| 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. "And when the thousand years are completed, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to war." absence of the Church from the earth during the judgments of (Rev. THE TE DEUM OF NATURE AND THE CHURCH ( Revelation 19:3-5 ), 19:3-5 And a second time they said: "Hallelujah! "For God put [it] into their hearts to do his mind, and to do one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled." It clearly contrasts this mystery with another. Verse 9. The Lord is not so interested in telling you who you are going to marry or what is going to happen to you next week, the spirit of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. The effect of these their praises: when the angels and saints cried Alleluia, her fire burned more fiercely and her smoke ascended for ever and ever, v. 3. That religious system has an incomparably nearer connection with this mysterious harlot than anything we have yet spoken of. This description of the warrior Christ comes from two Old Testament passages put side by side. The Church, the Bride of Christ, is clothed in fine linen, pure and shining. "Come," he said, "assemble for the great feast which God will give you, that you may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses and of those who ride them, and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, both small and great.". 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." This is just a statement telling us it will never be built groom prepared for his bride. And I heard as it were a voice of a great multitude, and as a voice of many waters, and as a voice of mighty thunders, saying, Alleluia, for the Lord God the Almighty reigneth. But still we have not the end of Babylon yet. "And the woman whom thou sawest is the great city, that hath kingship over the kings of the earth." 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. believers lives, i.e., the outward manifestation of inward virtue. The heavenly city, which is the full expression of blessedness on high, has no temple because it is all a temple. It is derived from halal ( H1984) , which means to praise, and Jah ( H3050) , which is the name of God. It isn't that you have been faithful in your devotions, and you have witnessed to so many people, and read so many chapters of the Bible, and spent so many hours in prayer, and you have done all of the religious devotional things, not that at all. 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. The gospel had been preached there, as she of Chaldea was not without law and prophet. After "the nations" in verse 24 omit the words "of them which are saved." That is to say, the heavenly saints are viewed still as the heads of the glorified priesthood, and also the executive in the administration of God's judgments. Victorious power put forth to subdue is the meaning of the white horse. Here, on the other hand, is something which is valid for all time. All the dispensational names of God disappear. Again the righteousness of His judgment attested to. Pilate said, "I find no fault in Him. None but Rome corresponds. Here we learn at once of what His train consists. In presence of grace I do not think this is for His glory, any more than for their own blessing. [issues, proceedeth, comes, came, goeth, comes out, ] . He spoke it into existence. It means here that his enemies would be certainly crushed before him - as grapes are crushed under the feet of him that treads in the winevat. And I think that this has been declared all the way through, because this is one of the areas that Satan constantly challenges concerning God, the fairness of God's judgments when he deals and meats out His judgments upon man. pure and faithful, never a harlot, like Israel was (see Hosea chapter 2). It is partly because of this that many excellent men have endeavoured to apply the vision to Romanism; and I admit that there is found a measure of analogy. There is the basis for my righteousness. Next comes the marriage of the Lamb to his bride. In short, it is not tropical language, as when it is said of the prodigal son "This my son was dead, and is alive again;" or of the restoration of Israel, which is compared to a resurrection from the dead for the rest of the world. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. Praise in heaven. The true reading here is neither hard nor doubtful save to unbelief. "I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God" (alluding to this very city) "[is] with men." According to the biblical narrative, Zerubbabel [a] was a governor of the Achaemenid Empire 's province of Yehud [3] and the grandson of Jeconiah, [4] penultimate king of Judah. But we can understand that the Lord could and did make that little go far, and do no little good. All who have looked back on the history know, that when the ten kings appeared, there was no beast or imperial power. "He that testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. This would have been altogether inappropriate for such a progress: when the King comes forth riding to victory in the judgment of wicked men of the world, it is not in the quality of bride, but of armies or hosts, that the saints follow Him; and these include no doubt the guests as well, i.e., all the glorified take their place in His train. He is coming forth in indisputable human glory, but the greatest care is taken to let us know that He had that which was above man above the creature; for "no man knoweth the Son but the Father." marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.". 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. 3:12-15; 2 Cor. The woman was allowed to ride the beast to influence and govern the empire first, but at last to be the object of hatred to the ten horns and the beast, who expose, rob, and destroy her. At the moment of this vision, the conflict is already over; only the judgment remains to be executed; the issues which were long ago determined are here to be revealed and executed in the final judgment of all people. b. Revelation 19 New International Version Threefold Hallelujah Over Babylon's Fall 19 After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: "Hallelujah! Ezekiel works out the whole picture most fully in Ezekiel 16:1-63. But it conserves certain great truths. Revelation 12:7 "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels," "War in heaven": The tumultuous events on earth during the Tribulation find their counterpart in heaven. The word that goes forth out of His mouth. Here we find the term "Alleluia" used really for the first in the New Testament and it is used four times here. 