Revelation 19

Studies in Revelation
by Dr. John H. Roller

Chapter 19



Revelation 19:1
AFTER THESE THINGS, I (the Apostle John) HEARD SOMETHING LIKE A LOUD VOICE OF A GREAT MULTITUDE IN HEAVEN (this doesn’t mean that there were actually any people in Heaven, then or at any other time; John was merely saying that if you could imagine there being a large crowd of people in Heaven, and if you could imagine them all shouting something together at once, then you would have some idea of what he “heard” in his vision – it was a sound like what that sound would be), SAYING, “HALLELUJAH (‘Praise God’)! SALVATION, POWER, AND GLORY BELONG TO OUR GOD:

Revelation 19:2
FOR TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS ARE HIS (God’s) JUDGMENTS (decisions). FOR HE (God) HAS JUDGED (and condemned to death) THE GREAT PROSTITUTE (‘Babylon the Great,’ as described in Revelation 17 and 18), WHO CORRUPTED THE EARTH WITH HER SEXUAL IMMORALITY, AND HE (God) HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS (God’s) SERVANTS (the true Christians) AT HER HAND.”

Revelation 19:3
A SECOND (voice) SAID, “HALLELUJAH (‘Praise God’)! HER SMOKE GOES UP FOREVER AND EVER.” This verse has often been pulled out of its context and using against the biblical teaching that the final destiny of the unsaved is to be completely destroyed (or “annihilated”) – that they will cease to exist altogether. Those who hold the other position say, “See? Doesn’t this verse say that they’re going to burn and burn and burn forever and ever?” But, first of all, this verse isn’t talking about people at all; it’s talking about a city – and not a literal city at that, but a city that has been used in John’s vision as a symbol for a certain political and religious system. So, you might say, “Well, doesn’t it mean that that system is going to burn and burn and burn forever and ever?” No. It simply says that the smoke that was generated by the burning of the city will continue to rise forever and ever. The smoke is the evidence that there has been a fire and that something has been burned up in it. You know the old expression, “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.” But, that’s not literally true. What’s true is that where there’s smoke, there has been a fire; but there may not be a fire there anymore. When you have finished putting out a campfire, you can look up in the sky and see the smoke that had been generated by that fire while it was still burning. That smoke can rise long after the fire itself has been extinguished, or (as in this case) has gone out of its own accord once it ran out of fuel to burn. What this verse means is that permanent evidence that the city has been completely destroyed exists. In reality, that evidence is nothing more dramatic than the very fact that the city itself can no longer be seen, since it no longer exists. The political and religious system that had been represented by the city in the vision no longer exists, and will never exist again; the “rising” of the “smoke” is the symbolic evidence of that fact.

Revelation 19:4
THE TWENTY-FOUR ELDERS AND THE FOUR LIVING CREATURES (who had been described in Revelation 4:4-11) FELL DOWN AND WORSHIPED GOD WHO SITS ON THE THRONE, SAYING, “AMEN (‘So be it’)! HALLELUJAH (‘Praise God’)!” So there was rejoicing among the angels and among the characters in John’s vision who symbolize the people of God of all ages because of the destruction of all that which had opposed Him.

Revelation 19:5
A VOICE CAME FORTH FROM THE THRONE, SAYING, “GIVE PRAISE TO OUR GOD, ALL YOU HIS SERVANTS, YOU WHO FEAR (have reverence for) HIM, THE SMALL AND THE GREAT!”

Revelation 19:6
I (John) HEARD SOMETHING LIKE THE VOICE OF A GREAT MULTITUDE (see comments on Revelation 19:1), AND LIKE THE VOICE OF MANY WATERS (just as the “voice of a great multitude” doesn’t mean that they are any people in Heaven, so the “voice of many waters” doesn’t mean that there is actually any “water” in Heaven), AND LIKE THE VOICE OF MIGHTY THUNDERS (again, this doesn’t mean that there are actual clouds in Heaven producing thunder; these are just three descriptions of the fact that John, in his vision, heard a loud sound), SAYING, “HALLELUJAH (‘Praise God’)! FOR THE LORD OUR GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, REIGNS! You should recognize these words from the famous aria in Handel’s ‘Messiah,’ which is based on the translation that renders them, ‘For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.’ For a very long time, the antichristian system of the Roman Papacy claimed that it was ‘the king of the world.’ But now we have seen that that system will be overthrown by the rightful King of the world – God!

