Revelation 19:1-21
Please read your Bible text: Rev 19:1-21
‘On his robe and thigh was written this title: King of kings and Lord of lords.’ Rev 19:16
Spectacular worship is seen here in heaven over the downfall of Babylon, and at the same time ushering in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. The ‘Marriage Supper of the Lamb’ is the high point in heaven, in which the union of supreme love will have been consummated, and the marriage supper will have been filled with guests. It is the celebration and consummation of the marriage between Christ and the Church (the faithful saints). In the Pauline Epistle, the church has always been referred to, as the Bride of Christ. The marriage here is a symbolic consumption of the union between Christ and the Church.
Notes to Readers: The following paragraph here in italics is my personal thought. The passage in Revelation 18 does not mention the rapture of the church…
I personally believed by this time, the Church (comprising both Jews and Gentile believers) is being taken up to meet the Lord in the air. How could the wedding take place if the Church (the Bride) is still on earth going through the Great Tribulation? The Rapture must have had happened before the pouring of the bowl judgments. John noted for us in Rev. 16:15 (smack right amid the bowls judgment) that we are to be watchful for the Lord will come unexpectedly as a thief. Could this be the time when the Church would be caught up (raptured) as described by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17? Furthermore, I believe the saints (faithful Christians) would be delivered from God’s wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10). The wrath to come is seen in the bowls judgment which is the ultimate outpouring of God’s wrath on the world.
The presentation of the King and the Lord on a white horse follows the Marriage Celebration. This is the Exalted and Glorified Jesus Christ. The description of the crown on His head, the sword from His mouth, and the robe stained with blood are the presentations of the King of kings and Lord of lords – ready to execute the war against Satan, his false prophet, and the world. The ‘host of heaven’ would also be prepared on white horses to follow the Lord Jesus down on earth to wage war and then to rule the earth.
While there are the preparation and presentation of the King in heaven – Satan is frantically getting ready on earth to war against the coming King. He does so by instigating the rulers of the nations, the superpowers of the world against Israel, who is the apple of God’s eye and whose deliverer is the Lord Jesus Christ. This would be the final world war – known as the battle of Armageddon. This is seen in the pouring of the sixth bowl judgment on the earth (Rev. 16:12-13).
The Worship in Heaven
“Hallelujah” is sounded four times (v.1, 3, 4, & 6) in the worship of God Almighty. In glory and power, God has saved His people and met out His judgment on the diabolical falsehood of Satan on the earth. It may seem that their worship here is inspired by vindictiveness or revenge (v.2), but I am sure there are in heaven for all the saints to be triumphant in worship over the awesome character of God who is altogether lovely and loving, besides being the Almighty. We ought to worship God not only for what He has done but also for who He is! The third and fourth resound of the “Hallelujah” was to who God is – the One who sits on the Throne (v.4) and the One who is the reigning Almighty (v.6).
The Wedding Feast
Concurrently with the fall of Babylon on earth is the marriage of the Lamb in heaven – a wedding feast of the Lamb. It is precisely called the wedding feast of the Lamb because the focus is on the Lord Jesus Christ – the Son of God who came as the Lamb of God to be slain for the sins of the world! This is the sole purpose of why God sent His Son, and this is the reason why the Son, Jesus Christ suffered and died. Jesus endured the cross – the shame and the pain – for the joy set before Him – the joy of having the church, His people as His Bride. Before the Lord Jesus assumes the task of governing the world together with His saints in the millennium – the union of supreme love will be consummated. “How blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb”. John was asked specially to write this (v.9) because this is the true (faithful) saying of God Almighty. We are not as mistakenly called to be the wedding guests, but as the universal corporate church – the Bride of Christ. And God said that I am so blessed to be called, are you? The truth that we are to be the bride of Christ must keep us pure and faithful to the end. We must be watchful, for the Bridegroom may come unexpectedly in the night, as Jesus taught in the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13).
The Worthy Vision of the King
It is worthwhile to look at John’s vision of Christ as the coming King—the King of kings and Lord of lords to judge Satan and the world superpowers which have always been antagonistic to Israel, the apple of God’s eyes. Notice the few descriptions of Christ:
a) He sits on a white horse, and His eyes were like a flame of fire – no longer on a donkey as he was once on earth but as the magnificent, formidable warrior.
b) on His head were many crowns, once a crown of thorns but now, the crown of gold.
c) His mouth issues forth a sharp sword, meaning by the words of His mouth, the nations of the world are judged and
d) His robe stained with blood – not with the blood of the saints as mistakenly thought, but with the blood of His foes (See Isa. 63:2 and Ps. 2:9). Also, notice the two attributes of Christ – “He is faithful,” because He will stand by us to the very end. He is “True,” never doing less but always more than He has promised. Let us follow Him – our faithful and true super-hero! Let us worship Him.
The War on Earth
The Lord Jesus sitting on a white horse will come with His army in full battle array against Satan and his demonic forces and the nations that are against Israel. The victor of this battle has already been determined here in John’s vision. The devastation of the battle is vividly described as humongous tons of corpses lying on the battlefield for vultures to feed on. And the one who wields such awesome destruction would be the Lord Jesus on the white horse – He would kill by the “sword” which proceeded from His mouth. Satan and his false prophet will be taken and cast into the abyss. The question for us today is – on which side of the “fence” would you want to be? Would you be on the side of heaven – in worship and in the marriage supper of the Lamb or would you be on the side of Satan in doom and destruction?
Think: He once came lowly, riding on a donkey—Soon He comes kingly, riding on a Horse.
Prayer: Lord, the angels are envious of us as the redeemed—for we are the Church, the Bride of the Lamb. Thank you, Lord, for your redemptive work had secured us as the Bride of Christ.
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