Revelation 19:1-21

From Now to the End of Time

Revelation

Ian Mackervoy

Chapter 19

The crowd praises God in heaven - Revelation 19:1-5

v1 After this, I heard what sounded like the roar of a great crowd in heaven. They were shouting, ‘Praise God! *Salvation comes from our God. And all the *glory and the power are his. v2 God’s judgements are fair and real. God has punished the great city called Babylon. Babylon was like an evil woman who sold her body for sex. And the whole world became evil because of Babylon. Now, God has punished Babylon because Babylon was responsible for the deaths of his servants.’ v3 Then the great crowd shouted again, ‘Praise God! The smoke from the flames that burn Babylon will never end.’

v4 God was sitting on his *throne. And the 24 *elders and the 4 *creatures fell down in front of him. They *worshipped him and said, ‘*Amen. Praise the *Lord!’

v5 Then I heard someone call from the *throne. ‘Praise our God, all you who serve him. Praise him, all you who respect him! Praise him, whoever you may be.’

Verses 1 God had destroyed Babylon. Then John heard a large crowd in heaven. They shouted aloud their praise to God. They praised God for *salvation. He had rescued them. And he had taken them to be with him in heaven. God had achieved it all, and all the *glory belonged to him. God had shown his power. He had defeated all who were against him. God alone deserves all honour and praise.

Verse 2 God always does what is right. He was right to punish Babylon. Babylon deserved its punishment.

All through history, Babylon (and everything that Babylon means) had caused people to *sin against God. Babylon had drawn people away from God. Babylon had made evil things seem so attractive.

Babylon had caused the deaths of many servants of God. So, Babylon was guilty of their murder. God destroyed Babylon because Babylon had killed his servants.

Verse 3 Again, the vast crowd in heaven shouted. They praised God. They praised him because the *ruin of Babylon was final. Babylon could never rise again. Nobody would rebuild Babylon. The smoke, which was still rising from the flames, proves it. Babylon has gone and it will never exist again.

Verse 4 The *elders and the four *creatures praised God for all that he had done. They fell down to show him honour. And they *worshipped him.

Verse 5 Then a voice called out from the *throne of God. It called to everyone who served the *Lord. It called them all to join in the *praise of our God. All who respect God should praise him. Important people should praise him. And everyone else should praise him too. All God’s people on earth and in heaven will shout their *praises to God.

The return of Christ - Revelation 19:6-21

The marriage of the *Lamb - Revelation 19:6-10

v6 Then I heard what sounded like the shouts of a great crowd of people. It was loud like the sound of many rivers. It was loud like *thunder. The people shouted, ‘Praise God! Our *Lord God who has all power now rules as king over all. v7 We shall be glad and we shall be very happy. We shall praise God. And we shall give honour to him. The time has come for the *Lamb to marry. The bride of the *Lamb has made herself ready for him. v8 God has given her clothes to her. These clothes are beautiful white cloth that is bright and clean.’ (The white cloth means the good things that God’s people have done.)

v9 Then the *angel told me to write. ‘Happy are the people whom God has invited to the meal at the wedding of the *Lamb.’ And the *angel said to me, ‘These are true words from God.’

v10 Then I fell at the feet of the *angel to *worship him. But he said to me, ‘Do not *worship me. I serve God as you and the other Christians do. They follow the truth that Jesus taught. The truth that Jesus showed is the spirit of *prophecy. So you must *worship God alone.’

Verse 6 God’s people answered the voice that told them to praise God. The sound of their *praise was loud. It was as loud as the sound of water in a flood. It was loud like the sound of *thunder.

God had now destroyed all the power of evil things. God has always controlled history. But he allowed other people to rule for a time. Now God had begun to rule as king over all.

The *Lord is our God. He is the God who has all power. He has control. And now he would rule over all things.

Verse 7 The song of *praise continues. It is time to be glad and happy. Praise God for who he is! Praise him for all that he has done!

The wedding of the *Lamb has come. The bride of Christ is ready for the marriage. She has prepared herself for him. The bride means the true *church. So, this is a description of the unity of Christ and the *church.

When John wrote, marriage was in two parts. The first part was the agreement to be married. When the man and the woman made their agreement, they became husband and wife. But until the actual wedding, they did not live together and they did not have sex. The second part was the wedding itself. The bridegroom went to the house of the bride. He then took her back to his own house. There they had a great meal and they were married.

