THE BOOK OF REVELATION
~ The Revelation of Jesus Christ

Revelation Chapter 19

 

The Hallelujah Chorus

In Revelation 18:20, together with the holy apostles and prophets, all heaven is summoned to rejoice over the downfall of Babylon the Great because God has judged her for the way she had treated them. Heaven's rejoicing is celebrated by “a great voice of much people in heaven”.

Verse 1:  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:
Verse 2:  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.

That's right, the saints of God should always remember that God's judgements, upon whom He may judge, are true and righteous. There is an appointed time and season when God shall judge or reward each person according to His wisdom and purpose (cf. Eccle. 3:1). Therefore, let us recognize His dealing even with the saints in this endtime. Though the materially rich but spiritually lukewarn Laodicean Christians have put away Christ from their churches, Jesus still stands outside the “door” knocking and calling out to those who will hear the true Word of God (Rev.3:14-21). The big organized churches will not respond but a little flock of faithful believers will because they have recognized Christ's parousia for His True Church. Christ is now leading this little group, who shall be His Bride-Wife. The Spirit of God has left the churches and is now working in and through His little Bride. For God will only stay where His Word is made alive. “Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God.”

[Note: The phrase, “a great voice of much people” in verse 1 is the same as “the voice of a great multitude” in verse 6. This multitude is not a throng of Christian people but rather a throng of angels. This prophetic vision shows John how the heavenly host of angelic beings will rejoice when the prophetic revelation of Jesus Christ comes into focus and fulfillment.]

Verse 3:  And again they said, Alleluia And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.

The judgement and downfall of Babylon the Great will be her final and complete destruction. It is not only silly but erroneous to teach that the phrase – “her smoke rose up for ever and ever” – means Babylon will perpetually smoulder without an end. A more common error is found in the teaching that, upon judgement, the souls of those who associate with the whore, will burn continously in the Lake of Fire without end.

“For ever and ever” is a phrase commonly used and commonly misunderstood. When someone says, “I love/hate you for ever and ever” it does not mean that his feeling of love or hate will last forever. When a person dies and ends up in the Lake of Fire, all his feelings and emotions will cease forthwith. When the phrase “for ever and ever” (or eternal, everlasting) is used to describe Life, it conveys the meaning that life will continue without end. But when it is used to describe Death or Destruction, it means that life ceases, or is destroyed, completely to exist no more. There is only one form of life which exists eternally and which has no beginning and no ending. It is God's Life, the Self-existing Spirit. All other living things have a beginning and an end. Therefore one must have the Spirit of God in order to have eternal LIFE for life is found only in the Almighty God. Without the Spirit of God there is no life. He is the Life. Therefore the Spirit of God is not in eternal DEATH. There is no “living” for ever and ever in the Lake of Fire. Life does not exist in Death. The Second Death is the annihilation of Body and Soul.

Alleluia! Truly Babylon the Great will one day be no more for God will avenge the blood of His saints which has flowed from the hands of this great Jezebel (cf. 2 Kg.9:7)!

Verse 4:  And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.

Notice that John has come a full circle in the visions since he was first invited to enter the open door of Heaven in Revelation 4:1, “Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter”. (John was previously carried away in the spirit to a wilderness upon the earth (Rev.17:3). He is now in the Spirit of Revelation and found himself present once more at the heavenly scene of the Throne of God, the Four Beasts and the Twenty-Four Elders.)  And once again the Four Beasts and the Twenty-Four Elders give their adoration to the Almighty God (cf. Rev.4:1-11). Alleluia!

Now, the events which are due to take place on earth prior to Christ's return as the Lord of lords and King of kings will all have taken place by this time. Jesus Christ is now getting ready to go down to earth to fight in the Battle of Armageddon. He will fight against all the wicked kings, who will be gathered there, after which He will judge the world.

As John continues to observe the heavenly activities of worship, a voice rings out.

