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. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God ( Revelation 19:9 ). Then go into each of the twenty two chapters of the Book of Revelation one by one. Thus was concluded all dealing on the Lord's part with both soul and body, and all that pertains to either. By the seat of his empire; and that is heaven; his throne is there, and his power and authority are heavenly and divine. On His robe where it spreads out at His waist HIS TITLE is inscribed. * Even the Complutensian editors give the right text here; and it would seem that Erasmus failed to use his MS. aright. Jesus replaced the filth with His righteousness. The, nature of the case exempts of course the saints of the millennium;* and this very simply, because they are never said to die at all. Once Jesus enters the battle, it is soon over. 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. He treaded the winepress As the grapes are trodden to express the juice, so his enemies shall be bruised and beaten, so that their life's blood shall be poured out. 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. He has many crowns, for he is King of kings, and Lord of lords. "His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many diadems." 135:1; 146:1). event, the new order comes and the marriage is consummated (see notes on *Most copies, it would seem, read , "of the earth;" the Alex. Christ needs no armies, whether of angels, or anyone else. In any real marriage there must be four things which must also be in the relationship between the Christian and Christ. Patience or endurance of hope is what becomes us. The thrones were already filled. bring the climax of the Book of Revelation: the return of Christ to establish Many suggestions have been made. 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. On the other, it is the first of seven final things that John saw and recorded. Accordingly it is another figure. And the city lieth foursquare, and its length is as much as the breadth." The marriage supper of the Lamb represents the millennial kingdom of Christ, We know that sometimes there were nine, sometimes eleven or more; but supposing this all perfectly certain, I affirm that, according to history, they did not receive their power as kings for one and the same time with the beast. But, in point of fact, in giving the description of Babylon, the Holy Ghost enters even more into an account of her relations with the beast, the imperial power of which we saw not a little last night. in the Bible, "her" does not mean just women, it is the bride. Hallelujah literally means "Praise God". . 1-3), and does not appear again until (Revelation 22:16), emphasizing the "God is a spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth" ( John 4:24 ). Return If you preach on prophecy, you are bringing the testimony of Jesus. John's age knew all about the perversion of justice; no one could expect justice from a capricious heathen tyrant. There is another remark to make. THE KING rides at the head of His armies. She followed and had inherited the spirit of all, from the days of Cain, who had lifted up their hands against their righteous brethren. We have not to learn what the other mystery means; we know well that it is according to God and godliness. This is the declaration that is made all through the period of judgment, "true and righteous are thy judgments, O Lord".The concept that Satan brought to Eve in the Garden of Eden was that God was not fair, that God was trying to hold her back from something that was beneficial, that God was somehow trying to protect Himself. And it was so. Out of his mouth goes this sharp sword, His word. A New Translation from a Revised Text of the Greek Original. Verse 5. We usually pronounce it JEHOVAH; but the vowels in Jehovah are really those of the Hebrew word 'Adonay ( H136) , which means Lord, the name by which the Jews called God in order to avoid pronouncing the sacred name. Five reasons for their praise emerge: (1) "And the city has no need of the sun, nor of the moon, that they should shine for it." It was said of a great preacher: "First he listened to God, then he spoke to men.". After so many sorrows, trials, difficulties, dangers, how sweet to have such a word, and to know that He who speaks is the holy and the true, and surely about to come in the faithfulness of His love! So, He is coming to bring an end of man's rebellion. He is in charge of the Anastausus Ship, but he is facing a jail sentence of three and a half years in Greece because He gave a Bible to a sixteen-year old Greek boy and the boy accepted Jesus Christ as His Savior. Bear this in mind: to leave the last part out is fatal to any accurate understanding of the Revelation. Now, the time has come for the Lord Jesus Christ Himself to return in power and great glory and establish God's kingdom upon the earth. When the thousand years expire, Satan reappears on the scene to the sorrow and ruin of the Gentiles who were not born of God. The son is doubly guilty, because he saw his father's nakedness and felt it enough to hide. 