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                   THE BOOK OF REVELATION

CHAPTER.19.

This portion of chapter 19 is generally considered to be
parenthetical because it is given after the vial judgments;
but the actual fulfillment will be in heaven when all the
Tribulation saints and the two witnesses are raptured.  The
marriage supper will take place before Christ comes back, so
this passage would be parenthetical.  It explains what is
going on in heaven just before Christ returns to earth with
the saints.

THE MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB
Rev 19:1-10

The Hallelujah Chorus

"And after these things I heard a great voice of much people
in heaven, saying, Alleluia Salvation, and Glory, and honour,
and power, unto the Lord our God" (19:1).  Notice the phrase
`after these things'.  After what things?  After the judgment
of commercial Babylon at the end of the tribulation.  The
events of chapter 19 bring a complete end to the tribulation.
In 18:20 there was a call for heaven to rejoice, 19:1 is the
response to that call.

The scene in Revelation 19 offers a brief glimpse of what God
intended the experience of man to be, in his relationship with
God, from which man fell.  Man is seriously frustrated today
because he is incapable, without Jesus Christ, of worshipping
God as described here.  His spirit of self-sufficiency and
pride prohibit his abandoning himself to God; consequently he
is to some degree a frustrated person.  Only Christians who
have voluntarily bent their knee to Jesus Christ (Phil 2:8-
9), are really able to enjoy the blessing of true worship
which is such an integral part of man's emotional desires.

The reference to `much people' in verse 2 is to the same
group as in Revelation 7:9, where `a great multitude' is a
translation of the same Greek words.  Though the general
reference may be to all people in heaven, the allusion seems
to be the martyred dead of the great Tribulation.  Actually,
the people of verse 1 are distinct from the other beings in
heaven, as we will see, for they are singing a song that
includes salvation.  This would incorporate all believers -
Old Testament saints, the church age saints, and the
tribulation saints. Together they join in this great chorus,
proclaiming, "HALLELUJAH!"

Revelation 19 is the only place in the New Testament where
this word "Hallelujah" is found; it appears four times.
Actually, it is an Old Testament word, taken form the Psalms,
and means `praise the Lord'.  There are many things for which
men should praise the Lord, as outlined in Psalm 146 to 150,
including praising the Lord for His judgment.
Three additional words are used in the original to express
this praise unto the Lord our God (the word `honour' does not
appear in the best ancient manuscripts): `salvation',
`glory', and `power'.  Walter Scott, in his exposition of the
Revelation of Jesus Christ, stated, "The first of the three
terms signifies deliverence, the second God's moral glory in
judgment, and the third His might displayed in the execution
of the judgment upon the harlot".

The Four And Twenty Elders

"And the four and twenty elders and the four living creatures
fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying ,
Amen.  Hallelujah!" (Rev 19:4 ).  The twenty - four elders
mentioned in verse 4 are not strangers to us.  We have seen
in our exposition of chapter 4 that they are probably a
special order of angelic beings who have under them thousand
and thousands of angels administering the affairs of God's
universe.

These, plus the four living creatures also described in
chapter 4, will join the redeemed men in heaven to sing
praises unto God.  Five times in the book of Revelation the
twenty-four elders express themselves, each time in praise
and rejoicing.  When we read them we find that the elders
frequently break out in a chorus of praise for the Lamb and
his conquests.  In revelation 4:10-11, we see them honouring
God for His creative power, in Revelation 5:8-9 they worship
the Lamb who is found worthy to take the scroll from the
Father and open its seals; in Revelation 7:11-12 they
celebrate the arrival of the multitude of Gentiles in heaven;
in Revelation 11:16-18 they worship God when He announces
that the world has become the kingdom of Christ and He will
reign forever and now in our text we find them adding their
"Amen, Hallelujah!" to God's judgment and destruction of
Babylon.

The Lord God Omnipotent Reigneth!

The united song of all those in heaven anticipates the
rulership of the Lord God by His Son, Jesus Christ.  This
song in a sense is an announcement of what will soon occur in
the prophetic sequence.  For shortly  after this paean of
praise in heaven, Jesus Christ will come to set up His
glorious kingdom.  For nineteen hundred years Christians have
prayed in obedience to our Lord, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will
be done on earth as it is in heaven."  That prayer will one
day be answered when Christ comes physically to this earth to
rule and to reign forever.  This prophetic fact should be a
cause of great rejoicing to all believers who understand and
anticipate the event.



