The Exaltation In Heaven Over The Fall Of The Great Harlot Series

Book of Revelation Commentary

By: Tom Lowe Date: 7/31/17

Lesson: IV.C.4: The Exaltation In Heaven Over the Fall of the Great Harlot

(Revelation 19:1-5)

1After 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.”

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!”

Introduction

Revelation 4-18 dealt primarily with the events of the Great Tribulation period. Beginning in chapter 19 there is a noticeable change. The Great Tribulation is now coming to its end and the spotlight focuses on heaven and the second coming of Christ. For the saints and angels it is a time of rejoicing and victory.

Commentary

1After 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,

“After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: ‘Hallelujah!’”

“After this” (or, ‘after these things’) is a formula used in Revelation in 4:1, 18:1, and in our present verse. It refers here to the fall and total destruction of Babylon as recorded in Revelation chapters 17 and 18. The same event is seen very differently in heaven than on the earth. On earth, the cry of sorrow and mourning is heard, while in Heaven we hear praises and “hallelujahs.” Friends, God has never had the praise and honor due Him, but at this point and throughout eternity to follow He will be praised by the heavenly host, and His enemies will be in the lake of fire.

It was announced in heaven the moment Babylon fell. To me, that signifies that the righteous will have a ringside seat in the sky and will be eyewitnesses to the entire affair between Christ and Antichrist. All heaven praises God for the mighty victory.

These first five verses of chapter 19 describe the end of the destruction of Babylon the Great (chapters 17-18). In contrast to the funeral dirges of the Kings, merchants, and seamen (18:9-19), the crowd in heaven sings a great song of praise. John describes the singers as a “great multitude,” but he doesn’t specify who they are. I suggest that they may be the same great multitude who earlier stood before God’s throne, dressed in white robes and with palm branches in their hands (7:9). This vast crowd in heaven begins praising God for His victory (19:1-3). Then the 24 Elders (identified in the commentary on 4:4) joined the chorus (19:4). Finally, the great choir of heaven once again praises God—the wedding of the Lamb has come (19:6-8). In Matthew 25:1-13, Christ had compared the coming of His kingdom to a wedding for which His people must be prepared.

The overthrow of Babylon marks the end of those organized evils which have plagued the earth for so long. Evil things are so entrenched in society already that no amount of legislation can root it out; the rot has gone too deep. The shout of praise in heaven for the salvation of God is given by “a great multitude” the disciples once asked the Lord if there would be few who would be saved. Here is the answer: a great multitude!

Although we may have expected the praise to have come first from saints, apostles, and prophets (18:20), the multitude is much more inclusive, probably the great multitude of 7:9 or the angelic host of 5:11. The psalm (or song) emphasizes God’s attributes, which is the proper way to honor Him. We do not rejoice at the sinfulness of Babylon, or even the greatness of BABYLON’S fall. We rejoice that God is “true and righteous” (15:3; 16:7; 17:6) and that He is glorified by His holy judgments. As we discovered in 8:1-6, God’s throne and altar are related to His judgments.

The word “Hallelujah,” found in verse 1, means “Praise Yahweh” or “Praise God.” There are four Hallelujahs in this short passage, and there is another in verse 6, but I will discuss that one in the next chapter.

I have called this FIRST hallelujah the “HALLELUJAH OF REDEMPTION” because the first note of praise is salvation. Christ is about to appear with His Church to complete the redemption He began at Calvary. One final conflict remains and then, after Armageddon, the swords of man shall be beaten into plowshares, the earth will be redeemed, and the lamb and the lion shall lie down together. While Satan is the prince of this world now, Christ holds the title deed to the earth, and the day is coming when He shall possess that which is His own by creative right and redemptive right. There has been much speculation in the many attempts to identify the “great multitude in heaven” who utter the first hallelujah. But what does it matter? Let us all join in the chorus. The great day of deliverance for all creation will surely come. Hallelujah!