THE SUPPER OF THE GREAT GOD AND THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB
Revelation 19
This chapter could very well have three different titles. I gave you the first two, but it could also be entitled, "The Four Hallelujahs". This is a very intense chapter with much that is going on. It is the wind down chapter of the great Book of Revelation. This chapter is one of the most encouraging to me. I very well remember, as a student at Tabernacle, hearing Dr. Harold Sightler preach a message entitled "The Four Hallelujahs". It was a very uplifting and a very stirring message on the mighty power of God at work in judging the whore and how "the Lord hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand". Before the message was over, nearly everyone in attendance was shouting and praising the Lord.
This chapter is also great in that it tells about the marriage supper of the Lamb. This is going to be a great day for the redeemed church as we sit at the table as a "glorious church without spot or wrinkle". It will be a time of great reunion of all the brothers and sisters in Christ. Another supper that is given in our Text involves the Battle of Armageddon that is called the supper of the great God. Certainly, for the believer this is a very great chapter of encouragement.
I. HEAVEN’S PRAISE BEFORE THE SECOND COMING. (Vv. 1-10)
Much praise will be taking place just prior to the return of the Lord in glory. This is so because the Lord God Almighty has judged the Great Harlot and is preparing for the last battle before the Lord sets up His earthly kingdom. This is the reason that John heard much people saying, "Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God".
A. The First Alleluias Mentioned. (Vv. 1-3)
The word Alleluia is the Greek form of the word Halleluiah and is not a compound word as some think, but is a single word that means "Praise the Lord". It is also a universal word meaning that it is found in most languages of the world. In Easton’s dictionary, you will find this definition of how the word is used in the Scriptures: Praise ye Jehovah, frequently rendered "Praise ye the LORD," stands at the beginning of ten of the psalms (106,111-113,135,146-150), hence called "hallelujah psalms." From its frequent occurrence it grew into a formula of praise. The Greek form of the word (alleluia) is found in Revelation 19:1,3,4,6.
1. The Alleluia of Victory. (V. 1)
The great number of people in heaven began to praise the Lord because of the righteous punishment of the great whore. The song is praising the Lord for being so merciful in vindicating those who suffered because of her. There are at least four stanzas in the way that this praise song is being sung. There is first the praise involving salvation. Moses even knew that salvation was of the Lord. Jonah knew that "Salvation is of the Lord". (Jonah 2:9). Throughout the Scriptures, the theme is the same, "Salvation is of the Lord". David said when he went up against Goliath that the battle was of the Lord. The three Hebrew children recognized that the Lord was able to deliver them; He was their Salvation.
Next, there is the praise involving the glory that is His. No one is deserving of the glory that belongs to Him. Strong’s definition of glory is: The kingly majesty which belongs to him as supreme ruler, majesty in the sense of the absolute perfection of the deity. This is certainly a definition that fits in describing the work of the Lord during the Great Tribulation. In contrast to the Lord’s work involving the Trinity, we have the work of Satan. His unholy Trinity is flawed in so many ways. Every attempt that Satan made to mimic the Holy One came up pitifully short. Therefore Satan is worthy of no glory- only shame, whereas the Lord is deserving of and will receive the glory that is due His name.
Then there is the honor that is spoken of in the Scriptures and in our Text. The Lord is certainly deserving of the Glory and the honor of that glory. It becomes Him, for He is the altogether lovely One. He is the fairest of ten thousand and the bright and morning star. Every sermon that is preached, every song that is sung, and every miracle that is performed should be done so in His honor.
He is also the powerful One. His power has been demonstrated from the creation on. Every salvation experience is a direct result of His power. His power is without limit. The Alleluias that are being sung here are attributing all of the above mentioned qualities to Him and to Him alone. He has the power to implement His program and to enforce it.
2. The Alleluia of Vengeance. (Vv. 2-3)
It should be very clear to all who read these verses, that the praise is in response to the vindication that came against the great whore: "For true and righteous [are] his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand." It will be a punishment that is everlasting. Each person that was slain by her will rejoice along with a great number of others in knowing that her days are over. They will rejoice in knowing that her smoke will rise up forever. This means that she will never be reestablished to bring about her religious wickedness. Her punishment is absolute and final.
B. The Following Alleluias Mentioned. (Vv. 4-10)
Our wonderful Text indicates that there is nothing anemic about the quality or the volume of Praise that will be taking place when the four halleluiahs are being sung. In the Scriptures, halleluiah only appears four times in the New Testament. The four times is as described in this 19th chapter. It is a word that carries great respect. It is almost a sacred word in the sense that it should be reserved for only describing the heavenly. "Anselm of Canterbury considers it an angelic word, which cannot be fully reproduced in any language of man, and concurs with Augustine that the feeling and saying of it embodies all the blessedness of heaven." (Seiss) Though we should not be afraid to use this wonderful word, we should respectfully use it.