The *church is like the bride of Christ. She belongs to him now. But the *church waits for the *Lord Jesus to come. He will take her and they will be together. In that day, the marriage of Christ and the *church will be complete. It will then be like a great wedding meal.

The *church has made herself ready as a bride does for her wedding. Jesus loved the *church. He gave himself for her by his death. His purpose was to remove all *sin and to make her clean. So, the *church would be fit to live with him (Ephesians 5:25-27). The *Lord has done it all. But, the *church must be active. She must put into effect what Jesus has done for her. In this, she makes herself ready for him.

Verse 8 The bride (the *church) must make herself ready. But she cannot get her beautiful clothes for herself. God must give them to her as a gift. The dress for the wedding is of bright white cloth.

Although the dress is a gift, there must also be action by the bride. The cloth means the good deeds that she has done. She has not earned her *salvation. But she has obeyed the *Lord. And she has done what is right.

Verse 9 The *angel told John to write. Nobody can earn the right to go to the wedding meal. Only those whom God invites can go. Those whom he invites will be happy. This is what God has said. All that God says is true.

Verse 10 The *angel so impressed John that he (John) fell down to *worship him (the *angel). But the *angel told him not to do it. Such *worship would be wrong. *Angels are servants of God. Christians are also servants of God. We should only *worship God.

Christians believe that Jesus taught the truth. They follow what Jesus said.

The purpose of *prophecy is to show who Jesus is. So, Christ is the main subject of *prophecy. The Holy Spirit speaks about him and about things that will happen in the future.

Christ the king appears - Revelation 19:11-16

v11 Then I looked. I saw that heaven was open. And there I saw a white horse. The name of the rider of the horse was Loyal and True. He is a judge who is always fair and correct. And he goes to fight against his enemies. v12 His eyes shone like fire and he wore many crowns on his head. He had a name written on him, but nobody except himself knows it. v13 Blood covered the long clothes that he wore. And his name is the Word of God. v14 The armies of heaven followed him on white horses. They wore clothes of fine cloth, which was clean and white. v15 A sharp sword seemed to come from the rider’s mouth. With it, he will defeat the nations. He will rule the nations strictly, like a *shepherd with an iron stick. One presses *grapes in a *winepress and wine flows out. So, he will cause the fierce anger of the all-powerful God to flow out. v16 The rider had on his clothes, and on his upper leg, this name: ‘King of kings and *Lord of *lords.’

Verse 11 Heaven opens and there is a white horse. The description of the rider tells us who will win the last battle. The rider will fight the last war. He will bring to an end this present age. He is the *Lord Jesus Christ.

In this verse, the name that he has is ‘Loyal and True’. He is right to fight against his enemies. He will be the judge of all who are on the earth.

Verse 12 The eyes of the rider shine like flames of fire. The rider’s eyes are special in this description, because the *Lord sees all things. Nobody can hide anything from him.

He has many crowns on his head. This means that Christ is the ruler over all other kings. He has all authority in heaven and on the earth.

The rider also has a name that only he knows. It is a secret name. We can know the *Lord but there will always be more to know. He is so much more than we shall ever be able to understand.

Verse 13 In this strange description, blood covers the clothes of Christ. It is the blood of his enemies. As Christ goes into the battle, blood splashes his clothes.

The *Lord Jesus has the names ‘Loyal and True’. He also has a secret name. But here his name is the Word of God. In the *gospel of John, ‘the Word’ means Jesus. Jesus was with God in the beginning of time. He is God.

Verse 14 The armies that follow Christ are on white horses. They wear white and clean clothes. This shows that they also win the war. But Christ wins the battle and they follow him.

Verse 15 The rider on the white horse has a sharp sword. It seems to come from his mouth. This description shows us the power of his words. They are like a sword that cuts his enemies to pieces. He will speak and, by his words, he will defeat the nations. Christ overcomes all by the words of his power. This is what Isaiah the *prophet said. ‘He will strike the earth with the bar of his mouth. With the breath of his lips, he will kill the wicked people.’ (Isaiah 11:4).

He will rule the nations like a *shepherd with an iron stick. An iron stick is strong and it will not bend. So, Christ will be strict when he rules the nations. He will punish all who do not obey him. (See Psalms 2:9.)

He will press his enemies as one presses *grapes. To make wine, one squeezes the *grapes until the juice flows out. So, with the anger of God, Christ will kill his enemies.

