Nazarene Commentary 2000©

21st Century Paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures©
21st Century Version of the Christian Scriptures© [NCMM]

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A REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST

CHAPTER NINETEEN:
THE LAMB’S MARRIAGE AND WAR

[“Newly Married and Off to War!”]
Key Word: Marriage
Theme Verse: 7

Revelation 19:1-3 – Large Crowd Praise Vengeance

RV19:1 After these things I heard a great voice as of a Large Crowd 778 in the Celestialum, saying: “Alleluia! 779 [Psalm 104:35] The salvation, 780 the Glory, the Power of our God!
778 Large Crowd: The Greek is OCHLOU POLLOU as at Revelation 7:9 and some believe them to be the same.
779 Alleluia: Or, Hallelujah, if it were written with a strong Hebrew bias. One can see the Hebrew word for “praise,” hallel; and a Greek form for the Name “Jehovah” but lacking the YHWH which was a problem with the Greek.
780 Salvation: Compare the salvation hymn at Revelation 7:10, evidence these are the same.
RV19:2 Because His judgments are true and right. 781 [Deuteronomy 32:4] Because He judged the Great Harlot who corrupted the earth with her prostitution. He avenged the blood of His slaves shed by her.” 782 [Deuteronomy 32:43]
781 His judgments are true and right: Compare Revelation 14:8; Deuteronomy 32:43; Psalm 5:10.
782 He avenged the blood of His slaves shed by her: Compare Revelation 6:9-11.
RV19:3 And a second time they sing: “Alleluia! 783 The smoke of her [burning] ascends 784 [Isaiah 34:10] throughout all future periods of time!”
783 Alleluia: The second. Hallelujah is the Hebrew transliterated from the Greek, but note the difficulty with the J(Y) and H. The tetragrammaton is lacking, YHWH.
784 The smoke of her [burning] ascends: Compare Revelation 14:11 and the source for the imagery at Isaiah 34:10.

Revelation 19:4-5 – Praise God

RV19:4 And the 24 Presbyters and the 4 Living Creatures fell and worshipped The God, the One sitting upon the Throne, [Isaiah 6:1] saying: “Amen! Alleluia!RV19:5 And a voice from the Throne came forth, saying: “Praise our God, all His slaves, those fearing Him, 785 all His slaves, the small and great.” [Psalm 134:1]
785 Those fearing Him: Compare Psalm 115:13, the source of the phrase.

Revelation 19:6-8 – God’s Rule and Lamb’s Marriage

RV19:6 And I heard a voice of a Large Crowd, 786 and it was like the sound of thunderous waters, 787 [Daniel 10:6] saying: “Alleluia! For YHWH our God has reigned. 788 [Psalm 93:1]
786 Large Crowd: The Greek is OCHLOU POLLOU as at Revelation 7:9.
787 The sound of thunderous waters: Compare Revelation 14:2. This is the sound of the 144,000, the same as the Large Crowd.
788 YHWH our God has reigned: This form of praise occurred earlier at Revelation 11:17. Great events which mark milestones in the exercise of God’s sovereignty deserve a restatement of His rule.
RV19:7 Rejoice and exult! We shall glorify Him because the Marriage of the Lamb arrived. 789 [2 Corinthians 11:2; Isaiah 53:7]
789 The Marriage of the Lamb arrived: Final union with his Church upon the First Resurrection and the Rapture of his Saints. (2 Corinthians 11:2, 3; Ephesians 5:25) This marriage seems to occur following Babylon’s destruction, while the smoke of her burning city ascends the wedding festivities continue. The Lamb and his Church are to return for Armageddon. [Revelation 17:14]
RV19:8 His Wife 790 [John 3:29] has prepared herself, enwrapped with fine linen, 791 bright and clean. For the fine linen is the righteousness of the Saints.”
790 His Wife: Or, woman. As in other languages the word “wife” is “woman” when possessed by a man.
791 Enwrapped with fine linen: Compare Revelation 2:17; 3:5; 7:9.

Revelation 19:9-10 – Marriage Feast

RV19:9 And the Angel says to me: “Happy those who have been called to the supper of the Lamb’s marriage.” 792 [Isaiah 53:7; Matthew 22:2] And he continued saying to me: “These words of The God are true.” 793
792 The supper of the Lamb’s marriage: The supper is the main part of a Jewish wedding. The word “marriage” occurs 54 times in the Bible with the first occurrence at Genesis 34:9, 12. Compare Matthew 22:10.
793 These words of The God are true: This is repeated at Revelation 21:5.
RV19:10 And I fell in front of the feet of the Angel to worship him. 794 And the angel says to me: “Do you not see! I am your fellow slave! [I am] a slave of your brothers, 795 the Prophets, 796 those having the witness of Jesus. Worship The God! 797 For the witness of Jesus is what inspires the Prophecy.” 798
794 I fell in front of the feet of the Angel to worship him: Overcome in his emotions, John does this again a bit later at Revelation 22:8, 9.
795 A slave of your brothers: Compare Revelation 12:10.
796 Prophets: Christian prophets. (Revelation 22:9) Compare Acts 2:18; Ephesians 2:20.
797 Worship The God: The Angel of the Apocalypse in no way suggests worship of Jesus mentioned in the same breath.
798 The witness of Jesus is what inspires the Prophecy: Possibly this prophecy of the Apocalypse. “Jesus” is the source of the inspiration for the prophecy.

