Verses 1-6: Alleluia: This Hebrew word appears 4 times in the New Testament. But that the heart of man even so is not renewed becomes manifest, when Satan at the close deceives all that are not converted; and these, as we are told, are countless "as the sand of the sea.". Scripture records no name whatever among those judged written there. "And he showed me a pure river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb." "Owr hayah owr hayah", "Light be and light was". instead of one of the other names of Jesus, to show that we have been cleansed Then again the character of it, as derived from Christianity having already taken its place, is asserted. They were caught in flagrant treason and rebellion: what further need of any process of judgment whatsoever? 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. We find a decree going forth that all the world shall be enrolled. There was a Jewish belief that no man could know the name of God until he had entered into the life of heaven. rule . It seems clear that the name is visible to all, and, therefore, probably the likeliest solution is that it was written on the skirt of the warrior Christ's robe, lying over his thigh, as he rode upon the white horse. the church. He treaded the winepress As the grapes are trodden to express the juice, so his enemies shall be bruised and beaten, so that their life's blood shall be poured out. He has punished that great prostitute. They have long waited for the time when God's justice would triumph. Unlike the kings of the earth who wage war in selfishness, "in righteousness He judges and makes war.". He is praised for judging religious Babylon and avenging the martyrs. Angels we know from other scriptures will be there, but of this we hear nothing here. It was the destruction of the imperial unity of Rome that gave occasion for the well-known ten kingdoms which the barbarians set up afterwards. If Christianity does not bring joy, it does not bring anything. Accordingly the rapture of the church with the Old Testament saints must have already taken place, all (as I have no doubt) being caught up at the self-same time to be with the Lord above. 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. Revelation 18:1-24 need not delay us long. There is nothing more to hear of nations; nothing more to do with separate countries, kindreds, or tongues. Verses 6-10: Omnipotent: God is all-powerful, and reigneth over His And a voice came from the throne = is not explicitly identified. What is the "righteousness of the saints" that they are clothed with? Jeremiah hears God say and appeal: "Return, O faithless children, for I am your master" ( Jeremiah 3:14). (iii) He judges and makes war in righteousness. The word is pantokrator ( G3841) , literally the one who controls all things. 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. understand the testimony of Jesus, then you must preach and prophesy so that Consequently Christianity, as being directly aggressive on the falsehood of heathenism, was of all things the most offensive to Rome. that those who were meant under the figures of the elders and of the living creatures assume the name and figure of the bride? 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. So, it is the righteousness of Jesus Christ that is imparted to me through my faith in Jesus Christ. He is coming to trample the wine vat. Peculiar energy indeed attaches to symbolic language. If you preach on prophecy, you are bringing the testimony of Jesus. 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. This is the last main section of the Book of Revelation. After the destruction of Babylon at inhabitants of the Roman empire into wicked and idolatrous practices, and so 10:13; Jude 9). bring the climax of the Book of Revelation: the return of Christ to establish In this way there never has been anything of the kind before. The judgment of the dead is strictly individual, judgments in this world are not. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword ( Revelation 19:15 ). It is of the seven in that point of view, because it is imperialism; but it is an eighth, because it has a diabolical source when raised up again. 4:17; see And yet in such times John calls God pantokrator ( G3841) . Never again will there be more false religions, worldly philosophy, injustice or Jer. And he said to me: "These are the true words of God." It is a simple picture, not to be taken with crude literalness, but simply saying very beautifully that in his kingdom all men will enjoy the bounty of God. Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Revelation 19:1-4. used (in Gen. 19:28). Verse 6. If they have only heard His voice, this after all is the incalculable boon; yea, it is the turning-point of all blessing. And he treadeth the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God - This language is probably derived from Isaiah 63:1-4. Holding on to what others knew before them, or little more, they reduce themselves to a minimum of the truth. This destruction of the last, most powerful empire in history marks the end of This is of great importance, because if the new Jerusalem be, as I have no doubt it is, the bride the Lamb's wife, then we have her separate condition asserted in eternity. When the hour comes that is spoken of here, it is not for us, but for those who will be found after we are gone. Religion is threatened by life, by spiritual life.So, God has judged that religious system and has avenged the blood of His servants at her hands. Zechariah 14:18, but nowhere else with a sword. *It is the aorist in Greek, which in such a case as this it is difficult correctly to represent in English; for neither "reigned" nor "hath reigned" could convey that God had entered on His kingdom, but rather that it was past. We begin the description of the conquering Christ. This is what nations have been constantly occupied with, lest any one power should become the beast. Christs Coming Kingdom). It is a picture of final judgment. For according to unquestionable testimony the Reuchlinian copy has like some half-dozen cursives, which was probably a mistake for . Christ will come in glory to judge and rule. The betrothal takes place on earth during the church age; (2) 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. 