Revelation 19

1 And after yt I herde ye voyce of moche people in heven sayinge: Alleluia. Saluacion and glory and honour and power be ascribed to ye lorde oure god
2 for true and ryghteous are his iudgmentes for he hath iudged ye grett whore which did corrupt the erth with her fornicacion and hath avenged the bloud of his servauntes of her hond.
3 And agayne they said: Alleluya. And smoke rose vp for evermore.
4 And the xxiiii. elders and the iiii. bestes fell doune and worshypped god that sate on the seate sayinge: Amen Alleluya.
5 And a voyce cam out of the seate saying: prayse oure lorde god all ye that are his servauntes and ye that feare him both small and grett.
6 And I herde the voyce of moche people eve as the voyce of many waters and as the voyce of stronge thondrynges sayinge: Alleluya for god omnipotent raigneth.
7 Let vs be glad and reioyce and geve honour to him: for the mariage of the lambe is come and hys wyffe made her sylfe reddy.
8 And to her was graunted that she shulde be arayed with pure and goodly raynes. For the raynes is the ryghtewesnes of saynctes.
9 And he sayde vnto me: happy are they which are called vnto the Labes supper. And he sayde vnto me: these are the true sayinges of God.
10 And I fell at his fete to worshyppe him. And he sayde vnto me se thou do it not. For I am thy felowe seruaunt and one of thy brethern and of them that have the testimony of Iesus. Worshyppe God. For the testymony of Iesus ys the sprete of prophesy.
11 And I sawe heven open and beholde a whyte horsse: and he that sat apon him was faythfull and true and in ryghtewesnes dyd iudge and make battayle.
12 His eyes were as a flame of fyre: and on his heed were many crounes: and he had a name written yt noman knewe but him sylfe.
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipt in bloud and and hys name ys called the worde of God.
14 And the warriers which were in heven folowed him apon whyte horsses clothed with whyte and pure raynes:
15 and out of his mouthe went out a sharppe swerde that with yt he shuld smyte the hethen. And he shall rule them with a rodde of yron and he trode the wynefatt of fearsnes and wrath of almyghty god.
16 And hath on his vesture and on his thygh a name written: kynge of kynges and lorde of lordes.
17 And I sawe an angell stonde in the sunne and he cryed with a lowde voyce sayinge to all the fowles that flye by ye myddes of heve come and gaddre youre selves to gedder vnto the supper of the gret god
18 that ye maye eate the flesshe of kynges and of hye captaynes and the flesshe of myghty men and the flesshe of horsses and of them that sytt on them and the flesshe of all free men and bond men and of small and gret.
19 And I sawe the beste and the kynges of the erth and their warriers gaddred to gedder to make battayle agaynste him that satt on the horsse and agaynst his sowdiers.
20 And the beste was take and with him that falce prophett that wrought myracles before him with which he desceaved the that receaved ye beestes marke and them that worshipped his ymage. These both were cast into a pode of fyre burnyge with brymstone:
21 and ye remnaunte were slayne with ye swearde of him that sat apon the horsse which swearde proceded out of his mouthe and all the foules were fulfilled with their flesshe.

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.

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.

Revelation 19 Commentaries

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