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7, 14; 21:22). Thus was concluded all dealing on the Lord's part with both soul and body, and all that pertains to either. 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. This tells us something about our approach to John here was so awed by all of this that he fell at this angel's feet to The "things to come" are synonymous with death. We must therefore look a little into the two objects Babylon and the beast. 3. Even man himself when he was innocent in Eden was not called. 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 . There is one other reason for the rejoicing. Hence the horns and the beast join together and desolate the harlot. "And death and hades were cast into the lake of fire. ", And the twenty-four elders, and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped the God who is seated upon the throne. "And the dead were judged," but not out of the book of life, which has nothing to do with judgment. this great multitude begin to praise God, the volume would be so great as to He will not fail to take up the gage He has given our hearts. (verses 1-10), and returns with Christ in His Triumphal Second Coming (verses Thus the divine testimony is not confined to the gospel or the church, but the prophetic Spirit which characterizes the Revelation as a whole, after the church is translated, is equally a testimony of Jesus. Here we have a repetition of the imagery of chapter 13. discover_revelation@charter.net, Revelation chapter 19 and 20 As usual John takes his picture from the Old Testament and is thinking of the terrible picture in Isaiah 63:1-3, where the prophet pictures God returning from the destruction of Edom; "I trod them in my anger, and trampled them in my wrath; their life blood is sprinkled upon my garments, and I have stained all my raiment." In Daniel's time it was not at hand. We. The ceremony (the exchanging of vows). Is not this reason enough for saying that not even the shadow of solid ground appears for the system? It is a precisely similar case here. The fallen angels are not called, and the holy angels never need to be they are kept. * It is to Him that God has given all judgment not necessarily to us. the Bible). The redeemed God wants a loving relationship, not religion. Many scholars think the name should be Y-A-H-W-E-H. ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? Verse 5. Now, this law that has the backing of the Greek Orthodox Church, or it was instituted because of the Greek Orthodox Church against proselytization, is the law that they used to charge him.In Egypt it is a capital offense to lead a Muslim to a faith in Jesus Christ. Another warlike expedition of the glorious head and husband of the church, with the success of it, ver 10, etc. Thank God. 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. Religions tell you that you have to do certain things in order to please God. But when the conquering Christ comes, his power will be exercised in justice. It will help to show us that, whatever may have been the past conditions of Babylon, there is a future one; and it is in that future one that Babylon is to perish. "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come." If Christianity does not bring joy, it does not bring anything. The only right principle in everything is to go to the source of divine truth, and to seek there refreshment and strength and fitness for whatever our God calls us to. Both small and great: All distinctions and ranks are to be transcended. And their voice on this And here observe. The thief said, "We are here because we deserve to be here, but this man has done nothing amiss"( Luke 23:41 ). Directly he had sinned, the word of God came, and he was called. they said, "because the Lord our God, the Almighty, has entered into his kingdom. to Top heaven. 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.". dispensations God hath also taken vengeance on them for the blood of his saints Now we find the symbol of the bride brought before us, and the elders and the living creatures disappear. He has, I think, exactly that class in view when He sanctions the calling him who hears to say "Come." But along with that God warns of her ruin, and calls on His people (verse 4) to come out of her. Revelation 19 In this chapter we have, I. There was not yet fairly out before men what God foresaw as that which must finally provoke His judgment. His instructions are to praise God. 5:25-32). * Idolatry is the awful stamp that she bears, and this too both in what she gives to man, and in what is written on her forehead before God. rather than differing reality. They were caught in flagrant treason and rebellion: what further need of any process of judgment whatsoever? God has not told us how, nor is it our business. email us at: 3:12-15: 2 Cor. These are the martyrs of Revelation 6:1-17, those long since seen under the altar, poured out like burnt-offerings to God. "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heavens fled away." But a voice issues from the throne, saying, "Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. Second, there are the small and the great. "On his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. Yet it will be found imperfect, for reasons which, I think, will be clear to any unbiassed mind. It is Christ Himself about to be displayed in His rights as King of kings, and Lord of lords; and this in the face of the world. What was easier than to turn the demons into angels and to worship them? I am the, Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. But, further, we find that the saints who had suffered for Christ, during the time that the others were in heaven, are now reunited to their bodies and live, the Lord waiting for the last martyr that He might not leave out one of those who had died for His name. But the most ordinary knowledge suffices; for who does not know from the Bible that there was a Roman empire when Christ was born, one emperor, and no such state as that empire divided into ten kingdoms? Tribulation saints. twelve disciples and twelve Old Testament prophets. But that idea is wholly insufficient to cover or meet the word of God, which gives clear and strong reasons that prove the mistake of applying this to the pope as its complete fulfilment. Death and hades, which had so long been executioners in a world where sin reigned, and were still doing their occasional office where righteousness is to reign, themselves disappear where all traces of sin are consigned for ever. Here it is the city described in itself, on which we need not now enlarge. 