Verse 16 The rider is the King of kings and the *Lord of *lords. The *Lord Jesus is the king over all the nations. There is nobody on earth or in heaven like him. He alone has all power and he alone rules over all.

The defeat of the enemies - Revelation 19:17-21

v17 Then I saw an *angel who was standing in the sun. With a loud voice, he called to all the birds that were flying high in the air. ‘Come together for the great supper of God. v18 Come and eat the dead bodies of kings. Eat the dead bodies of the leaders of armies and their soldiers. Eat the dead bodies of horses and those that rode them. Eat the dead bodies of all the people, free people and slaves, famous and unimportant people.’

v19 Then I saw the *beast and all the kings of the earth with their armies. They came to fight against the rider on the white horse. And they came to fight against his army. v20 The *Lord seized the *beast and the false *prophet. He threw them alive into the lake of fire that burns with *sulphur. (This false *prophet did acts of power on behalf of the first *beast. By these acts, he caused people to believe his lies. They received the mark of the *beast and they *worshipped the *beast.) v21 The rider on the white horse killed all the soldiers with the sword that seemed to come out of his mouth. And all the birds ate the dead bodies until they were full.

Verses 17-18 Christ and his army are ready to fight in the final battle. An *angel appears in the sun. He knows the result of the battle. Christ will defeat all the armies that come against him.

There will be many dead bodies on the ground. So, the *angel calls out with a loud voice to the birds. He calls to the birds that fly high in the sky. These birds feed on meat. He calls them to come and eat. This is the great supper of God for the birds. It is called the supper of God because God provides the food.

The ranks of the enemy include all kinds of men. Among the dead persons, there will be kings, officers and their armies. The horses and those who rode them will be dead. The bodies will include free people and slaves. All of these will be food for the birds to eat.

Verse 19 John saw the two sides. They were preparing to fight. On one side was the *beast (the *Antichrist). The kings of the earth and their armies were with him. On the other side were Christ and his army.

The place of the battle will be Armageddon. The *demons had already called the kings to that place (Revelation 16:16).

Verse 20 This battle is the defeat of *Antichrist by the real Christ. The *Lord took hold of the *beast (*Antichrist) and the false *prophet. He threw them alive into the lake of fire. A fire that burns with *sulphur is extremely hot. And *sulphur burns with an awful smell. This is a description of a terrible place of pain and trouble. Those who are there will always suffer.

This false *prophet had power from the *beast. The false *prophet forced all who live on the earth to *worship the *beast. And the false *prophet did great acts of power. He made fire come down out of heaven to earth. By these acts, he caused the people who lived on earth to believe lies. He ordered that all people must receive a mark. This mark was on their hands or on the front of their heads. Everyone, famous and unimportant people, rich and poor people, free people and slaves had to have the mark. That mark was the name of the *beast or the number of that name.

Verse 21 The Word of God (Christ) defeated the armies of *Antichrist. He killed all the soldiers with the sword of his mouth (that is, by his word). Their dead bodies lay on the ground as the *angel had said. The birds came. And they ate as much of the dead bodies as they could.

salvation ~ the result when God saves us from sin and punishment; the new life that God gives to those who believe in the Lord Jesus.
sin ~ sin is the wrong things that we do. To sin is to do wrong, bad or evil deeds and not to obey God. Those who sin are called sinners.
Lord ~ a title for God, or Jesus, to show that he is over all people and things.
lord ~ a title for someone who rules.
glory ~ great honour and beauty.
throne ~ the special chair for the king or for an important person.
elders ~ usually they are older men. In the Book of Revelation, they are the 24 people who sit on thrones in heaven.
throne ~ the special chair for the king or for an important person.
creatures ~ Things that are alive. In the Book of Revelation, there are 4 special angels in heaven called creatures.
angel ~ a servant of God from heaven. God made angels to serve him and to take his messages. So, angels are God’s servants from heaven. But there are evil angels who opposed God. These evil angels now serve the devil.
worship ~ the act when someone shows honour to God (or to an idol). Someone who worships, praises God. That person thanks God. And that person respects God.
idols ~ objects that people worship instead of God.
amen ~ a word from the Hebrew (Old Testament) language, which means ‘we agree’. Or, ‘it is true’.

Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible; the holy things that the writers wrote before Jesus’ birth.
Lord ~ a title for God, or Jesus, to show that he is over all people and things.
lord ~ a title for someone who rules.
salvation ~ the result when God saves us from sin and punishment; the new life that God gives to those who believe in the Lord Jesus.
sin ~ sin is the wrong things that we do. To sin is to do wrong, bad or evil deeds and not to obey God. Those who sin are called sinners.
Lord ~ a title for God, or Jesus, to show that he is over all people and things.
lord ~ a title for someone who rules.
sin ~ sin is the wrong things that we do. To sin is to do wrong, bad or evil deeds and not to obey God. Those who sin are called sinners.
ruin ~ whatever remains after someone destroys a city or a building.
praise ~ words that give honour to God.
lamb ~ a young sheep.
Lamb ~ a name for Jesus because he died as a sacrifice for our sin. He is the Lamb of God.
sacrifice ~ the priests killed a special animal and they burned it on an altar. This was to ask God to forgive sins. Jesus died as a sacrifice for our sins.
sin ~ sin is the wrong things that we do. To sin is to do wrong, bad or evil deeds and not to obey God. Those who sin are called sinners.
altar ~ the special table where priests burned animals and other gifts that they offered to God.
forgive ~ to forgive is to remove sin.
thunder ~ the sound that comes after lightning during a storm.
angel ~ a servant of God from heaven. God made angels to serve him and to take his messages. So, angels are God’s servants from heaven. But there are evil angels who opposed God. These evil angels now serve the devil.
prophecy ~ a message from God; a gift of the Holy Spirit.
church ~ a group of Christians. The word ‘church’ has two main meanings. Sometimes the meaning is one church in a particular place; and the Christians who meet there. But sometimes the word ‘church’ means Christians everywhere, especially in the phrase ‘the whole church’.
angel ~ a servant of God from heaven. God made angels to serve him and to take his messages. So, angels are God’s servants from heaven. But there are evil angels who opposed God. These evil angels now serve the devil.
shepherd ~ someone who takes care of sheep.
grape ~ fruit of a vine (a climbing plant). You can make it into wine.
winepress ~ a place where people press fruit called grapes in order to make wine.
Lord ~ a title for God, or Jesus, to show that he is over all people and things.
lord ~ a title for someone who rules.
gospel ~ the good news that God saves people from sin because of Jesus Christ.
sin ~ sin is the wrong things that we do. To sin is to do wrong, bad or evil deeds and not to obey God. Those who sin are called sinners.
prophet ~ person who speaks for God. A prophet can sometimes say what will happen in the future. The Book of Revelation also describes a false prophet. This false prophet speaks on behalf of the Antichrist and Satan.
Antichrist ~ a powerful ruler who imitates and opposes Christ. The Book of Revelation also describes the Antichrist as ‘the beast’. The Antichrist hates Christ. The Bible also refers to many antichrists. These are people who hate Christ like the Antichrist.
Satan ~ the name of the devil.
beast ~ an animal. In this Book of Revelation, the beasts describe Satan, Antichrist and the false prophet.
beast ~ an animal. In this Book of Revelation, the beasts describe Satan, Antichrist and the false prophet.
Satan ~ the name of the devil.
Antichrist ~ a powerful ruler who imitates and opposes Christ. The Book of Revelation also describes the Antichrist as ‘the beast’. The Antichrist hates Christ. The Bible also refers to many antichrists. These are people who hate Christ like the Antichrist.
prophet ~ person who speaks for God. A prophet can sometimes say what will happen in the future. The Book of Revelation also describes a false prophet. This false prophet speaks on behalf of the Antichrist and Satan.
sulphur ~ sulphur is a chemical. A fire that burns with sulphur is extremely hot. And sulphur burns with an awful smell.
Antichrist ~ a powerful ruler who imitates and opposes Christ. The Book of Revelation also describes the Antichrist as ‘the beast’. The Antichrist hates Christ. The Bible also refers to many antichrists. These are people who hate Christ like the Antichrist.
beast ~ an animal. In this Book of Revelation, the beasts describe Satan, Antichrist and the false prophet.
Satan ~ the name of the devil.
prophet ~ person who speaks for God. A prophet can sometimes say what will happen in the future. The Book of Revelation also describes a false prophet. This false prophet speaks on behalf of the Antichrist and Satan.
demons ~ evil angels that serve the devil.
angel ~ a servant of God from heaven. God made angels to serve him and to take his messages. So, angels are God’s servants from heaven. But there are evil angels who opposed God. These evil angels now serve the devil.