Sermon Tone Analysis

*“Apocalypse Now”*

Lesson 5 – “*The things which will take place: Rev. 19-20*”

 

/“Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her” – (Rev 18:20)/

 

! 1.    Throne Room in Heaven: /Part 2/ (19:1-10)

 

*(19:1-3) After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah!

Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; 2 because His judgments are true and righteous; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bond-servants on her.” 3 And a second time they said, “Hallelujah!

Her smoke rises up forever and ever.” 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, “Amen.

Hallelujah!” \\ \\ *

-       “A loud voice of a great multitude” – they are speaking as if *one* voice – Who are they?

o   Saints, apostles & prophets (18:20)

o   “blood of His bond-servants” = Tribulation martyrs (6:11)

o   24 Elders and the four living creatures (19:4)

o   All the angels in heaven?

-       “Hallelujah” only used here in Rev 19:1-6: a Hebrew transliteration of “Praise Yahweh” (see Psa 104:35)

o   Right Judgment of the great harlot = enemies of God and His people

o   Finally avenging the blood of the saints = fulfillment of Rev 6:9-10

o   “Forever & ever” = it is final; never allowed to bother the saints again

 

-       “Hallelujah” because “Salvation, Glory & Power belong to God”

o   Salvation is here!

(Justification, Santification and now Glorification)

o   God is the only one who receives glory

o   God is about to demonstrate His ultimate power

 

-       Agreement with the unique praise: 24 elders and four living creatures – as in Rev 4:9-11

 

*(19:5-7) And a voice came from the throne, saying, “Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.”

6 Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah!

For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.

*

*7** “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.”

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-       “Give praise to our God” = A call for all bond-servants to respond:

-       Who? “His bond-servants” - “you who fear Him” -  “the small and the great”

-       What’s the response?

“the voice of a great multitude” - “Hallelujah!”

-       What will He be praised for?

o   “Hallelujah!”:

Our God Reigns! – the ushering in of God’s long promised kingdom in its fullness

o   “rejoice and be glad”: The marriage of the Lamb and His Bride!

§  Marriage is the most celebrated event in the history of mankind

 

*(19:8-9) It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

9 Then he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’

” And he said to me, “These are true words of God.” \\ \\ *

-       The Bride is ready.

Who is she?

o   The NT Church only?

(2 Cor 11:2; Eph 5:25-27)

o   Including the OT Saints?

(who are called God’s wife in Hos 2:19-20; Isa 54:1-6)

-       Jesus has fulfilled His promise to present her “clean” (Eph 5:22-25)

-       Marriage Supper: blessed are those invited – Who are they?

o   Saved people still alive on the earth but not glorified?

o   Including OT Saints?

Including Tribulation Saints who died?

o   All saints?

*(19:10) Then I fell at his feet to worship him.

But he said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God.

For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”*

-       John responds to the awesome scene and the revelation given to him – by worshipping the messenger

-       “I am a fellow servant” – should be the claim of all God’s messengers

-       The reason for the prophecy is the testimony of “Jesus” – He alone is worthy to receive glory and worship

 

! 2.    The 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ (19:11-21)

 

*(19:11-13) And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.

12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself.

13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.*

-       This is the detailed picture of what Jesus described in Matt 24:27-31 (see Rev 1:7; Acts 1:9-11)

-       Jesus’ Return

o   “white horse” – a victorious general – in contrast to riding on a donkey (Zech 9:9)

o   “Faithful and True” (Rev 3:14; 2Cor 1:20; Jn 14:6)

o   A righteous warrior – to destroy His enemies (Mt 16:27; 2Thess 1:7-9; *2Tim 4:1-2*; Psa 24:8; 45:3-5)

o   Eyes of fire – He is looking to judge -  nothing escapes His notice (Rev 1:14; Heb 4:13)

o   “Many” diadems – pictures Christ collecting all rule from all other defeated kings – He alone is the sovereign ruler – He has exchanged His thorns for diadems (Phil 2:8-11)

o   Unknown name – a mystery that John could not even determine

o   Robe dipped in blood – not His blood, but the blood of those He has tread upon (19:15; Isa 63:2-4)

o   “The Word of God” – unmistakably Jesus (Jn 1:1,14)

 

*(19:14) And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.*

-       Who are these armies?

o   All the angels (Matt 25:31) – similar to Elisha? (2 Kings 6:7)

o   Including all the redeemed in Heaven (Rev 7:9)?

Since they will rule and reign with Him (20:6)

§  Glorified, resurrected believers (Jude 14-15; Col 3:4)

§  Tribulation believers

§  OT Saints resurrected just before this at the end of the tribulation (Dan 12:1-2)

§  All the holy angels (Matt 25:31)

 

*(19:15-16) From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.

16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”*

-       “…comes a sharp sword” AND “strike down the nations” – same picture as when talking with John (Rev 1:16) Earlier it was Christ judging His church – here it is Christ judging his enemies (See Isa 11:4; 2 Thess 2:8)

-        “rule them with a rod of iron” – fulfillment of (Psa 2:8-9; Rev 12:5)

o   Indicates that not everyone will die – some will be left to repopulate the nations

-       “the wine press of the fierce wrath of God” (Isa 63:2-4; Joel 3:12-14)

-       “King of kings and Lord of lords” – Just as Nebuchadnezzar testified to (Dan 2:47)

o   His sovereignty will no longer be a question (see 1 Tim 6:15)

 

*(19:17-18) Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, “Come, assemble for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.”*

-       Great Supper of God –

o   Ezekiel prophesied about this (Ezek 39:17-20; Isa 18:6)

o   Jesus also alluded to this (Matt 24:28)

-       No prejudice for judgment – “all men: kings, commanders, mighty men, horses, free, slaves, small, great”

-       Zephaniah utters the terrifying prophecy (Zeph 1:14-18)

 

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*(19:19) And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.

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-       The beast and the kings:

o   The beast = the antichrist from (Rev 13:1-7)

o   The same kings who lamented over the destruction of the harlot city (Rev 18:9)

o   The same kings that gave their power and authority to the beast (Rev 17:12-14)

-       “assembled to make war against Him who sat on his horse”