REVELATION 19
THE SECOND COMING OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
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Chapter 19, has been called the Hallelujah chapter of the Bible. The word, Hallelujah, is exclaimed five times here in the first six verses. This ancient Hebrew word means, "praise ye Jah". It is found many times in the Psalms, in fact fifteen of them begin with it.
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Rev 19:1-6
"After these things I heard [NU inserts] something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to [NU omits "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! 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!" Then a voice came from the throne, saying, "Praise our God, all you his servants and those who fear him [NU omits "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 [NU changes "the"] our Lord God Omnipotent reigns!"
19:1-6
Once again, our focus is directed back to Heaven away from the burning ruins of Babylon down below. Up there, a party is going on. It began in the last chapter at verse 21. All of Heaven is rejoicing because God has arisen and taken final and devastating action against Satan and Antichrist's dark kingdom. John begins his description of the celebration by saying that he heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, oclou (oxlou), saying, "Alleluia"! This was followed by the cry, "salvation and glory and honor and power belong 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."
This victory chant was immediately followed by another booming Alleluia which, apparently, came from God's angels. They added, "Her smoke rises up forever and ever". The angels could see the smoke of Satan's kingdom ascending continuously upward from the Earth below. A third Alleluia was then shouted out by the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures as they fell down to worship before the throne.
Then, the fourth Alleluia was the greatest of all. It was called for by a voice from the throne. Most likely, this voice was from one of the living creatures who surround the throne. It said, "Praise our God, all you his servants, and you that fear him, both small and great". The response was deafening! John says it rolled forth like the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings. Now, that's a Alleluia, brother! It filled Heaven's air like the roar of a mighty cataract. Like peals of thunder, multitudes of God's creatures and servants, angels and Old Testament saints, Living Creatures, the Church and all the Tribulation Saints lifted their voices and hearts as one proclaiming, "the Lord God Omnipotent reigns"! What a celebration that day will bring, aye? And, the most amazing thing is ... you and I were participating in it! Since John was witnessing in person this yet future event, you and I were actually there when he saw and heard it. We were at this very event. Strange as it may sound, among the voices that John heard that day was your voice and mine!
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Rev 19:7-10
"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. 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.'"
19:7-8
As Babylon continued to smolder below, a marriage began to be consummated above. Here, we learn that, time wise, the marriage of the Lamb will take place just before our Lord’s return to Earth and just after the destruction of Babylon. Jesus came into our world as a Jew, made under the Law (Galatians 4:4-5). While here, he instituted a New Covenant with his Jewish people sealed by his own blood on the cross. We Gentiles have been grafted into that Covenant like a wild olive branch (Romans 11:13-21) is grafted into a natural olive tree. I believe this is why the formality of the Church's marriage with the Lamb will follow Jewish marriage custom which was always finalized with a feast. And believe me, this will be the greatest wedding feast of all time. When Jesus was on Earth, he likened himself to a bridegroom. In Matthew 9:14-15 we read...
"Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast? And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast."
The Apostle Paul pictured the Church as the bride of Christ. As you have it in 2 Corinthians 11:2...
"For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ."
Again in Ephesians5:25-32 he says...
"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for her, that he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that he might present her to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church."
A Jewish marriage, in Jesus' day, had three parts.
First, a marriage contract was signed. This was sometimes entered into by the parents of Jewish children as early as their birth or while the prospective bride and bridegroom were still very young. At that point, as far as Jewish law was concerned, they were legally married.
Next, came the retrieving of the bride. This took place when the couple became of age or after a reasonable waiting period. Then, the groom and his friends would go to the bride's home to get her and to bring her to her new home where the bridegroom lived.
The third, and final step, was the marriage supper. This was a great celebration at the groom’s home that usually lasted for a week. Jesus was attending one of these feasts at the wedding in Cana when the host ran out of wine and Jesus performed his first miracle, changing water into wine (John 2).
