We have now come to another amazing bible study into the prophecy book of Revelation. This part of the study is titled, Revelation 19 Commentary: Marriage of The Lamb
Please click here for the previous study on Revelation chapter 18 Commentary: Fall of Babylon Like a Millstone.
Revelation 19 Commentary: Marriage of The Lamb
Revelation 19:1-4: After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power to the Lord our God! For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.” Again they said, “Alleluia! And her smoke rises up forever and ever!” And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!”
It may be that you seem to be the only follower of Christ in your family or neighborhood. Here is encouragement. Although it may seem that God’s people on earth are only a minority, there is “a great multitude” in the universe of God, a far greater majority, who are loyal to Him. A nation sends its ambassador to another nation’s capital. He and his staff are a minority there; yet he can never forget the mighty nation which he represents and which stands behind him. As a follower of Christ, we are ambassadors to this world.
The word “alleluia” in Hebrew word means, “Praise the Lord.” It is not because He has conquered by force of arms that the “great multitude” of heaven praise the Lamb for His victory. He has conquered only through truth and righteousness. This glorious victory was won when Jesus died on His cross and rose again. Therefore, this song of praise is not offered in the way that weak, selfish sycophants would praise an earthly ruler or tyrant in order to obtain favors, but in wholehearted sincerity. Glory and honor belong to the One whose unselfish love for sinners is the most amazing sacrifice of eternity.
Why is it that since Jesus died for the sins of the world, the world has not become better but has become worse? Why is it that the vast majority of the world’s inhabitants have not been changed by Christ?
The whole world would indeed have been saved by the religion of Christ had it not been for the work of a clever enemy who interposed himself and hindered His work. This enemy is spoken of in the Bible as the “Antichrist,” one who fights against Christ in the most wicked and deceptive way possible, that is, by pretending to take the place of Christ (see 1 John 4:1.3). There is no way that an enemy could do one greater harm than to impersonate him and write damaging letters in his name. Even one’s best friends might find it hard to keep their faith in him!
The “great harlot,” Babylon, has done that very thing. Satan has spoken through her in the name of Christ, and countless millions of uninformed people have been deceived. Many have openly despised Christ because Babylon has misrepresented Him, and millions of others have supposed that they are following Christ when in reality they are being led to fight against Him on the side of the Antichrist. This is why our text tells us that it was Babylon “who corrupted the earth with her fornication.”
Revelation 19 Bible Study and Commentary: Meaning of Smoke Rises Up For Ever and Ever
The expression “her smoke rises up for ever and ever” is a quotation from Isaiah 34:10, where the same words speak of the destruction long ago of the land of Idumea: “Its smoke shall ascend forever.” Although this land is desolate today, there is no literal smoke going up. The Hebrew expression means finality. The same scripture says, “From generation to generation [the land] shall lie waste; no one shall pass through it for ever and ever.”
Thus “for ever and ever” means that Babylon’s destruction will be complete and final.
Revelation 19:5, 6: Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!” And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!”
Whose voice is this that comes out of the throne? It is the voice of Christ that calls His servants to praise God. Although Jesus has been declared the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead (see Romans 1:4), He still considers Himself our brother. After His resurrection, He said to Mary, “I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God” (John 20:17). Jesus does not lead us away from the Father, but to Him.
Revelation 19’s Marriage of The Lamb
Revelation 19:7-9: “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.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!'” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”
Can it be that the Lamb will someday be married? His marriage is the great event toward which the world has been moving for thousands of years. He is lonely without His bride. Uninformed people have often wondered why the Song of Solomon has been included in the Bible. Now we can see why. It is a song expressing the love of Christ for His church, and her response to that love.
Who is the Lamb’s wife? Revelation 21 tells us that she is “the great city, the holy Jerusalem.” Verses 9, 10. But what is the New Jerusalem? Is it merely the streets of gold, the palaces and walls built of precious stones, and the gates of pearl? When Jesus stood on the hill overlooking old Jerusalem and cried, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem. . . . How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chick under her wings, but you were not willing,” was He speaking to the bricks and stones and timber of the city? We understand that He was speaking to the people who inhabited the city.