Revelation 19:11-16 – Lamb Rides to Battle

RV19:11 And I saw the Celestialum opened up [Ezekiel 1:1] and look! a White Horse! 799 The One riding it is called Faithful and True. He judges and wars in righteousness. [Psalm 96:13]
799 White Horse: Compare Revelation 6:1, 2.
RV19:12 His eyes are a flame of fire 800 [Daniel 10:6] and upon his head are many diadems. He has a Name written which only he knows. 801 The Name he is called is “The Word of The God.” 802 [Psalm 103:20; 107:20; John 1:1]
800 His eyes are a flame of fire: Compare Revelation 1:14.
801 A Name written which only he knows: Compare Revelation 3:12.
802 The Word of The God: Some feel John composed the Apocalypse first and then his Gospel. John 1:1 opens with a similar designation for Jesus during his pre-existence. It is very clear throughout the Apocalypse that the Word and The God are two separate beings. The Greek here is HO LOGOS just as John 1:1.
RV19:13 He is enwrapped in an outer garment sprinkled with blood. 803
803 Sprinkled with blood: Compare the source at Isaiah 63:1.
RV19:14 The armies in heaven following him 804 ride white horses and are clothed in white, clean, fine linen.
804 Armies in heaven following him: Including the Saints. (Revelation 17:14)
RV19:15 Out of his mouth there protrudes a long sharp sword 805 so that he may smite the nations with it. He will shepherd them with a staff of iron. 806 [Psalm 2:9] He is trampling on the wine press 807 of the wine of the anger of God Almighty’s wrath. [Isaiah 63:3]
805 A long sharp sword: Compare Revelation 1:16 and Revelation 2:27.
806 He will shepherd them with a staff of iron: This is drawn from the Messianic Psalm 2:9. Compare Revelation 2:27.
807 Trampling on the wine press: Compare Revelation 14:19 and Isaiah 63:3. This proves we are about to flash back to Revelation 14:19.
RV19:16 Upon his outer garment and upon his thigh he has a name written: “King of kings and Lord of lords.” 808 [Daniel 2:47; Deuteronomy 10:17]
808 Lord of lords: Compare 1 Timothy 6:15. (Deuteronomy 10:17)

Revelation 19:17-18 – Another Meal

RV19:17 And then I saw one angel standing in the sun. The angel cried out in a great voice, saying to the birds: “Come here and gather to the Great Supper of The God RV19:18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings 809 – The flesh of military commanders and strong men 810the flesh of horses and their riders – [Ezekiel 39:17-20] the flesh of all freemen and slaves, the little and the great.”
809 Eat the flesh of kings: This is a paraphrase of Exodus 39:17.
810 The flesh of military commanders and strong men: Nothing here indicates the complete destruction of all humankind. Revelation 9:15 indicated a death toll of one-third. Thus cuts across all social strata.

Revelation 19:19-21 – A War to End Political Rule

RV19:19 Then I saw the wild Sea Beast 811 and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered to make The War 812 [Zechariah 14:2, 3] with the one riding the White Horse and with his armies.
811 The wild Sea Beast: Compare Revelation chapters 13 and 17.
812 The War: Armageddon! (Revelation 16:13-16)
RV19:20 Then the wild Sea Beast and with it the False Prophet 813 (the one performing signs before the wild Sea Beast, 814 which signs caused those to err who had received the engraving of the wild Sea Beast, and those who worshipped the Image of the wild Sea Beast) these two were thrown alive into the Lake of Fire 815 which burns with sulfur.
813 False Prophet: The Earth Beast of Revelation 13:1.
814 The wild Sea Beast: That is, the 7th healed Head, the Eighth King.
815 Thrown alive into the Lake of Fire: As functioning entities. It should be remembered these “two” are abstractions. Also note that these go into Second Death, or “destruction” (Revelation 17:11), but the “kings” and their “armies” do not. Does this suggest they will have a resurrection? (Revelation 20:5, 13)
RV19:21 Those survivors were killed with the long sword 816 protruding from the mouth of the rider of the White Horse. All the birds were satisfied with their flesh. 817 [Ezekiel 39:17]
816 Killed with the long sword: But not described as thrown in the Lake of Fire!
817 All the birds were satisfied with their flesh: The source is Ezekiel 39:20.

Review Questions on Chapter Nineteen

  • Who praise God’s vengeance?
  • Who else praise God?
  • What two things are connected?
  • What marriage takes place?
  • What happens after the marriage?

Nazarene Commentary 2000©

Mark Heber Miller

©2000 All Rights Reserved