Revelation 19

Heaven Exults over Babylon

1 After this I heard something like the loud voice of a vast multitude in heaven, saying: Hallelujah!^[a] Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God,

2 because His judgments are true^[b] and righteous,^[c] because He has judged the notorious prostitute who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality; and He has avenged the blood of His servants that was on her hands.^[d]

3 A second time they said: Hallelujah!^[e] Her smoke ascends forever and ever!^[f]

4 Then the 24 elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God,^[g] who is seated on the throne, saying: Amen! Hallelujah!^{[h] [i]}

5 A voice came from the throne, saying: Praise our God, all you His servants, you who fear Him, both small and great!^[j]

Marriage of the Lamb Announced

6 Then I heard something like the voice of a vast multitude, like the sound of cascading waters,^[k] and like the rumbling of loud thunder, saying: Hallelujah^[l]-because our Lord God, the Almighty, has begun to reign!

7 Let us be glad, rejoice, and give Him glory,^[m] because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has prepared herself.

8 She was permitted to wear fine linen, bright and pure.^[n] For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints.^[o]

9 Then he^[p] said to me, "Write: Blessed^[q] are those invited to the marriage feast of the Lamb!"^[r] He also said to me, "These words of God are true."

10 Then I fell at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, "Don't do that! I am a fellow slave with you and your brothers who have the testimony about^[s] Jesus.^[t] Worship God, because the testimony about^[u] Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

The Rider on a White Horse

11 Then I saw heaven opened,^[v] and there was a white horse! Its rider is called Faithful and True,^[w] and in righteousness He judges and makes war.^[x]

12 His eyes were like a fiery flame, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knows except Himself.^[y]

13 He wore a robe stained with blood,^{[z] [aa]} and His name is called the Word of God.^[ab]

14 The armies that were in heaven followed Him on white horses, wearing pure white linen.

15 From His mouth came a sharp^[ac] sword, so that with it He might strike the nations.^[ad] He will shepherd^[ae] them with an iron scepter.^[af] He will also trample the winepress of the fierce anger of God,^[ag] the Almighty.

16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS^[ah]

The Beast and His Armies Defeated

17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out in a loud voice, saying to all the birds flying in mid-heaven, "Come, gather together for the great supper of God,

18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of commanders, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of their riders, and the flesh of everyone, both free and slave, small and great."^[ai]

19 Then I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies^[aj] gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and against His army.

20 But the beast was taken prisoner, and along with him the false prophet, who had performed signs on his authority,^[ak] by which he deceived those who accepted the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.^[al] Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.^[am]

21 The rest were killed with the sword that came from the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.

Revelation 19 Commentary

Chapter 19

The church in heaven and that on earth triumph, and praise the Lord for his righteous judgments. (1-10) A vision of Christ going forth to destroy the beast and his armies. (11-21)

Verses 1-10 Praising God for what we have, is praying for what is yet further to be done for us. There is harmony between the angels and the saints in this triumphant song. Christ is the Bridegroom of his ransomed church. This second union will be completed in heaven; but the beginning of the glorious millennium (by which is meant a reign of Christ, or a state of happiness, for a thousand years on earth) may be considered as the celebration of his espousals on earth. Then the church of Christ, being purified from errors, divisions, and corruptions, in doctrine, discipline, worship, and practice, will be made ready to be publicly owned by him as his delight and his beloved. The church appeared; not in the gay, gaudy dress of the mother of harlots, but in fine linen, clean and white. In the robes of Christ's righteousness, imputed for justification, and imparted for sanctification. The promises of the gospel, the true sayings of God, opened, applied, and sealed by the Spirit of God, in holy ordinances, are the marriage-feast. This seems to refer to the abundant grace and consolation Christians will receive in the happy days which are to come. The apostle offered honour to the angel. The angel refused it. He directed the apostle to the true and only object of religious worship; to worship God, and him alone. This plainly condemns the practice of those who worship the elements of bread and wine, and saints, and angels; and of those who do not believe that Christ is truly and by nature God, yet pay him a sort of worship. They stand convicted of idolatry by a messenger from heaven. These are the true sayings of God; of Him who is to be worshipped, as one with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Verses 11-21 Christ, the glorious Head of the church, is described as on a white horse, the emblem of justice and holiness. He has many crowns, for he is King of kings, and Lord of lords. 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 whom he always prevails. His name is "The Word of God;" a name none fully knows but himself; only this we know, that this Word was God manifest in the flesh; but his perfections cannot be fully understood by any creature. Angels and saints follow, and are like Christ in their armour of purity and righteousness. The threatenings of the written word he is going to execute on his enemies. The ensigns of his authority are his name; asserting his authority and power, warning the most powerful princes to submit, or they must fall before him. The powers of earth and hell make their utmost effort. These verses declare important events, foretold by the prophets. These persons were not excused because they did what their leaders bade them. How vain will be the plea of many sinners at the great day! We followed our guides; we did as we saw others do! God has given a rule to walk by, in his word; neither the example of the most, nor of the chief, must influence us contrary thereto: if we do as the most do, we must go where the most go, even into the burning lake.