The real “New Jerusalem” must likewise be the people who inhabit it. The material city of gold and pearls cannot be said to have “made herself ready,” or to be “arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright.” The beautiful garment which the Lamb’s wife is clothed with is the “righteousness of saints.”
It is clear therefore that the “city” itself which Jesus loves is the redeemed people who inhabit it. He has at last found a community of saints who have grown up “unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” At last they can understand Him and appreciate Him for what He is, not because they seek a reward for themselves. This is the reason that the Lamb’s “wife” is arrayed in such beautiful garments.
The righteousness of Christ is not merely imputed unto them; it has been imparted to them so fully by their faith in Christ that it has become a part of themselves, and is spoken of as “the righteousness of saints.”
Had she “made herself ready” sooner, the “marriage of the Lamb” could have come sooner. The Bridegroom has been ready for a long time; the reason for the delay in the return of Christ is not that He has delayed His coming, but rather that the “bride” herself has delayed to make herself ready. She holds the key to the final fulfilment of the wonderful prophecies of the Book of Revelation.
Revelation 19:10: And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “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.”
Although angels are glorious beings, we must not worship them. Neither should we worship or even praise any human being. The angel declares himself to be a “fellow servant” with us, in captivity to the love of Christ. The angel is happy that he has the privilege of belonging to the same group to which John belongs, those who have the “testimony of Jesus.” You know how happy you are if you are on speaking terms with the prime minister or president of your country. Those who have the “testimony of Jesus” are those to whom He speaks. John was a prophet, as was Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, and many others. All prophets have the testimony of Jesus, for the “testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
Someone may ask, “Why can’t I hear God speaking to me? When I use the telephone to speak to a friend, not only can he hear me at the other end, but I can also hear at this end what he is saying to me. Why can’t I hear God speaking to me in answer to my prayers?”
Long ago, in the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve did talk with God face to face as a schoolchild can talk with his teacher. But when sin came, our first parents “hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8). There was now no way for God to speak to them, except through the ministry of special ones whom He should call as prophets. “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord will make Myself known to him in a vision; I will speak to him in a dream” (Numbers 12:5, 6).
We talk with someone who does not know our language by employing a translator to stand between us. The prophet is the “translator” who hears what God has to say to us, and passes the message on to us. The Bible is God’s message to us sent through the prophets of old. “Prophecy never came by the will of man; but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).
Have there been prophets in New Testament times, and in our times today? Jesus promised the gift of the Holy Spirit in the church after He went to heaven: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men. . . . And He gave some to be apostles, some prophets,… till we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:8-13).
God likens His church to a human body, composed of many different members, each with a different work to do. The prophet is the “eyes” of the church: “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets. . .” (1 Corinthians 12:27, 28). The eyes tell the body where it is going. So the work of a prophet, which is called the “spirit of prophecy,” is to tell the church where it is going, and to guide it in safe paths.
This gift of prophecy is to remain in the church until the time when Jesus shall return again: “The testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you come short in no gift, waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:6, 7). Thus the spirit of prophecy is one of the gifts that distinguishes the true church of Christ, known as the “remnant church” (see Revelation 12-17). The one who believes and follows this “testimony of Jesus” is honored by heaven as one of John’s and the angel’s fellow servants.
Revelation 19:11-16: Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and 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, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS
Again we see the battle of Armageddon. In Revelation 16:12-16 we witnessed the inhabitants of this world preparing to make war on the Lamb. Now we see preparations in heaven as Christ rides forth to meet them upon a “white horse,” a symbol of glorious victory. His eyes are as a flame of fire, because His character is love. Love is the mightiest power in the universe: but when rejected, it brings the most fearful judgment possible. His name which no one knows but Him comes from the experience He went through on the cross, which no one, not even the angels in heaven, can fully appreciate. His “robe dipped in blood” is His garment of righteousness dipped in the blood of His sacrifice on His cross.
Those great armies in heaven are twice as many loyal angels as those who fell with Lucifer. Victory is on their side.
Why should we fear to worship Him who is above all earthly power? He who is King of kings and Lord of lords is well able to rescue the weakest of His followers. Put your trust in Him and do not let Satan terrify you.