Verse 5:  And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
Verse 6:  And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

“Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.” This is an announcement and an exultation that the Lord God has assumed sovereign power of a Kingdom. This is the fourth and the last “Alleluia” (or “Praise ye the Lord”) in the Sacred Scriptures which hastens the reign of the Lord's Christ. The emphasis is on the fact that the Bride of Christ has already become the Wife and that she has made herself ready for the grand final event which would take place before Christ returns to earth to reign as King of kings.

 

The Marriage Supper of The Lamb

Verse 7:  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
Verse 8:  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

Many Bible believers have difficulties in understanding the 'Mystery of the Marriage of the Lamb' in three particular passages in the Holy Bible. The most common passage is in Revelation 19:9: “And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.” Some theologians interpret this as an invitation which is extended to a group of guests who are not members of the Bride. They believe that the Son of God and His Bride will only marry upon their return to earth after the Great Tribulation and that this group of guests will be invited to feast at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. They would use the parables of the marriage feast in Matthew 22:1-14 and the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-13 to support their interpretation. They would point to the king's son, the bride (implied in the parable) and the guests in the former parable. They also believe that the ten virgins, who are maids in attendance to the bride, are yet another group of people at the wedding.

Read Revelation 19:6-9 carefully and you will note that John the Beloved, who was carried away in the spirit, saw many wonderful visions. Among other things, he also heard a great thundering voice with this announcement: “Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.” Then the angel who accompanied John advised him to record this encouraging message: “Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

Those who are called to the marriage supper are blessed people. They are the same group of people (the Gentiles) who accepted the invitation to the marriage feast after the original group (the Jews who were first bidden) rejected it, according to Matthew 22:1-14. And we know that Matthew 22:1-14 is a parable. A parable in the Bible is a narrative which presents a moral or spiritual truth. To understand it correctly, one must interpret it within the framework of its specific theme. Hence, the theme of the parable in Matthew 22:1-14 is about The King who prepared a marriage feast for his son. It is not about his son or the bride. Just as the saints of God are allegorically described in the Bible as `lively stones' or as `different members of a body', they are likewise described as the `guests' in this parable.

When we recognize the use of allegories throughout the Scriptures, we can then understand that the saints, who collectively form the One True Church, are called the Bride of Christ. And when the saints are described as the Bride of Christ, they are no longer the Guests. Why? The reason is obvious. The Bride relates to the Bridegroom, whereas the Guests relate to the Marriage Feast.

By now, we should realize that, prophetically, the invitation of Revelation 19:9 is extended to a certain group of blessed guests who are invited to the Grand Marriage Supper of the Lamb. (Notice that in the parable of Matthew 22:1-14, a certain man at the Marriage Feast is thrown out into “outer darkness” because he is seen without putting on the proper Wedding Garment. He is certainly not a blessed nor an invited 'guest'.)

Now, Revelation 19:6b-8 is an announcement that the Marriage Supper of the Lamb will soon take place. Some may wonder why I use the term Marriage Supper of the Lamb instead of Marriage of the Lamb as printed in the KJV Bible. The Greek word “gamos” can be translated as “a marriage, wedding or wedding feast”. [In certain Bible versions, it is translated as 'Marriage Supper' or 'Marriage Feast'.]  However, the word “wife” (Grk: “gune”) points to the fact that the Beloved Bride (Grk: “Numphe”) has truly become the Lamb's wife (cf. Rev.21:2,9). Two other statements support this fact — “His Wife hath made herself ready” and “to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen…” In ancient oriental wedding, the bride was presented as wife and queen only at the grand marriage supper and never before that. When a woman is betrothed to a man, she is only potentially his wife. She becomes truly his wife only after the ceremony of the nuptial chamber.

