Reflections on Revelation 19

Revelation 19 (Contemporary English Version)
1. After this, I heard what sounded like a lot of voices in heaven, and they were shouting, "Praise the Lord! To our God belongs the glorious power to save,
   
2. because his judgments are honest and fair. That filthy prostitute ruined the earth with shameful deeds. But God has judged her and made her pay the price for murdering his servants."
   
3. Then the crowd shouted, "Praise the Lord! Smoke will never stop rising from her burning body."
   
4. After this, the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures all knelt before the throne of God and worshiped him. They said, "Amen! Praise the Lord!"
   
5. From the throne a voice said, "If you worship and fear our God, give praise to him, no matter who you are."
   
6. Then I heard what seemed to be a large crowd that sounded like a roaring flood and loud thunder all mixed together. They were saying, "Praise the Lord! Our Lord God All-Powerful now rules as king.
   
7. So we will be glad and happy and give him praise. The wedding day of the Lamb is here, and his bride is ready.
   
8. She will be given a wedding dress made of pure and shining linen. This linen stands for the good things God's people have done."
   
9. Then the angel told me, "Put this in writing. God will bless everyone who is invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb." The angel also said, "These things that God has said are true."
   
10. I knelt at the feet of the angel and began to worship him. But the angel said, "Don't do that! I am a servant, just like you and everyone else who tells about Jesus. Don't worship anyone but God. Everyone who tells about Jesus does it by the power of the Spirit."
    
11. I looked and saw that heaven was open, and a white horse was there. Its rider was called Faithful and True, and he is always fair when he judges or goes to war.
    
12. He had eyes like flames of fire, and he was wearing a lot of crowns. His name was written on him, but he was the only one who knew what the name meant.
    
13. The rider wore a robe that was covered with blood, and he was known as "The Word of God."
    
14. He was followed by armies from heaven that rode on horses and were dressed in pure white linen.
    
15. From his mouth a sharp sword went out to attack the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod and will show the fierce anger of God All-Powerful by trampling the grapes in the pit where wine is made.
    
16. On the part of the robe that covered his thigh was written, "KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."
    
17. I then saw an angel standing on the sun, and he shouted to all the birds flying in the sky, "Come and join in God's great feast!
    
18. You can eat the flesh of kings, rulers, leaders, horses, riders, free people, slaves, important people, and everyone else."
    
19. I also saw the beast and all kings of the earth come together. They fought against the rider on the white horse and against his army.
    
20. But the beast was captured and so was the false prophet. This is the same prophet who had worked miracles for the beast, so that he could fool everyone who had the mark of the beast and worshiped the idol. The beast and the false prophet were thrown alive into a lake of burning sulfur.
    
21. But the rest of their army was killed by the sword that came from the mouth of the rider on the horse. Then birds stuffed themselves on the dead bodies.

---

Following the judgment of Babylon, recorded in chapter 18, come the events of this chapter which foretell Christ's coming. The chapter begins with rejoicing in heaven over the judgment of Babylon. The rejoicing praises God because His judgments are "true and righteous," (19:2) and because the corruption of Babylon was dealt with and the blood of God's servants avenged.

Following the rejoicing over the judgment of Babylon, there was the roar of a vast multitude saying Hallelujah "because our Lord God, the Almighty, has begun to reign!" It is almost time for Christ to receive His bride, the church. The church has survived, despite the prediction of her critics. Not only has the church survived, but it is "permitted to wear fine linen, bright and pure. For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints." (19:8) In the present age we become cynical about the church because of so many problems we see in individual churches, but God's purpose for the church at large prevails. Those who are followers of Christ cannot give up on the church since Christ "loved the church and gave Himself for her." (Eph 5:25) Christ had a reason to give Himself for the church, and as His followers we must trust ourselves to that reason regardless of what we see in the churches of our day that seems to contradict it. If we love Christ, we cannot help but love His church. Nor can we intend to serve Christ without serving Him through His church.

As mentioned above, it is almost time for Christ to receive His bride, but not quite. There is some business to which He first needs to attend to. Verse 11 says that heaven then opened and there appeared a white horse whose rider is "called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war." Christ must first attend to Satan and his followers. Christ is followed by the armies of heaven which are poised to do war with Satan and the armies of "kings of the earth" who follow him. (19:19) The birds are summoned in advance of this great battle in preparation of the feast they will have eating "the flesh of kings, the flesh of commanders, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of their riders, and the flesh of everyone, both free and slave, small and great." (19:18)  These are all those who followed Satan.

Christ and the armies of heaven are victorious and the beast, along with the false prophet, are taken prisoner and thrown "alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur." The rest of those following the beast and false prophet "were killed with the sword that came from the mouth of the rider on the horse (Christ), and all the birds were filled with their flesh." Regardless of how things may appear now, Christ will be victorious and His followers will share in that victory.