Sermon Tone Analysis

The Return of the King - Revelation 19:1-21.

Textual Idea – John describes in vivid detail the return of King Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Sermon Idea – People need to understand the reality of the return of King Jesus.

Interrogative – What happens when King Jesus returns?

Transition w/ key word – The text presents two overwhelming scenes surrounding the return of the King.

1.

An overwhelming scene of joy in Heaven - vs. 1-10

A. A crescendo of praise to the King - vs. 1-6

B. A crescendo of celebration with the King - vs. 7-10

2.

An overwhelming scene of judgment on Earth - vs. 11-21

A. The conquering King’s command presence - vs. 11-16

B. The conquering King’s command of punishment - vs. 17-21

Introduction – When I was a child, I used to think there was no one stronger than my dad.

You remember how boys in particular used to have “My dad can beat your dad” conversations?

It was always a silly discussion of how their father’s could beat the other boys fathers at a myriad of activities.

Childish “one-upmanship” at it’s finest.

To add to this legend in my mind, that dad was the strongest man anywhere, Dad use to show me his clinched fists and tell me things like they were registered weapons with the FBI.

(I have no idea to this day why he felt the urge to tell me things like this - well maybe just to keep me in my place as a teenager).

Then he would hold out his right fist in front of me and say “Ralph, you see this fist?

Take a good look at it, feel it.

Did you know there are literally hundreds of men, whose blood runs cold at the very thought of having to face this fist one more time!”

Then he’d laugh and go on doing whatever he was doing, leaving me there wondering.

One night, I was in kindergarten, Dad heard the church he pastored was being broken into, so dad grabbed a flashlight kissed mom and ran out the door to chase down the burglars!

I thought not only is he the strongest man I know, he’s the bravest man I know!

He never used those fists on me but he did use those hands to discipline and correct me when I was going astray and to hug me and tell me he was proud of me when I was doing what was right.

Dad was orphaned when he was 8 years old, had 2 older brothers about 10 years older than he was; probably tough on him like older brothers do.

Dad ended up in an Episcopal orphanage named Boys Home in Covington Virginia.

While he was waiting outside for them to get the papers filled out to sign him in, he told me within 15 minutes of his arrival at Boys Home, he was rolling on the ground fighting with another boy to establish his place in the pecking order.

He didn’t start the fight and apparently it was some kind of ritual there.

My dad taught me to stand up to bullies & tyrants and to defend people in distress.

There was no “sissy” in Ralph W. Green II.

Transition - Sadly, a lot of artists renderings of Jesus Christ, have Him pictured as some kind of weak looking effeminate, sissified man.

People confuse meekness with weakness.

Jesus is meek, but He certainly isn’t weak!

Meekness is strength under control.

As we continue our study through Revelation 19 called “The return of the King,” John describes in vivid detail the return of King Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Transition w/ key word – The text presents two overwhelming scenes surrounding the return of the King.

In one of the greatest chapters in all of Scripture, we’ll see an overwhelming picture of Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, & Lord of Lords!

Read text: 19:1-10

1.

An overwhelming scene of joy in Heaven - vs. 1-10

Explanation - In chapter 17, we saw the fall of the World’s false religious empire, to be replaced with the worship of the Antichrist himself.

Last week in chapter 18, we saw the fall of the Antichrist’s economic empire and the mourning on earth as Babylon is overthrown.

Remember Babylon is both a real city and figurative expression to describe the Antichrist’s empire.

John says “After these things” which introduces a new vision.

Everything from 17-18 is in rapid fire succession and in Heaven there is a spontaneous eruption of celebration that breaks out in Heaven after the demise of Babylon.

In verses 1-10, there are actually two parts of this overwhelming scene of joy in Heaven.

Notice first:

A. A crescendo of praise to the King - vs. 1-6

In verses 1-6, there are four allelujah’s (1,3,4,6) which is a transliteration of the Hebrew word Hallelujah, which literally means “Praise the Lord.”

Ps. 113-118 are known as the great Hallel - specifically praising the Lord for His deliverance of the COI from 400 years of slavery in Egypt.

(Throne Slide) Here in Revelation, it is to celebrate God’s final victory over the slavery from Satan, sin, the Antichrist and the wicked world system called Babylon which has been in place since the fall of man in Genesis 3! Notice the subjects of these 4 Hallelujahs:

The Hallelujah of redemption vs. 1 - Salvation, and glory and power belong to the Lord our God!

In verses 11-21, we’re about to see Jesus Christ appear with His church to complete the redemption He began on that old rugged cross on Mount Calvary.

