Revelation 19:1-10 (NASB)
19 After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying,
“Hallelujah! Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God, 2 because His judgments are true and righteous; for He has judged the great prostitute who was corrupting the earth with her sexual immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bond-servants on her.” 3 And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! Her smoke rises forever and ever.” 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” 5 And a voice came from the throne, saying,
“Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.” 6 Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters, and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying,
“Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.
Marriage of the Lamb
7 Let’s rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has prepared herself.” 8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
9 Then he *said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.’” And he *said to me, “These are the true words of God.” 10 Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he *said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brothers and sisters who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
*19:1 – ‘After these things’ – in Greek it is ‘meta taute’. Where have we heard that before?
In Revelation 4:1 – ‘4 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.”’
Where the rapture of the church is signified.
But in this passage, we will ask the same question we asked when we covered chapter 4 – after what things? In chapter 4, it was the history of the organized church for over 2000 years, laid out in advance, with each church listed describing, in sequence, the organized church through the millennia – Ephesus (Apostolic), Smyrna (‘death’ persecuted), Pergamum (Church of the Perverted Marriage – era when the church married the world -since persecution didn’t work, Satan shifted his strategy), Thyatira (Roman Catholic era) Sardis (Denominational Church Era (Luther and the Reformation, etc), Philadelphia (Missionary Church), and Laodicea (Luke warm).
This passage likewise indicates a significant transition – the great amalgam of all false religions throughout time (even longer than the 2000 years of the organized Church – goes back to Babel in the time of Nimrod) has been defeated, along with false idols (materialism, lust, earthly power), along with their physical headquarters (Babylon proper, whether you believe it is literal or figurative) has been destroyed.
*19:1 cont’d ‘I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven saying’
When I was nine years old my parents took me to a Billy Graham revival at the Astrodome in Houston. I remember the entire stadium singing ‘All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name’ as one voice. It gave me shivers and I am reminded of that when I read this passage.
**19:1 cont’d “Hallelujah! Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God, 2 because His judgments are true and righteous; for He has judged the great prostitute who was corrupting the earth with her sexual immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bond-servants on her.”
I almost feel guilty thinking of enjoying someone else’s destruction – schadenfreude – but here it is long overdue and well justified. We can rejoice, just like Israel did after the walls of Jericho came down!
Hallelujah From Daymond Duck…
(By the way, it was mentioned last week that the Lord’s Supper was also a hint of the Rapture of the Church, and whoever said that was correct. What did Jesus say after he drank the wine?
Matthew 26:29
29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it with you, new, in My Father’s kingdom.”
And that is very similar to what a Jewish groom would say to his fiancé as we will discuss soon.)
Daymond Duck article cont’d – ‘Passover was approaching, and Jesus was headed to Jerusalem, where He would die on the cross (Matt. 26:17-19; 26-30).
He stopped just outside the city at a small town called Bethany.
One of His Disciples asked, “Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the Passover?” (and I’m sure they said it exactly like that in King James English)
Peter sent James and John to a certain man’s house in Jerusalem, and they prepared the Passover meal (Matt. 26:18).
Evening came, and Jesus arrived with the Disciples.
The one named Judas Iscariot left, and while the Passover meal was in progress, Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper.
They finished the Passover meal and Lord’s Supper, sang a hymn, and went to the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane.
It is a blessing to know that Jesus left the room singing and rejoicing, not complaining, weeping, or afraid because He was headed to the cross.
It was the Jewish custom to sing the Hallel (Psa. 113-118) and the Great Hallel (Psa. 136) after they finished the Passover meal, so most scholars believe Jesus and His disciples sang these Psalms on the night of the Last Supper.
The word “Hallel” is the first part of the word “Hallelujah,” and it means praise.