Now, we who are trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Savior can expect to experience all three phases of this Jewish wedding ceremony. When we received the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, we were baptized into the body of Christ by his Holy Spirit (First Corinthians 12:13). At that moment, we literally became one flesh with Christ, members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones (Ephesians 5:30). That was our marriage contract, signed, sealed and delivered by the Holy Spirit. From that day on, we were formally wed to Christ. Every true believer is married to the Lamb of God (Ephesians 5; Second Corinthians 11).
What remains for us now is the second and third steps of the ceremony ... his coming to get us and then to sit us down with him at the marriage feast that he has prepared for us in his and our home above. One glorious day, our Bridegroom and his friends will come for us to escort us to his home in Heaven (First Thessalonians 4:16-17; John. 14:2-3; 17:24). After that, as we have it here in Revelation 19, we will sit down at the great celebration of the marriage supper of the Lamb. There is a place set for you at that table, dear believer. At that time, we will all sit down together and celebrate the final phase of our betrothal to Christ and permanent residency in our new home above. Won’t that be wonderful? I suspect there will be more looking, listening, talking, introducing and rejoicing than eating though, don't you?
John was actually at that future day here in our text. Notice he says, "his wife has made herself ready". She (the Church) was resplendent in the clothing that had been granted to her which our text calls, "the righteous acts of the Saints. This is something very important for us to understand. All of Christ's Church saints will go to the marriage supper of the Lamb dressed in the beautiful robes that he has provided but, the uniqueness of each individuals garment will reflect the good things that they did for and with Christ while they were alive on Earth. That is why these robes are said to be the righteousnesses (the word is a plural in the Greek) of the saints. At the marriage supper of the Lamb then, in a very visible sense, we saints are going to be wearing our good works. Now, tell me that how we live down here doesn't matter! Its going to matter a great deal when we sit down at the marriage supper of the Lamb. We need to really take this to heart, dear saint. It is so very very important to take care how we build our lives on and with Christ while we are down here. First Corinthians 3:11-15 says...
"For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire."
The crucial question becomes, "Am I really building my life on Christ? Am living in the light of where I will spend all of eternity? Have I been making myself ready for the marriage supper of the Lamb"? Do your righteousnesses carefully and thoughtfully, beloved. One day you will wear them to the wonderful occasion that is set before us here.
"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 15:58
19:9
One last thought before we leave this subject, the angel instructed John to, "Write: 'Blessed are they who are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb'". Now, we Church saints are the Bride of Christ and this is our wedding supper. We are not called to this occasion, it is our wedding. We do the inviting. The Bridegroom and the Bride issue the invitations to their own wedding. Those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb refer to the guests who will be invited. Do you know who they might be? Well, I expect to see Adam and Eve there, Seth and Enoch and Noah, Abraham and Sarah and Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Rachel, Joseph and Moses and Joshua, King David, Job and Ezra, Nehemiah and Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel and even Rahab and all the whole multitude of God's Old Testament saints as well as all the Tribulation saints. In other words, all of the rest of the people of God. There are going to be many many marvelous and happy guests at our wedding supper. To be invited to this great event will be to be blessed indeed (the word means "happy").
Finally, the angel solemnly proclaimed, "These are the true sayings of God". He is emphasizing that the marriage supper of the Lamb is a done deal ... sure and certain. We have the Word of God on it.
19:10
John says, "And I fell at his feet to worship him". Poor fellow, he was so overcome by all of this that he made a very human blunder. Don’t be too hard on him though. Three reasons come to mind:
1. It must have been very difficult for John, still in human flesh and burdened with human frailties, to respond correctly in Heaven's realm.
2. Obviously, angels are incredibly awesome beings. The book of Hebrews says that he makes his angels ministers of fire (Hebrews 1:7). If you or I found ourselves in front of one of these awesome creatures, I suspect we would become a bit discombobulated as well.