Some years ago in lion-infested country in Africa, farmers would keep their cattle locked up in a kraal with a wooden fence which enclosed them and protected them from the lions. The fence was strong enough so that no lion might break through it. But when the clever beast would roar at midnight, the cattle did not know enough to trust the farmer’s fence. Terrified, they would stampede until they themselves broke down their only protection. All the lion had to do was to roar.
If we put our trust in the Lamb, He has surrounded us with His love. We must not let fear break down that fence of protection. The extent of Christ’s victory is unimaginable:
Revelation 19:17-21: Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.” And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.
The angel standing in the sun occupies a place close to Christ as His armor-bearer. A kind and gracious invitation had been faithfully extended to these “captains,” mighty ones, and everyone, both free and slaves, small and great, to attend the “marriage supper of the Lamb” as honored guests. But they made light of the invitation, took the King’s servants, “treated them spitefully, and killed them” (see Matthew 22:2-7). Now having refused the invitation to the “marriage supper of the Lamb,” they must attend a gory feast where their flesh becomes food for “the birds that fly in the midst of heaven.” This of course is symbolic language. It denotes the complete and final judgment of all who have joined with Satan in his rebellion against God.
But the “beast,” the kings of the earth, and their armies, do not know that as they gather together to make war against “Him who sat on the horse,” whose name is called, “The Word of God,” that they are heading for the most awful carnage that this world has ever witnessed. Special punishment is meted out to the “beast,” and the “false prophet” who “wrought signs by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.”
The kings of the earth and their armies are not so much to blame, therefore, as those religious leaders who have deceived them. The “false prophet” is the two horned beast of Revelation 13, who acts as a “prophet” or mouthpiece for the “beast,” and seduces “those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast.” The beast and the false prophet are captured in the very act of making war against the Lamb. They have deceived the world by pretending to represent Him.
Why are the inhabitants of heaven so enthusiastic about the Lamb? Something about His achievement makes them overjoyed! And why are we down here on planet earth so blase about it? The reason is that they see something we haven’t yet been able to see very clearly—”the width and length and depth and height . . . [of] the agape of Christ which passes knowledge” (Ephesians 3:18,19).
The New Testament idea of righteousness by faith is essential to understand if we are to share in that joy of heaven. And we can begin to share it now, for “the agape of Christ constrains us, . . . that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5:14, 15). In other words, if we believe the gospel, it’s impossible to go on living selfish lives! The theme of Revelation is the glory of the cross; it meant everything to the apostle John for he says:
In this the agape of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is agape, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:9, 10.
The scenes that we have seen in Revelation 19 are not intended so much to show the exact chronological order of events as to show their deeper significance. Christ won His title of Almighty Conqueror and King of kings by virtue of His self-sacrificing death. At last the entire world and the universe itself will have come to see it in its true light, some to rejoice in its glory forever, others who have despised it to suffer the most awful shame that it is possible to experience.
Together with the “great multitude in heaven,” the four and twenty elders, the four living creatures, and the armies in heaven which follow Christ upon the white horses, we also cry out, “Salvation and glory and honor and power, belong to the Lord our God!”
Book Suggestion For Further Study
For a detailed, well researched and easy to read commentary on the book of Revelation I urge to buy a copy of Revelation of Jesus Christ: Commentary on the Book of Revelation This verse-by-verse commentary offers a text-focused and Christ-centered approach to the book of Revelation. Appropriate for personal study and as a college and seminary text, this volume provides both in-depth notes and lay-oriented exposition for use by scholars, students, pastors, and laypeople. An ever-increasing interest in the prophecies of the Apocalypse has resulted in deeper understandings which are introduced in this updated edition.
Ranko Stefanovic is professor of New Testament at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. He holds a Ph.D. degree from Andrews University and is a well-loved teacher, popular speaker, and author of scholarly articles.
Click here to go to Revelation 20 commentary: Satan Bound in Chains (The Millennium.
Related Posts:
Revelation Chapter 17 Commentary: Great Harlot
Revelation 21 Commentary: New Jerusalem
Revelation 22 Commentary: Eden Restored
Revelation 19 Bible Study and Commentary Video
In the video below Kenneth Cox preaches on Revelation 19.
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