revelation 19 explained verse by verse

Once again John finds his inspiration in the words of Scripture. It is the fault, however, of the bad Greek text of Erasmus, Stephens, etc. The question is, why is she thus designated? Revelation 19 - Jesus Returns as Conquering Lord A. Then the prophet falls down to pay homage to the angel; and this gives rise to a weighty admonition. These events are in chronological sequence, as will become clear. We find a decree going forth that all the world shall be enrolled. THE DOOM OF THE ENEMIES OF CHRIST ( Revelation 19:17-21 ), 19:17-21 And I saw one angel standing in the sun, and he cried with a great voice to all the birds who fly in midheaven. Acts 10:25-26). That is spiritually in chapter seventeen, that great religious system that corrupted the earth. 5. The great praise of the multitude - CBSC, a sharp sword . . It is the eternal state; and also, in fact, the fullest description of that state which is furnished in the Bible. These are not references to the merciful and benign reign of Christ through his saints on earth in the present dispensation, but to the final wrath and judgment of God upon the ungodly. Bible Studies | Verse By Verse Ministry International Thus there is a completeness and perfection about it suited to its present character. The return of Christ to earth 19:11-16. marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.". It would be a constant fall. (i) It can mean the witness which the Christian bears to Jesus Christ. I sometimes make snap judgments. Both small and great: All distinctions and ranks are to be transcended. "And he said unto me, It is done. This has no time element attached. This was an arrangement by both sets of parents, was legally binding 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. No sooner was the marriage solemnized between Christ and his church by the conversion of the Jews than the glorious head and husband of the church is called out to a new expedition, which seems to be the great battle that was to be fought at Armageddon, foretold Rev. 1-3), and does not appear again until (Revelation 22:16), emphasizing the They have long waited for the time when God's justice would triumph. Otherwise, it is called in the scriptures, Gehenna, which is the final abode for the unrighteous dead. What does Revelation 19:1 mean? | BibleRef.com Revelation Commentary : Chapter Nineteen [Note: Lilje, p. This is what nations have been constantly occupied with, lest any one power should become the beast. 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. There is a reassuring tone here telling the Lord that He was justified in His They are all to reign concurrently with the beast. 12:10; 13:9; and Roman After these things: This is a time key. Babylon had once heard the varied testimony of God; for what had she not heard of truth? In any event, the name singles him out as the greatest of all rulers, the only true divine One and the universal King. The particulars are reserved for a later point in this prophecy. Judgment is the inescapable consequence of sin. called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. This passage calls God by a certain name; and says that he has entered into his kingdom. They feel Revelation relates to the battle between God and evil and between the church and the world at all times in church history. "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. VERSE BY VERSE MINISTRY . this great multitude begin to praise God, the volume would be so great as to Bhagavad Gita - Wikipedia The redeemed in heaven are called God's "Bond Servants", and this is the group He is praised for judging religious Babylon and avenging the martyrs. 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. judgment seat of Christ (compare 1 Cor. Here we have described to us the visions of The Conquering Christ (19:11-16), the judgments of the beast and of the false prophet and of Satan (19:17-20:10), the judgment of the wicked (20:11-15), the visions of the New heaven, the New earth and the New Jerusalem (20:16-22;5). because of the number of people speaking. He is coming to trample the wine vat. What's amazing is that the Father never calls His Son "My God," though there are at least 7 times in the NT where Jesus called the Father "My God." twice on the cross, once on resurrection morning with Mary, and 4 times in Revelation 3.12. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. . You see, the Father has no God-He is "the only true God" according to Jesus in John 17:3. Like a novel, the storyline builds from front to back, with the characters, themes and plot elements introduced early and developed across many chapters. It is remarkable, that all along this book, idolatry and Isaiah sixty-three says, "Who is this that comes from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God; the fierce wrath of God against sinners is compared to a winepress; and the wicked antichristian party are likened to clusters of grapes; who being ripe for destruction, are cast into it, and pressed, squeezed, and trodden down by the mighty power of Christ, the Word of God, whose vesture is therefore before said to be dipped in blood; the same metaphor is used in Revelation 14:19 the allusion seems to be to Isaiah 63:3. For remark, the beast or Roman empire is described here as that which once existed, which then ceased to exist, and which assumes a final shape when it reappears from the bottomless pit. "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." The strange thing to me, is that Jesus "Hallelujah!" So all the forces hostile to God assemble themselves; but the warrior Christ is to conquer. Verse 3. Revelation - Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary - StudyLight.org Then we have a description of Babylon given. The great city was either guilty Jerusalem or Babylon. Here is one of the most dramatic moments in the Revelation, the emergence of the conquering Christ. "True and righteous are thy judgments, O Lord.". 25:1-13; Luke 14:15-24). Read the verses thoughtfully. God is praised because salvation, glory, and power belong to him. Any other intermediary than Jesus Christ between God and man must be utterly opposed. 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. 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. and in righteousness he doth judge and make war ( Revelation 19:11 ). As Dr. John Paterson puts it in The Book that is Alive: "The spoken word in Hebrew was fearfully alive. But now, when those symbols disappear, because of a new action of God (namely, the consummation of the church's joy), the elders and the living creatures disappear, and we have not the bride alone, but another class of saints, who at once come forward. But it fails to account for the differences. There is no lack of precision, but the very reverse. Biblical references. First, there are his servants. From his mouth goes forth a sharp two-edged sword (compare Revelation 1:16). There is, however, a great deal more than this on the subject, and given with great precision in scripture, because this is merely the principle of sin in one or other form from the beginning. 5:10). It can govern and bless but not convert man. Jesus replaced the filth with His righteousness. This falls in with what we have seen of the book in general; but I do not deny that certain elements which figure in the Apocalypse then existed and still exist. In it, the Church, It is the judgment of the dead as such, who now rise and give account of their deeds. Revelation 19 ( Rev 19:1) - 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 heavenly celebration (verses 1-6), which connects the events of chapter 18, reveal more than the celebration of the defeat of a certain city or belief system. Revelation 19:1 "And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in . John 1:1-5; Revelation 2:16; Revelation 19:15, Revelation 19:21. cf. And the coming of the Lord is urged in connection with it. This is in total contrast to the harlot Babylon. It is not the enjoyment of all, but it is the hinge on which all depends. He knows Thus there is no question that some of the actors in the final scenes of the great drama were already there, as the reigning city, and the Roman empire. Babylon must hear, I do not doubt, the final testimony of God the gospel of the kingdom that is to go forth in the last days; but she loves her pleasure and power, and refuses truth. That glorious prediction of breaking the serpent's head was the stay and support of the patriarchal age; and the many prophecies there were concerning the Messiah to come were the gospel of the Old Testament. 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? "He has a name inscribed which no one knows but Himself." He has condemned the great prostitute - CBSC, The psalm prophecy is quoted by the apostle Peter in Acts 4:25-26 with this application of the effect of preaching Christ to the heathen world. Jewish dreams were full of the warrior Messiah, who would lead God's people to victory and smash his enemies. 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." (3) God loves you and receives you just as you are on the basis of His grace, love and mercy. 11:2; Eph. Even the proclamation of the grace of God is powerless save it be brought home by the quickening energy of His own Spirit. "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse." they were saying. Though the divine vengeance will chiefly fall upon the beast, and the false prophet, yet it will be no excuse to those who fight under their banner that they only followed their leaders and obeyed their command; since they would fight for them, they must fall and perish with them. News Links, Recommended Books, News Sites, and Bibles Such is God's account of Babylon the great. 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. They "lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.". true sayings of God.". And out of His mouth goes a sharp sword by which these rebellious armies are destroyed. "These have one mind, and give their own power and authority to the beast," or their imperial leader. God. The unrenewed of the nations are now compassing them with their countless hosts, as if to eat them up like grasshoppers. Though they are not the bride, they still are glorified and We can easily understand that the overthrow of the ecclesiastical power is necessary to leave a full field unimpeded for the imperial power to develop itself in its final form of violence and rebellion and apostacy against the Lord. 