3. The nature of the revelations that John had been receiving were so graphic and disturbing that, like Daniel of old (Daniel 8:27; 10:8-9), John became, no doubt, temporarily unhinged by them.
The angel immediately corrected John's error, however, saying, "I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God".
May we step aside again here for a moment? Did you know that Jesus never once turned down worship? This is further evidence that he was God of very God just as he said he was. He is worthy to receive worship, you see. There were many occasions in his life when he received men's worship. One that comes to mind is found in John. 9:38 where a blind man, whose sight Jesus had restored, worshipped him.
"Then he said, 'Lord, I believe!' And he worshiped him."
Receiving worship is the sole privilege and right of God alone. The fact that our Lord always received it, tells us that he was aware of who he truly was (John.1:1, 14). Hebrews 1:6 quotes the Father's decree in this regard...
"But when he again brings the firstborn (Jesus) into the world, he says: "Let all the angels of God worship him."
The angel concluded, "Worship God: For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy". In effect he was saying, "Don't fall before me, John. Fall before Jesus. He is the theme of all the prophets!"
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Rev 19:11-13
"Now 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."
"O Lord Jesus how long, how long?", go the words of the great old hymn, Christ Returneth. Here in John's vision, the wait is over. He is here at last! This is what the people of God have looked and prayed for millennia. It is the day when their God and Savior comes and intervenes on the Earth. This is the work of Messiah that orthodox Jews have so long looked and longed for as well. The orthodox Jews of Jesus day were looking for a conquering Messiah and a Deliverer. They didn't consider the scriptures which taught that, at the first appearing their Messiah, he would come as the meek and lowly one to die (Isaiah 53, Psalm 22, et. al.). But now, true to his Word, the great conquering Messiah and Deliverer has come. Let's just look back for a moment on a few of the prayers and prophesies of ancient times related to this coming of Messiah, which we know as the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Isaiah prophesied...
"The LORD shall go forth like a mighty man; he shall stir up his zeal like a man of war. He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; he shall prevail against his enemies. I have held my peace a long time, I have been still and restrained myself. Now I will cry like a woman in labor, I will pant and gasp at once. I will lay waste the mountains and hills, and dry up all their vegetation; I will make the rivers coastlands, and I will dry up the pools." Isaiah 42:13-15
Isaiah prayed...
"Oh, that you would rend the heavens! That you would come down! That the mountains might shake at your presence; as fire burns brushwood, as fire causes water to boil; to make your name known to your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at your presence!" Isaiah 64:1-2
David, the sweet Psalmist of Israel, prayed...
"Bow down your heavens, O LORD, and come down; touch the mountains, and they shall smoke." Psalm 144:5
And, again...
"Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered; let those also who hate him flee before him." Psalm 68:1
And, again...
"Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and all its fullness; let the field be joyful, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the LORD. For he is coming, for he is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth." Psalm 96:11-13
These prophesies, containing the hopes and prayers of God's Jewish people, will be answered in spades when Jesus returns at the end of the Tribulation. By means of John's vision here in chapter 19, we see it as if we were actually there.
Now, the placing of the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ here in the book of Revelation clearly teaches that it will takes place at the end of the Great Tribulation. Christ will return to Earth after Antichrist's Babylon is lying in smoldering ruins. When this occurs in time, just north of Antichrist’s ruined city at the valley of Megiddo, a great army will have gathered, as was initiated by the sixth Bowl. This massive army, with its allegiance to Antichrist, will have gathered there from all over the world. Doubtless, they will be seething with anger. Their homes, their cities and their towns will be lying in smoking ruins from the knock-out punch of the Seventh Bowl. The personal costs to each combatant will have filled their hearts with a dark desire for revenge. All the vast armies of the east, China, India and Asia, will be on hand just as predicted back in 16:12...
"Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared."
These ungodly combatants will have gathered in the valley of Megiddo to fight or die! They will have arrived in the Holy Land for the cause of Antichrist's throne. What an awesome stage will be set there in that day. What a scene is described in verses 11 through 16. This is a climax toward which all history has been moving from time immemorial.
