Chapter 19 of Revelation is a continuation from the previous chapter.

• Remember last time we saw that the judgment was poured out on Babylon.
• The kings of the earth, the merchants of the earth and the shipmasters were all weeping and crying for her.
• And in the midst of all this, what is taking place?
• Revelation 18:20
  “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!”
  • God’s saints and heaven is rejoicing.

And then now we go into Revelation 19.

Revelation 19:1-3
1 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! 2 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.” 3 Again they said, “Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!”

We see heaven continuing to rejoice.

• They are crying out Alleluia which means Praise the Lord!
• This is a continuation from the previous chapter. They are happy. They are praising God.

The timing of this is after the destruction of Babylon.

• This is also after the second coming. The reason we know this is because in verse 3 it says that her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
• We see this smoke in Revelation 14 mentioned as well with a bit more detail.
  • Revelation 14:11
    And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”
• And then we see this understanding of the torment in Revelation 20.
  • Revelation 20:10
    The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
• Revelation 20 is at the third coming and not the second coming.

The reason for the judgment is given in verse 2 which we have seen in the past before.

• The great harlot has corrupted the whole earth with her fornication. The mark of the beast. Spiritual fornication.
• It was at that point that she passed the point of no return. She committed the unpardonable sin.

Heaven then erupts into an anthem of praise.

• Revelation 19:4-6
  4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!” 5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!” 6 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!
• The 24 elders sing out in praise.
• The four living creatures fall down and worship God.
• Then there is a call to all the host in heaven to praise God.
• And then the great multitude sound out with praise to God.
• The focus will all be about praising God.

Oh how little we praise God today.

• If we are to be ready for heaven, we need to learn to praise God. Heaven is full of praise.
• We need to learn to see Him in all the little things and also the big things as well.
• Heaven is ringing out with praise!

And then next our attention is turned to a different event.

• Revelation 19:7-8
  7 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.” 8 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.
• It is the marriage of the Lamb to His wife.
• Who is the Lamb marrying? He is marrying the saints.

Notice that it says that the wife has made herself ready. How can we make ourselves ready?

• We have to be arrayed in that fine white linen which is the righteous acts of the saints.
• We read something similar in Ephesians.
• Ephesians 5:27
  That He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
  • We have to make sure that we keep that garment without spot or wrinkle.
  • We have to be holy and without blemish.
• There are a number of verses throughout the Bible that call us to be without spot and without blemish.

What are these spots?

• James 1:27
  Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
• We have to be unspotted from the world.

What is the world?

• 1 John 2:15-16
  15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.
• What is the world all about? Lust of the flesh. Lust of the eyes. The pride of life.
• To be of the world is to be worldly minded.
• And the opposite is to have a heavenly mind.

How can we have this heavenly mind?

• Colossians 3:1-2
  1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
• Notice the Bible says there being raised with Christ.
• What is that referring to? Baptism!
  • We die in Christ and we are raised to a new life.
• But we have to seek those things which are above. That’s how we make ourselves ready. We have to set our minds on things above.
• That is our part, our effort, our work.
• Spending time in the word of God.
• There was a day when some people came to Christ and they wanted to do some works for Him. How did Christ reply?
• John 6:28-29
  28 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”
• What is the work that God wants us to do? He wants us to believe!
• More of God’s word. More time meditating on Him and His holy scriptures that are able to make us wise to salvation.
• More time in prayer.
• More praises to Him.

One more verse about the spot.

• Jude 1:23
  And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
• We are not to have our garments spotted by the flesh.
• About is this flesh? Definitely not referring to our literal physical bodies.
• Romans 8:1
  There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
• We need to learn to walk according to the Spirit and not walk according to the flesh. What does that mean? How do we walk according to the Spirit?
• And what about this flesh versus the Spirit?
• Romans 8:5-6
  5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
• To walk according to the flesh is to have a carnal mind.
• To walk after the Spirit is to have a spiritual mind.
• And the only way we can ever have a spiritual mind is we need to set our hearts on God’s word.
• Ephesians 6:17 tells us that the sword of the Spirit is the word of God!
• We need more of the Bible. More of His word in our hearts.
• Read it. Listen to it. Pray that we can live according to it. Let it dwell in your hearts. And when that happens, we can say with the psalmist:
  • Psalms 119:11
    Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.
• That is that white pure spotless garment.
• It is the righteous acts of the saints!
• This is how we make ourselves ready.

Finally, in Revelation we see the Laodicean church coming into view again.

• Revelation 3:18
  I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
• We need to buy from Christ that white garment.
• We must overcome that Laodicean condition.

Let’s come back to Revelation 19 now.

Revelation 19:9-10
9 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.” 10 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.”

There is absolutely a blessing in being called to the marriage supper of the Lamb.

• It means that we are saved!

It was probably not John’s intention to worship the attending angel that had been showing him all these visions.

• But John cannot take it anymore. He just falls down and he forgets that it is not Christ but just an angel.

The angel quickly pulls John up and reminds him and he is just his fellow servant.