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. I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God ( Revelation 19:1 ): The judgment of the earth, as far as God's wrath being poured out, has been completed on Babylon. yet are a large body of themselves. If the books proclaim the evil works of the dead that stand before the throne, the book of life offers no defence on the score of God's grace. I sometimes make snap judgments. For Christ has not only a supreme but an exclusive place. "Whoever comes to me I will in no wise cast out" ( John 6:37 ). If my righteousness were dependent upon my keeping the Law, or keeping rules or regulations-Let's say that we said that every day you should be reading five chapters out of the Bible. giving God glory for a fifth reason, the marriage of the Lamb has come. I am your fellow-servant and the fellow-servant of your brothers who possess the testimony which Jesus gave. The events that are described within its pages were written for us today. 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. The picture is of all men sitting down at the Messianic Banquet of God. millennial kingdom and last throughout that 1000 year period (compare 21:2). 1 Thessalonians 3:4-5 Commentary. From his mouth goes forth a sharp two-edged sword (compare Revelation 1:16). "And the angel said unto him, Wherefore didst thou wonder? But whatever subsisted then, that which the Spirit here presents as a whole cannot be found realized at any point of time in the past. From the beginning, the church of God has been blessed with prophecy. It is for your sin that He is dying. (Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15-16; sharp . It is no problem for the infinite God to reach to finite man. Hence a song of praise from the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures is a Te Deum from the whole of the Church and the whole of nature. I like that, God speaking into existence the world in which we live. Help us purchase electrical generators for churches. He is the center of it. | Rev. When the apostle Paul wrote to the, saints at Rome, he particularly specified at that very time the duty of absolute subjection on the part of Christians to the powers which then were. others may live (see article About The Sword--The Word of His mouth--is now wielded in judgment. called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. Not because any of their names were written therein, but in proof that they were not. I am accounted righteous by God because I believe and trust in Jesus Christ. smite the nations . At the same time the attempt to apply Babylon to ancient Rome is almost as unhappy; and for a plain reason. The fine linen, clean and white, represents the The color of crushed grapes reminded the ancients of blood, death, and battle! The same was in the beginning with God. Gods victory over a rebellious humanity and its satanic leaders is now pictured in a terrifying war (cf. 16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. That with it he should smite the nations - The nations that were opposed to him; to wit, those especially who were represented by the beast and the false prophet, Revelation 19:18-20. This is the last main section of the Book of Revelation. Isaiah speaks of God preparing for his people "a feast of fat things, a feast of wine on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wine on the lees well refined" ( Isaiah 25:6). Fell at his feet: Overwhelmed by the grandeur of the vision, John collapsed in almighty: having unlimited power. The final shout is the praise of the host of the redeemed. the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.". "Hallelujah!" Chapter 19 of Revelation is the only place in the Bible that this name describing God is used. In his mind are two things. "Flesh and blood," we know, "cannot inherit the kingdom of God." 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. "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." Unlike the kings of the earth who wage war in selfishness, "in righteousness He judges and makes war.". And the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. The return of Christ to earth 19:11-16. After a thousand years then they will be joined by Satan and the rest of the satanic beings or the angelic beings that joined with Satan in his rebellion against God. Babylon is the parent of the "abominations of the earth." 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. The church cannot hear of Him as the bright morning star without at once desiring that He should come. This bloodthirsty picture is again far more in line with Old Testament apocalyptic expectations than with the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament points forward to Jesus, beginning in He just said it, "Let there be light," and light existed.And in the Hebrew it is even more intensive. You can't start with a finite base and reach to infinity. From his mouth there comes forth a sharp two-edged sword, so that with it he may smite the nations, and he will control them with an iron rod. We have just seen that it is the eternal state. and others give , "of her." . righteousness of the church, which has now been judged and purified at the He has many crowns, for he is King of kings, and Lord of lords. The view that they are non-sequential rests on similarities between Ezekiel 38-39 and Revelation 19-22. Worship God." in the Bible, "her" does not mean just women, it is the bride. are the ones who are praising. Verse 1 of the Revelation already shows God's intention: ".to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass". The beast is the expression of the will of man setting itself up in direct antagonism to God. When we come to the full application of the prophecy, we must look onward to the latter day. The gospel of John and the Revelation perfectly disclose both, whether in grace or in judgment. There are always those that say, "What about the people that haven't heard? The absence of a temple is therefore no loss but a gain for this city. 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. 