In Revelation 19, we learn that Satan will be defeated. We learn that Jesus is identified as King of kings and Lord of lords. He is victorious, and the dragon is defeated. Rome is thrown down, and Christ is exalted. And Christians, we see, we will live and reign forever. Note the great tribute to the power of the Lord.
John now hears a sound like the roar of a great multitude celebrating in heaven, Revelation 19:1 / Revelation 6:9-10 / Revelation 7:9. Hallelujah! Which means ‘Praise the Lord’, is the cry because salvation, glory and power belong to God, and because his judgments are true and just, Revelation 19:1-2.
Once again, we see the judgment of the Empire spoken of in the past tense. The final judgment would see the Empire destroyed from the earth for all time. They are celebrating because Babylon, that is, Rome, has fallen, Revelation 19:2. They are celebrating because God has avenged the lives of all those Rome had murdered, Revelation 19:2.
“Hallelujah! once again is the cry because the smoke from her goes up for ever and ever, Revelation 19:3 / Revelation 14:9-11. The nation has collapsed, and the people are judged, Isaiah 34:9-10. The saved dead in Christ are rejoicing now that God’s righteous judgment has come.
The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures, once again, fall before God and worship Him, Revelation 5:14 / Revelation 7:11, indicating all of heaven is now celebrating, Revelation 19:4. When they celebrate, they say, ‘amen’ before the Hallelujah! Revelation 18:4 / Psalm 113:1 / Psalm 115:13 / Psalms 135:1 / Psalms 135:20.
A voice from the throne says encourages those in heaven, those who fear him, to praise God, Revelation 19:5. The fact that it comes from the throne indicates that it is a directive from God.
John now hears another sound like a great multitude, this time it sounds like the roar of rushing waters and pearls of thunder, Revelation 19:6. They, too, are celebrating and praising the Lord, because the Lord God Almighty reigns, Revelation 19:6.
He truly is the Almighty, Isaiah 9:6-7 / Revelation 19:6. The words ‘Lord God’ are translated from the words ‘kurios’, which means supreme authority and is used like a title such as ‘Lord’ or ‘Sir’, and ‘theos’, which is the word for God. Jesus is therefore one of the distinct personages of the Godhead, thereby sharing the attributes of God the Father, Exodus 3:14 / John 1:1 / John 8:58 / Hebrews 1:8.
McGuiggan, in his commentary, says the following concerning the words, God Almighty.
‘The Lord speaks of his majesty. The Almighty speaks just of that, his illimitable power.’
Barclay, in his commentary, says the following concerning the words, God Almighty.
‘The significant thing about this great word is that it occurs ten times in the New Testament. Once it is in an Old Testament quotation in 2 Corinthians 6:18, the other nine times are all in the Revelation, Revelation 1:8 / Revelation 4:8 / Revelation 11:17 / Revelation 15:3 / Revelation 16:7 / Revelation 16:14 / Revelation 19:6 / Revelation 19:15 / Revelation 21:22. In other words, this is the characteristic title for God in the Revelation.’
The great multitude is rejoicing because the wedding time has now arrived, between Christ, the Lamb and His bride, the church, Revelation 19:7. The bride has made herself ready through their righteous deeds.
The redeemed prepared themselves as brides by being obedient to the word of truth, 1 Peter 1:22, and as a result of their faithfulness to the Lamb, and their righteous deeds, 1 John 3:7, they are given the bride clothes, fine linen, Revelation 19:8 / Ephesians 5:25-27.
Charles, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The marriage symbolism denotes ‘the intimate and indissoluble communion of Christ with the community which he has purchased with his own blood’, a communion which is ‘first reached in fullness by the host of the martyrs.’
Barclay, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The thought of the relationship between God and his people as a marriage goes far back into the Old Testament. Again and again, the prophets thought of Israel as the chosen bride of God, Hosea 2:19-20 / Isaiah 54:5 / Jeremiah 3:14 / Ezekiel 16:1-63. The marriage symbolism runs all through the Gospels, Matthew 22:2 / Matthew 22:10-11 / Mark 2:19 / Matthew 25:1 / John 3:29 / 2 Corinthians 11:2 / Ephesians 5:21-33.’
An angel now tells John to write, blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb, Revelation 19:9. What an invite! What a blessing! What an honour! Matthew 22:14.
Along with those words, we find he is to write, these are the true words of God, Revelation 19:9, indicating that everything John has seen and heard is absolutely true, Revelation 1:1.
After writing those things down, John appears to be overwhelmed by the situation, and so he falls down to worship the angel who told him to write those things down, Revelation 19:10.
However, the angel stops him, Acts 14:11-18, and notice the angel puts himself on the same level as a servant, brothers, sister who held to the testimony of Jesus, Revelation 19:10. The angel tells John to worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus, Revelation 19:10.
