May 7, 2017
Evening Service

It took John 3 chapters to describe the great fall of the mighty city of Babylon and the evil empire it represents.  God had allowed the antichrist and his followers create to this evil empire; but He continually gave them warnings of His coming wrath along with a chance to repent and return to Him.  Even during the many judgments that came upon these people they refused to acknowledge Him or repent; instead they cursed Him more as they had been deceived into whole heartedly been deceived to follow a lie.   Tonight our eyes turn from the destruction and mourning of Babylon to the celebration that begins in heaven.

Revelation 19:1  And after these things I heard a great sound of a numerous crowd in Heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and honor and the power to the Lord our God!”

·         This is true praise and worship.  It is a heartfelt response to God of praise by those who love Him and understand what He has done for them.  True worship comes from deep in our soul and is a spiritual act.  Jesus explained it like this: 

John 4:24 God is a spirit, and they who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.

 

Revelation 19:2-6 “For true and righteous are His judgments. For He has judged the great harlot who defiled the earth with her fornication, and He has avenged the blood of His servants out of her hand.”  (3)  And secondly they said, “Hallelujah! And her smoke rose up forever and ever.”  (4)  And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God sitting on the throne, saying, “Amen! Hallelujah!”  (5)  And a voice came out of the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all His servants, and the ones fearing Him, the small and great.”  (6)  And I heard as the sound of a great multitude, and as the sound of many waters, and as the sound of strong thunders, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord God omnipotent reigns!” 

·         As the praise begins with the voice of a great multitude, the 24 elders and four creatures join in.  They praise Him for His victory over the false church and for avenging the many saints who were martyred for their faith.  They sing in unison with one voice of praise and it continues.

 

(7)  “Let us be glad and rejoice and we will give glory to Him; for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has prepared herself.  (8)  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white. For the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.”  (9)  And he said to me, “Write, Blessed are those who have been 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. And he said to me, “See, do not do it! I am your fellow servant, and of your brothers who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

·         This is the moment the church (bride) has been waiting on; her long awaited marriage to the Lamb.  Our wedding garment will be “fine linen, clean and white” representing the righteousness of the saints given to them by Jesus.

·         John understandably is over whelmed by this sight and tries to worship the messenger, but is quickly reprimanded to worship only God.

·         As we have studied this very deep and complex book, it could be very easy for us to get hung up or even bogged down on some of the many things we are just unable to understand.  The overlying theme is this; in the battle between good and evil the ultimate victory belongs to Jesus Christ and those who have chosen to follow Him!

·         Now please join me as we envision this next event in our minds eye.  As sure as the sun will rise again tomorrow, this will happen!

 

Revelation 19:11-13 And I saw Heaven opened. And behold a white horse! And He sitting on him was called Faithful and True. And in righteousness He judges and makes war.  (12)  And His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head many crowns. And He had a name written, one that no one knew except Himself.  (13)  And He had been clothed in a garment dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.

·         Here it is the Second Coming of Christ as He is riding as a warrior on white horse symbolizing victory.  His name of “Faithful and True” is in strong contrast to the faithless and deceitful ones destroyed in Babylon in chapter 18.  His eyes are flame of fire and He has many crowns upon His head.  A name that only He knew was written on Him; because there are no words that can truly describe Him because He is above description.

·         His clothes were dipped in blood that purifies even the darkest of sins and He is called the Word of God.  Remember how John began his writing of his gospel.

 

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

 

Revelation 19:14-16 And the armies in Heaven followed Him on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.  (15)  And out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, so that with it He should strike the nations. And He will shepherd them with a rod of iron. And He treads the winepress of the wine of the anger and of the wrath of Almighty God.  (16)  And He has on His garment, and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

·         Jesus leads His army dressed in white and riding white horses.  He is armed with the sharp sword that comes out of His mouth.  Paul called this the “sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.”

·         Most of the earth had been worshiping the antichrist and the beast who they believed had all authority and power.  Heaven now displays the One who truly is in control; THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS!

·          Paul powerfully described Him to the Colossian church like this:

 

 

Colossians 1:14-20 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the remission of sins.  (15)  Who is the image of the invisible God, the First-born of all creation.  (16)  For all things were created in Him, the things in the heavens, and the things on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created through Him and for Him.  (17)  And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.  (18)  And He is the Head of the body, the church, who is the Beginning, the First-born from the dead, that He may be pre-eminent in all things.  (19)  For it pleased the Father that in Him all fullness should dwell.  (20)  And through Him having made peace through the blood of His cross, it pleased the Father to reconcile all things to Himself through Him, whether the things on earth or the things in Heaven.

·         This certainly explains why the title of KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS is fitting for Him.

 

Revelation 19:17-18  And I saw one angel standing in the sun. And he cried with a great voice, saying to all the birds that fly in mid-heaven, “Come and gather together to the supper of the great God, (18)  so that you may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of commanders, and the flesh of strong ones, and the flesh of horses, and those sitting on them, and the flesh of all, both free and slave, both small and great.”

·         This “supper of the great God” is in grim contrast to the wedding feast of the Lamb.  One is a celebration the other devastation.  The birds are invited to feast upon the flesh of those who fight against God.

·         This is the final battle, the Battle of Armageddon.   It is Satan’s final futile attempt to conquer the unconquerable.

 

Revelation 19:19-21  And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth and their armies, being gathered to make war against Him who sat on the horse, and against His army.  (20)  And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet doing signs before it, (by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast), and those who had worshiped his image. The two were thrown alive into the Lake of Fire burning with brimstone.  (21)  And the rest were slain by the sword of Him who sat on the horse, it proceeding out of His mouth. And all the birds were filled from their flesh.

·         The battle itself is very short lived because the victory had already been won on a cross and assured by an empty grave.  The beast and the false prophet are captured and thrown into the Lake of Fire.  The others are all slain by Jesus’ sword that proceeded out of His mouth.

·         His mighty army were there only to watch for the “Battle was the Lord’s!” The Great Tribulation has ended and the final answer is; WE WIN!

 

Heavenly Father, thank you for the knowledge that in the end the victory belongs to You!  Praise Your Holy Name!