19:1 The Marriage Supper of the Lamb

SUMMARY OF REVELATION 19:

Rejoicing in Heaven. The Bride Preparing the Bridegroom. The White Horse and the Word of God. Conquering the World for Christ. The Great Battle. The Beast and False Prophet Taken. Cast into the Lake of Fire.

And after these things. Following the preceding scenes.

I heard a great voice of much people in heaven. These songs of rejoicing and thanksgiving are seen in Revelation whenever any great triumph or blessing is about to come. See Re 5:13 7:12 11:15 12:10.

19:2 For true and righteous are his judgments. This is shown by the judgments on the spiritual Babylon.

19:4 The four and twenty elders and the four living beings. See notes on Re 4:4,6.

19:5 And a voice came out of the throne. Rather, from the throne, as in the Revised Version. The speaker is not indicated. It is a call to praise the Lord.

19:6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude. This is in response to the call from the throne.

For he Lord God omnipotent reigneth. This is demonstrated in the overthrow of the wicked.

19:7 For the marriage of the Lamb is come. The blessed union of the Lord with his chosen Bride, the Church. The consummation of this marriage is described in Re 21:2.

And his wife hath made herself ready. The Church has to prepare herself for this event before it can take place. The Lord will not accept a bride who is not purified and fit for the Heavenly Bridegroom.

19:8 To her was granted. By divine grace.

That she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white. She must be arrayed in spotless white.

For the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. What this white raiment is not left in doubt. It is woven by the pure and holy lives of the saints.

19:9 And he saith unto me, Write. This always implies a very important message.

Blessed are they which are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. The blessing is upon those who have a part in the blessedness of this holy union. Those will be called who have wedding garments pure and white of fine linen. See Re 19:8.

19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. In this passage and in Re 22:7,8, the apostle offers worship to a fellow creature, an angel. In each place the prohibition is prompt. This episode is introduced in order to teach the sinfulness of all creature worship. It is likely that the fate of a great apostate church, in which worship is offered to its human head, is being declared, is the reason why here this symbolical act occurs. Man created in God's image is to worship only that which is divine.

Of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus. The angel declares himself of thy brethren. In Re 22:9 he adds, of thy brethren, the prophets. Here the explanation is added that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. In testifying of Jesus the angel became one of the prophets.

19:11 And I saw the heaven opened. This implies the opening of a new vision. See Re 4:1 11:19 Where a former vision is continued the formula is After these things. We now have a series of pictures symbolizing the closing events that inaugurate the Millennium. The first of these is the one before symbolized by the angel that flies through heaven with the everlasting gospel, but now presented in a grand vision of the triumphant march of the Word of God.

Behold a white horse. Always the symbol of conquest and triumph. See PNT Re 6:2.

And he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True. It is the Lord, who comes as the Word of God. His conquests are effected by the word, but the march is really the march of Christ.

19:12 His eyes were as a flame of fire. See PNT Re 1:14.

On his head were many crowns. Diadems. All kingly authority is concentrated in his hands. He is King of kings.

A name written, that no man knew,but he himself. Probably the new name of Re 2:17, a name which will be disclosed to those invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb (Re 3:12).

19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood. He is arrayed in a garment sprinkled with blood (Revised Version). The word in the best Greek MSS is not Bebammemnon ( dipped ), but sprinkled. The usual idea is that the sprinkled blood is that of his conquered enemies. I believe that the thought is the sprinkling of his own blood, the blood through which he conquers.

19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him. These armies are the armies of the saints, purified, holy, a conquering host, led by Christ to victory.

19:15 Out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword. See PNT Re 1:16. This symbolizes the word by which he achieved his conquests.

And he shall rule them with a rod of iron. See notes on Re 2:27 12:05 This implies not a stern, but a firm and lasting rule.

He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. He shall inflict God's judgments on the sins of the earth. See notes on Re 14:17-19.

19:16 He hath on his vesture and on his thigh. This probably signifies that the name was written on his vesture, even on his thigh. The Greek may be so translated.

King of Kings. Of the various titles given to Christ in this passage this is the highest and marks him as supreme. There are four titles given in the passage: (1) Faithful and True (Re 19:11). (2) A name that no man knew, but he himself (Re 19:12). (3) The Word of God (Re 19:13). (4) King of kings, and Lord of lords (Re 19:16).

The sublime imagery of this passage portrays the spiritual march and conquest of Christ. A purified church, following Christ, holy and true, shall carry the word in triumphant power to the nations. The armies of the saints, all united under Christ, led by him, strengthened by him, hence invincible, are marching to the great final conflict with the hosts of evil.

19:17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun. And riding with the sun in his course. From this position in the heavens and riding through the heavens he can call all the fowls of heaven together.

To the great supper of the great God. Unto the feast for birds of prey caused by the carnage of God's judgments on his enemies.

19:18 That ye may eat the flesh. The picture drawn is that of the terrible slaughter of a mighty defeat, which leaves the earth covered with the slain of every degree. The conflict meant is that named in Re 19:19.

19:19 I saw the beast. See notes on 13:1-10 This beast represents the world power opposed to Christ under its changing forms. The Roman Pagan Empire, and the Roman Papal secular power, are two forms. But it continues even after these forms pass away. The form in which it will manifest itself in this conflict will be better known when the fulfillment takes place. The beast marshals

the kings of the earth as his supporters to oppose the Lamb and his armies.

19:20 And the beast was taken. It is the beast's last appearance. He is now finally overthrown.

And with him the false prophet. The false prophet, the beast, and the dragon have been named in Re 16:13 as calling the kings of the earth to the battle of Armageddon. See PNT Re 16:3. This is the same conflict is given.

That wrought the miracles. This description identifies the false prophet. He is the lamb-like dragon of Re 13:11, the false spiritual despotism, the apostate church. This false prophet is now taken.

These both were cast alive into a lake of fire. In Re 18:8 it is said that Babylon shall be burned with fire. Here the false prophet, both symbols of the same power, is cast into the lake of fire. The symbol indicates utter destruction. What is cast into this lake is seen no more.

19:21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse. This is probably symbolic. If these who had been sinners and supporters of the powers of evil were incapacitated for that support longer, it would be their death (separation) from that cause. It may be that this remnant were converted by the word.

And all the fowls were filled with their flesh. If this is a symbol its signification is that the victory was complete.