"And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. This passage calls God by a certain name; and says that he has entered into his kingdom. I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. Then the prophet falls down to pay homage to the angel; and this gives rise to a weighty admonition. After that 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 7 made herself ready. It is as if the multitude of the redeemed sent up their shout of praise because the promise of Christ to his persecuted ones had come abundantly true. He will tread the winepress of the anger of the wrath of God the Almighty. Here accordingly we have them all. "He that testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. And there are times when the angel appears to John. Exactly the same thing is repeated here, and what makes it more apparent is the similarity of the introduction on each occasion. Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, 2 for true and just are his judgments. "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come." There are always those who are ready to challenge the fairness of it. linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.". To whom else could they say it? var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; Satan will bring forth an empire suited to his purposes, as it springs from Satanic principles which deny God; and this is part of what appears to be meant by the beast ascending out of the bottomless pit. Stephen Armstrong. They are all to reign concurrently with the beast. THE TE DEUM OF THE REDEEMED ( Revelation 19:6-8 ). The word "rule" is "to shepherd" them, and the rod of iron is the club the shepherd used to fend off the wolves, bears, lions, etc. Babylon symbolized by its capital city of Babylon. number. "And the nations shall walk in the light of it." "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.". This is a passage whose meaning is obscure. Gods deliverance of His people from their enemies (verse 1); Gods permanent crushing of mans rebellion (verse 3); Gods communion with His people (verse 7). Centuries after came in, not only the division into east and west, but the broken up state of the west, when there ceased to be an imperial chief. 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. The marriage supper of the Lamb represents the millennial kingdom of Christ, From generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever" ( Isaiah 34:9-10). I expect to be there in that heavenly scene declaring, "Alleluia, salvation and glory and honor and power unto the Lord our God.". "So he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness" a thorough waste as to the knowledge or enjoyment of God. If you are a believer, do not be afraid, even if you know but little; for the Lord neither forgets nor slights those who may be comparatively unintelligent. And He Himself treads . This rider is called "FAITHFUL AND TRUE"--"faithful" because we can depend on His promises. As noted in the commentary on Rom. In Daniel's time it was not at hand. And there is probably an area right in the center of the earth that is hollow and because of the rotation of the earth and gravitation and all you would be constantly falling. Of course they will be preserved through that crisis in some sort of way suitable to divine wisdom. Consequently there will be an increase in population such as never has been approached since the world was made, yet it afterwards appears, that Satan will not fail to turn the masses of the nations into one vast rebellion against the objects of God's special favour on the earth the saints wherever they may be, and the beloved city of Israel, as we have seen. Thus, whether the books or the book be examined, all conspire to declare the justice, the solemn but most affecting righteousness, of God's final irrevocable sentence. only place in the Bible where the word "omnipotent" occurs. 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. No one really knows what the vowels in Y-H-W-H were. But "nations of them which are saved," is a most anomalous expression, and betrays man as the author of it. We will in that day when He returns and all of the vast military might of the world gathered and assembled together to destroy Him at His coming and He just speaks the Word and it is all over. And the city lieth foursquare, and its length is as much as the breadth." These are the true sayings of God. I believe that religion is man's endeavor to reach God. It would have been incongruous to bring in that long description before, because this must have interrupted the flow of the prophetic stream. Hitherto the reverse of this has been true in history. John 1:1-5; Revelation 2:16; Revelation 19:15, Revelation 19:21. cf. It will never happen. What does the linen garment tell us about salvation? sound like "mighty thunderings". Thus (without speaking of the resurrection of the wicked at the close) there were certainly more acts than one, not to speak of the two witnesses put to death and caused to rise after three days and a half, when the spirit of life entered them, and they not only arose, but went up to heaven, as we know. 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. "Upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of the harlots and of the abominations of the earth.". and could only be broken by divorce. But now there is but one throne: Christ judges the dead. It is to be supposed that it will far exceed anything yet seen on the face of the earth. Betrothal (often when the couple were children); (2) But "out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron." For Christ has not only a supreme but an exclusive place. VII. It is a picture of final judgment. 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. chapters remnant, a small company, when compared with the world and carnal professors; Who was it; Marx, that said, "Religion is the opium of the people?" 