The Ten Virgins in the parable of Matthew 25:1-13 are maids in attendance to the bride. They are called 'virgins' in the parable because, in the oriental wedding, the maidens in attendance were supposed to be unmarried and younger than the bride. They were usually chosen by the bride herself to be her companions during the wedding. At an appointed time, these maidens would go forth to greet and receive the bridegroom on the arrival of his procession near the bride's home. They would guide him and his company of people to the place where the marriage and the feast would be held. (In this parable, the marriage feast was spread by the bride's parents.)  As it was usually conducted in the evening, lights were needed. Oil lamps were used in this parable although burning torches were more common.

Our Lord used these Virgin Maids to represent Spirit-born children of God. This parable shows their yearning to meet the Bridegroom and to usher Him to the Marriage where they will have a part at the banqueting table. They are 'pure' in their faith of Christ. They are the 'wheat' group in the parable of the wheat and the tares in Matthew 13:24-30. According to the parable, there were five wise and five foolish virgins who went forth to meet the bridegroom. When the bridegroom was somehow delayed, they all fell into a slumber and slept (within church-ism) until a cry (the voice of the Seventh Church Age Messenger) woke them up at midnight (about the year 1956). Then they all began to trim the wicks of their lamps (their understanding or revelation of the Word). However, only the wise virgins, who had extra oil (Spirit) in their vessels, were able to meet the bridegroom and enter the banqueting hall where the marriage ceremony was conducted. Hence, the true saints of God are portrayed in the parable as Virgins in relation to their Saviour, the Virgin Word.

What then is this “marriage of the Lamb”? And when will it take place?

Contrary to the teaching of organized churches, the “marriage of the Lamb” actually takes place here on earth and not in Heaven. This is typed by the Oriental Marriage Customs. In fact, the “marriage of the Lamb” is taking place right at this time. (Remember that it is a spiritual marriage.)  The word “marriage” (Grk: gamos – nuptials, marriage, wedding feast) together with the words “wife” (Grk: gune – woman who has become a wife) and “supper” (Grk: deipnon – chief or main important meal) in verse 9 shows that this is the grand marriage feast, the culminating event in the Marriage of the Lamb.

The Wedding Ceremony in Biblical time normally lasted for several days. During the marriage celebration held at the Bride's home, there would be much gaiety with feasting and dancing. But the marriage celebration, which would culminate with the Grand Marriage Supper, the most important event, would be held at the home of the groom's father. The groom would take the bride home after he was satisfied that she had fulfilled her requirements of a wife. The climactic “bringing home of the bride” was a special event that no one, who was associated with the groom's father, would want to miss out. Similarly, being related to the Heavenly Father, we certainly do not want to miss this Grand Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Amen. This Grand Marriage Supper of the Lamb will take place in Heaven after the saints, who are made ready, are caught up to meet our Lord Jesus Christ in the air and judged at the Judgement Seat (Grk: bema) of Christ (2 Cor.5:10). During this time, the last seven years of Daniel's Seventy Weeks prophecy will be fulfilled on earth.

As we have already seen in Revelation chapters 7 and 10, Christ (the Word) has already come to claim His Word Bride. The Marriage of the Lamb is now in full swing and will soon wind up at the Grand Marriage Supper of the Lamb in Heaven. However, not everyone who claims to be a “born again” Christian will be chosen to partake of this great and grand marriage feast in Heaven. This is true. Our Lord is not coming for the denominational minded Christians who follow and fulfill only the traditional teachings of their organisations. He is coming (in physical form) for a group of true believers, the true worshippers, who worship God in Spirit and in Truth. He is coming for those who are not identified with any (religious organisation of) man; those who are presently getting themselves ready to become His Wife and fulfilling all the righteousness of the Word of God (cf. Matt.3:15).

Verse 9:  And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

Praise the Lord! The Wise Virgins do not fornicate with man-made organisations and their teachings. Amen. At this moment, those who are identified with Christ by faith and who will be translated at His Second Coming (1 Cor.15:23) are now in Spiritual Wedlock with Christ and are getting themselves ready to become His Wife. Like spiritual Enoch, they are walking with the Word of God and will certainly not go through the “flood” (of tribulation) but would be translated physically before Daniel's 70th Week begins.

