REVELATION 19

Four Hallelujah’s go up! There is praise in Heaven! God’s judgments are true and righteous! God’s people had been wronged by physical and spiritual oppression, and vengeance is His, not theirs. And Almighty God reigns forever.

Two meals are represented here in Chapter 19. The first is that which celebrates the marriage of the Lamb to His bride. The church has been prepared for this moment, to live and reign with Christ, and those invited to this marriage supper are indeed blessed. All those who in this life, or the Tribulation, accept Christ personally, are invited to so dine with Him. The sight of this event caused John to want to worship the angel with him, and he is told to worship God instead.

Verses 11 - 16 may be the most exciting and encouraging passage of Scripture written. Christ returns to earth, the literal second coming, riding a white horse. The battle of Armageddon will end now. Faithful and True, he judges the earth while waging war with those remaining enemies of His. He is the Word of God, and an army of those who just dined with Him join Him in this campaign. By his Word, the nations are judged. He is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.

The second meal represented is a bit gruesome. God calls for the birds to feed on the remains of those in the aftermath of the battle. The devastation left behind by the King and the army of the church, the saints, will be unmistakable. Only one judgment remains for those who have died unbelieving.

The beast (antichrist) and the false prophet are seized, and thrown alive into the Lake of Fire, what we understand to be Hell, a real place of eternal torment. Any others remaining were destroyed by the righteous judgment of Christ, that sword proceeding from His mouth, His Word.

SO WHAT...?

So, Jesus came as a humble baby, sacrificed Himself for the sake of all who would believe, and will return as the conquering King. Those in Jerusalem during passion week expected this entry then. It will come, and I am grateful for His work that made that time to be a triumph for me, and all who believe.

So, while many despise the harshness of some details of a chapter such as this, the account, though in the future, is as real as any in the past. And no matter what, God is great, His holiness demands justice.