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. of all sorts of jewels when he represented God to the people; but when he went 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. The horns and the beast join in hating the whore. I believe the word "Lamb" is used here, His Word is "a two-edged sword." It was not merely a vocable or sound dropped heedlessly from unthinking lips. corrupted and destroyed them in soul, body, and estate. He will destroy His enemies with inflexible righteousness that the iron shepherds rod that will serve as His scepter pictures (cf. Consequently Christianity, as being directly aggressive on the falsehood of heathenism, was of all things the most offensive to Rome. "And the dead were judged," but not out of the book of life, which has nothing to do with judgment. Sometimes they have contended for its application to pagan Rome. The angelic host sings a second Hallelujah. He shall destroy the pride of the sinner as a potter's vessel. But no; it was an absolute decree that went forth, and this indisputably, from a single head of the undivided empire. No. The church cannot hear of Him as the bright morning star without at once desiring that He should come. (iii) He judges and makes war in righteousness. In fact, we may say, all nations will be desolated by judgments of one kind or another; but for all this the world proceeding for a thousand years with every outward blessing, and the most admirable government administered by the blessed Lord Himself, will issue in the teeming and prosperous races of mankind. Old Testament prophecy and New Testament preaching is the gospel of the Lord Revelation 19 Commentary - Geneva Study Bible Gods deliverance of His people from their enemies (verse 1); (2) Revelation - Matthew Henry's Commentary - Bible Gateway 21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. Never worry about the righteousness of God's judgments. 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. The bride is in view. "And he had a name written, that no man knew but he himself." And there shall in nowise enter into it anything that defileth, nor making abomination and a lie: but only those written in the book of life of the Lamb." Even so, come, Lord Jesus." The beast is Nero redivivus; the false prophet is the provincial organization which administered Caesar worship; those who have the mark of the beast are they who have worshipped at the shrine of Caesar; the kings of the earth and their armies are the Parthian hosts, which Nero was to lead again against Rome and against the world. Apart from his return to purge his creation of evil, redemption remains forever incomplete." Just hope the Lord doesn't come Friday night. 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. This is clearly of moral importance. "Praise our God," says the voice, "all you his servants, you who fear him." He was the word of God in the revelation of grace; when known, by and by, it will be as the executor of God's judgments. The application to old pagan Rome is harsh and purposeless enough; but the attempt to refer it to Jerusalem is of all schemes the most absurd; for, far from being borne up by the imperial power, Jerusalem was trodden down by it. At his rebuke nations shall flee before him, And he shall reprove sinners for the thoughts of their hearts, There is a Rabbinic picture of the Messiah: "How beauteous is the king Messiah, who is about to rise from the house of Judah. It is not the magnitude of each voice. "So he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness" a thorough waste as to the knowledge or enjoyment of God. rather than differing reality. church (Acts 2:1ff). But is there any reason why we should content ourselves with the measure enjoyed of old? 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. These would appear to be (save Judas Iscariot, of course) the twelve apostles that were peculiarly associated with Christ in His suffering path on the earth. actual ceremony. The twenty-four elders were prominent in the early visions ( Revelation 4:4; Revelation 4:10; Revelation 5:6; Revelation 5:11; Revelation 5:14; Revelation 7:11; Revelation 11:16; Revelation 14:3) as were the four living creatures ( Revelation 4:6-9; Revelation 5:6-14; Revelation 6:1-7; Revelation 7:11; Revelation 14:3; Revelation 15:7). And it appears to me that here we are bound to account for the presence of these others that are at the marriage-supper of the Lamb, but appear as guests, and not at all in the quality of the bride. That is, the sixth head (reigning then in John's day) was the imperial form of government. In his cross and resurrection, Christ won a great victory over the powers of evil; by his second coming, he will execute that victory. A seventh should follow; and what is more, the seventh was in one aspect to be an eighth. It is plain that what the verse contemplates is neither the Roman