All Christians are like the wheat in the field (cf. Matt.13). At harvest time, only the fully mature wheat grains are singled out from the rest of the wheat after the tares are first gathered and bundled up together to be burned. These wheat are the “virgins” who desire to meet the “bridegroom” and go in with him to the wedding feast (cf. Matt.25). The rest of the wheat are left in the field to be gleaned later as they mature.

Of the “virgin” Christians, only the wise ones, who have the Holy Spirit constantly flowing through them and supplying them the revelation of the Word, will be able to find their way to the Marriage of the Lamb. O how blessed are these virgins! They are not only fully mature wheat but are also fully pollinated ones. As individual “invited guests” to the Wedding, they will sit and feast with the Lamb. But collectively they are the Bride of Christ. They are now in the midst of the festivities of the wedding while the foolish ones go about searching for oil merchants (preachers of the Word) who sell genuine pure “Holy Ghost” oil (revelation of the Word). By the time the foolish virgins are able to obtain the oil and make their way to the Marriage, it will be too late as the door is shut. The shutting of the door means that the Marriage Feast is over and the Groom will soon take the Bride to His Father's Home. That's right. The elected ones are sealed in and are ready for the translation (change, Grk: metamorphosis).

Together with the rest of the wheat in the field of the world, the foolish virgins will have to go through a dark and difficult time. Ultimately, they will have to give their lives as martyrs to save their souls. This gloomy period refers to the 70th Week (seven years) of Daniel's prophecy in which the Holy Spirit will take the Gospel back to the Jews. And after the Great Tribulation (the second half of the 7-year period) is over, the foolish virgins with the mature wheat would be “gleaned” (resurrected) together with the martyred Jews who had faithfully held to the testimony of the Word of Yahweh. Both groups will present themselves before the Thrones of Christ and all those raptured “blessed” saints (Rev.20:1-5, cf. 6:9-11). Then, collectively as the Bride, they will all reign with Christ a thousand years. Hence, the Apostle John wrote: “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years” (Rev.20:6).

[Note: For what purpose is the Holy Spirit given? Denominational Christians are taught that if they have received Jesus Christ as their Saviour, or if they have spoken in “tongues”, then they have received the Holy Spirit. Whatever they choose to believe, the fact is that the Holy Spirit is given to a Believer to guide him into all truth and that He will reveal to him things which are yet to come. That is the primary purpose of the Holy Spirit of Christ. “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come” (Jhn.16:13). Amen. And right at this very hour, those who have been guided by the Holy Spirit into all truth have been shown the very revelation of Jesus Christ.]

Now, during the spiritual union, in the 'nuptial chamber' of the glory of the Word, Christ is getting to know His Bride as Wife. And the Bride is examining herself to make sure that she conducts herself becoming of the Wife and makes herself ready  to gain her husband's approval. When the Wife “hath made herself ready”, the Husband will give her a change of the Wedding Garments (cf. Isa.61:10). The Wife of Christ will trade off her white robe for one of “fine linen, clean and white”. That is her CHANGE OF THE BODY which shows her righteousness in the Lord, “for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints”.   That's exactly right. As a caterpillar in the “silence” of the chrysalis (cocoon) is changed into a butterfly, the Bride will be transformed (Grk: metamorphosed; cf. 2 Cor.3:18) into a beautiful Wife with a glorified body like that of Christ's.

[Note: All born again Christians possess “white robes” (Rev.7: 9-17). Certain Jews are given “white robes” (Rev.6:9-11). But only a certain small group will be specially arrayed in “fine linen, clean and white”. This latter group consists of those who have taken on the righteousness of God by receiving and fulfilling the Word of God.]