“Jah” is short for Yahweh (Jehovah or God). (and yes in German if you watch Hogan’s Heroes)
Hallelujah or Allelujah means “praise the Lord” or “praise God.” ’
Revelation 19:3
3 And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! Her smoke rises forever and ever.”
This echoes the passage we read in Jeremiah 51:48 and 51:9
*Jeremiah 51:47-48
47 Therefore behold, days are coming
When I will punish the idols of Babylon;
And her whole land will be put to shame.
And all her slain will fall in her midst.
48 Then heaven and earth and everything that is in them
Will shout for joy over Babylon,
Because the destroyers will come to her from the north,”
Declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 51:9
9 We applied healing to Babylon, but she was not healed;
Abandon her and let’s each go to his own country,
For her judgment has reached to heaven
And it rises to the clouds.
Revelation 19:4-6
4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” 5 And a voice came from the throne, saying,
“Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.” 6 Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters, and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying,
“Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.
24 Elders are most likely the church – remember from chapter 4?
What is the difference between the throne room in Isaiah 6 and Ezekiel 1? The 24 elders who were NOT present in the throne room before Christ came.
We gave more evidence back when we discussed Revelation chapter 4, so access those notes.
Revelation 19:7
7 Let’s rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has prepared herself.”
Let’s talk about this whole Marriage of the Lamb and the Church.
In a Jewish wedding, the marriage ceremony came first, then the banquet.
So after the harpazo, we are married to Jesus in heaven and I believe that the wedding banquet is on earth after the Sheep and Goats Judgement.
Jewish Wedding Ceremony By Joy Wriston
by RR@admin2 Category:General Articles
I was brought up in a church that believed in the Pre-Trib Rapture but in college encountered other views. I noticed that they mostly used the same verses but interpreted them differently so wondered if my interpretation could be the one that was wrong. Then I discovered Zola Levitt and his explanation of the Jewish roots of the Rapture confirmed for me that the Pre-Trib view is the accurate one.
This is my synopsis of his teaching gleaned from his book, An Israeli Love Story ( a fictional story which explains the Jewish wedding ceremony). Anyone who wants to research this further can do so as there are many articles from different sources on the Internet.
The First Century Jewish Wedding Ceremony
In the first century, when a young man saw a young lady he liked, he consulted with his father. Sometimes the father picked the girl and no consultations were necessary. But when the father approved of the choice of a bride, the young man would go to her house and speak with her father. (p.105)
At the bride’s house three very important things would occur: The groom would make a covenant with the bride, an actual contract; he would drink a cup of wine with her which sealed the covenant and he would pay the bridal price for her to the father. The bridal price was to make sure the groom was serious about the covenant—he had to pay a price. After the covenant was made, the cup had been drunk and the price paid, the groom would make a speech to the bride telling her that he was going to leave her and return to his father’s house to prepare a bridal chamber for her, sort of a honeymoon suite.
The words he would say were “I go to prepare a place for you.” He would be gone for a long time. He would have to build and finish the bridal chamber and have it approved by his father. It would have to be stocked for enough provisions to last for the prescribed seven days for a honeymoon of that time period. He would want it to be beautiful for her.
It had to be done right to win the approval of the groom’s father. During that year or so that the groom was building the bridal chamber, if anyone asked him when the wedding would be, he would say. “I don’t know. Only my father knows.” And that was true. He couldn’t go back to get his bride until his father approved the chamber and told him to go get her.(pp.106-108)
Meanwhile, the bride was waiting with dignity. She wore her veil whenever she went out so that other young men would know that she wasn’t available. Now she was called “set apart,” “consecrate.” And “bought with a price.” She was no longer her own person but an individual contracted to another and she conducted herself in a way that respected that agreement. She didn’t seek after other young men. She prepared herself for marriage by gathering her trousseau and waiting for her groom. She was at home every night, especially as time went on and she knew he could be coming.
