EIGHT
CHAPTERS EXPLAINING THE SPIRITUAL BATTLES, PEOPLES, AND
EVENTS OF
THE GREAT TRIBULATION TO THE RETURN OF
KING JESUS
TO RULE THIS EARTH:
PART
VIIII: THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB, THE RETURN
OF KING
JESUS TO RULE THIS EARTH, AND THE ANTICHRIST’S END
Revelation
19:6-21
As taught by
Dave Lindstrom
I. The Hallelu-Yah chorus
in heaven increases in loudness as the events of the marriage and
marriage supper of the Lamb are contemplated (Revelation 19:6-10).
A. The great multitude
are the raptured New Testament saints in heaven along with the
redeemed believers of all time according to the pre-wrath rapture
view (Rev. 7:9, 19:1). This
great multitude now cries out with an even louder voice than in
Revelation 19:1 which is now likened to the loudness of a mighty
river or waterfall and mighty thunder. They shout out
Hallelu-Yah (Praise Yahweh!) for the Lord our God the Almighty
reigns! In other words, King Yahweh Jesus is about to take His
rightful place as Yahweh’s anointed ruler of this earth along with
His saints! (verse 6; Dan. 7:13, 14, 27; Amos 7:14, 9:8-15; Rev.
1:8; 4:8, 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 14; 19:15; Rev. 21:22)
B. The great multitude
spur themselves on to offer rejoicing and gladness at the thought
that the event they have been longing and waiting for is finally
here! They desire for all the glory to go to Yahweh alone even
though they are the Lamb’s wife, have clothed themselves with
His righteous deeds, and are included in the marriage supper
(verses 7-9).
1. The Jewish marriage
at the time of the writing of Revelation consisted of three main
parts: 1) the marriage contract, 2) the marriage ceremony, and 3) the
marriage supper. The marriage contract was signed by the parents
with the giving of the dowry (by the bride’s side) legalizing
the marriage many times while the boy and girl were very young
(Luke 1:27). The marriage ceremony took place many times years
later. At the marriage ceremony, the bridegroom, accompanied by
his friends, would go to the bride’s house, get the bride, and
escort her back to his house (Matt. 25:1-13). The marriage supper
would then take place at the groom’s house with guests invited
and could last for several days (John 2:1-11).
2. The relationship
between Yahweh and His people is illustrated with the metaphor
of marriage in both the Old and New Testament (Isaiah 62:4; Hosea 2:16-20; 2 Cor.
11:2; Eph. 5:22-33; Rev. 21:2). The three phases of the Jewish
marriage ceremony seem to be perfectly represented by the events of
Christ. Phase I - the legal contract was represented in Christ’s
death, burial, and resurrection (Rom. 3:1-30). Phase 2 - the
marriage ceremony will be represented in the rapture of the
church. Christ comes to get His believers, takes them to His
home, and clothes them with their new bodies (John 14:1-3; 2 Cor.
5:1-10, 11:2; I Thes. 4:13-18; Rev. 7:9-17). Phase 3 – the marriage
supper (long feast) seems to take place on earth at Christ’s
return with His Bride (resurrected saints).
a. The marriage of the
Bride to the Lamb (Phases 1 and 2) has already happened before
Christ’s return to this earth (verse 7b).
b. The Bride has made
herself ready by already being clothed in her new resurrected
bodies (I Cor. 15:35-58; 2 Cor. 5:1-10; I Thes. 4:13-18) and by
putting on those bodies the fine linen which appears to be part
of the rewards for faithful service while living for Yahweh
Jesus on this earth (verses 7c, 8; Dan. 12:10, Matt. 22:11, 12;
I Cor. 3:10-15; Rev. 3:5; Rev. 6:11, 11:18).
c. The angel (either
17:1 or 18:1) gives John the fourth of seven blessings in the
book of Revelation (Rev. 1:3, 14:13, 16:15, 19:9, 20:6, 22:9, 14).