19:11
Then, at last, there He will be. The Lord of Glory will have appeared in the skies above. As you have it in Psalm 24:7-10 (KJV)...
"Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah"
Undoubtedly, his enemies will instinctively lift all their weapons at him. As we had it back in 17:14...
"These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with him are called, chosen, and faithful."
When Jesus came into this world the first time, he entered it as a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes. He lived and walked among us as the meek and lowly one. He lived out his life as a poor peasant. He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey's colt, the picture of humility and peace. Without the slightest resistance, He allowed himself to be nailed to a Roman cross, to die an ignominious death there, like a common criminal. His first coming was as the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. But, what a contrast we see here! He appears in the skies above Antichrist's army riding a great stallion and surrounded by the roiling Shekinah glory clouds of Heaven ... fulfilling his own words in Matthew 24...
"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." Matthew 24:29-30
And, again, as you have it in First Timothy 6:14-15...
"…that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ's appearing, which he will manifest in his own time, he who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords."
On that day, there will be no mistake about who Jesus is ... nor, for a good long while afterward. His appearing will not be as a Lamb on that day. He will ride forth as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah and God of very God! John saw him riding majestically out of Heaven astride a great white stallion. In fact, it was this great war horse that first caught John’s eye as it proudly stamped and pranced its way across the skies. Then, as John focused in on the Rider, he recognized him and exclaimed, he is the one who is called Faithful and True. Never has anyone had a name so befitting of their person as this. Let’s think on it for a minute.
"Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to him who appointed him, as Moses also was faithful in all his house."
He has always been completely faithful to you and me as well. As you have it in Hebrews 2:17...
"Therefore, in all things he had to be made like his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people."
"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
John 1:17 says...
"For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."
John continued, "in righteousness he judges and makes war". I'm certainly glad for that, aren’t you? He never errs in his judgments. I don't know about you, but I will be glad for my Lord's judgment of me. For better or worse, he will get it right, you see, no mistakes. He will know every motive and be cognizant of every misunderstood action or event in my life. In absolute righteousness and complete understanding, he will correctly evaluate and reward each of his saints. Though we may be inclined to shrink from it now, when it comes, I believe most of his saints will find it to be a day of unprecedented blessing. Isaiah 11:2-4 says...
"The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. His delight is in the fear of the LORD, and he shall not judge by the sight of his eyes, nor decide by the hearing of his ears; But with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked."
And, as you have it in I Corinthians 4:5...
"Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one's praise will come from God."
19:12
Continuing his description, as John watched Heaven’s great Cloud Rider, again he was struck by those fiery eyes. We first saw them back in chapter 1. You will remember they speak of the fact that he is the Omniscient One (all knowing) and Holy One of God. He is the one who will carry out God's fiery-eyed and righteous wrath against the wicked. He will be able to look simultaneously into the hearts of every human being arrayed against him at the battle of Armageddon and know ... completely know ... each and every one of them!
Then, John says, "He had a name written, that no one knew except himself". This mysterious name speaks of Christ's deity. This rider is God of very God in all of his mystery and incomprehensibility. This is the Inscrutable One. For many hundreds of years the Jews, out of respect for their God, did not attempt to pronounce the name that he gave to Moses at the burning bush in Exodus 3. This Hebrew tetragrammaton consisted of four consonants, YHWH. It is translated I Am in Exodus 3:14. The Jews only began to pronounced it when, much later, their scholars supplied it with the first three vowels of the Hebrew alphabet. After that, its pronunciation became "YAHOWEH", which, when transliterated into English, comes out Jehovah. There is no sure pronunciation, however, of the tetragrammaton, YHWH. To this day, no one knows its exact pronunciation but God himself. Jesus took the Greek form of this name to himself in John 8, when he told the Pharisees before Abraham was, I Am. They knew exactly who he was claiming to be and immediately took up stones to kill him! I strongly suspect this is the name that John saw written that no one knew but Jesus himself.