The tradition was for him to come at night, especially midnight, to try to take her by surprise. It was to be “an abduction.” The bride would be waiting with her “bridesmaids,” her sisters or whomever she wanted in her wedding party. They would all have oil in their lamps just in case the groom did come at night. As time went on they were sure to be ready every night. (pp.109-110)
One night the groom did finally come. It was customary for the groom’s party to shout as they neared the bride’s house. When the bride heard that shout, she knew her groom had come to get her. The groom and his friends would rush in and grab every girl in sight, being sure to get the one with the veil (the bride).
(I am told she would be lifted from the ground in a seat and ‘flown’ to her groom’s house).
He needed her veil as the party would be going through the streets and she was not yet married. The bride’s father and brothers looked the other way as long as it was the young man with the contract. (p.110)
The entire wedding party would head towards the groom’s house, traveling through the streets and laughing. People would know there was a wedding going on but couldn’t tell who the bride was because the bride was covered by the veil. The bride and groom would enter the bridal chamber while the wedding party waited outside along with the wedding guests (friends of the groom’s father). Everyone waited outside the wedding chamber until the groom told his trusted friend through the door that the marriage was consummated.
Then the guests began celebrating an accomplished marriage. The guests would spend the next seven days there celebrating until the bride emerged with her veil off. Now the couple were husband and wife. Then there would be the marriage supper where everyone would joyfully congratulate the new couple. Afterwards, the young couple would leave the father’s house and go to a permanent home the husband had prepared for them. (p.111-113)
The article continues….
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Jesus as the Bridegroom
The New Covenant
Hebrew 8:8 quotes Jeremiah 31:31-34 which states:
“‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah; not like the covenant I made with their fathers on the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,’ declares the Lord.‘But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days’ declares the Lord, ‘I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their iniquities and their sin I will remember no more.”
The New Covenant had to do with the Messiah’s coming and had to be signed in blood. Abraham had to divide animals when the Abrahamic Covenant made the Jews the chosen people (Genesis 15:10). In Moses’ day, the blood of the sacrificial lamb on the doorposts saved the firstborn of the Jewish believers (Exodus 12:7). Then later on Mount Sinai, the Mosaic Covenant was established. It required repeated blood (animal) sacrifices specified in the Law for the forgiveness of sins/offenses against God (Exodus 20:24).
The Davidic Covenant included burnt and peace offerings which required the shedding of animal blood (2 Samuel 6:17-18, 1 Chronicles 16:1-3). It’s the blood that makes the Covenant go into effect. When the Messiah (Jesus) came, John the Baptist called Him ,“The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Isaiah 53:7 says the Messiah “would be led as a lamb to the slaughter.” When Jesus died on the cross, it was as a sacrifice for us; dying in our place with our sins placed on Him.
That the relationship of God and Israel has always been a marriage is made clear in the book of Hosea. In Jeremiah 31:32 God says He has been a “husband” to Israel. Paul compared marriage to being like the relationship between Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:22-33). The church is referred to as the bride of Christ or betrothed of Christ (Revelation 17:9; Ephesians 5:25-28; 2 Corinthians 11:1-4).
Jesus said that He only came for the “lost sheep of the house of Israel.” When Gentiles came to faith in the Jewish Messiah they were grafted into the Jewish tree, and were called the spiritual seed of Abraham (Matthew 15:24; Romans 11:17).
The Cup
At the Passover supper Jesus drank the cup with his disciples and stated “This is My blood of the new covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Matthew 26:28) God promises, “I will forgive their iniquities and remember their sins no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34) In the Jewish faith, the cup at the Passover supper is called the “Cup of Redemption.”
The Price
Jesus paid the bride price. He even asked His Father if it was worth it. (Luke 22:42-44) In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus prayed, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but yours be done. And His sweat fell like great drops of blood while He was contemplating the cross. God sent an angel to strengthen His Son. That was His answer. Jesus paid the price for us.
“I Go to Prepare a Place for You”
In John 14:2-3 Jesus tells His disciples, “ In My Father’s house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” His ascension into heaven is recorded in Mark 16:19-20 and Luke 24:50-51.
