Jesus Christ is about to return to earth to establish His reign of righteousness. In the previous section, Satan, the Antichrist and Babylon the Great (the religion and worship of the Antichrist) was destroyed. Revelation 19 begins with a celebration in heaven that righteousness and truth have conquered.
Revelation 19:1 NKJV After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God!
In Revelation 5:9-11, those around the throne of God sang a new song about being redeemed to God by the blood of Christ out of every tribe, tongue, people and nation. These are the multitudes of the resurrected and raptured believers who are represented by the twenty-four elders in Revelation 4:9-11. In Revelation 7:11-13, the hosts of the raptured believers are joined by those who are resurrected and brought out of the great tribulation. Now in Revelation 19, the great multitude includes all of the saints of all of the ages who are in heaven and the multitude of the angelic host. Everyone in heaven will be present to celebrate the Wedding Supper of the Lord Jesus Christ. This will be a time of great joy and rejoicing with a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God!” God has planned this greatest celebration for His Son for all that He has accomplished. The words of their exhalation and praise begin with a great “Alleluia!” “Alleluia” means, “Praise Jehovah!” This is the most celebrated and joyful event of praising God and the Lord Jesus Christ in history up to this point. The “Praise the Lord” is accompanied by reminders of Who God is and what He has done. There are four “Alleluias” in the first six verses. “Halal” — means praise, and “jah” refers to the name of God. This “Alleluia” praise to God is found no where else in the New Testament. It is right for God’s people to rejoice and worship God for His marvelous deeds which He has done. Each of the “alleluias” exalt the Lord God for all of the great and wonderful things He has done. The words of this praise comes from the hosts of heaven.
“Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God!
Everyone who has experienced God’s salvation will be present to celebrate the union of Jesus Christ with all believers throughout the ages of time. Everyone present will have reason to celebrate what God has done for them through their Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. The hosts of heaven will celebrate the wonders of God’s salvation, unfathomable mercy and amazing grace. At this time, the completion of God’s salvation will be fully realized. The celebration is filled with the glorious praise from all of the heavenly beings. Alleluia! For the Lord our God has brought salvation to man through the Lord Jesus Christ.
This first alleluia is a praise to God for His salvation, glory, honor and power.
Revelation 19:2 NKJV For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.”
The Lord Jesus Christ is going to triumph over all of the ungodly and evil of earth.
This praise celebrates the defeat and destruction of Satan, the Antichrist and their false religion. This is reason for everyone in heaven to rejoice. The Lord will avenge His bride for all of the evil and injustice that has been inflicted throughout the ages. Before the Wedding Supper of the Lamb, the hosts of heaven will break out in praise to God for the victory He has achieved on earth.
The second “Alleluia!” is a praise for the destruction of the great harlot and for what God has done.
Revelation 19:3 NKJV Again they said, “Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!”
Beyond the general praise and alleluia for Who God is, John hears a praise for what God has done.
Revelation 17-18 denounced and condemned Babylon the Great for the wickedness she had done by corrupting the earth, leading others into sin, and by shedding the blood of God’s servants. At this time of celebration, God has avenged the death of His saints.
This alleluia increases the volume of the praise in heaven.
The third praise is expanded with an “Amen! Alleluia!”
Revelation 19:4 NKJV And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!”
Here is the church (the body of believers) and the four mighty cherubim who stand around the throne falling down before God in worship. Throughout the eons of time, the four living creatures have been around the throne of God singing and shouting worship to God. Accompanying their voice is the praise of the twenty-four elders (the raptured church). These words remind us of what the redeemed of the Lord cried out with a loud voice after the resurrection of the mid-tribulation saints.
Revelation 7:9-12 NKJV After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
When the host of the redeemed and the four living creatures fall down before the throne of God they say: “Amen! Alleluia!”
Truly may there be praise to Yahweh (The Lord God) for the great victory that has been achieved.
The fourth “Alleluia” is a praise for the Marriage of the Lamb.
Revelation 19:6 NKJV And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!”
This is a continued crescendo of the announcement that was declared in Revelation 11:15.
Revelation 11:15 NKJV Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”
With both of these announcements and praises, loud voices are lifted before God.
“The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!”
Revelation 19:7-8 NKJV Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
In the Old Testament, Israel was called God’s wife, but in the New Testament the church is called the Lord’s bride and wife.
Look at those words: “His wife has made herself ready.” I have officiated at many weddings. One of the key events is the presentation of the bride when she has made herself ready and is presented to the groom. She walks down the aisle clothed in white.
Here the bride of Christ “has made herself ready.” How do we make ourselves ready?
First, we prepare ourselves by coming to Christ as our Savior.
We cannot be made presentable by any other means or method. Only the blood of Jesus can cleanse us from sins. We have been washed in the blood of Christ and have been made clean.
Second, we prepare ourselves by following the Lamb.
Jesus said, “Take up your cross and follow Me.” It is absolutely necessary for us to live righteously and Godly as Christ lived. All of our self-righteousness is as filthy rags. There is a righteousness that comes from Christ that produces righteous deeds or actions.
“And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”
Alleluia, we shall walk with Him in white. Nothing that defiles or makes unclean shall enter His holy presence. Lift up your voice in praise for the blood of Jesus Christ God’s Son has made you clean. You want to be able to stand in God’s presence clothed in fine linen, clean and bright (clothed in the righteous of God that is in Christ).
Revelation 19:9 NKJV Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”
In Matthew 25, when Jesus was teaching about the kingdom of heaven, He said there were five wise and five foolish virgins. The five foolish were not ready for the coming of the bridegroom. When the call came, they were not ready to go in. Here is the marriage supper of the Lamb. Everything that the church has been anticipating is wrapped up in this moment when we shall be called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. The Wedding Supper will be the most blessed celebration and worship of all history. The Lamb of God has called His guests.
There are several things that make this a time of great celebration.
All of the believers who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ will be present. All of the angels will be around the throne. Everyone will have their eyes focused on the wonders of God’s great salvation through Christ. This will be a glorious and spectacular celebration.
It will be a glorious Wedding Supper because it will be filled with the fantastic worship of God. When John was shown all of this, he fell down at the angelic messenger’s feet and began worshipping him. He was overwhelmed by what he saw.
Revelation 19:10 NKJV And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
The Marriage Supper will be gloriously filled with the sights and sounds of all the saints and angels worshipping God. This is the fellowship of the faithful. Worship, prayer or praise to any other than God is a form of idolatry. Only God is worthy of worship. We should praise offer our best praise and worship for what God has planned.
