REVELATION 19:6-21

Marriage of the Lamb and the Final Victory

THE MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB - 19:6-10

6 Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. 8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteousness of the saints.)

9 Then the angel said to me, Write: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb! And he added, these are the true words of God. 10 At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

The triumph of the servants of God is now brought out with the imagery of a heavenly marriage. The church is seen as the bride of Christ.

Once more John speaks of an unidentified voice. The voice is likened to the voice of a great multitude, to the roar of rushing waters, and to loud peals of thunder.

The voice calls on the saints to rejoice and be glad and give God glory. The voice concerns itself not with the past, but with the future. It calls to praise because the marriage of the Lamb is about to take place. His bride has made herself ready.

The song concludes with the affirmation that it was given to the bride to be clothed in fine linen, bright and clean. John adds the explanation that this linen is the righteousness of the saints which has reference to the righteousness of Christ imputed to the believer. The plural indicates that the blood bought church is in view here.

This bright and clean linen was not provided because of any righteous acts on the part of the saints, but was the result of washing in the blood of the Lamb. It is garments of righteousness given to the saints by grace and not earned by the saints through works.

John was commanded by the angel to write: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb! And he added, these are the true words of God. These words John was to write had great comfort for the persecuted church.

There is no place in Christianity for the worship of anyone or anything but  God Himself.

The angel here calls himself a fellow servant with John and the saints. Though there are for sure difference between the holy angels and men the real significance is that they are both servants of their common Lord.

The angel concludes: For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. True prophecy always manifest itself in bearing witness to Jesus who is the spirit and heart of all prophecy.

THE FINAL VICTORY - 19:11-21

 One called “The Word of God” 11-16

 11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.

14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Here, we see a powerful picture of the post-incarnate Christ coming in power and glory to judge the living and the dead. He comes on a white horse symbolizing His holiness and purity. He is called Faithful and True. He is faithful and true to keep His promises both of blessing for those who follow Him in obedience and judgment for those who don’t. He is a man of His word: has He not said it and shall he not do it?

Christ’s judgment is not capricious but is just and fair. Those being judged are getting what they deserve, what they were told they would get if they didn’t repent.

Christ’s eyes are like a blazing fire, that is, nothing is hid from His holy eyes, all things are laid bare before Him and nothing will escape His notice. As light penetrates darkness His eyes will penetrate all wickedness so that no unrepentant sinner will escape His judgment.

Christ is not coming a second time as a lowly suffering servant to die for sinners, but as a conquering King, symbolized by the many crowns on His head. He is the I AM THAT I AM, for His name is known only to Him.

Christ is dressed in a robe dipped in blood both symbolizing blood shed for the elect as the Lamb of God and blood to be spilt by the wicked in judgment.

Christ is the Lamb/King for it was through the cross that His Father highly exalted Him, seating Him at His right hand, and giving Him a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God. “The savior is King.” 

Christ has a name that is known only to Him and then he has names given to man to describe Him. One of those names, is “The Word of God.” Jesus is God’s revelation of Himself to man.

The angels that Jesus held back from coming to His aid on the cross will be coming with Him to execute final judgment on the wicked.

Christ’s weapon in judgment will be his mouth. As he said let there be light and there was light, as he said to the winds be still and they were still, so He will speak judgment to the wicked and it will be so.

The armies of earth are no match for the wrath of the armies of heaven. Victory will be swift and thorough. All the kings of the earth will be dethroned and destroyed, He alone will be King, and he shall reign forever and ever.

Christ’s is not merely clothed with royalty, He is Himself royalty as symbolic of the inscription KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS being permanently written on His thigh (the strongest and most powerful muscle of the body).

The overthrow of the beast and of the false prophet - 19:17-21

17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, "Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great." 19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army.

20 But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21 The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

John devotes a small section to the final over-throw of the beast and his various helpers. They have had their little day and now they will be put in their rightful places.

There are two great suppers in History that symbolize the spilling out of blood. One called the supper of the Lamb, symbolic of the Lamb of God’s blood to be poured out for sinners on the cross. The other called the great supper of God, symbolic of the unrepentant sinner’s blood to be poured out in judgment.

No one (except the redeemed) was spared judgment. From the greatest to the small, from Kings to peasants, from rich to poor, all the wicked are destroyed.

All officials of wicked governments symbolized by the beast and all officials of false religions symbolized by the false prophet were thrown into the lake of fire. All their followers were judged and destroyed as well.

The rest of the beast’s followers, perished. They were slain by the sword which went out of the mouth of the Rider on the white horse. That is to say, it was Christ’s Word which destroyed them. With His word He created life and with His word He brings death.

The picture of destruction is completed with the statement that the birds had gorged themselves with the flesh of the slain, a horrific piece of imagery for final judgment.