The Bride Awaits
Jesus is still at his Father’s house preparing a place for us. And we are awaiting His return in a consecrated way—bought with a price; set apart (1 Corinthians 6:20; John 17:14-26, Romans 12:2;1 Peter 1:15-16.) “We are to act like the covenanted bride and be waiting at all times for our Bridegroom to come. We are to have oil in our lamps and be ready to travel, even at night (Matthew 25:1-46). Our oil is the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity who came to the Jews at Pentecost after the Messiah ascended. We are each to be filled with the Holy Spirit and always ready to go (Acts 2).
Jesus performed a vast Jewish courtship with His believers. “The Lord will return for His bride. There will be a bridal chamber in heaven where Jesus and the church will spend seven years – like the ancient seven days, and there will be a marriage supper like the Jews used to have. Every detail of Jesus’ great wedding will be accomplished and it will be carried out in the exact traditions of the Jewish people, because Jesus is Jewish!”
The Return of the Bridegroom
In the Jewish holy days, “Shuvuot (Pentecost) – that’s the harvest holiday. All summer following Pentecost the people plant and till the ground. But when the trumpet sounds, on what we now call Rosh Hashanah, the old Feast of Trumpets, the crops are in and the harvest is finished. Jeremiah, just to mention one prophet, could see that we wouldn’t be ready—not all of us.
“The summer is ended and we are not saved” (Jeremiah 8:20).Paul gave us a wonderful picture of that moment when the groom will return for His bride.” For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so we shall always be with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). (pp. 149-151)
That fulfills everything. You have the shout of the bridegroom to notify the bride of his coming; you have the trumpet to finish the harvest and to proclaim liberty for God’s people. We (Jews) used to blow the trumpet on each Jubilee to proclaim liberty…well, this is real liberty (Leviticus 25:10).
Just as a Jewish bridegroom called for his bride unexpectedly, and took her to his father’s house, Jesus will take His Bride (believers) away quickly, changed in the twinkling of an eye. (1 Corinthians 15:52). The Bride is to be ready and waiting with her veil on so that anyone who sees her pass will not know who she is.
People in today’s world also don’t recognize the bride of Christ. They see people going to church but don’t recognize them as the Bride. It’s as if true believers are wearing a spiritual veil making them unrecognizable to the world. After the Bride has gone on to her wedding, the world still won’t recognize who she was.
The House of the Father of the Groom
When the bride and groom arrive at the groom’s father’s house they will find a large gathering of wedding guests who are friends of the father. When the Bridegroom brings us to His Father’s house we will also find the Father’s friends there as wedding guests. These are the Old Testament saints, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the prophets, and the faithful chosen people who lived prior to the coming of the Messiah.
But first the bride and groom must go into the bridal chamber for seven days. And the groom’s friend waits outside the chamber until he hears the groom’s voice. Then he tells the guests when the marriage is consummated. In John 3:29 the Pharisees were questioning John the Baptist if he was the Messiah. John told them: “He that has the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom who stands nearby and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made full.” The marriage is accomplished when the bridegroom’s voice is heard.
The “honeymoon” in heaven is the judgment seat of Christ. We will go before the Messiah and He will look at our works done for Him while we were in the flesh. We (believers) are all His servants, and we do both good works and bad. In 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 Paul wrote:
“No man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay or straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it for it is to be revealed with fire and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on remains, he will receive a reward (crowns). If any man’s work is burned up he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
This has nothing to do with sins. They were all covered at the cross. God isn’t going to charge us for what is already paid for. If you accept Jesus as Messiah (Savior) all your sins are forgiven. The “honeymoon” is where the groom removes the bride’s veil and knows her secrets. Even with our “bad” works, love is the healing factor. If you want a “good honeymoon” follow the Lord and do your good works for him. Either way, keep in mind that Jesus loves you and will be very glad to see you.