The host of Heaven, OT & NT saints alike celebrate with a crescendo of praise to King Jesus - Praise the Lord for His redeeming work of salvation!

The Hallelujah of retribution vs. 2-3 -

“For true & righteous are His judgements…He has judged and avenged the blood of His servants shed by her.”

All of God’s judgments upon the good and the evil are true and righteous.

Babylon has received just retribution for her filth & evil.

Her doom and the smoke rising up forever and ever are a testimony to the everlasting righteous judgment of God.

The Psalmist put it this way in Ps. 104:35 “May sinners be consumed from the earth, And the wicked be no more.

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Praise the Lord!” (Hallelujah).

The Hallelujah of redemption & retribution.

The Hallelujah of realization vs. 4-5 -

Once again we see the 24 elders and the 4 living creatures we were introduced to in chapter 4-5 worshipping Jesus Christ in the throne room of Heaven.

(Elder Slide) This the last mention of them as they join the great Hallelujah Chorus here as the host of Heaven comes to realize the greatness of God.

The first use of the Hallelujah appears in 1st Chron.

16:4 in connection with the COI recovered the Ark of the Covenant that had been captured by the Philistines.

David put it in a specially made tent and “appointed some the Levites to commemorate, to thank and praise the Lord (hallelujah) God of Israel.”

The ark represented God’s manifest presence, His greatness and His glory over all the nations around them.

Here, the host of Heaven rejoices and celebrates the realization the Jesus Christ has conquered all His enemies.

Coming to the realization of how great, how magnificent, brilliant, complex, God’s plan of redemption has been & yet its such a simple plan of redemption that even a child can understand it and embrace the grace of God by faith is reason to sing Hallelujah - Praise the Lord for all of eternity!

CF 1st Peter 1:10-12 - the angels of Heaven marvel at God’s plan of redemption & the realization of how great God is & His plans are!

They don’t get to experience it, but you and I do through faith in Jesus Christ!

Philip Bliss nailed it when he wrote: “Man of sorrows, what a name, for the Son of God who came, ruined sinners to reclaim!

Hallelujah what a Savior!” 4th there is:

The Hallelujah for Christ’s Sovereign Rule & Reign vs. 6 -

The host of Heaven joins the crescendo of praise to the King singing the Hallelujah Chorus: Hallelujah for the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!

The Psalmist said in 97:1 “The Lord reigns; the earth rejoice, let the multitude of isles be glad!”

The saints of God have been praying to this end for centuries: “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”

When Jesus came the first time, He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and aquatinted with grief.

We hid our faces from Him and mankind nailed Jesus to a cross; but it was all part of the redemptive plan of God!

John described an overwhelming scene of joy in Heaven when Jesus Christ the King of Kings and Lord of Lords comes the 2nd time: the host of the universe will say praise the Lord, for the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!

Not only is there a crescendo of praise to the King in this overwhelming scene of joy in Heaven, there is...

B. A crescendo of celebration with the King - vs. 7-10

Weddings have always been a great reason to rejoice and celebrate.

They are elaborate and gorgeous events thought through with meticulous detail where nothing but the best will do.

I still have no idea how I paid for the weddings of my three daughters, except for the grace of God and the frugality of my wife & girls.

Our oldest two, Rachel & Ginny, got married two weeks apart and Cheryl planned it all long distance!

I was on a first name basis with David’s Bridal!

Well of all the wedding celebrations that have ever taken place in human history, none will ever come close to the wedding celebration of Jesus Christ the Bridegroom & His Bride the Church!

Human weddings are all about the Bride, all dressed in white.

The wedding John sees & recorded in Rev. 19:7-10 is all about the Groom!

Instead of the organ playing: “Here comes the bride” - It will be “Here comes the Groom”; the Lamb of God!

Last week we read in 18:23 the voice of the bridegroom & bride would not be heard in Babylon anymore.

But now that the harlot Babylon has been exposed and expelled, the true Bride of Christ, the Church is brought into view.

The Church has not been present in Revelation since chapter 4 where she was caught up to Heaven in the Rapture, she’s been absent throughout all these judgments of God during the 7 year tribulation from chapter 6-18.

In Ephesians 5:25-27, Paul speaks of the church of Jesus Christ as a bride without blemish and without spot.

The Bride has made herself ready.

She is pure by the blood of Jesus Christ which cleanses us from all sin.

According to vs. 8 she’s decked out in the finest wedding gown ever conceived: “the righteous acts of the saints.”