Studies in the Book of Revelation
Jay Wegter
Revelation Chapter 19 The Second Coming of Christ
A thanksgiving for the judgment of Babylon, vv. 1-6
Verses 1-6, it’s interesting that this wondrous praise that goes up, is becau of the judgment on Babylon. This praise is actually an overflowing thanksgiv that Babylon has fallen by the might of God’s judgment. When we think abo how powerfully deceptive this false church was (the Babylon harlot) there’s great comment accompanying verse 2 in Leon Morris’ commentary.
Justice has been done in the doom of Babylon. The great whore corrupted the earth with their fornication, and all heaven rejoices accordingly at her overthrow. But we must bear in mind, in all this, our constant readiness to be corrupted. The world likes a complacent, reasonable religion, and so it is always ready to revere some pale Galilean image of Jesus, some meager anemic Messiah, and to give Him a moderate rational homage. The truth is that we have often committe adultery with alien ideologies and confounded the gospel with the religions of nature, or natural religion, and imbibed the wine of pagan doctrines and false principles and deceitful practices. We have sought to bend the will of God, to serve the ends of man, and to alter the gosp and shape the church, to conform to the fashions of the times” (Scottish Theologian Thomas F. Torrance in Leon Morris).
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Verse 2, The great whore, the false church judged, is a reminder that the m law can no more be broken than the law of gravity. The moral law of God ca only be illustrated (astronomer, Johannes Kepler, 1571-1630). For wicked m imagine that they may break God’s laws with impunity, but in reality, they break themselves (see Gal 6:7-8). When we see the words for praise here in verses1-6, we like to think of a hallelujah chorus in the style of Handel. But unlike Handel’s chorus, the praise here begins with the comprehensive crushing, and violent judgment of evil.
Verse 6, The Marriage Supper of the Lamb. In verses 6 through 10. It’s interesting that the triumph of the servants of God is brought out with the imagery of a heavenly marriage.
ii ‘War then wed.’
Verse 7, There is a great multitude in attendance of this marriage supper. T Lord God omnipotent reigns. This is the positive note, not merely a note of negation in the destruction of the harlot, but the triumphant note that the L reigns everywhere.
iii (See 1 Jn 5:19, Eph 2:2, this world before the final victory
Verse 8, regarding the righteous deeds of the saints depicted by their whit linen. Leon Morris indicates that this Greek word dicaioma (righteous deeds) never seems elsewhere to have the meaning of righteous deeds. It always denotes ordinance or something of the kind. ‘Sentence of justification’ woul be much more in accordance with the New Testament usage of the word. T plural will indicate that many individuals are involved, such a meaning is demanded in the context by the verb granted. White clothing is given to the saints; it’s not provided by them. The white robes of the redeemed multitud were not provided by any righteous acts on the part of the wearers, but we the result of washing in the blood of the lamb (Rev 7:14).
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Verses 9-10, Marriage of the Lamb, Hebrew Weddings consisted of thr phases. One, betrothal. Second, presentation. The festivity is often lasting several days. that preceded a wedding ceremony, and third, the wedding ceremony itself, the exchanging of vows. The church was betrothed to Chris by sovereign choice in eternity past (Eph 1:4, 13), and will be presented to at the rapture (Jn 14:1-3; 1 Thess 4:13-18). The final Supper will signify the of the ceremony. This symbolic meal (wedding supper) will take place at the establishment of the millennial kingdom, and will last throughout that thousand-year period. While the term bride often refers to the church and does so here in chapter 19, it ultimately expands to include all the redeeme of all the ages, which becomes clear in the remainder of the Book of Revelation.
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The revelation of Jesus Christ presented in the Book of Revelatio in contrast to the Christ of the gospels, where He is revealed in rejec humiliation, suffering, and death. His return is to be one of triumph, glory sovereignty, and majesty. This is anticipated in the judgment upon Babylon chapter 17 and 18, and in the dramatic introduction of His second coming chapter 19:1-10. In many respects the scene which now follows, namely, th second coming of Christ, is not only the high point of the Book of Revelation but the high point of all history. Here is the manifestation of the Son of God glory, the demonstration of the sovereignty of God in the beginning of the e of human rebellion. How poverty-stricken is any Christian theology, which minimizes the second coming of Christ. And how limited the Christian hope, which does not include the glorious climax to God’s announced program of exalting His Son and putting all creation under His control and lifting the cu (Rom 8). And with that, the revealing of the sons of God.
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Verse 11, Heaven opened, the One who ascended to heaven and had seated at the Father’s right hand, will return to take back the title dee the earth from the usurper and establish His kingdom. The nature of th event shows how it differs from the rapture. At the rapture Christ meets His own in the air. In this event, the glorious return/the second advent, He com with the saints to earth. At the rapture, there is no judgment. At this event, second coming, it is all judgment. This event is preceded by blackness, the darkness, no light from the sun, moon, and stars. There’s great smoke, lightning, and blinding glory as Jesus comes back (2 Thess 1:6-10). Such details are not included in the rapture passages, such as John 14. and 1 Thessalonians 4.
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He’s called the faithful and the true. He rules and reigns in righteousness. He makes war, Isaiah 11:4. His eyes are like a flame o Revelation 1:14. Also, we think of Psalm 45, and His campaign of righteousness which He wages as a warrior. In Revelation 19 verses 11 and 12, He has a name known only to Himself. This is a great way of depicting t there are things about Christ’s being that we cannot know. There are hidde depths (Mt 11:27; Deut 29:29). It’ll never be completely understood by pett human minds of finite creatures.