power when there was one head of the empire, nor the eastern or Byzantine part of it after that partition, nor the western state of division under the kings who succeeded the deposition of Augustulus; for in the medieval state there may have been ten kings (in contrast with the ancient state of the beast without them but no beast or imperial system with its chiefs. . "I will raise him up at the last day." And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; use them with the utmost severity; the phrase is taken out of Psalms 2:9 a prophecy of Christ, and mentioned twice before in this book, Psalms 2:9- :. Even man himself when he was innocent in Eden was not called. I will give to him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. But still we have not the end of Babylon yet. [shepherd] . That is, the tabernacle of God is regarded as a separate object, no doubt associated with men, but not confounded with them. I think, therefore, that the elders and the living creatures comprehend both the Old Testament saints and the church, the bride of Christ, that consequently, when the bride is mentioned, there were these others who had been included in the elders and the living creatures, but who are now seen as a separate body. The individual has his own fruit too. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. He was a medical doctor there. Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary Revelation 19:15 Revelation 19:14 Revelation 19 Revelation 19:16 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. 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. Ephesians 6:17; smite the nations . To this earth He is coming, and not merely to the new earth in the eternal state. 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. 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. Rev. And it was so. Revelation 19 is the nineteenth chapter of the Book of Revelation or the Apocalypse of John in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.". There is one other reason for the rejoicing. Unlike the kings of the earth who wage war in selfishness, "in righteousness He judges and makes war.". Tribulation saints. "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." 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. To whom else could they say it? These are the faithful. What a solemn and weighty fact in the government of God! When the Lord takes His own throne, they take theirs by grace. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS ( Revelation 19:15-16 ). Verse 4. Verse 3. But there is a time coming when power will cease to be ordained of God; and this is the point to which the last condition of the beast refers. 4:6). ). It is also clearly a personal reward to those who had suffered. To a Jew a word was not merely a sound; it did things. But now there is but one throne: Christ judges the dead. Once Jesus enters the battle, it is soon over. 244.]. white, represents the righteousness of the church, which has now been judged and Let others speculate, if they will: I am persuaded that he who essays to conceive the details is merely striving to draw a bow beyond the power of man. All the way along the fairness of God's judgment has been challenged.I don't know what God is going to do in a lot of cases. If they have only heard His voice, this after all is the incalculable boon; yea, it is the turning-point of all blessing. To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient, Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament, Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. What is the sword? (v) It may be that we shall never know the symbolism of the unknown name but H. B. Swete has the very fine idea that in the essence of the being of Christ there must always remain something beyond man's understanding. His blood-soaked robe signifies that his triumph has come through his death on the cross. The book is traditionally attributed to John the Apostle, [1] [2] but the precise identity of the author remains a point of academic debate. 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." And the twenty-four elders [representing the church] and the four beasts [cherubim] fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia ( Revelation 19:4 ). An allusion to Psalms 2:9 ; shall rule them . Revelation 18. Verse 1 of the Revelation already shows God's intention: ".to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass". I am not raising any question about the ten. I speak not of anything that might be deemed exceptional or peculiar, but of two acts of raising saints. That age of visible glory is inefficacious to change the heart of man, though in the absence of the enemy and the controlling presence of the great King, they render feigned obedience for a long while. Be wise now therefore, O you kings, be instructed, you rulers of the earth; kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish from the way,Psalms 2:10; Psalms 2:12. On His robe where it spreads out at His waist HIS TITLE is inscribed. For who knows not the horrors of Mariolatry? groom prepared for his bride. The absence of a temple is therefore no loss but a gain for this city. Verse By Verse Acts Through Revelation can be taken as capably as picked to act. So, he is one of our pastors here, but that is what religion does. Revelation Chapter 11 Explained - bible-studys.org So we find the Lord has room for all that is the fruit of His own grace only, for the appeal of grace, even when there is not the answer to it. elaborate than those of today. We take this phrase by itself, because it is both ambiguous and important. 