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. Lord. In this way there never has been anything of the kind before. When the second beast appeared, he even strove to put to death those who would not worship the beast, nor pay homage to his image, nor receive his mark. The word "rule" is "to shepherd" them, and the rod of iron is the club the shepherd used to fend off the wolves, bears, lions, etc. It is certain that we ought to read (not "upon" but) "and* the beast." It is also clearly a personal reward to those who had suffered. (verse 16--We know who He is "King of kings and Lord of lords"). Then He is called the "True and faithful witness" in the third chapter of Revelation. for they are singing a song that includes mention of salvation. . So, he is one of our pastors here, but that is what religion does. Christ to earth. This is a mistake. Our own righteousness had been as filthy rags, but "Called" is most evidently inapplicable, because calling supposes that the person is brought out of one condition and raised into another and a better one. "These have one mind, and give their own power and authority to the beast," or their imperial leader. Here is the idea in Hebrews 4:12: "The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword.". It was the barbarians who brought in the prevalent ideas of liberty as well as feudalism, and accordingly it is they that have firmly stood for freedom; so that all the efforts to reconstitute the empire which have been tried over and over again have hitherto issued in total failure. He is urged to take up the same cry. And that is the question the prophet asks and Jesus answers, "I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save." The marriage symbolism runs all through the Gospels. 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. Gratitude, reverence, trust--these are the constituent elements of real praise. Smoke rose: This is because of the fire (compare 17:16, 18; 18:8-9, 18; John here was so awed by all of this that he fell at this angel's feet to | The glory of the kingdom does not preserve when men in their natural state are exposed to the adversary. He will destroy His enemies with inflexible righteousness that the iron shepherds rod that will serve as His scepter pictures (cf. They are all to reign concurrently with the beast. The relationship of the Christian and Christ must be the closest in all life. The two of them were cast alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone; and the rest were slain with the sword of him who rides the horse, with the sword which comes out of his mouth; and all the birds were glutted with their flesh. That is He destroys them with His word.Now, we are told that He was in the beginning with God and that He created all things. Meanwhile the armies of the antichrist perish in battle (19-21).With the antichrist and the false prophet destroyed, only the first member of the evil trinity remains to be dealt with, Satan himself. It will prepare you for the rest of the material contained here. The same imagery of a wedding picture's the Lord's relationship with His Church. Revelation 1:16; Isaiah 11:4; Isaiah 49:2). Yet it will be found imperfect, for reasons which, I think, will be clear to any unbiassed mind. I do not doubt that there was a corrupt form in connection with Israel in times past. It is altogether foreign to history. Old Testament prophecy and New Testament preaching is the gospel of the Lord The ambiguity springs from the fact that the testimony of Jesus can bear either of two meanings. And the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. The temple would suppose a medium. Here is faith and confidence; and the whole point of this passage is that that faith and confidence are vindicated. This is in total contrast to the harlot Babylon. In his cross and resurrection, Christ won a great victory over the powers of evil; by his second coming, he will execute that victory. That pagan Rome, therefore, should set itself against Christianity was to be expected, and so the fact proved. "And he had a name written, that no man knew but he himself." 5. 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? Not only are they supposed to be coexistent, but united in their change of feeling against Babylon. These are those saved before Pentecost, On his head he has many crowns. he will rule them with a rod of iron . Here is a picture which is essentially Jewish. In Hebrew writing there were no vowels; the vowels had to be supplied by the reader. 8:38, Paul often used some of the most extreme things such as life and death to make a point. To be sure, the language here suggests Armageddon, the great spiritual conflict going on throughout history, the results of which will be announced and executed on the last day. Then and thus is aggravated guilt in the case of this wicked son. And as a result was thrown in jail in Egypt and was then released because of the family influence, and told to get out of the country for his own welfare or he would be put to death if he stayed. And a voice came from the throne = is not explicitly identified. "And he that sat upon him called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war." These events are in chronological sequence, as will become clear. Two sets of people are called on to praise God. We may surely say her cup was not yet full. "The ten horns which thou sawest AND the beast" would give unquestionably the right form of the verse. of the bride, the Lamb's wife. twelve disciples and twelve Old Testament prophets. Amen. This bloodthirsty picture is again far more in line with Old Testament apocalyptic expectations than with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We know that if He tarries, it is not that He is "slack concerning His promise," but that "His long-suffering brings salvation to many." 