The Marriage Supper on the Lamb

The marriage supper of the Lamb was one of the themes on
which the Lord Jesus loved to dwell.  In many of His stories
or parables, He spoke of marriage suppers.  For instance, in
the parable of the ten virgins.  He told about the
preparation for the coming of the bridegroom.  In Matthew
22:1-14, he spoke of the parable of the marriage of the king's
son. At this festive occasion the king sent out servants to
invite people to come to this blessed event.

Who Is The Bridegroom?

The question "Who is the Bridegroom?" has but one answer.
The bridegroom can only be `the kings son' of Matthew 22:1-
14, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.  In John 3:29, long after
John the Baptist had introduced Jesus as `the Lamb of God,
who taketh away the sin of the world' (John 1:29), John was
asked to identify himself.  He made it clear that he was not
the Christ; in verse 29 he referred to Christ as `the
bridegroom,' to  himself as `the friend of the bridegroom,
who standeth and heareth him'.  From this passage we see that
Christ is referred to as the Bridegroom and also as the Lamb.
Thus we may conclude that Christ will be the Bridegroom at
the marriage of the Lamb.

Who is The Bride?

The answer to the question "Who is the Bride" will be found
when we study chapter 21.

When and Where will This Marriage Take Place?

There is no description given of the wedding supper.  The
Greek word for `marriage' means `marriage feast'.  This will
undoubtedly be an actual literal supper just as we would
enjoy here on earth.  Cf Matt 22:2, 25:10.  It is difficult to
envision untold thousands participating in such an event, but
nothing is impossible with God.  John's response to all of
this was so overwhelming that he wanted to worship the angel
as he would worship God, but he was forbidden to do that.  In
this case, the messenger claimed he was a fellowservant,
apparently a redeemed person, and one of the brethren with a
testimony of Jesus and a spirit of prophecy.

It has often been thought that the marriage supper would be
in the air when Christ comes at the rapture (1 Thess 4:16-
17), rather than in heaven.  There is, however, no reason to
conclude this to be the case.  On the contrary, it appears
clear that the supper takes place in heaven just prior to the
second advent when Christ will come from heaven with His
saints (19:11, Zech 14:5, Jude 14-15, Rev 19:11-21).  When
they leave heaven to come back to earth, they will come
directly to earth and deliver Israel and set up a new
kingdom, which will continue forever.

THE TRIUMPH OF CHRIST - SECOND COMING
Rev 19:11-16

Christ Goes First To Edom

"Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from
Bozrah?  This that is glorious in his apparel, traveling in
the greatness of his strength?  I who speak in righteousness,
mighty to save.  Why art thou red in thine apparel, and they
garments like him who treadeth in the winefat?  I have
trodden the winepress alone, and of the peoples there was
none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and
trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled
upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.  For the
day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my
redeemed is come.  And I looked, and there was none to help:
and I wondered that there was none to uphold.  Therefore,
mine own arm brought salvation unto me, and my fury, it
upheld me.  And I will tread down the peoples in mine anger,
and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their
strength to the earth."  (Isa 63:1-6).

For some reason we find that our Lord will go first to Edom,
where many Israelites have fled for safety from the
antichrist.  He thus will vindicate the promises of God as
He triumphs over the enemies of Israel.  This text also
describes Him as arrayed in red garments and reveals that
this is the `day of vengeance'.  Men having rejected the
mercy of God offered through the sacrifical death of Christ
on the cross, will suffer the judgment of God at the hands of
the one they have rejected.

This, and other texts, make it clear that Christ's glorious
appearing will not be a time of joy to the unsaved but, on
the contrary, a time of great sorrow because the day of God's
wrath is come.

Christ's Coming Attended by Signs and Natural Phenomena.

"For as the lightening cometh out of the east, and shineth
even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of
man be.  For wherever the carcass is, there will the eagles
be gathered together.  Immediately after the tribulation
of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon
shall not give its light, and the stars shall fall from
heaven, and the powers of the heaven shall be shaken.
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in
heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn,
and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds
of heaven with power and great glory.   And he shall send
his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall
gather together the elect from the four winds, from one
end of heaven to the other." (Matt 24:27-31).

