Revelation 19 - Jesus Returns at the Battle of Armageddon!

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Threefold Hallelujah Over Babylon’s Fall

19 After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, 2 for true and just are his judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.” 3 And again they shouted: “Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.”

John continues to write about the celebration of the fall of Babylon, the dominant world order, which was defeated during the 7 year tribulation. The roar of the "Hallelujah", which simply means "praise the Lord", sounded like the biggest choir ever assembled for worship of the Lord. The basic message was God is a power above all power. In all of these judgments not only was He true but also just. There is nothing God will ever do that is untrue and unjust. In this case the judgment was over Babylon, which represented all of the world power arrayed against God and His people. Part of the judgment was due to the blood of the saints who died for the name of Jesus. 

Back in Revelation 7:9-14, we saw a great multitude saved out of the Great Tribulation, ready for the end of the world system and the Antichrist’s reign on earth. Here, this great multitude, the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures all join in celebrating the fall of the Antichrist and the world system that supported him.

4 The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried: “Amen, Hallelujah!” 5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying: “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both great and small!” 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. 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 righteous acts of God’s holy people.) 9 Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”

The different voices come from other groups from heaven. The twenty four elders and the four living creatures. A voice came from the throne also praised all of God's servants great and small 

Here, the focus of worship is on the great works of God, specifically, His work of righteous judgment. Then a voice came from the throne: This voice from the throne of God might be Jesus, but more likely it is the voice of one of the angels that serve at the throne of God. (Guzik)

What was their worship like and how might we learn from it as we worship God today?

This is obviously loud, enthusiastic praise. While it is certainly possible to make praise and worship a self-indulgent focus on our feelings or a disorderly expression of the flesh, there is nothing wrong with loud, enthusiastic praise. And while there is something precious and irreplaceable about quiet times alone with God, there is also something absolutely thrilling about a large number of Christians worshipping God with sincere enthusiasm. (Guzik)

The great roar of the multitudes continued to praise and rejoice in God for His reign and in preparation for the wedding of the Lamb (Jesus) with his bride (the Church). The church was clothed with bright and clean linen symbolizing her purity. The symbolism is here and in many other places of the bible. Though our clothes are stained by sin, Jesus' death cleansed us and we are robed in Jesus' white robe righteousness. 

Isaiah 1:18 prophesied of this process of our being cleansed of sin. 

“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.

What does the union of the Lamb (Jesus) and the bride (His people/the church)?

One reason this great multitude is so filled with praise is because the time has come for the Lamb of God to be joined unto His people, in a union so close it can only be compared to the marriage of a man and a woman.

On that day, everyone will see the church for what she really is: the precious bride of Jesus. “The Bride of Christ is a sort of Cinderella now, sitting among the ashes. She is like her Lord, ‘despised and rejected of men’; the watchmen smite her, and take away her veil from her; for they know her not, even as they knew not her Lord. But when he shall appear, then shall she appear also, and in his glorious manifestation she also shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of the Father.” (Spurgeon)

10 At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”

It seems as though John fell at angel's feet to worship him. The angel rejected this and put himself in the same category of John as a witness to Jesus. Though the angel was a spirit, it was the Spirit (Holy Spirit) who was the source of both the angel and John's testimony. 

This brings up questions of the differences and similarities between humans and angels? 

Why would such a godly man like John make such a blunder as this? “John either felt that the angel represented God or he was beside himself with excitement over the glorious consummation.” (Robertson)

No created being should be worshipped. This is in contrast to Jesus, who receives the worship of angels (Hebrews 1:6) and of men (Matthew 8:2, Matthew 14:33, John 9:38). There are important differences between humans and angels, but both are servants of the same Lord.

The Heavenly Warrior Defeats the Beast

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 wages 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 Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.”[a] 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.

Now we switch back to a battle scene. The rider (Jesus) is on a white horse. The rider's qualities are consistent with John's vision of Jesus earlier in Revelation. I.e. His eyes are a blazing fire, he has many crowns showing his royalty, and his name of the Word of God. 

John 1:14 says, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us full of grace and truth." 

Hebrews 4:12 says, "The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any double edged sword separating joints and marrow, soul and spirit., it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." 

Most commentators interpret this to be Jesus as well. 

There is a sense in which everything before this in the Book of Revelation is an introduction to this revelation (unveiling) of Jesus Christ. Now He returns to earth in power and glory. (Guzik)

When Jesus comes, He comes on a white horse. In Biblical times – especially among Israel – most soldiers were foot soldiers. To have a horse in battle was a significant advantage. A horse spoke of honor, of power, and of speed; the color of this horse speaks of victory. (Guzik)

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 the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small.”

This is a very graphic scene which might be surprising for us to see in the bible. We are very used to the kind, gracious and compassionate side of God, but in the end times His judgment and wrath will be exacted on those who have rejected him and perpetrated evil on this earth. 

 It’s good for us to remember that this dramatic display of judgment comes only at the end of a long time of grace, patience, and mercy. This is no “rush to judgment.” Jesus has amply displayed His nature of mercy, forgiveness and grace to this fallen world. He comes now to judge a world hardened and totally given over to their rebellion against Him.

“All of these passages point to the sad conclusion that in the day of judgment it is too late for men to expect the mercy of God. There is nothing more inflexible than divine judgment where grace has been spurned. The scene of awful judgment which comes from this background is in flat contradiction of the modern point of view that God is dominated entirely by His attribute of love.” (Walvoord)

“The race has walked in carnal enmity against God, living after the flesh, and now the day of His patience is at an end.” (Barnhouse)

19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. 20 But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21 The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

John describes the final battle, also called the Battle of Armaggedon. The beast and all of his satanic armies come against the rider on the horse (Jesus) and his army of angels. The beast (the antichrist) was captured along with prophet who orchestrated his signs and image. They were thrown into a lake of fire. The rest of his the army (those who followed the beast) were killed with the sword coming out of the rider's (Jesus) mouth. 

This is just the logical extension of man’s constant war against God since the fall. It is no more unbelievable than the idea that God came to earth and men murdered Him.

John wrote no description about a battle. This is an entirely one-sided affair, more of a simple act of judgment than a prolonged battle or war. “The battle of Armageddon is the laughter of God against the climax of man’s arrogance.” (Barnhouse)

The lake of fire is what we normally consider hell. It is real, and there is nothing more important than avoiding it.

We will see tomorrow that the Lake of Fire is not just reserved for the Beast and the false prophet!