The Marriage Supper
The announcement has been made that the marriage is consummated. The Lord has examined everyone’s works and the crowns have been awarded. Now there is great rejoicing and celebration. The marriage is official and the great marriage supper (what we would call the reception) will commence. The Bride will be greatly honored:
“Let us rejoice and be glad and give glory to Him for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His wife has made herself ready. It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints” (Revelation 19:7-8).
Notice that the Bible now says “wife” instead of “bride.” The honeymoon is finished and we are now married to the Lord. After the supper is over, we’ll leave to live and reign with our Husband in His millennial kingdom.
Revelation 19:8 8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
You and I, right now, are sewing our own bridal gown. (It’s hard for men to consider themselves ‘the Bride of Christ’ as it may be for women to consider themselves ‘sons of God’. But God prefers men I think – it’s why we sing hymns instead of ‘hers’ and say Amen and not Awomen.)
1 Corinthians 3:10-15 talks about rewards for believers of which I think the bridal gown is made –
10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each person must be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13 each one’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test [e]the quality of each one’s work. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet only so as through fire.
Revelation 22:12
12 “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to reward each one as his work deserves.
But in Revelation 4:10-11, we will cast all of our crowns at Jesus’ feet
10 the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and they will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”
Revelation 19:9
9 Then he *said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.’” And he *said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
Matthew 25:1-13
25 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they did not take extra oil with them; 4 but the prudent ones took oil in flasks with their lamps. 5 Now while the groom was delaying, they all became drowsy and began to sleep. 6 But at midnight there finally was a shout: ‘Behold, the groom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 8 But the foolish virgins said to the prudent ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ 9 However, the prudent ones answered, ‘No, there most certainly would not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the groom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. 11 Yet later, the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Be on the alert then, because you do not know the day nor the hour.
**So in this parable, the wedding has already taken place at least a week prior (see above re Jewish wedding ritual). Note that ALL the bridesmaids were asleep, but half had the Holy Spirit and were invited in to celebrate our marriage to Jesus.
I believe these virgins represent the Tribulation survivors who were Jewish believers in Jesus but not of the Church (Bride of Christ), as they were not taken in the harpazo.
**Remember, the Church is the Bride, not the Bridesmaids**.
- Vernon McGee says,
“The ten virgins do not refer to the Church, they refer to the nation Israel.”
(Remember that the Church was a mystery until Acts 2. Jesus was still speaking to the Jews about Israel.)
Continue JVM commentary…
(Read pages 134 and 135 in JVM commentary)
Revelation 19:10
10 Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he *said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brothers and sisters who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
And John did it again in Revelation 22:8!…(John’s like one of those fainting goats I think)
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. 9 And he *said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brothers the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!”
Finishing from last week…
Revelation 19:10
10 Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he *said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brothers and sisters who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
And John did it again in Revelation 22:8!…(John’s like one of those fainting goats I think)
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. 9 And he *said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brothers the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!”
Now for today’s passage….
Revelation 19:11-21
The Coming of Christ
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many crowns; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in midheaven, “Come, assemble for the great feast of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, both free and slaves, and small and great.”
19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse, and against His army.
Doom of the Beast and False Prophet
20 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire, which burns with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.
*19:11 11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.
Where did we see a mimicking of Jesus in the same way?
Revelation 6:1-2
6:1 Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, “Come!” 2 I looked, and behold, a white horse, and the one who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.
Who did we determine this was? Keep in mind that one major commentator says this guy on the white horse in Revelation 6 is ALSO Jesus Christ (Matthew Henry).
*19:12 … and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself
Thoughts on this?
Recalls Exodus 3:13-14
13 Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” 14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
(I always think of Popeye)
The Hebrew words in Exodus 3:14 for “ I AM THAT I AM ” are ehyeh asher ehyeh which should more accurately be translated “I will be what I will be” or as Rotherham translates it, “I will become whatsoever I may become.” This expression in Exodus 3:14 is an idiom, an expression that has a meaning that cannot be understood by the individual words.