Kercheville, in his commentary, says the following, concerning Revelation 19:10.
‘The testimony given by Jesus is the substance of what the Spirit inspires Christian prophets to speak. The angel is not the source of this awesome prophetic revelation. Jesus is the source. Therefore, worship him.’
John now sees heaven open and sees a white horse, signifying victory, whose rider is called Faithful, that is, reliable, trustworthy and True, that is, genuine, and he judges with justice and wages war, Isaiah 11:4, that is, a righteous war, Revelation 19:11.
This is clearly Christ Himself being spoken of here. The time for the judgment of Rome is at hand. Jesus is mounted on His war horse and is about to carry out God’s righteous judgment on the enemies of the Christians. Jesus is the One Who is the Conqueror; He is victorious.
His eyes are like blazing fire, which means He never misses a thing, Revelation 19:12 / Daniel 10:6 / Revelation 1:14-15 / Revelation 2:18, nothing is out of His sight, and on his head are many crowns, Revelation 19:12. Why? Because of Who He is, He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Revelation 19:16 / 1 Timothy 6:15 / Revelation 17:14.
Kercheville, in his commentary, says the following concerning these crowns.
‘Earlier in the book of Revelation, we saw Jesus wearing seven crowns. Now he is pictured as wearing diadems. I believe the change of imagery suggests that he is wearing the diadems of the beast because he has conquered the beast. The beast has been vanquished, and he is wearing those diadems on his head, showing he has conquered it.’
Notice that He has a name written on him that no one knows except Himself, Revelation 19:12. The tetragrammaton YHWH is unpronounceable. Man has given the pronunciation ‘Jehovah’ to this, but no one knows for sure if this is correct. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, Revelation 19:13. This could mean the blood of the enemy or His own blood, Isaiah 63:1-3.
Notice His name is the Word of God, Revelation 19:13. This takes us right back to John’s Gospel, where he declares Jesus is the Word, John 1:1-2. The armies in heaven mentioned here, Revelation 19:14 / Psalm 110:1-7, are figurative for all the saved who follow and serve Jesus Christ.
They are riding white horses, indicating they share in Christ’s victory, and they are dressed in fine linen, white and clean, indicating that they are spotless and without sin, Revelation 19:14.
Out of Christ’s mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, Revelation 19:15 / Hebrews 4:12-13 / Revelation 1:16. He will rule with an iron sceptre, Revelation 19:15 / Psalm 2:9 / Isaiah 11:4. Jesus rules the nations with the word of God. It is unchangeable, it is eternal, and it will not fail.
In the words, He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God, we see Christ acting in the anger of the Lord against the disobedient nations and peoples, Revelation 19:15 / Revelation 14:17-20. Worldly people of the nations may not submit to His authority, but they are governed by it and will be judged by it.
Notice that the name ‘King of kings’ and ‘Lord of lords’ were written on His robe and His thigh, Revelation 19:16. The thigh was the location of the sword, and the place where oaths were made, Genesis 24:2 / Genesis 24:9 / Genesis 47:29. Jesus truly is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Revelation 19:16 / 1 Timothy 6:15 / Revelation 17:14.
John now sees an angel standing in a strange place, in the sun. This implies that he is standing in a place, high in the sky, where he can be seen by everyone. He sends out an invitation for all the birds of prey to come and eat the great supper of God.
It’s an invitation to eat of the carnage and destruction of the kings, military captains, mighty men, horses, and of all men, both free and slaves. There is nothing left, except the dead bodies of the horses and their horsemen, the bodies of the slaves and free, which the vultures and buzzards eat, Ezekiel 39:17-20.
John now sees the beast; the kings of the earth and their armies gather to fight against Christ and His army, Revelation 19:19.
McGuiggan, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This is the alliance we read of in Revelation 16:13-16. When the three frogs went on their round trip.’
The sea beast, which was the Roman Empire, and the false prophet, which was the land beast, the Roman militia, are both defeated and thrown into the lake of fire, Revelation 19:20, which signifies the utter defeat of the enemy, Revelation 19:14:10-11 / Revelation 19:3-4.
The rest are killed by the sword that comes out of the mouth of Christ, Revelation 19:21 / Hebrews 4:12-13 / Revelation 19:15 / Revelation 1:16, and all the birds ate the flesh of the dead bodies which lay slain from the battle, Revelation 19:21.
When the sword comes out from Christ’s mouth, the battle belongs to the Lord and the enemies are crushed. Christ’s victory is immediate, but notice that there is no actual war. The Roman Empire was broken and destroyed from within and from without by numerous forces over a period of time, all of which were used by God to achieve His purpose.