19:13
John says he was clothed with a robe dipped in blood. The garb of Heaven's Cloud Rider was bloodied from top to bottom. This is because he has just came from his judgment of wicked Israel, having tramped out of the vintage of the great winepress of the wrath of God just outside the City (14:19-20). He is wearing that same judgment robe because of the similar business he is about to take care of here at the battle of Armageddon. Isaiah foresaw this moment when he said...
"I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with me. For I have trodden them in my anger, and trampled them in my fury; their blood is sprinkled upon my garments, and I have stained all my robes." Isaiah 63:3
Finally, John says, "His name is called The Word of God". This tags down the Rider's identity beyond question. The Lord Jesus Christ alone is called The Word of God in scripture. As you have it in John 1:1 and 14...
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
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Rev 19:14
"And the armies in heaven, clothed in [NU changes "fine"] pure white linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses."
19:14
As our great Lord descended, John saw that armies were following him. Who might they be? Well, for one he will have his angels with him. Second Thessalonians 1:7-8 says...
"...and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ."
I hope you know how to ride ... because you and I will be with him as well. We are the other army. Not to worry though, you can be sure that we will have no problem riding on that day and you won't have to lift a finger in battle either. Since we are looking at the actual scene of this future event, if John had taken a photograph of it and then had the photo enlarged, you could find your face and your horse in this scene. We believers will be following Christ when he descends from Heaven on that day. He will have his people with him to witness his awesome power as he vindicates them. Here are a few scriptures that speak to this.
"Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." Jude 1:14-15
"Then you shall flee through my mountain valley, for the mountain valley shall reach to Azal. Yes, you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Thus the LORD my God will come, and all the saints with you." Zechariah 14:5
"Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you shall see it." Psalm 37:34
"Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked" Psalm 91:8
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Rev 19:15
"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."
19:15
The sword that John saw coming from Christ's mouth is the same symbol that we saw back in 1:16. It needs no explanation. But, as a reminder, here is Hebrews 4:12 once again...
"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
Christ’s Word will be his weapon on this future day. He will need no other. And, what an awesome weapon it is in the day of battle. He will not need to strike or exert himself. He will simply speak and it will be done. This is the one who spoke the universe into existence (Genesis 1; Colossians 1:16; John 1:3; Hebrews 2:10) and holds it together by the word of his power. As he descends to Earth, he will take on the armies of Antichrist below with the awesome weapon of the Word of his mouth, fulfilling many prophecies. Here are a few of them.
"He shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. For behold, the LORD will come with fire and with his chariots, like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire." Isaiah 11:4b
"For by fire and by his sword The LORD will judge all flesh; and the slain of the LORD shall be many." Isaiah 66:16
"You have also given me the necks of my enemies, so that I destroyed those who hated me. They cried out, but there was none to save; even to the LORD, but he did not answer them. Then I beat them as fine as the dust before the wind; I cast them out like dirt in the streets." Psalm 18:40 -42
John continues, "and he himself will rule them with a rod of iron" "And, he himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God". This is a clear reference to Psalm 2:8-9. There the Father, speaking to the Son, says...
"Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; you shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel."
John says, "he treadeth out the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God". Make no mistake about it, Jesus is the Judge of the whole Earth! He pronounces judgment and he carries it out. It is he who said, "Vengeance is mine, says the Lord, I will repay" (Romans 12:19).
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Rev 19:16
"And he has on his robe and on his thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."
19:16
What a sight it will be, when Jesus rides across the skies of Earth with these awesome inscriptions on his robe and thigh! Psalm 95:3 says...
"For the LORD is the great God, and the great King above all gods."
And, Zechariah 14:9...
"And the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be; "The LORD is one," and his name one."
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Rev 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."
