PHIL HARRIS
Introduction
The first five verses of Revelation 19 served as the conclusion of the previous chapter; the voice of a “great multitude in heaven”, the twenty-four elders, and the four living creatures expressed the joy of the martyrs who have been killed during the tribulation upon learning of the eternal end of the great prostitute of Babylon. These verses of praise and worship lead us to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
In the biblical Greek language (Strong’s G239), “hallelujah” is an imperative verb, derived from the Hebrew, meaning to “praise ye the Lord”; therefore, only the saints of God have reason to say and sing “Hallelujah”.
While hallelujah (or alleluia, an alternate spelling) is a word found in numerous places of the Old Testament, it is only used in the New Testament in these first verses of Revelation 19.
Rejoicing in Heaven
The chapter begins with a Hallelujah that the Great Prostitute is dead.
After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants” (Rev. 19:1-2).
The great multitude in heaven likely includes the martyred saints (Rev. 6:9; 17:6) who are singing from under the throne of God. They give praise to God because his judgments are true and just because He has judged the Great Prostitute of Babylon and has avenged on her the blood of “his servants”.
Not only is the Prostitute now dead, but The heavenly multitude praises God because the smoke of the Great Prostitute goes up eternally:
Once more they cried out, “Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever” (Rev. 19:3).
In the book of James chapter four, the saints of God are warned against worldly thinking and the judging of others. One might wonder why the multitude in heaven, then, is rejoicing over the Prostitute’s judgment and torment.
First, let’s look at James 4:11:
Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge (James 4:11).
Here in Revelation, however, the “hallelujah” is for the fact that our righteous God has eternally judged all that is evil. This rejoicing is acknowledging the righteous judgment of our sovereign God; the multitude is not speaking evil nor judging evil themselves.
In this outpouring of “Hallelujahs”, God is being worshiped in heaven:
And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” And from the throne came a voice saying, “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great” (Rev. 19:4-5).
The twenty-four elders and four living creatures fall down, worship God, and say, “Amen and Hallelujah”
The voice from the throne isn’t identified but is most likely an angel with the authority to call all servants of God, those who have a righteous fear of God and are able to sing praises to God.
The roar of praise swells until it sounds like “many waters” and thunder:
Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns” (Rev. 19:6).
In response to the voice from the throne, the great multitude with an overwhelming crescendo again sings out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.” The deafening shout then leads into the announcement of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
The cry of praise announces the marriage of the Lamb. Ephesians 5 goes into detail about the metaphor of the church being the bride of Christ, and here in Revelation 19 we read about the time that the betrothal will be consummated in marriage. Based on the brief details here, it seems likely that the marriage supper of the Lamb will occur in heaven. In verses seven and eight we read that the Bride is ready:
Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints (Rev. 19:7-8).
The righteous deeds of the saints can only be founded upon the gospel message of Jesus Christ:
According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled[ master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. (1 Cor. 3:10-15)
While the promised return of our Savior hasn’t been specifically mentioned in Revelation 19:7-8, we know from Matthew 24:30–31 and 1 Thessalonians 4:17–17 that all the saints of God are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. We also know that at his return all eyes will see him:
Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other (Matthew 24:30-31).
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord (1 Thess. 4:16-17).
From these passages we see a fuller picture of the events immediately preceding the marriage supper of the Lamb. The Lord Jesus will come to claim His bride.
Another point that isn’t mentioned in this chapter of Revelation is that we know that the elect (only the elect) will stand before the judgment seat of God (Strong’s G968) for rewards, which in Greek is called the ‘Bema Seat’’:
Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us will give an account of himself to God (Rom. 14:10-12).
A thousand years later the wicked dead are resurrected and stand before Great White Throne of God before being cast into the Lake of Fire because their names are not in the Book of Life. (See Rev. 20:5-15).
In verse 9 John tells us about the invitation to the marriage supper:
And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God” (Rev. 19:9).
We learn more about this promised marriage supper of the Lamb in Ephesians 5:25–27 where Paul alludes to it in this passage:
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish (Eph. 5:25-27).
The coming marriage supper of the Lamb is represented in our own time through the holy joining together of a Christian man and woman in marriage. In fact, the marriage of the Lamb is not an echo of human marriage; rather, human marriage is an echo of the eternal reality of Christ’s marriage to His bride, the church.
Significantly for former Seventh-day Adventists, the angel speaking to John next correctly identifies the spirit of prophecy:
Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Rev. 19:10).
The apostle John appears to be so overwhelmed that he falls down to worship the angel who brings him this news. The angel stops him from doing so by saying that he is a fellow servant with those who hold to the testimony of Jesus.
The meaning of this verse is that only Jesus embodies the spirit of prophecy, and therefore, only He is to be worshiped as the Son of God. Furthermore, the brothers and fellow servants of Jesus “hold to the testimony of Jesus”. In other words, believers have the true gospel and know the true Jesus. The true testimony of Jesus is the truth about Him which He reveals and which believers declare. Speaking this truth is speaking, or testifying, with the true “spirit of prophecy”. God’s Spirit reveals the truth about the Lord Jesus to those with ears to hear.
In Adventism this verse is taken out of context by teaching that Ellen G. White is the spirit of prophecy. Adventists use this verse as a proof-text for elevating EGW’s inspiration and importance. This interpretation is heresy because it implies that the prophetess and her writings are to be regarded as revelation from God and are worthy of reverence and worship. Since she never objected to nor disavowed this title, she is guilty of propagating what is heresy. Tellingly much of her writings are called testimonies.
