Revelation 19

A WEDNESDAY NIGHT BOOK STUDY
EDGEMONT BIBLE CHURCH
FALL 2009- SPRING 2010
APRIL 21, 2010
THE SEVENTH TRUMPET, A PARENTHESIS - Part 14
REVELATION CHAPTER 19:1-21
THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE IAMB AND
THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST

I. A LOUD MULTITUDE PRAISES GOD FOR HIS RIGHTEOUS
JUDGMENTS AND THE END OF THE OLD ORDER (vv. i-6)
A. John hears the sound of a loud voice (singular) of a great multitude, perhaps comprised of angels. This group is so much in one accord that their voices have become as one. The subject of their praise is God and the reason for their praise is the final destruction of the wicked harlot, who deceived the whole earth including its wise men and kings, even Babylon. It is her destruction that elicited so much unified, great praise from this vast multitude. Does this not reveal to us the powerful foe she has been to man and God? Her destruction is celebrated!
B. The multitude is saying:
"Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! 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." Rev 19:1,2 (NKJV)
C. They also say:
"Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!" Rev 19:3 (NKJV) This statement is a difficult one as it uses the phrase "forever and ever Will this smoke be rising up during the millennium? Will it still be seen during the eternal state?
D. The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures respond in earnest agreement, giving praise to God
E. A voice from the throne calls on all to join the praise saying
"Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!" Re 19:5 (NKJV)
F. Another great multitude sounding like many waters and mighty thunderings responds to this call to worship saying
"Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!" Rev 19:6 (NKJV)
II. THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB (vv. 7-10)
A. Announcement of the Supper and a call to rejoice because of it by the great multitude who had been urged to praise God by the voice from the Throne in verse 5. This multitude of both great and small must be the gathered church in heaven?! There are 6 "stages" in a Jewish wedding
...... 1. Betrothal or engagement in which an agreement was made by the parents that particular one was to be the spouse of another particular one. This betrothal was done before the foundations of the earth. Eph 1:4; 1 Pet 1:2; Titus 1:2
...... 2. Preparation in which both prepared themselves for the other. The groom prepared a good income and a home for her which they would share. In our case the groom also prepares the bride and her garments for Himself John 14:1-7 Jesus has gone now to prepare a place for us.
...... 3. Presentation in which the bride and groom both don their finest apparel in preparation for the ceremony. This is the time at which the groom comes for his bride with his entourage. In the case of the church and Christ, this is the rapture. Christ will be donning His robes as king of kings and the church will be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright. Since the bride's garments are given her after the judgment seat of Christ we can assume that this judgment prepares her for the ceremony.
......4. Ceremony in which the participants speak their vows to one another
......5. Supper in which the Father throws a community-wide celebration for the bride and groom at which all the wedding guests attend. This is the event to which Jesus was referring to in Mark 14:25
......6. Consummation in which marital intimacy is finally accomplished with the pure groom and bride. Here they will live together the rest of their lives.
B. Attention drawn to the Bride, His Wife, the Church He purchased with His own blood.
...... 1. She has made herself ready - His judgment seat has been completed
......2. It has been granted to her to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright. The fine linen is described as the righteous acts of the saints.
...... 3. Passages which speak of the church as the bride of Christ are these: Eph 5:25-27; 2 Cor 11:2;
C. Blessing the guests at the wedding. The speaker must by the voice from the Throne again
...... 1. Who are the guests?
......2. How do they get to come to the wedding?
D. The voice then affirms that what John has heard is absolute Truth coming from God.
E. John is so overwhelmed with the truth and the magnitude of the worship that he falls down to worship the person behind the voice. This person refuses the worship, identifying himself as a fellow servant of John. We can see from this refusal that at least this voice coming out of the throne was not divine.

III. THE FULFILLMENT OF THE PRONOUNCEMENT OF THE THIRD ANGEL OF THE 7th TRUMPET (14:14) - THE SECOND COMING AND THE BATTLE OF THE
BEAST, THE PROPHET AND THE ARMIES OF THE WORLD (vv. 11-21)
A. John witnesses the appearance of the Rider on the White Horse
......1. Heaven is opened to reveal a rider on a White Horse
......2. He is called Faithful and True (Rev 3:14; John 14:6), in righteousness He judges and makes war (Is 11:4)
......3. His eyes were like a flame of fire (Rev 1:14) and on His head were many crowns (Rev 11:15)
......4. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself
......5. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood (Is 63:1-6; Rev 14:17-20)
......6. His name is called the Word of God (John 1:1, 14)
......7. He commanded the armies in heaven, clothed in white linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses
......8. Out of His mouth (Is 11:4) goes a sharp sword (Heb 4:12) that with it He should strike the nations and rule them with a rod of iron (Ps 2: 8,9). He Himself treads the winepress of God's fierce wrath.
......9. He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS
B. John now witnesses an angel standing in the sun and using a loud voice calling all the birds that fly in heaven to come dine on the blood and bodies of those who are about to die. A battlefield of massive proportions of death perhaps never known before is about to appear. The birds will eat their fill (Rev 19:21b).
C. John now sees the beast, the kings of the earth and their armies
gathered to make war against the white horse rider.
D. The beast is captured along with the false prophet and they are cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.
E. The rest of the armies, the human beings arrayed against God, are killed with the sword which came out of the mouth of the
King of Kings and Lord of Lords!