Revelation 19:7
LET US REJOICE AND BE EXCEEDINGLY GLAD, AND LET US GIVE THE GLORY TO HIM. FOR THE MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB HAS COME (Throughout this book, we have seen the Second Coming of Christ portrayed in the imagery of the conquest of a conquering King. Jesus has been seen in the role of a mighty general who leads his army to victory in battle, conquers the enemy and sets up his own throne and empire. Suddenly, the imagery shifts, and the Second Coming of Christ is described, instead, as a wedding feast. Whose wedding is it? It’s the wedding of the Lamb. Nowadays, most people think of weddings as belonging to the bride; but, in biblical times, weddings were viewed as belonging to the groom. Literally speaking, the Lamb – Jesus – was never married during His lifetime on earth. You could say that He was ‘saving Himself’ for His ‘wedding day.’ Now we see that His ‘wedding day’ is actually a symbolic representation of the Second Coming), AND HIS WIFE (His ‘bride’) HAS MADE HERSELF READY.” If Jesus is the “groom” in this symbolic wedding, who is the “bride”?

Revelation 19:8
IT WAS GIVEN TO HER (the “bride”) THAT SHE WOULD ARRAY (dress) HERSELF IN BRIGHT, PURE, FINE LINEN (nowadays, the bride’s mother usually takes the responsibility of providing her with an appropriate wedding dress; but, in biblical times, that was the responsibility of the groom’s father – in this case, Jesus’ Father – God): FOR (here comes the “clue” that will enable us to decipher the “hidden” meaning of this “wedding”) THE FINE LINEN IS THE RIGHTEOUS (good) ACTS (deeds) OF THE SAINTS (God’s true people). Where did the wedding dress come from? It was given to the bride by the groom’s father. Where do the good deeds of God’s people come from? Do they originate from our own strength and energy? Do we decide that we’re going to go out and do good deeds? No! Ephesians 2:10 says that God has “prepared” these good deeds “beforehand” so that we should “walk in” them. We are given our good deeds to do. So, who is the “bride”? If the linen represents the good deeds of God’s people, then the “bride” is the true Church – the total community of the true people of God. Revelation 19:8 isn’t saying that Jesus is a polygamist who has 7 or 8 billion wives. It’s not saying that each individual believer is the bride of Christ. The bride of Christ is a symbolic figure that is what you would get if you could imagine taking all the individual Christians in the world and using each of them as a single “cell” to build a total body, make that body a woman, and call her “the Church,” and “she” is the Bride of Christ. Jesus’ wedding is a spiritual, symbolic wedding, not a literal, physical wedding. The actual person, Jesus, will remain “single” forever; He will never, ever be literally married.

Revelation 19:9
HE (the angel who had been speaking to John earlier in the vision) SAID TO ME (John), “WRITE, ‘BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO ARE INVITED TO THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB.’” The imagery shifts again, and this time we as Christians are viewed as the wedding guests rather than as component “cells” of the “bride.” Because this entire vision is symbolic, it’s all right for the symbols to change meaning occasionally. We need to avoid getting confused. It’s not that some Christians are part of the “bride” and others are mere wedding guests (as some denominations have erroneously taught). Both the “bride” and the “wedding guests” are symbols for the Church (and, for that matter, so are the “bridesmaids” described in another “version” of this vision, in Matthew 25). HE (the angel) SAID TO ME (John), “THESE (the words, ‘blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb’) ARE THE TRUE WORDS OF GOD.” Again, in biblical times, it was the groom’s father who sent out the invitations to the wedding feast. Here, the angel reminds John that the invitation to Jesus’ symbolic wedding feast actually originates from Jesus’ Father, God.