Click here for the "Beast and the False Prophet Cast into the Lake of Fire" picture
19:17-18
Next, John heard an angel call to the birds of prey that supper was ready! He calls them to eat the flesh of kings and captains and mighty men and horses and those that sit upon them. The angel knew that the outcome of this battle was a foregone conclusion. What misguided illusions of power mere humans and their lord, Satan, think they possess. Against God, they have no power at all. In Second Kings 19, when the Assyrian king, Sennacherib, came with his mighty army against good king Hezekiah, God sent just one angel to deal with them. And, when the sun arose in the morning, all that was left was an hundred eighty five thousand corpses. If that is the result of the power of one angel, what might be the result of the wrath of the omnipotent Son of God? We are about to see the answer to that question.
19:19
John says, "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". What utter insanity. Never in all of Earth's history will there have been so many fools gathered in one place as will be congregated at Megiddo when Jesus returns! Solomon hit the nail on the head.
"Even when a fool walks along the way, he lacks wisdom, and he shows everyone that he is a fool." Ecclesiastes10:3
These are all the foolish servants of a depraved government and a depraved religion. When they said, "No!" to Christ they were saying "Yes" to foolishness, delusion, bondage, misery, judment and death. Such will be the makeup of the armies of earth-dwellers who Jesus will find waiting to make war with him at his Second Coming. What a horrendous day of reckoning that will be for Antichrist, his kings and all of the armies of the Earth. The scene is an incredible one. Psalm 110:5-6 says...
"The Lord is at your right hand; he shall execute kings in the day of his wrath. He shall judge among the nations, he shall fill the places with dead bodies, he shall execute the heads of many countries."
19:20
Notice the brevity of this battle. Verse 20, simply says that the beast and the false prophet were captured. Like a cat with two mice, the Lord will grab them up and with one shake cast them alive into the lake of fire. Daniel predicted that this would be Antichrist's end, by the way.
"Through his cunning he shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; and he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without human means." Daniel 8:25
Isaiah also predicted it.
"…that you will take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say: "How the oppressor has ceased, the golden city ceased! The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers; he who struck the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he who ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted and no one hinders. The whole earth is at rest and quiet; they break forth into singing. Indeed the cypress trees rejoice over you, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, 'Since you were cut down, no woodsman has come up against us. Hell from beneath is excited about you, to meet you at your coming; it stirs up the dead for you, all the chief ones of the earth; it has raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations." "You will not be joined with them in burial, because you have destroyed your land and slain your people. The brood of evildoers shall never be named." Isaiah 14:4-9, 20
Did you notice that Isaiah prophesied that Antichrist would not be buried? The text here in Revelation 19:20, agrees. As for what will happens to his armies, Isaiah addresses that issue as well.
"Woe to the multitude of many people who make a noise like the roar of the seas, and to the rushing of nations that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters! The nations will rush like the rushing of many waters; but God will rebuke them and they will flee far away, and be chased like the chaff of the mountains before the wind, like a rolling thing before the whirlwind. Then behold, at eventide, trouble! And before the morning, he is no more. This is the portion of those who plunder us, and the lot of those who rob us." Isaiah 17:12-14
"He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; therefore his own arm brought salvation for him; and his own righteousness, it sustained him. For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak. According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; the coastlands he will fully repay. So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun; when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him. The Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob," says the LORD." Isaiah 59:16-20
The text here simply says, "And the rest were killed with the sword that proceeded from the mouth of him who sat upon the horse". Zechariah gives us a good bit more.
"And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, and their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths. It shall come to pass in that day that a great panic from the LORD will be among them. Everyone will seize the hand of his neighbor, and raise his hand against his neighbor's hand; Judah also will fight at Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be gathered together: gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance. Such also shall be the plague on the horse and the mule, on the camel and the donkey, and on all the cattle that will be in those camps. So shall this plague be. And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain." Zechariah 14:12 -17
John says, "And all the birds were filled with their flesh".