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Verse 15, these armies that ride with Christ play no part except as a backd to the Word, He shall rule the nations with a rod of iron, Revelation 2:27 and 7:5. This shows that He has absolute authority over the nations. He cannot resisted, He shall rule and tread out the wine press of God. He will overthro completely all those who resist God. And then in verses 17 through 21, we s the anger of God in the satirical language chosen of ‘supper’ with a satirica ‘menu’ in describing unimaginable carnage. This is a sharp contrast to the marriage Supper of the Lamb in verse 9. At the ‘great supper of God,’ vult will feast on the corpses of a great host of earthlings. The list of the description of their universality is emphasized, in their origination from all walks of life. The list of social strata starts with kings and then goes to office commanders, heroes, horses, riders, slave, free, small, great, none are excluded, the overthrow of evil is comprehensive.
Verses 17-18, The battle is prepared. John sees the forces of evil drawn up battle array for their last struggle against good. The Beast is at the head, an with him are the kings of the earth and their armies. Their object is to fight against Christ, who sits on the horse and fight against His army. Sin’s madness is startling, even breath-taking—manifested by the world’s armies attempt to fight the Lamb.
Verse 20, We think about the destiny of the Antichrist and the false prophe they are captured, and thrown alive into the Lake of Fire burning with brimstone. It’s interesting and significant that this all takes place 1000 year before the Great White Throne Judgment.
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Our Lord is coming back on a white horse. In the Roman triumphal processions, the victorious general rode his white horse up the main boulevard to the Temple of Jupiter. But Jesus’ first coming was in humiliatio on a colt (Zech 9:9). John’s vision portrays Him as the Conqueror on His war horse, coming to destroy the wicked, overthrow the Antichrist, and defeat Satan, and take control of the earth. The two comings of Christ contrasted, see Acts 17:30-31; Hebrews 9:27-28; Is 61:1-9; Is 42:1-7.
Verse 13, robe dipped in blood. This is not from the battle of Armageddon, which will not have begun yet until verse 15. Christ’s blood-spattered garments symbolize the great battles He has already won with His raiment having been splashed with the blood of His enemies (Is 63:1-6). The Word, t Word of God, only John uses this title for the Lord. Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the eternal utterance of God (Heb 1:1-3). Colossians 1:15, the express image of God’s Person, Hebrews 1:3, and the final full revelation fro God (Heb 1:1-14).
The armies of heaven are composed of the church, and the tribulation saints, and the Old Testament believers, and even angels. They return to help Jesus in the battle, but to reign with Him after He defeats His enemi Verse 15, a sharp sword. This symbolizes Christ’s power to kill His enemies That sword comes out of His mouth, which indicates that He wins the battle with the power of His Word. Though the saints returned with Christ to reign and rule, they are not the executioners. This is His task, and that of His ang His rod of iron rule is swift and righteous. Christ’s judgment will mark His ru in His kingdom throughout the Messianic age. Believers will share His authority (Rev 2:26-27). See The wine press of God's wrath is a vivid symbo judgment (19:15).
Verse 16, and written on his thigh, Jesus will wear a banner across His robe and across His thigh with a title emblazoned on it that emphasizes His absolute sovereignty over all human rulers. Discussion: Christ’s complete worthiness to be King over men and angels.
Verses 17ff. These verses depict the frightening Holocaust unparalleled in human history, the Battle of Armageddon, the pinnacle of the Day of the Lo This is a battle that’s as much an execution as a battle, as the remaining rebels against God are killed by the Lord Jesus.
The Great Supper or banquet of God, the great supper of the grea God. This is called the Battle of the Great Day of God Almighty. It’ll begin w an angel summoning vultures, carrion birds to feed on the corpses of those who will be slain. God will declare His victory before the battle begins. See Matthew 24:27. The Old Testament frequently pictures the indignity of carr eaters, scavengers, vultures, feasting on the human dead (see also the dung principle; what is lower than dust?—Jer 16:4). Also see 1 Ki 21:23, Jezebel the epitome of wickedness, is eaten by dogs so that she could not have the dig of a grave marker.
Verse 19, The kings of the earth and their armies. God’s army, described in Zechariah 14:5.
Verse 20, the Beast is captured and the false prophet. And in an instant, th world’s armies are without their leaders, and without the Beast, which is the Antichrist, and his religious cohort, the false prophet. Once seized, the body of the Antichrist will be transformed into one not consumed in burning, and banished directly to the Lake of Fire. This is the first of countless millions of unregenerate men and fallen angels arriving in that dreadful place. These t still appear there a thousand years later. See Revelation 20:10. This refute the false doctrine of annihilationism. They’re sent to the Lake of fire, the fin hell, the place of eternal punishment for all impenitent rebels, angelic or human. The New Testament says much about eternal punishment. Fire and brimstone—these terms are frequently associated divine judgment (Ps 11:6 Lu 3:17; 17:29). The birds were filled with their flesh, all remaining centers the world will have been executed and the birds will gorge themselves on th flesh.
The disgrace of vultures eating human cadavers (Deut 28:26; Ps 79:2-3; Jer 16:4; 19:7; Ezek 29:5).
Christ returning as Judge (Ps 7:11; Is 11:4; 63:1-6; Mt 13:40-42; 2 Thess 1:7 Jn 5:25-30; Acts 17:30-31).
Christ returning to reign (Ps 2:1-9; Jer 23:5; Is 9:6-7; Is 60; 61; 62; 65; Mic 4
End Notes:
i Leon Morris, The Revelation of St. John
ii Ibid.
iii Ibid.
iv Ibid.
v John MacArthur Study Bible
vi John Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ
vii Ibid.
viii Leon Morris
ix Ibid.