This prediction of our Lord Himself concerning His glorious
appearing is taken from the Olivet Discourse.  It reveals
that He will come visibly, and become the object of attention.
The sun, moon, and stars will not give their lights, but all
attention will be focused on `the sign of the Son of Man in
heaven', after which `the tribes of the earth (will) mourn',
because they have not prepared themselves for the day.  Then
men will see Christ, who is the light, `coming in the clouds
of heaven with power and great glory'.  At this moment the
second installment of the rapture will occur, when Christ
will gather together His elect from the `four winds, from one
end of heaven to the other'.

Christ Comes To Execute Judgment With His Saints.

"And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these
saying, Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his
saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that
are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they
have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which
ungodly sinners have spoken against him." (Jude 14-15).

This is the only passage in the Bible telling us that Enoch
was a prophet.  Somehow God had revealed to him that in the
unfolding of the ages Christ would come with myriads of holy
ones to execute judgment on men.  That judgment will begin
with antichrist and eventually will include the nations of
the earth, as explained in Matt 25.

2 Thess 1:7-10 describes Christ coming in judgment to destroy
the antichrist, which parallels the passage we will study
in the next chapter, in which Christ casts the Antichrist
into the lake of fire.

Christ Will Stand On The Mount Of Olives.

"Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those
nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
And His feet shall stand in the day upon the Mount of Olives,
which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of
Olives shall cleave in its midst toward the east and toward
the west, and there shall be a very  great valley, and half
of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it
toward the south.  And ye shall flee to the valley of the
mountains: for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto
Azel: yea, ye shall flee, as ye fled from before the
earthquake in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and the
Lord, my God shall come, and all the saints with thee." (Zech
14:3-5).

Our Lord ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives.  In
Acts 1:11 the angels said, "This same Jesus, who is taken up
from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have
seen him go into heaven."  Our Lord will not only come in
`like manner', meaning visibly and physically, but He will
actually come to the same place, the Mount of Olives.  When
His feet strike the Mount of Olives, the Mount will divide in
two.  Some Bible commentators have indicated that a natural
division exists between the two high points on the Mount of
Olives which will cleave in two, creating a new passageway
from Jerusalem down to Jericho at the Jordan River.  There
may be a gigantic causeway from the Jordan River out to the
Mediterranean.  Others speak of a geological report,
indicating a fault under the Mount of Olives that needs only
a slight earthquake to cleave it in two.  In any case, when
Christ sets His feet upon the Mount, His power will be
manifested in that is divides into two parts.

All of the above events, taking place in a breathtaking
moment of time, will highlight the fact that our Lord has
come.  These passages are only some of the many that could be
used to describe the great event of our Lord's glorious
appearing.

The Glorious Appearing

The term `glorious appearing' is not found in the book of
Revelation, but it is in Titus 2:13.  There it is used to
describe the physical, visible return of Christ to the earth
in distinction from the `blessed hope', which is the Rapture
of the Church or the secret coming of Christ for His
believers prior to the Tribulation Period.  Of all the
descriptions of the glorious appearing in the Bible, none is
more graphic than our text: Revelation 19:11-16.

Verse 11 introduces this dynamic scene by telling us that
John `saw heaven opened'.  This is the second time John saw
the heaven opened.  The first time was in Revelation 4:1
where he was invited up into heaven and as a representative
of the Church looked down on the scenes of the Tribulation
Period.  In chapter 19 the tribulation has been concluded and
Christ is returning to the earth, so we find the heaven
opened again.  This time, instead of taking a man up, heaven
is opened to let the rider on the white horse out,
accompanied by his armies.  This rider, with eyes `as a flame
of fire', from the description, can be none other than the
Lord Jesus Christ.  The significance  of the white horse is
typical of the difference between this coming, and Christ's
first coming.  While on this earth our Lord fulfilled Zech
9:9, entering Jerusalem on a lowly beast of burden.  Now His
humiliation is done away and He will come in glory, properly
using the white horse to depict His power and glory.  Lest
you think it strange that there are horses in heaven, I
remind you that in 2 Kings 2:11 and 6:13-17 we find
references to horses and chariots of fire.