The four and twenty elders again refer to the entire family of the redeemed. This is the last mention of them. Together, they sing their praises unto the Lord. Everything that the Lord is doing as the tribulation winds down is to be praised. While the praise is taking place, the family of the redeemed is sitting in the heavenly arena looking down upon the earth observing the mighty work of the Lord God Almighty as He quickly dismantles everything that pertains to Satan. The worship in praise that is being described here should serve as both an example and a challenge causing us to more fervently praise God while we yet live. We should do this out of appreciation for the redemption work that He did for us on the cross, granting us an opportunity to enjoy all the many benefits of salvation.
1. The Alleluia of Worship. (Vv. 4-5)
The worship of the Lord God Almighty should always be a very important reason for saying "Halleluiah!" The worshiping of the Lord is simply a means for praising Him. We should never praise the Lord in a half-hearted way. There should be much excitement as we worship the Lord. Our Spirit led churches should let the praising of the Lord come forth in every song that is being sung and every sermon that is being preached. Christ Jesus should be lifted up in praise and we should not need to wait until we get to heaven to begin praising Him.
2. The Alleluia of the Wedding. (Vv. 6-10)
This is the event that the Book of Ephesians describes as the Church being presented as a glorious church without spot or wrinkle (Ephesians 5:27). That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. The Lord uses an event that we are familiar with within the human family. I am speaking of marriage. Those who have the character to make the right choice will feel strongly about having a virtuous mate. It is God’s plan and His desire is that we keep ourselves pure before marriage so that we can bring that purity into marriage. The Lord desires that we be pure and that we stay pure for that day when we will be presented to Him as His bride. The sanctifying of the Word of God will bring about such purity and also the cleansing by His Holy Spirit. It is in this way that the bride makes herself ready. This shows us the practical significance of the applied Word of God. For those who neglect to be changed by the Word of God, they will find that many of the marriage benefits that could be enjoyed will be forever forfeited. This does not imply that works are necessary for salvation, but works are necessary for rewards. There is no way to understand, while here upon this earth, what all of that means.
Just as the Lord allows man to exercise his personal will in regards to salvation, such is also the case in respect to rewards. The mystery of this should cause us to be diligent in making ourselves ready for the marriage supper of the Lamb... I do not wish to deemphasize God’s part in this, but I also do not wish to deemphasize man’s part either. To be ready requires a personal discipline as well as having a benefit of God’s grace. The mysterious aspect of this is not very easily understood. There will be a loss of rewards to those who do not strive lawfully. We should be very much mindful of this. I am very concerned in the way that we plan and live our lives without respect to His purpose and His desires for us. We should be constantly mindful that there is going to be a day of examination just as the Hebrew would examine His wife before and during the marriage. The Jewish marriage would involve a year of betrothal to determine the purity of the bride. There were also the tokens of the virginity to determine marriage fidelity as the marriage event was taking place. These verses indicate the severity of not being pure before the Lord: But if this thing be true, [and the tokens of] virginity be not found for the damsel: Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father’s house: so shalt thou put evil away from among you (Deuteronomy 22: 20, 21).
These are Old Testament passages that show the importance of marital purity as God views it. Never think that God lightly regards marriage fidelity. With His personal work, He will receive us as a chaste bride and such will be the cause for shouting the Alleluia that pertains to the wedding.
II. HEAVEN’S PRESENTATION AT THE SECOND COMING. (Vv. 11-16).
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him [was] called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. (v. 11)
This has been one of my favorite passages that is found in the entire Word of God since I was just a very small boy. When I was very young, my Mother had to go to the hospital and stay for awhile and while she was gone I remember my Dad reading this passage to me for the very first time. Even as a very small child, this passage spoke to my heart. I must have been greatly thrilled by seeing that the Lord would be riding on a white horse. I am still thrilled nearly fifty years later. Praise be unto the Lord God Almighty. Think how magnificence this description is of the one who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
A. The Almighty Warrior. (Vv. 11-13)
No greater name for the moment than the name Faithful and True, for He is the faithful and the true One. The entire Word of God is the Truth Book and it is inspired by the One who has proven Himself to always be faithful and to always be true. Those two qualities are becoming rarer with the passing of time. The Lord told Thomas that He was The Way, The Truth, and The Life and He, with that description, is coming as the Almighty Warrior to totally conquer Satan. He is going to make war and judge in righteousness. He is going to faithfully accomplish this just as He declared that He would.
1. Notice the countenance of the warrior (Vv. 11-12a)
His "eyes were as a flame of fire". This shows the sterling, piercing qualities of this mighty conquering Warrior. He is coming as the righteous Judge to make war and destroy the forces of Satan.
