general that the worldly powers were ordained of God. (iii) He judges and makes war in righteousness. Each of these three great attributes of God should awaken its own response in the heart of man. Afterwards we come to the description of itself, of its wall, its building, its foundations, and its gates. According to the biblical narrative, Zerubbabel [a] was a governor of the Achaemenid Empire 's province of Yehud [3] and the grandson of Jeconiah, [4] penultimate king of Judah. church (compare Matt. While the term bride often refers to the church, and does so here (2 Cor. approving of the destruction of Babel, because the Messiah was bringing justice 8:38, Paul often used some of the most extreme things such as life and death to make a point. What was easier than to turn the demons into angels and to worship them? 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. And the [antichrist] 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 those that worshipped his image. | The marriage of the Lamb and the marriage supper of the Lamb "in heaven" If alive before the thousand years, he will live after the thousand years; in fact, literally he will never die, though I do not doubt, on general principles, that the saints of the millennial earth will be changed at the very time when the heavens and earth disappear. man's day. Amen And thus it was but a little glimpse they had of prophecy. We may illustrate it by the members of a family. The closing phrase here is the description of the beast in its last state, in which it will come into collision with Babylon. distinctions. receive our inheritance, we must read the will. One of the great dangers of being in any kind of ministry where God is using you, one of the great dangers of exercising any spiritual gift, is that people so often look at the instrument that God uses. This testimony here is not Jesus giving it, but we believers who testify of the "True and righteous are thy judgments, O Lord.". 19:5 And a voice came from the throne, saying, "Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.". as the Complut. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God ( Revelation 19:9 ). His eyes were as a flame of fire ( Revelation 19:12 ). We have just seen that it is the eternal state. They will be gathered together at the inspiration of Satan. Supper), who will turn to Christ in We know that the change of all those caught up takes place in the twinkling of an eye. called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. sounds like a massive crashing of waves. shed by them. "And he had a name written, that no man knew but he himself." "And the woman whom thou sawest is the great city, that hath kingship over the kings of the earth." Jesus Christ. Then the book concludes after a solemn warning against either adding to or taking from its contents. here. When John here called the warrior Christ "The Word of God", he means that here in action is all the power of God's word; everything that God has said, and threatened, and promised is embodied in Christ. That great multitude, I expect personally to be a part of that multitude. white, represents the righteousness of the church, which has now been judged and You see, the Father has no God-He is "the only true God" according to Jesus in John 17:3. But what I particularly call your attention to is the exceeding importance of heeding the retrospect at the bride, or new Jerusalem here, and the consequent removal of the difficulty caused by taking the last vision of this book as part of the prophetic series which begins in Revelation 19:1-21. The same imagery of a wedding picture's the Lord's relationship with His Church. Five reasons for their praise emerge: (1) Here it is the positive worship of the creature besides the Creator, yea, and notoriously more than He. As for the earthly land and city, the moon will have her light increased to that of the sun, and the sun shall be sevenfold. This brings in idolatry, real shameless idolatry too, not merely that subtle working of the idolatrous spirit that every Christian has to guard against. Religions tell you that you have to do certain things in order to please God. It does not mean persons merely, but the souls of beheaded persons. Together they join this great chorus proclaiming "Alleluia!". It is also clearly a personal reward to those who had suffered. The Spirit of God implies that it is decidedly not the righteousness here which is by another, and we thereby imputed righteous, but righteousnesses personal and actual. This "great voice" here is The fine linen the bride is clothed in represents the righteous acts of the If you preach on prophecy, you are bringing the testimony of Jesus. That is worship of God in unprescribed ways. I can hardly wait. It begins with the shout of a vast multitude in heaven. She is, the mother of the harlots, but also (and with still deeper guilt) of the abominations of the earth. "The Spirit of prophecy" and such it is all through the Revelation after the seven churches are done with "is the testimony of Jesus." When we come to the full application of the prophecy, we must look onward to the latter day. After "the nations" in verse 24 omit the words "of them which are saved." 