4:6). And yet in such times John calls God pantokrator ( G3841) . I have examined Him. There is going to be another supper, a supper prepared by God for all the birds. Judgments: Saints long for the day of judgment (compare 6:10; 16:7; Isa. And on his robe, and on his thigh, he has a name written--King of kings and Lord of lords. Moral unfitness has its just censure; but sovereign grace must be asserted also. Any other intermediary than Jesus Christ between God and man must be utterly opposed. It is a picture of final judgment. This is the kind of double meaning of which the Greek language is capable. Called: Those who are invited to the marriage supper are Israel, who will turn Here is one of the most dramatic moments in the Revelation, the emergence of the conquering Christ. In it, the Church, This is what nations have been constantly occupied with, lest any one power should become the beast. 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.". His Word is "a two-edged sword." On that interpretation the phrase will mean that no man can speak to men until he has listened to Jesus Christ. (iv) It may be that here is a lingering relic of the old idea that to know the name of a divine being was to have a certain power over him. It is suggested that it is on the skirt of his general's cloak, for that is where it would be easiest to read on a horseman. We saw that the twenty-four elders represent the twelve patriarchs and the twelve apostles, and, therefore, stand for the totality of the Church. reign with Christ in the millennial kingdom. (Hebrews 4:13). The answer: because it's the final book of the Bible. "The kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour unto it" not into but unto. "Upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of the harlots and of the abominations of the earth.". This is a mistake. Of course there must needs be a consultation with the kings, when the kings exist and become an accredited part of that empire, as rulers subordinate to the beast. No one really knows what the vowels in Y-H-W-H were. and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.". Let us rejoice and let us exult, and let us give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has prepared herself, and it has been granted to her to clothe herself with fine linen, shining and pure." 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. We have one final little battle here to take place in chapter nineteen. There was a Jewish belief that no man could know the name of God until he had entered into the life of heaven. You see, the Father has no God-He is "the only true God" according to Jesus in John 17:3. (faithful to Jesus). To this earth He is coming, and not merely to the new earth in the eternal state. When Christ at God's right hand was announced, even from the very beginning, He was ready to judge the quick and the dead. 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. He is thrown into the abyss (see 9:1; 11:7; 17:8) where he is imprisoned for a long period, symbolized by a thousand years, so that he is no longer able to tempt the human race to rebel against God. Jesus Christ. Moral elements too were not wanting: the mystery of lawlessness had long been at work, though the enemy had not yet brought in the apostacy, and still less the manifestation of the lawless one. 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. These remain as yet in the condition of separate spirits. It is by the sword that goes out of his mouth. Bringing in history here embroiled the subject; and those who appeal most to its evidence are the very men who seem in this to ignore its facts. God in His providence did sanction the great empires of old; and the principle continues as long as the church is here below. As Dr. John Paterson puts it in The Book that is Alive: "The spoken word in Hebrew was fearfully alive. It furnishes material for a contrast between the earthly Jerusalem and the heavenly city, because if there be one thing more remarkable than another in Ezekiel's description, it is the temple. At the end of this time he will be released for a short while (20:1-3). Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Revelation 19:1-4. The description of the warrior Christ is further filled in. In the Psalms of Solomon we have that picture: Behold, O Lord, and raise up unto them their king the Son of, At the time in which thou seest, O God, that he may reign, And gird him with strength that he may shatter unrighteous, And that he may purge Jerusalem from nations that trample, Wisely, righteously, he shall thrust out sinners from the. "And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife." 1. God is praised because salvation, glory, and power belong to him. 18:20. My righteousness is something God accounts and imputes to me because of my faith in Jesus Christ. His eyes were as a flame of fire ( Revelation 19:12 ). We have seen her connection with the beast; but there is a conflict coming. The enemy falls on with great fury, headed by the beast, and the kings of the earth; the powers of earth and hell gathered, to make their utmost effort, Revelation 19:19. Verse 2. Although Hallelujah appears only here in the Bible, it occurs in a translated form frequently. According to the general scope of scripture, then, we may be quite sure that these saints, kept during this universal dissolution of the atmospheric heaven and the earth, will be translated to "the new heavens and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness," in a condition new and meet for the eternal state into which they are ushered. 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 ). These are those saved before Pentecost, They were shouting, ' Praise the Lord our God! Verse By Verse Acts Through Revelation can be taken as capably as picked to act. Whoever this angel is, he too had the testimony of Jesus. "Let him that heareth," then, be encouraged to "say, Come." That is not at all the way in which the guests are spoken of. Here were joined good and evil in godless union, for the worse, not for the better, this alliance, unholy in principle, irremediable therefore in practice, between God and the natural man, who substitutes rites for the grace and word of God, for the blood of Christ, and the power of the Spirit, and employs the name of the Lord as a cover for grosser covetousness and ambition, yet more aspiring than the vulgar world. 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. 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.
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