Many passages refer to the second coming of Christ, and four
Greek words in particular deal with the fashion of His
coming.  The first word is parousia, which really means
`personal coming immediate presence, arrival, advent, or
return'.  It relates to the personal appearance of Christ on
earth (Matt 24:3,27,37,39, 2 Thess 2:8, 2 Peter 3:4).  The
second word, phanerous, means `to shine, be apparent, to
appear publicly, be manifest and be seen', and it is used in
Matt 24:30.  The next word means `to come or go', and it is
erchaomai, which is used in reference to the second coming of
Christ (Matt 24:30, 42-43,48, 25:13,19,27,31, John 21:23,
Acts 1:11, 1 Thess 5:2, Jude 14, Rev 1:7).  The fourth word,
epiphaneia, means `advent, appearing, brightness, to give
light, or become visible'.  It is often translated `appear'
or `appearing' (1 Tim 6:14, 2 Tim 4:1,8, Titus 2:13, Heb
9:28).

Many things are related in the scriptures concerning the
manner of His coming.  Matt 24:27 states that He is coming
`as the lightning comes out of the east, and shineth even
unto the west'.  He is coming visibly in the same way that He
went away (Acts 1:11, Rev 1:7).  He will come with vengeance
and wrath.  Punishment will be upon His enemies (14:14-20,
19:11-21, Jude 14, 2 Thess 1:7-10).  Destruction will be on
the ungodly as a great flood (Matt 24:38-51, 25:31-46, 1
Thess 5:2-3, 2 Thess 1:7-10, 2:8, Jude 14-15, Zech 14).
There will be great glory and power in His coming
(Matt 24:27-30), and He will bring with Him His saints and
the angels (19:11-21, Zech 14;5, 2 Thess 1:7-10).  He will
come as judge and king (19:11-21, Is 11, Zech 14, Matt 25:31-
46).

BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON
Rev 19:17-21

The last part of Rev 19 deals with the battle of Armageddon.
The word `armageddon' appears only once in scripture.  It is
derived from two Hebrew words; Har, meaning `a mountain or
range of hills, or hill country', and megiddo, which means
`rendezvous'.  The two words are combined and they refer to
the Hill of Megiddo, which is on the south side of the Valley
of Megiddo, or Exdraelon (2 Chron 35:22, Zech 12:11), and
south east of Mount Carmel.  This part of Canaan which fell to
Joshua had Megiddo as its capital (Josh 12:21, 17:11, Judg
1:27).  The area is located in a key position between the
Euphrates and the Nile Rivers, and it has been a battlefield
many times.  The greatest battle of all times will be fought
there, and there are several references in scripture to this
battle - such as the all nations will gather (16:13-16).
Armageddon is also called the `Valley of Jehoshaphat' and is
the location, according to Joel 3, where the battle will be
fought from Mt. Carmel southeast to Jerusalem.  One
commentator has stated that as far back as the time of
Napoleon the great valley was claimed to be the most natural
battleground of the whole earth.  It has been noted that many
great military generals have fought there.  Thothmes fought
there in 1500 B.C.; Rameses, 1350 B.C.; Sargon, 722 B.C.;
Sennacherib, 710 B.C.; Nebuchadnezzar 606 B.C.; Ptolemy, 187
B.C.; Antiochus Epiphanes, 168 B.C.; Pompeii, 63 B.C.; Titus
A.D. 70; Khosru, the Persian King A.D. 614; Omar A.D. 637;
the Crusaders under St. Louis of France, A.D. 909; Saladin,
who conquered Richard the Lion-hearted in A.D. 1187, and the
Ottoman forces, A.D. 1616.  There Satan and his horses have
met God before.  Three renowned mountains overlook this
valley: Carmel, Gilboa, and Tabor.  It was on Mount Carmel
that the contest between Elijah's God and the devil-
possessed, Baal-worshipping prophets of Jezebel took place.
One of the mightiest conflicts in the Old Testament, it was
not a battle of one man verses a nation, but God verses
Satan, for on that day, `the fire of the Lord fell' (1 Kings
18:38).  One day it will fall again, but on that day the fire
will be accompanied by the Lord Himself.  "And His feet shall
stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before
Jerusalem on the east".  (Zech 14:4).

