Revelation 19:1-20:15
Praise, Marriage Supper of the Lamb, Rider on the White Horse, Supper of the Great God, Battle at Armageddon, Satan Bound for 1,000 Years, Messianic Kingdom, Last Battle, Judgement, Lake of Fire
Good morning,
This week we will look at Revelation 19-20. It begins with praise in heaven and ends with judgement for those who were not found in the book of life.
1) Praise in Heaven (19:1-5)
“And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God:2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.3 And again they said, Alleluia And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.”
Chapters 19 and 20 bring the climax of the Book of Revelation: the return of Christ to establish His millennial kingdom. But first, these five verses show heaven’s response to the judgement of the harlot. The multitude in heaven praises God for judging the great whore (Babylon, the harlot) and avenging the blood of the martyrs (cf. 7:9-17).
2) The Marriage Supper of the Lamb (19:6-10)
“And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
The marriage of the Lamb: The wife or bride of Christ is the church (cf. Matt.22:2-14, John 3:29, 2 Cor. 11:2, Eph. 5:25-32), and is the eternal union of the church with Christ following the rapture (cf. 1 Thess. 4:17).
The marriage supper of the Lamb will take place after the Church has been taken to Heaven in the Rapture and following the judgment seat of Christ, but it will happen before we return with Christ to earth at His glorious appearing. This means the marriage of the lamb and the marriage supper of lamb will all take place in heaven.
3) The Rider on the White Horse (19:11-16)
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 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.16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.”
Here the True Messiah returns in victorious conquest.
4) Supper of the great God (19:17-18)
“And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.”
God calls the fowls or birds of the sky to gather to eat the flesh of those who have died in the battle of Armageddon (cf. 16:14, 16, 19:21, Ezek. 39:17-20).
5) Battle at Armageddon (19:19-21)
“And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.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.”
Christ defeats His enemies. Captures the Beast and false prophet and casts them into the lake of fire. Remnant defeated by the sword proceeding from Christ’s mouth.
6) Satan Bound for a Thousand Years (20:1-3)
“And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.”
7) Messianic Kingdom (20:4-6)
“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years.” First resurrection a resurrection to life.
8) Last Battle (20:7-9)
“And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
9) Judgement (11-13)
“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.”
10) The Lake of Fire (20:14-15)
“And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
Second resurrection a resurrection of death.
Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com
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