• The angel states that he is just like John – not in physical form, but in purpose.
• We all serve God. We all serve Christ.
• When we go back to the very first verse, we read the gospel order.
• Revelation 1:1
  The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John.
• The Revelation comes from God and it is given to John through the angel.
• The angel has the privilege to give John this message straight from the throne of heaven. But he is nothing more than just a messenger. He is not the author of the light.

Revelation 19:11
Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.

Now we see Christ coming, riding on a white horse.

• This is at the second coming.
• Christ is coming as king.
• The reason we can point to the second coming is because of what is says in verse 15.
• Revelation 19:15
  … And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
• The winepress of God’s wrath is the seven last plagues. So the timing is around the second coming.
• Christ’s appearance will be AT the second coming.

There are 9 characteristics that are mentioned of Christ here.

Revelation 19:11
Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.

1. Faithful and True
2. Righteous Judge

Revelation 19:12
His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.

1. Faithful and True
2. Righteous Judge
3. Eyes like a flame of fire
4. Wears many crowns
5. An unknown name

Revelation 19:13
He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.

1. Faithful and True
2. Righteous Judge
3. Eyes like a flame of fire
4. Wears many crowns
5. An unknown name
6. Robe dipped in blood
7. The Word of God

Revelation 19:14-15
14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

1. Faithful and True
2. Righteous Judge
3. Eyes like a flame of fire
4. Wears many crowns
5. An unknown name
6. Robe dipped in blood
7. The Word of God
8. Destroyer

Revelation 19:16
And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

1. Faithful and True
2. Righteous Judge
3. Eyes like a flame of fire
4. Wears many crowns
5. An unknown name
6. Robe dipped in blood
7. The Word of God
8. Destroyer
9. Ruler and Victor

What do all these names mean?

Faithful and True:

• Revelation 3:14
  “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God.
  • The One that is sitting on the horse is the One that gave the promise to the Laodicean church.
  • He has been faithful to lead them through the time of the end.
• Hebrews 2:17
  Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
  • Christ is our faithful High Priest.
  • The very time that the Laodicean church goes through is the High Priest up in heaven in the Most Holy Place.

Righteous Judge:

• Christ is our righteous judge. He will avenge and He will determine who is worthy.
• At the second coming, Christ rewards everyone:
  • Revelation 22:12
    “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.

Eyes like a flame of fire:

• This is a repetition of Revelation 1:14 and also Revelation 2:18, which represents Christ as the all-seeing One. Nothing is hidden from Him. He sees the good and the evil. As a result, He alone is worthy to be our righteous Judge.

Wears many crowns:

• Christ wears many crowns. He is King of kings. He is the ruler of this world and many other worlds that He has created. He has all the power and all the authority.

An unknown name:

• It has been suggested that the unknown name represents Jesus Christ in His new role as the great Avenger of His people.
• Others suggest that it is a name that can only be understood when we are finally united with Him as His bride and will reign together.

Robe dipped in blood:

• The robe dipped in blood cannot represent Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins since He has laid off those garments already and is coming as King.
• The robe dipped in blood must represent the vengeance that He will pour upon the host of the wicked that are standing before Him.

The Word of God:

• Christ is the living Word.
  • He was the word of God in creation.
  • He was the word of God in redemption.
  • And He will be the word of God in judgment and destruction.

Destroyer:

• The word of God can also be a sword and it can create and it can also destroy.
• And it shows that those that have been disobedient to His word will be destroyed.
• He will rule with a rod of iron and tread the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
  • This gives the picture of punishment and destruction.
  • We have seen the plagues in relation to the winepress of God.
  • Revelation 14:20
    And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs.

Ruler and Victor:

• Christ will be called King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
• Universal supremacy at the second advent of Christ.
• Revelation 17:14
  These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”
  • It is connected to Christ as our overcomer as well.

Then we are given a different picture in Revelation 19.

Revelation 19:17-18
17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, 18 that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.”

It is giving us a picture of birds, of vultures.

• Matthew 24:27-28
  27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.
• The wicked will be destroyed by the birds.
• Who are these birds? They are the destroying angels. It is not literal birds. No bird can attack an angel. It is not a heavenly bird. It will be the angels.
• Matthew 13:41-42
  41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

But who are these people that we see here? The kings, captains, mighty men. Where have we seen them before?

• Revelation 13:16
  He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads.
• Revelation 6:15
  And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains.
• It is those that brought in the mark of the beast and also those that received it.
• It is all the lost.

Revelation 19:19
And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.

• Satan will try to take one last stand.
• This could be pointing to the time in the future at the third coming when Satan will gather the host of wicked to attack God.
• Revelation 20:7-8
  7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.

Revelation 19:20-21
20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.

This is a similar timeline to what we will see in Revelation 20.

• All the host of wicked will ultimately be destroyed and thrown into the lake of fire.
• Christ will be the author of that destruction.
• But this is total and utter destruction once and for all.

Today, we need to make ourselves ready. We need to be clothed with that fine linen, clean and white. We need to be clothed with the righteousness of Christ.

• How?
• Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
• This must be our priority today above anything else.
• Unless there is a revelation of Jesus Christ in each of our lives, we will come infinitely short of heaven.
• We will either be at the marriage supper of the Lamb, or we will become a supper for the birds.
• There’s no sitting on the fence.