Verse 10:  And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

This angel is one of those seven who has just finished pouring out the Seven Vials of plagues upon the earth (cf. Rev.15; 16; 17:1; 21:9). The outpouring of the wrath of God is the climax of the series of events in which God deals with mankind. After that Christ comes to reign as King of kings. Being enthralled by all the events in this climactic moment, John is overwhelmed by both the message and the messenger that he kneeled to worship the angelic being. But he was promptly rebuked because as an Apostle of the Lord Jesus he should know that “it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (Matt.4:10).

[Note: Like all false Christian cults and organized Christianity, which would twist the Scriptures to suit their teachings, the Branhamites have taken this verse and Revelation 22:9 to teach that the angel was actually the Seventh Church Age Messenger, William Marrion Branham or his theophany. It is their contention that the words “thy fellowservant” and “thy brethren the prophets” (cf. Rev.22:9) prove that the angel was the prophet Branham, or his theophany. They also cite Matthew 18:10 to support their claim that the word “angel” is “theophany”. These people believe that the theophanies (or celestial bodies) of Believers literally exist as separate entities outside of the Spirit of God. Twisting the words in the Scriptures and misrepresenting the teachings of God's true servants are tantamount to making God's Truth a lie. Such teachings and its implication usually cause a person to esteem a man above the Word of God, which is no different from those who uphold their Church creeds and dogmas above the Word of God.]

We can get a clear understanding that the angel was not an earthly being but a spirit being who was sent to be John's guide by reading some other translations. The Diaglott reads “'See; no! I am a Fellow-servant with thee, and of those brethren with thee who have the testimony of Jesus; worship God'” (Rev.19:10b). The NIV states “But he said to me, 'Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!'” (Rev.22:9). Simply put, the angel is saying that he is a co-worker and a servant working with John and all the other prophets, and all who bear the testimony of Jesus Christ in their lives. That's right. Hebrews 1:14 questions “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”

 

The Glorious Coming of Christ With His Saints

Verse 11:  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.

A drama began to unfold as John continued his rapturous gaze through the open door in the Heaven. The sun began to darken as sackcloth of hair, the moon became red and refused to give its light, and the stars began to fall as the Heaven was shaken. Then the Heaven suddenly opened up and began to recede like a scroll as it was rolled up. And there appeared a rider on a white horse! It must have been a glorious sight to John as all the light in the universe was 'cut off' and the only light he could see was that which surrounded Christ and His armies on white horses departing from Heaven for the Battle of Armageddon on the earth. This is the first event in the Day of the Lord, which will fulfill the smiting-stone prophecy of Daniel, in which the “stone cut out without hands” will smite the Gentile world-power, that is, the Beast (cf. Dan.2:34-35).

This is the ending of the Great Tribulation period of 3½ years which is the second half of Daniel's 70th Week and which will usher in the Day of the Lord. The earth would have been in great chaos with the seven plagues of God's wrath having been poured out upon it. But then, all of a sudden the light in the heaven above would darken and the attention of all nations will focus heavenward on a spectacular scene. As the sky splits open and like a scroll is rolled up, there shall appear the Son of man sitting on a white horse. “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens 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” (Matt.24:29-30).

This is also the Sixth Seal which culminates with the outpouring of the Seventh Vial (Rev.16:17-21). “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;  And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places” (Rev.6:12-14). This spectacular scene will last a whole day to fulfill Revelation 1:7. “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.”

As Christ descends from the heaven, the nations of the earth will be terrified. “And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;  And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:  For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” (Rev.6:15-17).

We know that the rider sitting on the white horse here is not the same one who was seen after the First Seal was opened. This rider, called “Faithful and True”, is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ Who is faithful and true to His Promises and His Word (cf. Rev.3:14). The other white horse rider, who “had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer” (Rev.6:2), had no name until he got on the Pale Horse in the Fourth Seal when he was called “Death, and Hell followed with him” (Rev.6:8).