*19:13 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood…
Whose blood is this? Not HIS blood. The blood of His enemies that He battled at Petra / Bozrah in defense of those hiding there…
*(And of this remnant), some will be believers: Israel’s believing remnant during the Tribulation:
Hosea 5:15
I will go away and return to My place until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me. (God will ‘go away’ from Israel until they cry out for him at the end of the tribulation.)
Zechariah 12:10
10 “I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. (At the second coming of Christ, the Jews will ‘look on the One they pierced’ and mourn in sorrow for their sin)
Zechariah 13:8,9
“It will come about in all the land,” declares the Lord, “That two parts in it will be cut off and perish; but the third will be left in it.”
“And I will bring the third part through the fire, refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are My people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”
**(The Nazi holocaust killed one out of every three Jews. The Antichrist’s holocaust will kill two out of every three Jews. The third part will be protected in Bozrah (Petra), where they flee at the midpoint of the tribulation (when they see the abomination of desolation taking place) much like Noah was protected on the ark. When the Antichrist’s enemies try to overcome them there, they are slaughtered by Christ Himself. Note that when Jesus stands on the Mount of Olives as prophesied, He has blood on His robes. He has just come from Bozrah. This is not His blood on His robes, but that of His enemies…
Isaiah 34:6
6 The sword of the Lord is filled with blood,
It is sated with fat, with the blood of lambs and goats,
With the fat of the kidneys of rams.
For the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah
And a great slaughter in the land of Edom.
Isaiah 63:1-6
Who is this who comes from Edom,
With garments of glowing colors from Bozrah,
This One who is majestic in His apparel,
Marching in the greatness of His strength?
“It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.”
2 Why is Your apparel red,
And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press?
3 “I have trodden the wine trough alone,
And from the peoples there was no man with Me.
I also trod them in My anger
And trampled them in My wrath;
And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments,
And I stained all My raiment.
4 “For the day of vengeance was in My heart,
And My year of redemption has come.
5 “I looked, and there was no one to help,
And I was astonished and there was no one to uphold;
So My own arm brought salvation to Me,
And My wrath upheld Me.
6 “I trod down the peoples in My anger
And made them drunk in My wrath,
And I [e]poured out their lifeblood on the earth.).
[[Who is this Who comes from Edom – H. Van Dyke Parunak observes that “The exchange is what one might expect from a watchman on the city wall (Ed: cf Isa 21:11- 12, see also Ezek 3:17, 33:7), interrogating someone who approaches the city. The first question has to do with the identity of One Who approaches. The second asks an explanation for the striking appearance of His garments.” (Isaiah 63:1-6: The Redeemer Speaks)
From Edom (red) – Yeshua is coming from Bozrah in Edom which is to the southeast of Jerusalem (see discussion of proposed sequence of End Times events). Fruchtenbaum explains that “While the general conception is that when the Messiah initially returns, He will return to the Mount of Olives, the Bible actually puts the Second Coming elsewhere. Four passages definitely place the Second Coming at the city of Bozrah or Petra and a fifth may refer to this event.” (Isaiah 34:1-7, Isaiah 63:1-6, Habakkuk 3:3, Micah 2:12-13).]]
*(There are other OT passages in the big notes to support this)
*19:13 cont’d…and His name is called The Word of God. Recalls John 1:1
*19:14-15 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.
*19:14 cont’d… ‘clothed in fine linen, white and clean’ remember from last week what these are?
From 19:8… 8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Again, we are providing the materials for our own heavenly clothes right now. Will they be like fine linen or like potato sacks?
*We are there gathered as an army, but do not have to fight,
This factt is repeated in 19:21 – ‘21 And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse’
ala 2 Chronicles 20:14-17, ‘you will not have to fight’
14 Then in the midst of the assembly the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite of the sons of Asaph; 15 and he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat: This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s. 16 Tomorrow, go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley in front of the wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You need not fight in this battle; take your position, stand and watch the salvation of the Lord in your behalf, Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow, go out to face them, for the Lord is with you.”