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. Revelation 2. STUDY NOTES--Revelation 19:11-16 --THE CONQUERING CHRIST. And I fell at His feet to worship him. The prophecy centers around the person of Jesus Christ. And Paul speaks of himself as betrothing the Church like a pure virgin to Christ ( 2 Corinthians 11:2), and for him the relationship of Christ to his Church is the great model of the relationship of husband and wife ( Ephesians 5:21-33). The Sword--The Word of His mouth--is now wielded in judgment. They have long waited for the time when God's justice would triumph. To the same world in which He suffered, according to the scriptures, He will come back. - Hebrews 4:12; a sharp sword . Just like, as many other places That great multitude, I expect personally to be a part of that multitude. But it really is. He speaks and it is done. We may illustrate it by the members of a family. 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 ). He is the living Word, the active agent of God who expresses Gods will and carries it out. a. I will be a part of that army, as will you, because we are clothed in the fine linen white and clean, which is the righteousness of the saints. "Amen," they said, "Hallelujah!" And it is pretty well ascertained that there was a discussion among them, even to the suggestion by one of the most wicked of their emperors, whether Christ should not be owned and worshipped in the Pantheon, hundreds of years before Constantine, indeed from the earliest epoch of the gospel. derives from a Hebrew word meaning "to be firm," and may be translated "truly" We find a decree going forth that all the world shall be enrolled. When we come to the full application of the prophecy, we must look onward to the latter day. For who knows not the horrors of Mariolatry? 227-28.] There are not enough adjectives in the dictionary The seventh bowl contained under it the fall of Babylon, which "was remembered before God, to give to her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.". We have just seen that it is the eternal state. 22:2-14; John 3:29; 2 Cor. "And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. A lot of the persecution against the Christian has come from religion, religious leaders. Therefore says the angel, "I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, that hath* the seven heads and the ten horns. 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. 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. The description of the great Commander, 1. Hence. It is not only that the angel corrects the act by asserting that he is a fellow-servant of him and of his brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. These angels are going to be interesting creatures to meet, aren't they? Begin by reading the Introduction first. At the pouring of the seventh bowl, God's voice was heard from the Temple saying, "It is done!" (Rev. (5) The scene now shifts from the earth where it has been (since chapter 6), to Moral unfitness has its just censure; but sovereign grace must be asserted also. It is no longer a question either of celebrating the ways and counsels of God, or of the war with the beast and king. He is the center of it. Here you may see the reason for saying that the four and twenty elders and the four living creatures are not absolutely the church, because when that symbol applies, and the one of the bride comes forward, we have got others too. "Let him that heareth," then, be encouraged to "say, Come." Spirit of prophecy: The person and message of Jesus is the It is really differing imagery God is praised because he has exercised his just and true judgment on the great harlot. This testimony here is not Jesus giving it, but we believers who testify of the But the church consists of souls called out from the earth, and is not of the world: consequently to the church the time is always at hand. This is the meaning of "one hour with the beast.". There is the basis for my righteousness. Together they join this great chorus proclaiming "Alleluia!". Help us purchase electrical generators for churches. I am not aware of any MS. in its favour, though some versions represent it. First, he is remembering Psalms 97:1: "The Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice." And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God ( Revelation 19:10 ): Now, John like so many people, we want to worship the instrument that God uses to bring His knowledge or love or grace to us. 4-18). And out of His mouth goes a sharp sword by which these rebellious armies are destroyed. There is no expression in the word of God which binds all to rise at the same instant. It is not now lightnings and thunders and voices. This is never the case with an angel. would be no salvation. The simple fact of conquering far and wide, and of exercising vast