Verse 12:  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

In His righteousness and with the blazing flame of omniscent eyes, Jesus now comes to judge and wage war. All nations will have to submit themselves to Christ and acknowledge Him as King. The “many crowns” signifies that Christ will reign over all the kingdoms of the earth for He is the King of kings.

The Lord of lords has an inscrutable name written (apparently on His forehead). No one knows the mystery of this name except He Himself. Is this the new name of our Lord Jesus Christ which He will also inscribe upon the members of His Bride in the Holy City New Jerusalem (cf. Rev.3:12)?

Verse 13:  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

Notice that the rider is not called the Lord Jesus Christ but the Word of God. The Word (Grk: Logos) is not Jesus (whom the Trinitarians have placed as the Second Person in their teaching of the Godhead as a Trinity). This is the Word which was with God in the beginning and which became (was manifest in) flesh in the Person of Jesus Christ. As the Apostle John wrote: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (Jhn.1:1,14). The Word of God is the Revelation of God in Jesus Christ. (He is the Anointed One — the Christ.)  It was the Word of God which brought forth all creations. It was the Word of God which was made flesh (or manifest in flesh) to bring redemption. And it is the same Word of God which will judge the world. That's right, the same Word returns in the same Jesus the Christ Who has become Lord — the LORD JESUS CHRIST (Acts 2:36). Amen. That's right, and here once again we see the glory of God being manifested and revealed in the same begotten Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, as He returns to earth.

The Fullness of the Word of God in the Lord Jesus Christ comes in vengeance upon His enemies in the Battle of Armageddon and He will be “clothed with a vesture dipped in blood”. He will emerge the Victor with His garment dipped in the blood of His enemies. (The prophetic description of Isaiah 63:1-6 finds fulfillment in these words.)  Yes, He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.

Verse 14:  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

Notice that our Lord Jesus is not coming back alone to earth to fight for Israel (cf. Zech.12-14; Matt.24:29-30; Rev.1:7;) but He is coming with His armies of warriors. Except for Enoch's prophecy in Jude 1:14-15, John actually saw the Son of God coming with His armies, all on white horses and all clothed in fine linen, white and clean. Who are these “upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean”? They are certainly not angels for angels do not possess fine linen, white and clean. They are the saints of God (the Bride) who have become the Wife of Christ. That's right. She has been married to Christ and, in the presence of the Heavenly host, she has been declared as His Wife at the Grand Marriage Supper of the Lamb just prior to this event. Together with Christ, they return to earth riding upon white horses, which signify that they have the power of the Word to judge and cleanse the world of all its evils. Then they will reign with Jesus Christ, their Lord and Master, as promised in the Word of the Lord. “But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever” (Dan.7:18 cf. vv.17-27; 2 Tim.2:12; Rev.3:21; 20:6).

A closer look at this vision shows that Captain Jesus and His armies are not armoured, and that the Captain Himself is the only one whose garment is whelmed with blood. Apparently, as He comes to earth with His Wife and in the glory of God, He alone will tread the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God (cf. Isa.63:3). His Wife will share and rejoice in His triumph. But what weapon will Jesus use to fight with His enemies? As always, He will use the Word of God, the sharp two-edged sword of the Word of God.

Verse 15:  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.
Verse 16:  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

The title-name “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” rightfully belongs to Jesus Christ who comes with absolute royal sovereignty. He is truly the King of kings and Lord of lords. And from the mouth of Christ will come forth a sharp two-edged sword (cf. Heb.4:12; Rev.1:16) with which He will smite those who will come up against the City of Jerusalem. He will end the Battle of Armageddon just as quickly as it began.

Recall Revelation 14; the four forces were loosen to gather the nations to the Battle of Armageddon when the angel thrusts in his sickle to gather the grapes and cast them into “the great winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God”. By this time the “Ten Horn” nations would have destroyed the Great Whore and mustered their armies into Jerusalem. With the destruction of the Apostate Roman Church, the 70th Week of Daniel would have run its course. The 1260 days of Great Tribulation would end. But there remains another 30 days before Christ shall come to do away with all traces of that detestable thing because the Ten Horns of that Beastly system are yet to be destroyed. “And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days” (Dan.12:11).