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and, behold, a white horse, and he who is mounted on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. At this point the evil world system has been destroyed and God's kingdom has Thus eternal judgment was executed at once. For the day of vengeance is in my heart, and the year of my redeemed is come"( Isaiah 63:3-4 ). 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. They are not seen here as the bride. Just as I said, these robes have been made white by the blood of the Lamb. Voices cry out joyfully that the Lord reigns and the marriage supper of the Lamb is ready. Here we learn at once of what His train consists. And they also lasted much longer. The Sword--The Word of His mouth--is now wielded in judgment. Have we not all heard of the balance of power? Acts 10:25-26). (ii) His name is the Word of God. Yet grace despised necessarily ends in judgment. We had Babylon with a spuriously ecclesiastical but a really murderous character, and at the same time guilty of corruption with the kings of the earth. May our hearts answer freely to His word of love and truth with our "Amen." Let us rejoice and let us exult, and let us give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has prepared herself, and it has been granted to her to clothe herself with fine linen, shining and pure." The marriage symbolism runs all through the Gospels. The ambiguity springs from the fact that the testimony of Jesus can bear either of two meanings. var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; reign with Christ in the millennial kingdom. would even have us. You can be worried about the righteousness of my judgments. (Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15-16; sharp . John's age knew all about the perversion of justice; no one could expect justice from a capricious heathen tyrant. The angel least him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal over him, that he should no more deceive the nations, till the thousand years should be completed: after these things he must be loosed a little time.". Capnionis, which was used by Erasmus, and lately discovered after a long obscurity by Dr. Delitzsch, reads (not ) . After that we have the admonitions to the end of this book. From his mouth there comes forth a sharp two-edged sword, so that with it he may smite the nations, and he will control them with an iron rod. The only right principle in everything is to go to the source of divine truth, and to seek there refreshment and strength and fitness for whatever our God calls us to. Blessed are those that are called to be a part in this. purified at the judgment seat of Christ (1 Cor. "Having a wall great and high, having twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names inscribed, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel." It is no problem for the infinite God to reach to finite man. - CBSC, a sharp sword . It is by his word that God created the earth and the heavens and everything in them. You can trust in this that these are the true sayings of God. He is arrayed in a vesture dipped in his own blood, by which he purchased his power as Mediator; and in the blood of his enemies, over . Then, as we have seen, comes the final test of the nations of the earth after that kingdom has run its course, and the devil let loose once more deceives flesh and blood after the analogy of all other dispensations. Here is one of the most dramatic moments in the Revelation, the emergence of the conquering Christ. Instead of judgment being executed on them, it was given to them. The fine linen, clean and They have the capacity to stand in the sun. Thus the name of Christ, not merely as the root and the offspring of David, but as the bright morning star, calls out responsively the heart of the church, and this too under the guiding activity of the Holy Ghost. [Note: Thomas, Revelation 8-22, p. 381, 567-85.] "The nations shall walk in the light of it," Any one of spiritual judgment can see that it should not be "nations of them which are saved." In Hebrew writing there were no vowels; the vowels had to be supplied by the reader. That is what history is about. What a solemn and weighty fact in the government of God! "And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and encompassed the camp of the saints, and the beloved city." He comes to execute vengeance, and with a sign of death for rebels. essence of all true prophecy. And the LAST WORDS (22:6-21). "These shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire." earth for the celebration of the final meal (during the Millennium). A loveless marriage is a contradiction in terms. If Christianity does not bring joy, it does not bring anything. And out of His mouth goes a sharp sword by which these rebellious armies are destroyed. That God is holding back something good and He really isn't fair to you was the insinuation behind Satan's remarks. "Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book." see that it is in connection with the foregoing not merely His coming for us who will keep the sayings of it, but for those whom He will find here below "to give to each as his work is.". 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7, 14; 21:22). So far they were right. We read of the marriage feast ( Matthew 22:2); of the bridechamber and the wedding garment ( Matthew 22:10-11); of the sons of the bridechamber ( Mark 2:19); of the bridegroom ( Mark 2:19; Matthew 25:1); of the friends of the bridegroom ( John 3:29). From the beginning, the church of God has been blessed with prophecy.