2 Chronicles 20:24-25
24 When Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they turned toward the multitude, and behold, they were corpses lying on the ground, and there was no survivor. 25 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoils, they found much among them, including goods, garments, and valuable things which they took for themselves, more than they could carry. And they were taking the spoils for three days because there was so much.
This battle also echoes Psalm 2:1-9
2 Why are the nations restless
And the peoples plotting in vain?
2 The kings of the earth take their stand
And the rulers conspire together
Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
3 “Let’s tear their shackles apart
And throw their ropes away from us!”
4 He who sits in the heavens laughs,
The Lord scoffs at them.
5 Then He will speak to them in His anger
And terrify them in His fury, saying,
6 “But as for Me, I have installed My King
Upon Zion, My holy mountain.”
7 “I will announce the decree of the Lord:
He said to Me, ‘You are My Son,
Today I have fathered You.
8 Ask it of Me, and I will certainly give the nations as Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth as Your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron,
You shall shatter them like earthenware.’”
(By the way, it is from this verse, as well as Isaiah 63, that we get the line from the 1861 song ‘The Battle Hymn of the Republic’ ‘Glory, glory, Hallelujah He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored…’)
*Remember this was also discussed in Revelation 14:19-20
19 So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. 20 And the wine press was trampled outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of 1,600 stadia.
Which itself recalls two of the parables in Matthew 13 – the Wheat and the Tares and the Fishing Net. Showing yet again what a wonderful capstone Revelation is for the entire Bible.
*19:16 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Self explanatory
*19:17-18
17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in midheaven, “Come, assemble for the great feast of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, both free and slaves, and small and great.”
*This is similar sounding language to the description of the first Gog and Magog war in Ezekiel 38 and 39, which I am guessing will come shortly after the Rapture, along with Isaiah 17, and Psalm 83 just prior…
Ezekiel 39:17-20
17 “Now as for you, son of man, this is what the Lord God says: ‘Say to every `kind of bird and to every animal of the field: “Assemble and come, gather from every direction to My sacrifice, which I am going to sacrifice for you as a great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel; and you will eat flesh and drink blood. 18 You will eat the flesh of warriors and drink the blood of the leaders of the earth, as though they were rams, lambs, goats, and bulls, all of them fattened livestock of Bashan. 19 So you will eat fat until you are full, and drink blood until you are drunk, from My sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you. 20 You will eat your fill at My table with horses and charioteers, with warriors and all the men of war,” declares the Lord God.
So similar, that they are often confused with each other.
*But if this confuses you, read what Ron Rhodes says on pages 76-83 of The End Times in Chronological Order. (Remember Israel burns the weapons for 7 years – this is not contemporaneous with the 7-year Tribulation and if this were describing Armageddon, then they have to burn the weapons into the Millennial Kingdom.
*Revelation 19:19-21
19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse, and against His army. (again, Psalm 2)(this is the end of the war of Har Megiddo) (See pages of the Big Notes)
Doom of the Beast and False Prophet
20 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire, which burns with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.
(*Satan gets cast into the Lake of Fire in the next chapter so stay tuned kids! Same Bat Time, same Bat Channel!)
*This final battle recalls….
Isaiah 34:1-3
34 Come near, you nations, to hear; and listen, you peoples!
Let the earth and all it contains hear, and the world and all that springs from it.
2 For the Lord’s anger is against all the nations,
And His wrath against all their armies.
He has utterly destroyed them,
He has turned them over to slaughter.
3 So their slain will be thrown out,
And their corpses will give off their stench,
And the mountains will be drenched with their blood.
**This concludes the Tribulation period, also known as Daniel’s 70th week as well as the Time of Jacob’s Trouble.