In the meantime the drying up of the River Euphrates removes the barrier for the advance of the Kings of the East and their armies of 200,000,000 strong into Jerusalem (cf. Rev.16). These Kings of the East will seize the opportunity to quickly move in to the Land of Israel when they see the death of the Great Whore. With today's modern transportation technologies the manoeuvres of armed troops and weapons can take place within a matter of hours or a few days.

There in the Valley of Megiddo, the pivotal point of the whole Battle of Armageddon, these Oriental anti-God and anti-Christ armies will wage a war against the “Ten Horn” nations and their allies for the supremacy and control of Jerusalem. This war will not last for months, it will be over very quickly in a matter of a few days. So, as the end of the 30 days (1290 days, as mentioned by Daniel, minus 1260 days of the Great Tribulation) approaches, the heavens will begin to show the various signs of the appearing of Jesus Christ. Then with absolute power and great glory Christ will appear riding on a white horse followed by His armies of saints also on white horses. He will tread “the great winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God”. “And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” (Zech.12:9). And the strongest opposing force against Christ will be the “ten horns” of the Beast. “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful” (Rev.17:14).

When the Lord Jesus comes, He will descend upon Mount Olives and cause a great earthquake. “And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof 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” (Zech.14:4). He will fight and conquer not by using a literal sword but by using the Spoken Word of God. He will speak the Word of Judgement against all the opponents of Jerusalem. “And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth” (Zech.14:12). “On that day men will be stricken by the LORD with great panic. Each man will seize the hand of another, and they will attack each other” (Zech.14:13 NIV).

 

The Battle of Armageddon — “The Supper of the Great God”

Verse 17:  And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
Verse 18:  That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
Verse 19:  And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.

What an invitation! Just as He has invited the saints to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in Heaven, God will prepare a great supper and invite the birds of the air to come together for a big feast. What a supper! There will be “the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great”, and they will all lay out there in a bloody mess in the battlefield of about 200 miles long (cf. Rev.14:20). This supper table is laid out as a result of the Battle of Armageddon.

 

The Beast and the False Prophet Cast Into the Lake of Fire

Verse 20:  And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

Right after the Lord has defeated and judged all His enemies, He will capture the two founding spirits that have been the main instigators against the Words and Works of God. He will catch hold of the spirit of the Beast (which is Antichrist — Anti-Word) which had incarnated in the “Man of Sin” (2 Thess.2:4-8), the “Abomination of Desolation” (Matt.24:15 cf. Dan.9:27), who began his peaceful conquest as a “little horn” (Dan.7:24-26) when he seized three of the ten kingdoms of the former Roman Empire. Then Jesus will also grab hold of the spirit of the False Prophet (which is the Second Beast who brought forth false prophecies — deceits and lies). He will cast them alive into the Lake of Fire which is specially “prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt.25:41). They will not be able to come to the world any more. The (spirit of the) destructive Beast (Grk: therion, dangerous and destructive animal) which seeks to destroy the righteousness of God will be destroyed forever in the Lake of Fire (cf. Dan.7:11). The (spirit of the) False Prophet which deceives the nations of the world into giving reverence to and joining the Beastly system will forever be annihilated. Whatever is cast into the Lake of Fire will cease to exist forthwith.

Verse 21:  And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

Like Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5), the remainder of the armies of the nations which gathered against Jerusalem will be slain by the power of the spoken word of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, “which sword proceeded out of his mouth”. Their flesh will be food to all the preying fowls which will gather there from all over the world. These birds will clean up the bloody mess of the war.

“The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psm.46:6-10).

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Revelation Chapter 20

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