2. Notice the many crowns of the warrior. (V. 12b)
He comes not as the counterfeit ruler and king, but as the true and faithful King. The antichrist could only come as a great pretender. This he did, but not so with the true Warrior. He comes as the faithful and true One to take His Kingdom to Himself.
3. Notice the majestic clothing of the warrior. (V. 13)
He is crowned with many crowns and "he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself". So says the Scriptures and it is entirely so. There is much about Him that only He knows, because He is the All-knowing God. We read in verse number 13 that He is also clothed with a vesture that was dipped in blood. Can you imagine how impressive this sight will be when King Jesus comes and appears to initiate the Battle of Armageddon? It will be a horrendous time that is unparalleled in all time and history. It will be a total battle with no one being able to stand. His outfit will be so telling of whom He is and what He did. The blood that so many hated will make up His uniform. To those of us who make up the family of the redeemed, His blood will be very precious. His blood is His signature.
B. The Armies of War. (Vv. 14-16)
And the armies [which were] in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. (V. 14). As I write this, I am thinking ahead in time, to the event that is being described here, knowing that I am writing about myself and those of you who are in the faith that are either listening to or reading this. What a thrilling prospect, just knowing that we are in this together. We shall all be counted together as He leads us against the enemy. The war will soon be over. Almost as soon as it starts, it will be fought and won. We will be on white horses dressed in or clothed in fine linen, white and clean. We shall be like Him.
1. They followed the warrior in purity. (V. 14)
This is certainly one of the many benefits of being washed in the blood. We shall be washed white and clean. May we call this army the army of the redeemed? Redemption blood purifies. This will be the only army of purity that the world has ever known. Wars have plagued this earth for many millenniums, even though many were fought with very pure motives and purposes; they yet lacked the purity as this army will have. It will be a battle that is fought in absolute holiness. It certainly will be the only true Holy war that has ever been fought. It will be a war that will be fought to purify the effects of sin on a sin cursed world. It will be fought for the purpose of the Lord bringing in His kingdom. The only One who will be fighting is the Lord God Almighty. The total purification process will be completed at the Battle of Gog and Magog. We will say more about that later…
2. They followed the warrior in power. (Vv. 15-16).
The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords will be the powerful warrior. There will be none who can stand up against Him. They should not even pretend to do so. The Lord God Almighty, who is also the Creator who created all that there is with His Almighty power will use that same power to destroy the wicked warriors that will rise up and try to defend themselves. Our Text describes the war involving the Word of His power. This is indicated by the expression, "And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God." The sword speaks of the cutting effect of His Word. He can do with His words the same in war as He did in creation. All He needs to do is speak and the battle is won.
The ruling with a rod of iron refers to the way that He will govern those that find themselves going into the millennial reign. His government will be that of a shepherding autocrat. He will rule with unlimited and undisputed power. There has never been a rulership as this. Men may have pretended to rule in this fashion, but even they found themselves with personal limitations. The treading of the winepress is a word picture that describes the way that God shows His wrath and anger against all wickedness. When the Lord is fighting the battle of the ages, He is recognized by the name written on His vesture, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS" (V. 16). For truly this is He!
III. HEAVEN’S PROCLAMATION AFTER THE SECOND COMING. (Vv. 17-21)
The final war of the Great Tribulation is about to start and the final war will soon be ending. This slaughter will produce more carnage than the world has ever seen. The millions killed will beckon the invitation of every carnivorous bird in the world. This is the supper of the great God that is being described.. What a victory that is going to be enjoyed by the people of faith and also the army of the redeemed as they witness King Jesus, the mighty Conqueror, when He destroys the enemy.
A. The Angel Proclaimed A Great Meal. (Vv. 17)
This supper will be so great for the fowls of the air resulting from the slaughter in the war of Armageddon that an angel will call together the fowls of the heaven to eat the flesh of those who fall in battle. The describing of the "angel standing in the sun" is a way of expressing how visible and world wide this call will be. Everywhere that the sun is to be seen, the angel will be seen issuing the supernatural call to all of the fowls of the air. Just as birds have a homing instinct, such will be their response to the angel that beckons them. They will surely come.
1. They will eat the flesh of the strong man. (Vv. 17-18a)
2. They will eat the flesh of the small man. (V. 18b)
These verses show that God is no respecter of persons. All of the military geniuses of the world will be called on to make war with King Jesus, only to be slaughtered. It is their flesh that the vultures will be eating.
B. The Angel Proclaimed A Great Massacre. (Vv. 19-21)
1. This massacre satisfied God’s anger. (Vv. 19-20)
2. This massacre satisfied the fowl’s appetite. (V. 21)
The sword coming from the Lord’s mouth was the Word of God. The Lord has the power of His omnipotence in His words. It still is and forever will be His powerful words that are being spoken… Are we listening?