Revelation 19:10
I (John) FELL DOWN BEFORE HIS (the angel’s) FEET TO WORSHIP HIM (the angel). That was a bad mistake! John should have known better than to worship an angel. The Apostle Paul had already taught that it’s wrong to worship angels in Colossians 2:18. John should have been familiar with that teaching. But angels are so beautiful, so powerful, so glorious, so spiritual – they communicate so much of the nature of God to us – that it’s sometimes easy for us to forget the fact that they aren’t God. They are just messengers of God. In this case, even the Apostle John made the mistake of falling down to worship this angel, but HE (the angel) SAID TO ME (John), “LOOK! DON’T DO IT! I (the angel) AM A FELLOW BONDSERVANT (slave of God) WITH YOU (John) AND WITH YOUR BROTHERS (the other true Christians) WHO HOLD THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS. WORSHIP GOD (angels refuse to receive worship from human beings; any angel that would receive worship from human beings would become a demon – demons love to receive worship from human beings, and they are the powers behind all the false gods, idols and statues of the ancient pagan world), FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS (rather than any message sent by an angel) IS THE SPIRIT (the motivating force) OF PROPHECY.” At this point, the vision that began at Revelation 15:1 finally comes to its conclusion; the rest of this chapter deals with another entirely separate vision. That vision will be the longest, most detailed explanation of the Second Coming event itself in the entire book.

Revelation 19:11
I (John) SAW THE HEAVEN OPENED, AND BEHOLD (“Look!”), A WHITE HORSE (in Revelation 6:2, we saw a white horse that was a symbol for the spiritual “conquest” of the Roman Empire by Christianity; here is another white horse that is a symbol for the literal conquest of the world by Jesus at His Second Coming), AND HE (Jesus) WHO SAT ON IT (the white horse) IS CALLED FAITHFUL AND TRUE (see the comments on Revelation 3:14). IN RIGHTEOUSNESS (as opposed to the way that most human rulers do) HE JUDGES (cases that are brought before Him) AND MAKES WAR (against His wicked enemies); this statement sets Jesus apart as different from every other King that the world has ever seen.

Revelation 19:12
HIS (Jesus’) EYES ARE A FLAME OF FIRE (see the comments on Revelation 1:14), AND ON HIS (Jesus’) HEAD ARE MANY (really, all) CROWNS (He is to be the legitimate ruler of all the countries in the world). HE (Jesus) HAS NAMES WRITTEN AND A NAME WRITTEN WHICH NO ONE KNOWS BUT HE (Jesus) HIMSELF (so, obviously, I can’t tell you what that name is, since I’m not Him, and, therefore, I don’t know it – but see the comments on Revelation 2:17).

Revelation 19:13
HE (Jesus) IS CLOTHED IN A GARMENT SPRINKLED WITH BLOOD. It’s not clear whether this is His own blood (shed on the Cross) or the blood of His enemies (killed in the final battle, which will be described in the next few verses). It could be either, or perhaps even something else. HIS (publicly-known) NAME IS CALLED “THE WORD OF GOD” (see John 1:1, John 1:14 and other verses like them). There is no doubt whatsoever that the One Who sat on the white horse in this vision is Jesus Christ, even though that specific name for Him is not mentioned in these verses.

Revelation 19:14
THE ARMIES WHICH ARE IN HEAVEN (which could either be the angels or the just-resurrected, just-caught-up-to-meet-Him-in-the-air Christians) FOLLOWED HIM (Jesus) ON WHITE HORSES (similar to His), CLOTHED IN WHITE, PURE, FINE LINEN (that certainly sounds like a description of the Church – coming, as it does, so closely on the heels of Revelation 19:8).