11:2; Eph. But for the eternal judgment heaven and earth are fled away; and then we see the new and eternal universe. STUDY NOTES--Revelation 19:11-16 --THE CONQUERING CHRIST. And of course all of our finest scientific equipment could not locate such a thing there in the heart of the earth. It is not a syllogism that is wanted or that can satisfy here: only require, only believe, the word of God. What is it, seven hundred and fifty million degrees Fahrenheit or something like that? Armies of angels are with him, but his conquest is not by armies or weapons. 5:10). Thus the attempt to apply it during the pagan period is altogether futile on the face of the matter. Revelation 19 begins with a multitude in heaven singing a doxology to God. But in this is shown what it is of importance to see the true nature of the kingdom or millennial reign. I am the, Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. It is known as a divine feat in the theological term, which means the capacity of speaking things into existence. 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. When Christ came personally to judge and govern the quick (Revelation 20:4), there were thrones; for the risen saints reign with Him. It will be interesting to find out. To this the vision now proceeds at verse 17. The Sinai MS. has both. The meaning is no more than this, that in the great battle of Armageddon, which was for the destruction of all the remainder of the enemies of the church, whether papists, or atheists, or Turks; men of all sorts and orders should be slain, and their dead bodies made meat for the fowls of heaven . And John heard it as the voice of many waters or rushing waters and the voice of mighty thunderings.Glory. My righteousness is something God accounts and imputes to me because of my faith in Jesus Christ. The race was now in the resurrection state either for good or for evil; and thus it must be for ever. hromphaia) symbolized (cf. What is it? Here is seen the holy city coming down out of heaven from God, which is declared to be the bride, the Lamb's wife, in the plainest contrast with the great harlot. "And fire came down out of heaven from God, and devoured them. Gods permanent crushing of mans rebellion (verse 3); (4) Revelation 19:9 "And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed [are] they which are Then follows a description of the wall, gates, foundations, and general position. incorporates believers, the Old Testament saints, the Church age saints, and the (a) He is faithful. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. He came to the world, and avenged His people on the beast and the false prophet with the kings and their armies; and after that the risen saints reign with Him over it a thousand years. Return to Home Page There. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come: and let him that heareth say, Come: and let him that is athirst come: let him that will take the water of life freely." Moral unfitness has its just censure; but sovereign grace must be asserted also. Imagine the millions upon millions of Christians that will be gathered in that glorious assembly and when the voice of the Lord comes exhorting us to praise God and give glory to Him, and in our response to it that tremendous praise, crescendo of praise that will arise. I believe that religion is vastly different from Christianity. In short, it is as we saw in Revelation 17:1-18, after Babylon had been brought before us in the course of the prophecy. You can trust in this that these are the true sayings of God. Although the words are the same as in the first chapter of the Fourth Gospel, the meaning is quite different and much simpler. And it is the various ways by which men are attempting to reach God. Raphael tells Tobit that he is the angel who brought his prayer before God ( Tob_13:12-15 ). I do not doubt that there was a corrupt form in connection with Israel in times past. He will execute the fierce wrath of God Almighty that these enemies must drink (cf. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for night shall not be there. Who will join in acclamations of praise, and partly on account of their There are many who are not so; but the Lord does not forget them. Over and over we will find this repeated as we approach the end of the book, these are the true sayings of God. The prophet asks, "Why are you red in your apparel, and your garments like those that have been treading in the wine vat? God doesn't want you taking credit for the work that He does, receiving glory for His work. We can see that, for instance, in the old story in which Jacob filched Esau's blessing from Isaac ( Genesis 27:1-46).