political power in the earth, does not constitute any title to such a name. The marriage of the Lamb: The wife or bride of Christ is the On the head of the victor Christ there are many crowns to show that he is lord of all the kingdoms of the earth. Then comes not the destruction only of these rebels by divine judgment, but the dissolution of heaven and earth. Revelation 20. Most other commentators have seen it as the first event after the seventh bowl judgment. He uses a "staff" to gently nudge or guide his sheep. It is a description, not of Babylon's relation to the beast, but of the city's fall, with certain dirges put into the mouth of the different classes that groan because of her extinction here below. I believe that religion is vastly different from Christianity. It will be interesting to find out. 3. I have examined Him. the end of the Great Tribulation, just before the kingdom is established The Sinai MS. has both. avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.". To whom else could they say it? They were in three distinct stages which first involved the betrothal or Every day you should be spending twenty minutes on your knees in prayer. Rev. Scripture is positive in Isaiah 65:1-25 that death during the millennium only comes as a specific judgment because of open rebellion. Then another and immensely important act is described the binding of Satan. Here, on the other hand, is something which is valid for all time. There was never a time when the Christian was called upon to undergo such suffering and to accept so continually the prospect of a cruel death. Here we learn at once of what His train consists. 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. Other Books of the Bible 21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. There is no doubt that THE RIDER ON THE WHITE HORSE In 19:11 IS CHRIST. Holding on to what others knew before them, or little more, they reduce themselves to a minimum of the truth. 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. His attributes: he is faithful and true to his covenant and promise, he is righteous in all his judicial and military proceedings, he has a penetrating insight into all the strength and stratagems of his enemies, he has a large and extensive dominion, many crowns, for he is King of kings, and Lord of lords. There are always those who are ready to challenge the fairness of it. Such was her influence stretching out far beyond the beast. })(); Return to Revelation Menu | Capnionis, which was used by Erasmus, and lately discovered after a long obscurity by Dr. Delitzsch, reads (not ) . The events that are described within its pages were written for us today. "These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them (for he is Lord of lords and King of kings), and they that are with him, called, and chosen, and faithful.". What is it, seven hundred and fifty million degrees Fahrenheit or something like that? It is impossible to refer it to the past with any show even of reasonable probability, I will not say of reality or truth. But that the heart of man even so is not renewed becomes manifest, when Satan at the close deceives all that are not converted; and these, as we are told, are countless "as the sand of the sea.". the wilderness, the High Priest wore a very ornamented robe with a breastplate 4:6). 14 Second, he came from a world in which it was believed that God did not interest himself directly but made his contact through the demons (daimon, G1142) , by means of whom he controlled the natural forces and acted upon men. This explains, it seems to me, the wounded head that was afterwards healed. The horns have constantly opposed each other, and even sometimes the pope. ). Verse By Verse Acts Through Revelation can be taken as capably as picked to act. The presentation will take place in heaven following the Rapture (verse 7); and. 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. Verses 1-6: Alleluia: This Hebrew word appears 4 times in the New Testament. God is sovereign. It is the active word which carried out the commandment of God. called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. A mystery clearly points to something undiscoverable by the natural mind of man a secret that requires the distinct and fresh light of God to unravel, but which when revealed thus is plain enough. But you can go ahead and do these things without pangs of conscience trying to destroy God out of our society, out of our lives. The word used for sitting down is the word for reclining at a meal. judgment. It is true, the beast's judgment is only referred to as a defeat under the hand of the Lamb. We noted the first appearance of a WHITE HORSEMAN in chapter 6:2. There are probably but few, if any, here who do not understand it as the fore-shadow of a real resurrection. It was not merely a vocable or sound dropped heedlessly from unthinking lips. Their praise is that the smoke of Babylon rises for ever and ever. He is coming, and coming soon for us. She is, the mother of the harlots, but also (and with still deeper guilt) of the abominations of the earth. The decem-regal division of the broken empire in the West, as all know, was long after Rome had ceased to be heathen. In Christianity you have a God that is reaching