10:13; Jude 9). After "the nations" in verse 24 omit the words "of them which are saved." Peculiar energy indeed attaches to symbolic language. It has been suggested that the name is either embroidered on his girdle or engraved on his sword hilt. Both small and great: All distinctions and ranks are to be transcended. Chapter 19 of Revelation is the only place in the Bible that this name describing God is used. His equipage: he is again described as sitting on a white horse, to show the equity of the cause, and certainty of success. Choose a verse from 'Revelation 1' to begin your 'Verse-by-Verse' study of God's Word using the more than 100 commentaries available on StudyLight.org . Revelation 19:2 "For true and righteous [are] his judgments: for he hath judged Jesus describes it as a place of outer darkness where he said there will be weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth.Hell or Hades is located in the center part of the earth. Lord. 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. Thank God. *The description here is simply character, not dates. 1 Thessalonians 2:13 Commentary. And Paul speaks of himself as betrothing the Church like a pure virgin to Christ ( 2 Corinthians 11:2), and for him the relationship of Christ to his Church is the great model of the relationship of husband and wife ( Ephesians 5:21-33). And this is entirely confirmed byRevelation 17:1-18; Revelation 17:1-18, where it was told us that they are with Him when He comes. Now the Lord in the end here is really putting a lot of emphasis upon the fact that these are true sayings. Ruling includes destroying as well as reigning over (Psalms 2:9). And if you try to worship God in an unprescribed way, setting up little idols or whatever, which God has forbidden, that is spiritual fornication. believers at salvation, but the practical results of that righteousness in (John 5:24 compared with Romans 14:1-23 and 2 Corinthians 5:1-21.). I am a servant of God just like you are. That is why religions fail. 1 Thessalonians 3:4-5 Commentary. The marriage symbolism runs all through the Gospels. 11:2; Eph. For a short time (what a mercy that it must be only for a short time!) There is going to be another supper, a supper prepared by God for all the birds. Here were thrones, and people sat upon them, changed 'before this into the image of Christ's glory. We can fairly trust God that He will not give a worse place to Paul; yet I do not think that this is his place. These are the martyrs of Revelation 6:1-17, those long since seen under the altar, poured out like burnt-offerings to God. What is the "righteousness of the saints" that they are clothed with? Then the word is, "Award her even as she awarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she mixed, mix to her double. Here we learn at once of what His train consists. John insists that angels are no more than the servants of God; and that God alone must be worshipped. Are we then to understand that the elders and the living creatures are together taken absolutely as the bride now? Lord God: Used many times in Revelation as a title for God (compare verse 15, When the thousand years expire, Satan reappears on the scene to the sorrow and ruin of the Gentiles who were not born of God. Verse 10. We have seen her connection with the beast; but there is a conflict coming. | For instance, when Ptolemy entered Antioch he wore two crowns or diadems--one to show that he was lord of Asia and one to show that he was lord of Egypt ( 1Ma_11:13 ). Note that there is no fighting or conflict of any kind in view here. III. His secret name indicates his unique authority (11-12). The white horse is the symbol of the conqueror, because it was on a white horse that a Roman general rode when he celebrated a triumph. That is spiritually in chapter seventeen, that great religious system that corrupted the earth. But a voice issues from the throne, saying, "Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. Marriage of the Lamb: Hebrew weddings consisted of 3 phrases: (1) took on His righteousness. The prevalence of all this in Judaism is underlined by the fact that certain Rabbis insisted that prayers must always be offered direct to God, and not to Michael or to Gabriel. receive our inheritance, we must read the will. The answer: because it's the final book of the Bible. Clearly, therefore, it is future. A loveless marriage is a contradiction in terms. What about little babies?" The voice that comes from the throne is most likely to be understood as the voice of one of the cherubim. So vast is this group that they are without number. That is, the sixth head (reigning then in John's day) was the imperial form of government. In short, it would seem that God has hedged round His own draft of Babylon so as to make it quite plain that Rome, city and system, figures in the scene; and this too necessarily involving a medieval description, though the full result will not be till the end of the age; for she rides the beast or empire characterized so as naturally to involve the past barbarian irruption and the resulting ten-kingdomed state. VERSE BY VERSE MINISTRY . The beast is the expression of the will of man setting itself up in direct antagonism to God. There is another remark to make. WATCH ON YOUTUBE Book of Revelation Explained 2: The Last Days (Revelation 1:1-5) absence of the Church from the earth during the judgments of (Rev. V. An invitation given to the fowls of heaven, that they should come and see the battle, and share in the spoil and pillage of the field (Revelation 19:17; Revelation 19:18), intimating that this great decisive engagement should leave the enemies of the church a feast for the birds of prey, and that all the world should have cause to rejoice in the issue of it. In Daniel's time, and even to Daniel himself, the book was sealed. To be crowned with more than one crown may seem strange, but in the time of John it was quite natural. What does this particular rendition of God mean? Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary Revelation 1. My righteousness is something God accounts and imputes to me because of my faith in Jesus Christ. Isa_1.20; Isaiah 49:2; Isaiah 66:16; This is the weapon God uses to conquor the nations! This tells what Christ is depicted as doing in this scene. It is hard to see how Roman city, or anything civil connected with it, could be called "mystery." So, He is coming to bring an end of man's rebellion. It will be interesting to find out. Let us look at the different groups that are seen to have part in the first resurrection. 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. To the church the end is always near. Then there was a time of preparation as the Jude 1. John saw heaven opened and a RIDER UPON A WHITE HORSE verse 11. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God ( Revelation 19:10 ): Now, John like so many people, we want to worship the instrument that God uses to bring His knowledge or love or grace to us. Thus eternal judgment was executed at once. He uses a "staff" to gently nudge or guide his sheep. Over and over we will find this repeated as we approach the end of the book, these are the true sayings of God. Zerubbabel displays a plan of Jerusalem to Cyrus the Great by Jacob van Loo. (verses 1-10), and returns with Christ in His Triumphal Second Coming (verses "And he that sat upon him called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war." It is a description, and not one of the visions that carry us onward. We have here a note of time of signal value. That great multitude, I expect personally to be a part of that multitude. The simple fact of conquering far and wide, and of exercising vast political power in the earth, does not constitute any title to such a name. It is suggested that it is actually written on his thigh, because it was sometimes the custom to engrave the titles of statues on the thigh. 1 Thessalonians 3:1-3 Commentary. and so forth. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 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. - CBSC. All is opened, and this because we have the Holy Ghost dwelling in us; "for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God." "[48] No "battle" of any kind takes place here. Then you may be very good all week long, and you put your little star behind each of the categories each evening. Verse 2. The marriage of the Lamb: The wife or bride of Christ is the church (Matt. Scholz's note ("rec. In other words, this is the characteristic title for God in the Revelation. Revelation 19 Commentary - Geneva Study Bible For that which comes distinctly before us in this one verse is the twofold fact, that the ten horns here contemplated receive their kingly power for the same hour or time as the beast, and not subsequently, when his rule was extinguished. There is no lack of precision, but the very reverse. Verse 4. They begin to admire the instrument. They will be gathered together at the inspiration of Satan. It is the eternal state; and also, in fact, the fullest description of that state which is furnished in the Bible. Go To Previous Section | Her part in the corruption of the high and the intoxication of the low her idolatrous character has come before us. I like that, God speaking into existence the world in which we live. In our day men prophecy "the end of Christs church", but Christs Word is mightier than any word that men can utter. But still it is a very solemn fact to read, and that which we are bound to preach that even in the perfect state of eternity, while there is the brightness of the heaven and of the earth into which no evil can enter, you have all the evil that ever has been all the wicked of every clime and of every age cast into the fixed condition of eternal judgment in the lake of fire. The first were such as came out of heaven after Christ, being already raised from the dead and glorified. In it, the Church, There we interpreted as "CHRIST EVANGELISING". and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. Preparations and celebrations were much more "And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast." Second, he came from a world in which it was believed that God did not interest himself directly but made his contact through the demons (daimon, G1142) , by means of whom he controlled the natural forces and acted upon men. It is energised for weal or for woe." Righteousness of saints: Not Christs imputed righteousness granted to Verse 8. reign with Christ in the millennial kingdom. 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7, 14; 21:22). ). Jesus found Himself at opposition with the religious forces of His day and it was the religious people who prompted the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. And here observe. And after these things After this affecting representation of the certain destruction of Babylon, as the seat of the antichristian kingdom; I heard a great voice of much people in heaven A great chorus, who, with united voices, began to praise God on the occasion, saying, Alleluia That is, Praise ye Jehovah, or, He that is, and was, and is to come; a title which . Now we find the symbol of the bride brought before us, and the elders and the living creatures disappear. "These have one mind, and give their own power and authority to the beast," or their imperial leader. For certain there are two great acts of resurrection, one when the Old Testament saints and the church are caught up to heaven, the other when Satan was bound after the beast and false prophet were thrown into the lake of fire, as well as Babylon judged. Calling is the, fruit of active grace on God's part towards man, and only towards him when fallen. We begin the description of the conquering Christ. inhabitants of the Roman empire into wicked and idolatrous practices, and so Gen. 1; Isaiah 55:11; John 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:8) not a literal description. Certainly the ascription to the Lord of the fierce struggles of a human warrior is markedly avoided. This appears to mean the word of the Gospel, by which his enemies are confounded, and his friends supported and comforted. Revelation 1 - Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary - StudyLight.org Link with Johns vision of Revelation 19:11-16 a meditation on the Hymn "Crown Him with many crowns" and also the stirring Hymn "Onward Christian soldiers." (ii) A Greek came into the Church from a world of thought which made angel worship a real danger. ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? It may well be that John intended the double meaning; and that we are meant not to choose between the meanings, but to accept both of them. twelve disciples and twelve Old Testament prophets. revelation-19:1-3 - Bible Commentaries This exclamation, meaning Praise the Lord, occurs frequently in the Old 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.". Lastly was the wedding ceremony during which time the vows were exchanged. Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! Thus there is a completeness and perfection about it suited to its present character. The individual has his own fruit too. For the day of vengeance is in my heart, and the year of my redeemed is come"( Isaiah 63:3-4 ). But there is a message also for others. Bible Studies | Verse By Verse Ministry International . There are thrones filled with certain persons, who reign along with Him. Nothing has yet been said of the fate of Satan, but now we go on to see that fate. The view that they are non-sequential rests on similarities between Ezekiel 38-39 and Revelation 19-22. Blessed are those who are invited to the feast of the marriage of the Lamb!" And so it is with this very Babylon that comes before us here. This city is seen now as the holy vessel of divine power for governing the earth during the millennium, "having the glory of God: and her brightness was like a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.". In short, one may be described as corruption, and the other as violence. There will be here upon the earth millions of people who have gathered together to war against Him at His coming. And of course all of our finest scientific equipment could not locate such a thing there in the heart of the earth. Revelation 11:15-19 | Bible Exposition Commentary - Verse-by-Verse And who would defraud either the soul of salvation, or the Lord of showing it? Ezekiel works out the whole picture most fully in Ezekiel 16:1-63. With a rod of iron he shall break in pieces all their substance, He shall destroy the godless nations with the word of his. Not only are they supposed to be coexistent, but united in their change of feeling against Babylon. Instead of taking warning from the wickedness of those before her, who had seduced on the one hand, and persecuted. He sees the glorious creation of God and he worships the creation, rather than the creator.And so John is making the same mistake and the angel corrects him and says don't do that. [Note: Thomas, Revelation 8-22, p. 381, 567-85.] And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations unto it. And so the first two inhabitants of Gehenna will be the antichrist and his prophet and they will be the soul inhabitants, it would seem, for a thousand years. Verse by Verse Ministry International is a non-profit, non-denominational, unaffiliated Christian ministry that is dedicated to promoting the preaching and teaching of God's Word clearly and boldly. })(); Return to Revelation Menu | 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. 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. of all sorts of jewels when he represented God to the people; but when he went As R. H. Charles puts it, it is essential to remember that the Heavenly Leader is this time, not the Slain One, but the Slayer. He is, as H. B. Swete puts it, "a royal commander followed by a dazzling retinue." Who are the persons thus invested with judicial authority of so glorious a nature and to reign, as we see later, with Christ? union of the church with Christ following the Rapture (see 1 Thess. If some few have joined on one side, some are sure to help the other, because they are jealous of any one acquiring such a preponderant authority: and power as to govern the rest. His word which hurled the suns in space will execute his will when the time comes. Commentary on Revelation - [Chapter 19] - Theology First The death and decay of billions of sea creatures will only add to the misery of this judgment. here. 22:2-14; John 3:29; 2 Cor. ( Rev 19:1) - 19:1 After these things I heard as it were a great voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, Hallelujah; Salvation, and glory, and power, belong to our God: This is obviously a great celebration in Heaven about a major event that took place on earth. purified at the judgment seat of Christ (1 Cor. They received their power as kings when the beast ceased to exist. _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-10273872-1']); The series of Psalms from Psalms 113:1-9; Psalms 114:1-8; Psalms 115:1-18; Psalms 116:1-19; Psalms 117:1-2; Psalms 118:1-29 were called the Hallel (compare H1984) , the Praise God, and were part of the essential education of every Jewish lad. What is the righteousness of the saints? 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. article . They were in three distinct stages which first involved the betrothal or It is not complicated, just bare all to God. I agree with the majority. It is one of those cases which every now and then appear where God checks and reproves our foolish curiosity, as He alone knows how to do perfectly. Their praise is that the smoke of Babylon rises for ever and ever. It is an evident contrast with the state supposed in the wheat-and-tare field of Christendom which is found at the end of the age.