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit Praise Yahweh; the Gk word is transliterated hallelujah from a Hb expression of praise and is used in many places in the OT, such as Ps 106:1.
• [b]. Valid; see Jn 8:16; 19:35
• [c]. Rv 16:7; 15:3
• [d]. Rv 6:10; 16:6; 17:6; 18:24; Dt 32:43; 2 Kg 9:7
• [e]. See note at Rv 19:1
• [f]. Isaiah 34:8-10; Rv 14:11
• [g]. Rv 5:8
• [h]. See note at Rv 19:1
• [i]. Ps 106:48
• [j]. Ps 115:13
• [k]. Rv 1:15; 14:2; Ezk 1:24; 43:2
• [l]. See note at Rv 19:1
• [m]. Mt 5:12
• [n]. Rv 15:6; 19:14
• [o]. Eph 2:10
• [p]. Probably an angel; see Rv 17:1; 22:8-9
• [q]. Rv 1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 20:6; 22:7,14
• [r]. Isaiah 25:6-8; Mt 26:29; Lk 13:29
• [s]. Or testimony to
• [t]. Rv 1:2, 9; 12:17; 20:4
• [u]. Or testimony to
• [v]. Rv 4:1; 11:19; 15:5
• [w]. Rv 3:14
• [x]. Rv 16:7; 19:2; Ps 9:8; 96:13
• [y]. Rv 2:17; 3:12
• [z]. Or a robe dipped in
• [aa]. Isaiah 63:1-6
• [ab]. Jn 1:1-5; Heb 4:12
• [ac]. Other mss add double-edged
• [ad]. Isaiah 11:4; Rv 1:16; 2:12; 2 Th 2:8
• [ae]. Or rule
• [af]. Ps 2:9; Rv 12:5
• [ag]. Rv 16:19; 14:19
• [ah]. Dt 10:17; Dn 2:47; 1 Tm 6:15; Rv 17:14
• [ai]. Ezk 39:17-20
• [aj]. Rv 16:13-14
• [ak]. Lit signs before him
• [al]. Rv 13:13-17
• [am]. Mt 5:22; Mk 9:43; Rv 20:10,14; 21:8

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO REVELATION 19

This chapter contains the triumph of the saints over Babylon, and their thanksgiving to God because of his judgments on her; the marriage of Christ and his church, and a battle between him and his and her enemies, with the success of it. The congratulations are first of a promiscuous multitude in the church, ascribing salvation, praise, honour, glory, and power to God, because of the righteousness of his judgments, and because of the perpetuity of them, Re 19:1-3 and then of the four and twenty elders and four living creatures, who worship God, assent to what had been before said, and join in praising the Lord, Re 19:4 and then another voice out of the throne is heard, calling upon all the servants of the Lord, and those that fear him, whether small or great, to praise our God, Re 19:5 after which is heard the voice of a great multitude, stirring up one another to praise, because of the reign of the Lord God Almighty, and to rejoice and be glad because the time of the Lamb's marriage with his bride was come; who is described by her dress, the righteousness of the saints, comparable to fine linen, clean and white, Re 19:6-8 upon which an angel bids John write those persons happy who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb, and affirms these to be the true sayings of God; wherefore John, in a transport of joy, was just going to worship the angel, had he not been forbidden by him; from which he dissuades him, by observing that he was his fellow servant, that God only is the object of worship, and that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy, Re 19:9,10 next follows a vision of a battle between Christ and his enemies; and first he the General is described, by the horse he sat upon, a white one; by the characters he bears, faithful and true; by what he did, judging and making war in righteousness; by his eyes, which were as a flame of fire; by his having many crowns on his head; by having a name, or names unknown, and particularly one, which is the Word of God; by his habit, a vesture dipped in blood; by the armies he was at the head of, riding on white horses, and clothed in fine linen; by a sharp sword coming out of his mouth, with which he should utterly destroy the nations; and by having a name on his vesture and thigh, King of kings, and Lord of lords, Re 19:11-16 upon which an angel is seen standing in the sun, and calling to all the fowls of the heaven to come to the supper of the great God, and to eat the flesh of kings, captains, mighty men, horses and horsemen, of all ranks, and degrees, Re 19:17,18 and next an account is given of the armies of the beast, and of the kings of the earth, that came to make war with the above warrior, Re 19:19 the issue and success of which follow; the beast and false prophet are taken, and cast alive into a lake of fire and brimstone; and the rest are killed by the sword of the above General, and the fowls have a feast of their flesh, Re 19:20,21.