out to man. In two Old Testament stories, the wrestling of Jacob at Peniel ( Genesis 32:29), and the appearance of the angelic messenger to Gideon ( Judges 13:18) the divine visitor refuses to tell his name. But in the time really contemplated here all this political shuffling will be over. But alas! The thought of the relationship between God and his people as a marriage goes far back into the Old Testament. Yet to this heavenly city, after Christ comes, the kings of the earth bring their offerings and their homage; but there is no excitement of the nations, no filthiness of fornication, no abominations, no blood-guiltiness. "And fire came down out of heaven from God, and devoured them. So it is imputed righteousness given to you by your faith in Christ. I sometimes judge without having all the facts in hand, and so my judgments are often wrong. Therefore be zealous and repent. The mighty angel. being addressed here to add to the other 3 mentioned groups. They would have a big dance and party, as they would crush all of the grapes, they would get the juice out of them. But we can understand that the Lord could and did make that little go far, and do no little good. This shout of rejoicing begins with Hallelujah. * It is to Him that God has given all judgment not necessarily to us. - CBSC, the winepress . So we are obliged to translate the single word, e.g. var _gaq = _gaq || []; Isa_1.20; Isaiah 49:2; Isaiah 66:16; This is the weapon God uses to conquor the nations! It calls God the Almighty. I agree with the majority. Chapter 19 of Revelation is the only place in the Bible that this name describing God is used. Thus such as were in the separate state were reunited to their bodies, and lived and reigned like those who were already on the thrones. "He has a name inscribed which no one knows but Himself." The tree of life: The Bible begins with a tree of life ( Genesis 3:22-24) which man was not allowed to eat from after the sin at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Voices cry out joyfully that the Lord reigns and the marriage supper of the Lamb is ready. Although there is such a levelling of human distinctions, and men have to do directly with God that is men raised from the dead or in their changed condition we still see the holy Jerusalem "the holy city, new Jerusalem," separate from the rest of those that fill the new heaven and earth. Blessed are those that are called to be a part in this. This is saying that this judgment is permanent and is like the language that God (19:6-9), are evidence of the Church being in heaven prior to the return of (This takes you to our other website) white, represents the righteousness of the church, which has now been judged and These were simply the characters of provisional judgment that filled the interval after the church was gone, and before the reign with Christ. *It now appears that the Cod. It is the judgment of the dead as such, who now rise and give account of their deeds. 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. this that is glorious in his apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength?" Such is God's account of Babylon the great. I am not raising any question about the ten. There is going to be another supper, a supper prepared by God for all the birds. And a voice came forth from the throne. "Which did corrupt the earth with her fornication": Drew the kings and understood literally. (chapter 20). God. 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. The very name indeed shows something similar; not of course that the church can ever be earthly. ( John 1:14 ) And now again He comes as the Word of God. It was a unit of energy charged with power. That is not at all the way in which the guests are spoken of. 15 And 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: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 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. 10 million Ukrainians without power because of Russia. (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. Here is a grim picture of birds of prey being invited to come from all over the sky to glut themselves on the corpses of the slain. The fallen angels are not called, and the holy angels never need to be they are kept. It is hard to see how Roman city, or anything civil connected with it, could be called "mystery." We have here a note of time of signal value. Thus the language of symbol is as definite as any other. Now manifestly, if the Lord does not come before this, there is no world to come to; for the earth and heavens are fled. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for night shall not be there. There will be no time for seeking mercy, as it were: whatever the state in which the Lord at His coming will find us, all is closed up and fixed. 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 . 12:10; 13:9; and Roman It begins with the shout of a vast multitude in heaven. When Christ at God's right hand was announced, even from the very beginning, He was ready to judge the quick and the dead. Before God we have that which is found only by and in Christ, which is another and a higher character altogether as compared with the righteousnesses of the saints. 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.