Revelation 19:15
OUT OF HIS (Jesus’) MOUTH PROCEEDS A SHARP, DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD (not a metal sword, but the kind of “sword” that is properly depicted as proceeding out of His mouth – namely, a word, as in Hebrews 4:12), THAT WITH IT (the spoken word) HE (Jesus) SHOULD (will) STRIKE THE NATIONS. Again, Jesus is different from every other king that the world has ever seen. Other kings fight their battles with military weapons (metal swords). Jesus fights His battle with the sheer power of His spoken word. He merely says, “Be defeated!” and they are defeated – just as, when He was here the first time, He used to merely say, “Be healed!” and people were healed. It’s the same Jesus, with the same power, but used for a different purpose in accordance with the unfolding plan of God. HE (Jesus) WILL RULE THEM (the nations) WITH AN IRON ROD (the time period of that rule is described in greater detail in Revelation 20). HE TREADS THE WINEPRESS OF THE FIERCENESS OF THE WRATH OF GOD, THE ALMIGHTY. Very strong terminology to describe His authoritative rule of those “nations” who did not want to acknowledge Him as their King, but now must do so unwillingly!

Revelation 19:16
HE (Jesus) HAS ON HIS GARMENT AND ON HIS THIGH A NAME WRITTEN, “KING OF (all the other) KINGS (this term was first used to describe King Nebuchadnezzar, in Daniel 2:37; it refers to an emperor – a king who rules not only his own country, but rules over the kings who rule over various other countries), AND LORD (master) OF (all the other) LORDS (masters).” During the Middle Ages, the Antichrist (the Papacy) usurped this title and applied it to itself, referring to the Pope as “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” Someday soon, the world will see Whose title it rightfully is. The next five verses are a gruesome description of the great battle in which His right to rule the world is established.

Revelation 19:17
I (John) SAW AN ANGEL STANDING IN THE SUN. HE CRIED WITH A LOUD VOICE, SAYING TO ALL THE BIRDS (buzzards, etc.) THAT FLY IN THE SKY, “COME! BE GATHERED TOGETHER TO THE GREAT SUPPER OF GOD,

Revelation 19:18
THAT YOU MAY EAT THE FLESH OF KINGS, THE FLESH OF CAPTAINS, THE FLESH OF MIGHTY MEN, AND THE FLESH OF HORSES AND OF THOSE WHO SIT ON THEM, AND THE FLESH OF ALL (kinds of) MEN, BOTH FREE AND SLAVE, AND SMALL AND GREAT.”

Revelation 19:19
I (John) SAW THE BEAST (the entire Antichrist system of all ages), AND THE KINGS OF THE EARTH (who had supported the Antichrist’s rule), AND THEIR ARMIES, GATHERED TOGETHER TO MAKE WAR AGAINST HIM (Jesus) WHO SAT ON THE (white) HORSE, AND AGAINST HIS (Jesus’) ARMY (as described in Revelation 19:14).

Revelation 19:20
THE BEAST (the Antichrist system) WAS TAKEN (captive), AND WITH HIM (it) THE FALSE PROPHET WHO WORKED THE SIGNS IN HIS SIGHT, WITH WHICH HE DECEIVED THOSE WHO HAD RECEIVED THE MARK OF THE BEAST AND THOSE WHO WORSHIPED HIS IMAGE (see the comments on Revelation 13). THESE TWO WERE THROWN ALIVE INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE THAT BURNS WITH SULFUR. If we have correctly interpreted the “beast” and the “false prophet” in Revelation 13, we’ll recognize that these words are symbolic – Jesus can’t literally take systems and institutions and throw them “alive” into a literal “lake” of fire! It’s a way of saying that they will be completely destroyed – that, after this time, those systems and institutions will no longer exist, and will never be brought back into existence again.

Revelation 19:21
THE REST (of the armies) WERE KILLED WITH THE SWORD (the word) OF HIM (Jesus) WHO SAT ON THE (white) HORSE, THE SWORD (the word) WHICH CAME FORTH OUT OF HIS (Jesus’) MOUTH. ALL THE BIRDS (buzzards, etc.) WERE FILLED WITH THEIR FLESH (that’s a gruesome description of what would literally happen if a large number of human bodies were left lying unburied after a major battle; it’s a way of saying that Jesus’ defeat of His enemies would be utterly complete). This statement concludes the vision of the Second Coming and prepares the way for Revelation 20, which is the most difficult chapter in the entire book to understand.