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." The weapons of this warfare are described in Ephesians 6:12. "Praise our God," says the voice, "all you his servants, you who fear him." ( 7) Namely, to that holy marriage, both herself in person in this verse, and also provided by her spouse with marriage gifts princely and divine, is adorned and prepared in the next verse. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. Hence the horns and the beast join together and desolate the harlot. Like Hosanna ( H3467 + H4994 and G5614) it is one of the few Hebrew words which have established themselves in ordinary religious language. Verse 4. Jesus speaks of many coming from the east and the west and sitting down with the patriarchs in the kingdom of heaven ( Matthew 8:11). (faithful to Jesus). Christ, the glorious Head of the church, is described as on a white horse, the emblem of justice and holiness. After so long a tarrying how blessed! 12:10; In his mind are two things. 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. Nothing more is to be done. 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. * None, however, can be exempt from being manifested before the judgment-seat of Christ, or from giving an account of all done in the body. There is no paradox in the message whatever. R. H. Charles finely says that the marriage symbolism "denotes the intimate and indissoluble communion of Christ with the community which he has purchased with his own blood" a communion which is "first reached in fulness by the host of the martyrs.". In his cross and resurrection, Christ won a great victory over the powers of evil; by his second coming, he will execute that victory. When Christ came personally to judge and govern the quick (Revelation 20:4), there were thrones; for the risen saints reign with Him. the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse ( Revelation 19:21 ). "On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. It is a time of strong delusion, be it remembered. 19:14-16 The armies which are in heaven followed him, on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and pure. It "shall go into perdition," it is therefore added, "and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names are not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and shall be present." He wrote several tracts and was instrumental in leading several Muslims from their religion to a real relationship with God in Jesus Christ. It is all plain and simple "the beast that was, and is not, and shall be present.". On these I may say but a very few words. The picture is of the warrior Christ trampling the grapes so as to produce the wine of the wrath of God, which his enemies must drink to their doom. The New Testament is the "last will and testament" of Jesus, and to Revelation 19:10 "And I fell at his feet to worship him. There are probably but few, if any, here who do not understand it as the fore-shadow of a real resurrection. * Let us be glad and exult, and give the glory to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready." News Links, Recommended Books, News Sites, and Bibles "The dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." On the contrary, it proved the immediateness of communion. "Why are you red in your apparel, and your garments like the ones that have been treading in the wine vat?" on Line "And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords.". Here now is the rejoicing which was called for. God loves you and receives you just as you are on the basis of His grace, love and mercy. 19:10b The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. To this earth He is coming, and not merely to the new earth in the eternal state. The word used for sitting down is the word for reclining at a meal. "And he that spoke with me had a golden reed as a measure, that he might measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. The Spirit of God regards it in its final shape and completeness, as far as it was permitted to attain it, "The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stone and pearls." 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 two Old Testament stories, the wrestling of Jacob at Peniel ( Genesis 32:29), and the appearance of the angelic messenger to Gideon ( Judges 13:18) the divine visitor refuses to tell his name. And he said unto me, I do not doubt that there was a corrupt form in connection with Israel in times past. Man on the earth has his portion in the goodness of a God who is manifesting His kingdom. Verse Revelation 19:15. (This takes you to our other website), News Links, Recommended Books, News Sites, and Bibles It is the fault, however, of the bad Greek text of Erasmus, Stephens, etc. . There was not yet fairly out before men what God foresaw as that which must finally provoke His judgment. 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. That great multitude, I expect personally to be a part of that multitude. The betrothal takes place on earth during the church age; The presentation will take place in heaven following the Rapture (verse 7); and. There is a reassuring tone here telling the Lord that He was justified in His 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.". 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.