Edom First

We have already seen that the Lord will go first to Edom and
soil His garments in a blood battle, in which He will rescue
the Israelites who have been persecuted by Antichrist and his
armies.  Then He probably will go to the Valley of Megiddo,
where the great armies of the world will be gathered in
opposition to Him.  It is impossible to predict the exact
sequence of the Battle in this war, but since everything
culminates at Jerusalem, it would seem that He would go next
to the Valley of Megiddo.  This conflict could literally be
called the battle of Armageddon and is described in
Revelation 16:12-16.

The Return Of Christ

This is the most dramatic moment in world history !  Christ
will set His feet on the Mount of Olives. Zech 14:1-4.

When Christ consumes all before Him through the earthquakes,
lightnings, and the sword that proceeds out of His mouth, not
only will the Holy Land be destroyed but the entire country
will be literally bathed in the blood of unregenerate, God-
hating, Christ-opposing men.  It is hard for us to envision
the hordes of troops from all over the world that will oppose
Christ.  Who can conceive of a time when the blood of slain
men will flow as high as the horses' bridles by the space of
thousand and six hundred furlongs?  That is just about the
length of the entire land of Palestine!  naturally many
skeptics and those who do not take the book of Revelation
literally find it difficult to believe that so much blood
could be shed.  A point to be kept in mind is that part of
the destruction of the troops around Jerusalem will include a
hailstorm.  Rev 16:21.  It is estimated that a talent weighs
135 pounds.  Thus millions of pieces of ice will fall to the
earth, each weighing 135 pounds, melting in the torrid heat of
Palestine and mingled with the blood of those slain until the
land of Palestine will be literally bathed in a blood liquid
that is almost too horrible to describe.  What a price men
pay for rejecting Christ!

Men Feed Birds

How like the futility of man in his pent-up wrath and
antagonism against God!  In one moment man stands in his
physical might filled with hate and bitterness, attacking the
very headquarters of Christ.  The next moment his flesh is
food for the ravenous birds of the heavens.  What a picture
of the futility of man in pitting his will against Jesus
Christ.  (Rev 19:17-19).  Oh, that men might see that the
wisdom of man is foolishness with God, who triumph through
the one He has ordained, the Lord Jesus Christ.

None escape the wrath of the Lord Jesus Christ.  "And the
remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the
horse, which proceeded out of his mouth; and all the fowls
were filled with their flesh".

In Rev 19:17, the angel issues an invitation to these fowls
to come and gather themselves `unto the supper of the great
God'.  The next verse declares that they are to eat the flesh
of kings, captains, and all men, also horses that have been
killed in the battle (19:18, Is 34:3, Ezek 39:17-23, Matt
24:28, Luke 17:37).

The Antichrist and the armies under him will be totally
obliterated at the battle of Armageddon, with the exception
of `the sixth part' which shall live (Ezek 39:2, Rev 19:19-
20:3, Zech 14, Joel 3).  Nations will be punished for their
persecution of the Jews (Matt 25:31-46).  The earth will be
cleared of all rebellion, and God's dominion on the earth
before the fall will be realized (1 Cor 15:24-25, Eph 1;10).
The kingdom of Christ will be established on earth (Dan 7:13-
14, Luke 1:32).

The timetable of the battle of Armageddon appears to be very
short.  Zech 14:1-4 speaks about the battle lasting for `a
day' `... the Lord my God shall come, and ALL THE SAINTS WITH
THEE.  And it shall come to pass  IN THAT DAY, that the light
shall not be clear, nor dark, but it shall be ONE DAY which
shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night; but it shall
come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light' (14:5b-
7).  There is no indication here just how long the day may
be.

The antichrist and the false prophet will be killed in the
battle of Armageddon.  Their bodies will be resurrected and
`cast alive' into the lake of fire (19:20, Dan 7:11, 8:25,
11:45, 2 Thess 2:8-9).  According to Rev 20:1-7, the devil
and his angels will be sent to the bottomless pit.  In this
great battle, Israel will be delivered and vindicated.  God
is setting up an eternal kingdom (Matt 25:31-36, Dan 2:44,
7:18, 23-27, Rev 11:15, Rev 20:1-10, 21:1-22:5).