Sitting On A White Horse
This last section of Revelation 19 adds detail to the prophetic account of what happens at the pouring out of the bowls of God’s wrath. Thus, this passage includes the Battle of Armageddon. Here we find out what happens during and at the conclusion of this last battle of this age.
In verses 11 and 12 we are directed simply to “Behold” the appearance of the white horse and its rider:
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself (Rev. 19:11-12).
Heaven is opened and out comes Jesus the Lamb who is mounted on a white horse. The Lamb is faithful and true, and in righteousness He judges and makes war against the last ten wicked kingdoms of the earth, an authority alluded to by the many diadems on His head.
The phrase “Behold a white horse” was first introduced in Revelation 6 during the opening of one of the seven seals:
Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer (Rev. 6:1-2).
Here in Revelation we are seeing a different aspect of Jesus’ authority. In His incarnation he came not to condemn but to savers He stated in John 3:16–17:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him (John 3:16-17).
During His earthly ministry, Jesus became sin for us and took the judgment for our sin so that we can become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21). He was the Lamb that was slain for us.
However, in his “second coming”, the Lamb of God returns to judge and make war, bringing an eternal end of all that is wicked. Because He took human sin and offered the perfect, sufficient sacrifice for it, He has earned the right to return as the judge of all the earth:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man (John 5:25–27).
Next we learn the name of this rider of the white horse:
He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses (Rev. 19:13-14).
The armies of heaven follow the Lamb who is ready for battle, and the armies are seated on white horses and are clothed in linen, white and pure.
Besides echoing Jesus’ shed blood which purchased His right to rule and judge, the Lamb’s “robe dipped in blood” foreshadows what happens at the Battle of Armageddon (Rev. 16:15), a battle alluded to in Revelation 14:19–20 when an angel swings his sickle:
So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse’s bridle, for 1,600 stadia (Rev. 14:19-20).
In the next verses we learn that the Word is also the King of kings and Lord of lords:
From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:15-16).
From the mouth of the Lamb comes the Word described as a “sharp sword”. Jesus the Lamb of God, who died for the sins of the world, now speaks in judgment over all the earth, bringing an end to all its evil nations.
In the present day Paul explains that, as the body of Christ, believers are encouraged to be wearing the whole armor of God, including this same sword of the Spirit which identifies the Lamb who is the King of kings and Lord of lords:
In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak (Ephesians 6:16–20).
In other words, the body of Christ has the power and protection of the King of kings Himself.
Finally, with all that is evil defeated, the Lamb is now manifested as the eternal King of kings and Lord of lords.
Then an angel announces the great supper of God:
Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great” (Rev. 19:17-18).
An angel, standing with the sun shinning on him, invites the vultures of the air to come and feast at “the great supper of God” at the end of the Battle of Armageddon. The obvious intent is to cleanse the earth.
This prophetic event was also recorded in Ezekiel chapter 39:17-19 where “birds of every sort” and “all beasts of the field” are commanded:
“And you shall eat fat till you are filled, and drink blood till you are drunk, at the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you. And you shall be filled at my table with horses and charioteers, with mighty men and all kinds of warriors,” declares the Lord GOD (Ezek. 39:19-20).
At the conclusion of the Lord’s destruction of the evil nations, the beast and the false prophet are captured and thrown alive into the Lake of Fire:
And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur (Rev. 19:19-20).
We are reminded that it is the Antichrist along with the alliance of the ten wicked kings of the earth who make war against the one riding on a white horse at the Battle of Armageddon.
This fiery end of the antichrist is also foretold in the book of Daniel. This judgment of God marks the end of the times of the gentiles and brings about the collapse of the evil world empires:
“As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire.
A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.
“I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire (Daniel 7:9–11).
The end result is that the Antichrist and the False Prophet are cast alive eternally into the Lake of Fire because they deceived those who had received the mark of the beast.
The rest of the wicked were “slain by the sword”, and the birds gorged themselves on the bodies:
And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh (Rev. 19:21).
In the next chapter we learn that Satan the Dragon will be seized next and cast into the pit for a thousand years.
Summary
- When a person says “Hallelujah”, the biblical meaning is to give praise to God. Only the saints of God have reason to do so. The overwhelming joy they express in this chapter is that the whore of Babylon is forever dead. In heaven the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fall down and worship God.
- The saints of God from all ages are now ready to attend the wedding supper of the Lamb by being clothed in “fine linen bright and pure” which represent their righteous deeds. These righteous deeds are founded upon nothing other than the gospel message of the Lamb.
- Only Jesus the Lamb is the Spirit of Prophecy. Within Adventism Ellen G. White is given this title, but this designation is heresy.
- When the Lamb comes out of heaven riding on a white horse, the vision steps back to the Battle of Armageddon where all evil is defeated. The one sitting on a white horse, the Lamb of God, is Faithful and True because in righteousness He judges and makes war contrasted to His first incarnation where He died for the sins of the world and received God’s judgment for them. In alliance with the Lamb, holy angels come out of heaven also riding on white horses.
- The robe of the Lamb, who is the Word of God, is dipped in blood signifying both His death for human sin and His right to judge as well as His victory at the Battle of Armageddon which ends in the total defeat of evil.
- From the mouth of the Word comes a sharp sword. This Word is the same weapon of God that all Christians are encouraged to be wearing. In fact, it is Christians’ only offensive weapon.
- All that is evil is cleansed from earth by birds who are gorged with the flesh of the wicked.
- The Antichrist and the false prophet are cast alive into Lake of Fire.
—All biblical quotes taken from the ESV
- Daniel 5: Babylon Is Fallen! - April 25, 2024
- Daniel 4: The Stump Bound By Iron and Bronze - March 7, 2024
- Daniel 3: The Fiery Furnace - December 21, 2023