There is a special blessing given to an individual invited to
the marriage supper of the Lamb. If this takes place on earth,
then the invited guests would be the remaining people on earth
that have not taken the mark of the beast at the time of
Christ’s return and receive Jesus as their Savior and King
(verse 9; Dan. 12:12; Zech. 12:10; Rev. 1:7).
C. John is so overwhelmed
and awestruck by the events that he has just witnessed that he
falls down to worship the angel and is rebuked. Worship belongs to
God alone, Yahweh who has prophesied all these things and will
accomplish His word through His servant Jesus (verse 10; Ex.
20:3-5; Isa. 42:8, Rev. 22:8, 9).
THOUGHT:
Take a moment to thank Yahweh for the
glorious future He has planned for us in Christ. Pray that we as
His believers and disciples will faithfully accomplish His work and
will on this earth.
II. King Jesus, in all His
glory, returns to this earth to rule, reign, and put an end to the
false rule of the Antichrist (Rev. 19:11-21).
A. The true King Jesus
comes on His white horse (at the end of the Great Tribulation) to
conquer the unrighteousness of the Antichrist (false Christ) who
came on another white horse at the beginning of the seven year
period known as Daniel’s 70th
week (verses 11-16; Daniel 9:27; Rev. 6:1, 2).
1. As the seven years
have unfolded, more and more of Yahweh’s authority from heaven
is exerted on the earth “to bring in everlasting righteousness (Daniel 9:24).” We
saw an open heavenly temple (Rev. 11:19), an open heavenly holy
of holies along with the ark (Rev. 15:5), and now a completely
open heaven (Rev. 19:11a).
2. Jesus is the One
called Faithful and True (Rev. 3:14), the righteous judge and
righteous warrior (Psalm 2:1-12; John 5:27), the pure discerner
with flaming eyes (Rev. 1:14), the true king who bears a name
beyond His creation
(I Tim. 6:15, 16)
(verses 11, 12).
3. Jesus is the One with
a robe dipped in blood (Isa. 63:1-3; Joel 2:12 – 3:21;
Rev. 14:14-20) called
The Word of God (John 1:1, 14) with the armies of heaven
following Him (Dan. 7:13, 14; Zech. 14:1-5; Matt. 25:31, 32) (verses 13, 14).
4. Jesus is the One who
fulfills Psalm 2 and will conquer the nations opposed to Him by
the sword of His mouth (like a javelin or long throwing sword), rule
them with an iron rod (strong, unthwarted), and fulfill Yahweh’s
righteous judgment (Isaiah 63:1-3; 65:8-16; Rev. 14:14-20) as the
only King of kings and Lord of lords (supreme ruler, Dan. 4:25,
Dan. 4:34-37; Rev. 17:14) (vs 15, 16).
B. An angel standing in
direct alignment with the sun calls out with a loud voice for the
birds of the air to gather for the great end time supper judgment of
God
(verses 17-21).
1. This is the very end
of the Great Tribulation and probably during the 30-75 days after
the Great Tribulation spoken by Daniel in Daniel 12:11, 12. The
Great Tribulation has been discussed in detail in Revelation
chapters 12 - 19 and Christ’s return in glory correlates to
Rev. 14:14-20, Rev. 16:12-21, and Rev. 18:21-24. At Christ’s
return, all remaining evil is judged and only believers will be
allowed into Jesus’ Kingdom (verses 17, 18; Zech. 14:1-21; Matt.
25:31-34).
2. The Antichrist
(beast) and false prophet are captured and eternally judged first
because of their satanically inspired deception on the earth
(verses 19, 20;
Rev. 13:1-18, 17:14).
They will be the first people thrown into the eternal lake of fire
judgment of Yahweh (verse 20). The rest of Antichrist’s kings,
armies, supporters, and beast-marked people were killed by Jesus’
mouth sword and His heavenly armies and sent to Hades where they
will be eternally judged after King Jesus’ 1,000 year
(millennial) reign on this earth (verse 21;
Rev. 20:13-15).
