WEEK 40
Heaven Rejoices Over Babylon’s Destruction
Date: June 4, 2003
Place: Allendale Baptist
Text: Revelation 19:1-10
Introduction
Chapter 19 turns the page which marks a drastic change in the tone of Revelation. Last week we studied the destruction of the city of Babylon; the capital of the beast’s kingdom.
J. Vernon McGee says; “The somber turns to song; the transfer is from darkness to light from dreary days of judgment to bright days of blessings.”
Chapter 19 is the bridge between the great tribulation and the millennial kingdom that Jesus will establish upon earth.
** This is the end of the tribulation.
Verse 1
“After these things”
This is the same phrase we ran into when John gave the division of the book of Revelation in 1:19.
Remember that literally the word meta tauta which means after these things; after the church age.
Chapter 4 opened with meta tauta and we have been meta tautaing ever since.
“A voice of a great multitude”
In earlier chapters 5 & 7 we saw the elders, the church and the uncounted numbers of the angels all worshipping God.
Some sat this is probably angels, and the church will join in later.
“Alleluia”
This word appears 4 times in the NT and all times in this chapter.
In the Greek there is no letter H, but this is the same word we see Halleluiah.
This word means “Praise the Lord.”
We will see 4 Alleluia’s in this section.
Here this multitude praises God for 4 things; salvation, glory, honor and power.
Verse 2
This multitude sings the praises of the Lord because His judgments are true and righteous.
They vindicate Him for His destruction of the great harlot. It was consistent with His attributes of truth and righteousness that God should punish the harlot for her fornication and for her cold-blooded slaughter of His servants.
Verse 3
Here is the 2nd “Alleluia” and this is because of her, the harlots, smoke.
Remember the false church was burned back in chapter 17.
Verse 4
“Twenty-four elders”
These are best described and understood as representatives of the church.
We said back in chapter 4:4, their joint rule with Christ; their white robes and golden crowns, all seem to indicate that these 24 elders represent the redeemed.
“Four living creatures”
These are a special order of angelic beings, probably the same as Revelation 4:6 and 7:11, and are associated with frequent worship around the throne.
This group agrees with a good old Baptist “hearty” Amen and Alleluia.
Verse 5
This could be best described as a “call to worship” in heaven.
Over and over we have been given small glimpses of the worship that will be constant in heaven.
Verse 6
Here it is again; heaven will be a loud place.
“Omnipotent”
This word means “Almighty”, or “all-powerful”.
Verse 7
“Marriage of the Lamb”
Hebrew weddings consisted of three stages or phases: 1. the betrothal; usually when the couple were children. 2. Presentation; the festivals, often lasting several days before the ceremony. 3. the ceremony; the exchange of the wedding vows.
The church was betrothed to Christ by His sovereign choice in eternity past and will be presented to Him at the Rapture.
The church will be presented to Christ as a bride for marriage.
The marriage takes place in heaven, and this is a heavenly scene and is a marvelous picture of the loining together of Christ and the church.
Some will say that the OT saints are not a part of this marriage, because the term Bride refers to the church.
Verse 8
The wedding gown of the bride or the church is the righteous acts of the saints.
This is a difficult concept to understand and accept, because it is possible for us to stand before Christ in our own righteousness.
Philippians 3:9 tells us; “And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.”
By faith we can trust Christ not only for the forgiveness of sins but for the impartation to us of His own righteousness. So why does John say that the wedding garment is the righteous acts of the saints?
The wedding gown will be used only once, but we will be clothed in the righteousness of Christ throughout eternity.
We as believers will appear before the judgment seat of Christ, not to be judged for our sins in reference to salvation, but for rewards.
Throughout the ages believers have been performing righteous acts which have been accumulating to adorn the wedding gown.
2 Corinthians 5:10 says; “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”
So the implication here is that the church has already stood before the judgment seat of Christ and has been rewarded foe the righteous acts done in Christ.
The question begs to be asked then, is what are you doing to adorn that wedding gown? What are you doing for the Lord today?
Verses 9&10
John the revelator is overwhelmed by the beauty and grandeur of this vision.
He collapsed in worship.
The angel rebuked him; but remember when he fell at the feet of Jesus he was not rebuked and was delivered from fear.
We are reminded here that no creature in heaven or on earth or under earth is permitted to receive man’s worship.
Men may receive honor and respect, but not worship.
Angels are servants on the basis of creation; but believers are servants on the basis of redemption.
All worship belongs to Jesus Christ to whom all prophesy points.
The last sentence in verse 10 is one of the most important in Scripture.
“The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophesy”
This is stating that the witness and testimony that are borne to Jesus are the motivating and underlying purposes of all prophesy.
