"THE BOOK OF REVELATION"

Chapter Nineteen

This chapter illustrates the ultimate defeat of the enemies of God's people. John hears a great multitude in heaven rejoicing over the fall of Babylon. The multitude is joined by the twenty-four elders and four living creatures, and a voice from the throne calling upon all God's servants to praise Him (1-5).

John then hears heaven rejoicing in preparation for the marriage of the Lamb. His wife has made herself ready, and she is adorned in fine linen, signifying the righteous acts of the saints. John is then told to write that those invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb are truly blessed. John falls down to worship the one speaking to him, but is immediately rebuked and told to worship God (6-10).

The scene quickly changes as John sees heaven opened and Christ the warrior king on a white horse, followed by the armies in heaven on white horses. Described in terms reminiscent of His appearance in the first three chapters, He is ready to strike the nations and rule them with a rod of iron, even as He treads the winepress of the fierce wrath of Almighty God. As inscribed on His robe and His thigh, Jesus is truly "King of kings and Lord of Lords" (11-16).

With an angel standing in the sun and inviting the birds to gather for the supper of the great God, John then sees the beast and his forces gathered to make war against Christ and His army. But immediately the beast and the false prophet (the earth beast of Re 13:11-18) are captured and cast alive into the lake of fire. Their armies are killed with the sword proceeding from the mouth of Christ, and all the birds were filled with their flesh (17-21).

This chapter appears designed to reinforce the idea that Christ in His kingly rule will defeat those who have been persecuting His people. Just as Babylon the harlot would be destroyed, so the beast and false prophet would be overcome. If the latter two represent the Roman empire in its persecution against the church, this section with its vivid imagery would have been fulfilled by 313 A.D. when Constantine brought an end to Roman persecution.

POINTS TO PONDER
OUTLINE
  1. HEAVEN REJOICES OVER THE FALL OF BABYLON (1-5)
    1. A GREAT MULTITUDE IN HEAVEN (1-3)
      1. Praising God, attributing salvation, glory, honor, and power to Him
      2. Declaring His judgments on the great harlot as true and righteous
        1. For she corrupted the earth with her fornication
        2. He has avenged the blood of His servants which she shed
      3. Praising God, for her smoke rises up forever and ever
    2. THE TWENTY-FOUR ELDERS AND FOUR LIVING CREATURES (4)
      1. Falling down and worshipping God who sits on the throne
      2. Saying "Amen, Alleluia!"
    3. A VOICE FROM THE THRONE (5)
      1. Calling upon all God's servants and those who fear Him
      2. Calling upon both small and great to praise God
  2. PREPARATION FOR THE MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB (6-10)
    1. A GREAT MULTITUDE IN HEAVEN (6-8)
      1. Sounding like many waters and mighty thunderings
        1. Praising the Lord God Omnipotent for His reign
        2. Calling to be glad and rejoice and give God glory
      2. For the marriage of the Lamb has come
        1. His wife has made herself ready
        2. She was arrayed in fine linen, which is the righteous acts of the saints
    2. A FELLOW SERVANT (9-10)
      1. Telling John to write: "Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!"
      2. Proclaiming: "These are the true sayings of God."
      3. When John fell at his feet to worship him, he is rebuked
        1. "See that you do not do that!"
        2. "I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus."
        3. "Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."
  3. CHRIST THE WARRIOR KING ON A WHITE HORSE (11-16)
    1. HIS AWESOME DESCRIPTION (11-13)
      1. As heaven opened, John sees Him sitting on a white horse
        1. He is called Faithful and True
        2. In righteousness He judges and makes war
      2. As seen by John:
        1. His eyes were like a flame of fire
        2. On His head were many crowns
        3. He had a name written that no one knew but Himself
        4. Clothed with a robe dipped in blood
        5. His name is called The Word of God
    2. HIS GREAT RULE AND REIGN (14-16)
      1. Followed by the armies of heaven
        1. Clothed in fine linen, white and clean
        2. Sitting on white horses
      2. From His mouth, a sharp sword to strike the nations
        1. He Himself will rule the nations with a rod of iron
        2. He Himself treads the winepress of Almighty God's fierceness and wrath
      3. On His robe and thigh a name written: "King of kings, and Lord of lords"
  4. THE FALL OF THE BEAST, THE FALSE PROPHET, AND THEIR FORCES (17-21)
    1. THE DECLARATION OF AN ANGEL (17-18)
      1. John sees an angel standing in the sun, crying with a loud voice
      2. Speaking to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven:
        1. "Come and gather together for the supper of the great God."
        2. "...eat the flesh of kings...captains...mighty men...horses ...all people, free and slave, both small and great"
    2. THE END OF THE BEAST AND FALSE PROPHET (19-21)
      1. John saw the beast, the kings of the earth and their armies, gathered to make war against Him who sat on the horse and His army
      2. John saw the beast and false prophet captured
        1. The false prophet who worked signs in the presence of the beast
        2. By which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image
        -- Both were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone
      3. The rest of their forces were killed
        1. With the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse
        2. All the birds were filled with their flesh
REVIEW QUESTIONS
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  1. What are the main points of this chapter?
    • Heaven rejoices over the fall of Babylon (1-5)
    • Heaven rejoices in preparation the marriage of the Lamb (6-10)
    • Christ the warrior king on a white horse (11-16)
    • The fall of the beast, the false prophet, and their forces (17-21)
  2. What did John hear a great multitude in heaving saying? (1)
    • "Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God!"
  3. Why are God's judgments on the harlot proclaimed as true and righteous? (2)
    • She has corrupted the earth with her fornication
    • She has shed the blood of His servants
  4. What else does this great multitude in heaven say? (3)
    • "Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!"
  5. Who else joins end with a cry of "Amen! Alleluia!"? (4)
    • The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures
  6. What does a voice from throne proclaim? (5)
    • "Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!"
  7. What did the voice of a great multitude cry out next? (6-7)
    • "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!"
    • "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready."
  8. In what was the Lamb's bride adorned? (8)
    • Fine linen, clean and bright (the righteous acts of the saints)
  9. What was John then told? (9)
    • "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!'"
    • "These are the true sayings of God."
  10. As John fell down to worship the one who spoke to him, what was he told? (10)
    • "See that you do not do that!"
    • "I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus."
    • "Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."
  11. List the descriptive features of the One sitting on a white horse (11-16)
    • He was called Faithful and True, in righteousness He judges and makes war
    • His eyes were like a flame of fire, on His head were many crowns
    • He had a name written that no one knew except Himself
    • He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood
    • His name is called The Word of God
    • He was followed by the armies of heaven, clothed in white linen and on white horses
    • Out of His mouth goes a sharp sword with which He should strike the nations
    • He will rule the nations with a rod of iron
    • He treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of God
    • On His robe and thigh was a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS
  12. What did an angel standing in the sun say to the birds? (17-18)
    • "Come and gather together for the supper of the Great God"
    • "That you may eat the flesh of mighty men...horses...those who sit on them...all people, free and slave, both small and great."
  13. What did John see next? (19)
    • The beast, the kings of the earth and their armies, gathered to make war against Him who sat on the white horse and His army
  14. What happened to the beast and the false prophet? (20)
    • They were captured and cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone
  15. What happened to the rest of their armies? (21)
    • They were killed by the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Christ
    • All the birds were filled with their flesh