Revelation 19: The Triumphant Return of Christ
And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.
And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
Revelation 19 marks a pivotal moment in the unfolding drama of the end times. After the fall of Babylon, representing both a corrupt religious system and the Antichrist's political empire (Revelation 17-18), the scene shifts dramatically from earth to heaven, filled with praise and anticipation of Christ's glorious return. This chapter is a powerful declaration of God's justice, the victory of good over evil, and the establishment of Christ's kingdom on earth. Unlike Christ's humble first coming (Luke 2:7; Philippians 2:8), this return is characterized by power, judgment, and the commencement of His reign. It's crucial to understand that this event is distinct from the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17), where Jesus returns in the air to gather believers to Himself. Revelation 19 focuses on His visible and triumphant return to earth.
Hallelujah! Praise in Heaven (Revelation 19:1-6)
John hears what sounds like the loud voice of a vast multitude in heaven, praising God with cries of "Hallelujah!" This Greek word transliterates a Hebrew phrase, "hallal Yah," meaning "praise Yahweh." Praise, unlike worship, is a verbal declaration of God's glory, greatness, power, and majesty. It is a fitting response to God's righteous judgments and His establishment of justice. The multitude proclaims, "Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God" (Revelation 19:1).
The reasons for this exuberant praise are manifold, specifically because His judgments are true and righteous (Revelation 19:2). Christ's second coming involves judging those unfaithful to their Creator, a judgment entirely appropriate given their corruption and violence against the Lord's servants during the tribulation. A second cry of "Hallelujah" arises as smoke ascends from the godless society forever (Revelation 19:3), not as a delight in destruction, but as worship in response to God's righteous judgments. The twenty-four elders, representing the church, and the four living creatures, angelic beings, join in, worshipping God on the throne, saying, "Amen! Hallelujah!" (Revelation 19:4). The sheer volume of praise emphasizes the magnitude of God's victory and the rightness of His actions. All believers, "both small and great," are called to render such praise (Revelation 19:5).
The sound of cascading waters and loud thunder accompanies a fourth "Hallelujah," as the vast multitude worships God because "the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!" (Revelation 19:6). God reigns in both blessing and judgment, and either way, it is awe-inspiring when the Lord visibly manifests His presence and establishes His rule.
The Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-10)
The focus shifts to the "marriage of the Lamb" (Revelation 19:7) and the ensuing "marriage supper of the Lamb" (Revelation 19:9), events that will occur on earth after Jesus returns and will last for a thousand years during the millennial kingdom (cf. Revelation 20:1-6). This imagery draws from ancient wedding traditions, where betrothal is followed by the bridegroom taking the bride to his father's house, and then a wedding feast celebrates the union.
In the church's spiritual marriage to Christ, the church age represents the betrothal period, when Christians are pledged to Christ. The wedding will occur when Jesus returns to take His bride to His heavenly Father's house. The celebration will take place during the millennium, after the church has prepared herself (Revelation 19:7) by adorning herself with righteous acts (Revelation 19:8). The bride is arrayed in fine linen, bright and pure, representing the righteous acts of the saints.
This "marriage feast of the Lamb" paints a picture far removed from the common caricature of heaven as a place of passive harp-playing. During this thousand-year celebration, believers will have rewards and responsibilities determined by their faithfulness to Christ on earth. Jesus will ensure the complete absence of disorder and discord.
The angel guiding John corrects him when he falls at the angel's feet to worship him: "Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers and sisters who hold firmly to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God!" (Revelation 19:10). This highlights the importance of directing our worship solely to God.
The Rider on the White Horse (Revelation 19:11-16)
Verse 11 returns to the second coming of Jesus, which precedes the millennium. Heaven visibly opens, revealing Jesus riding a white horse, the Roman symbol of victory. Christ's primary task upon returning is making war against the enemies of God (Revelation 19:11). His eyes are like a flame of fire, glorious and intense, and He wears many crowns, symbolizing His vast authority (Revelation 19:12). Even in this open manifestation of Christ's glory, aspects of His person remain beyond human comprehension, symbolized by a name written on Him that no one knows except Himself (Revelation 19:12).
The meekness of Jesus at His first coming stands in stark contrast to His disposition at His second coming. He establishes His reign on earth by force. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood (Revelation 19:13) and accompanied by the armies of heaven, who follow Him on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean (Revelation 19:14). These armies are followers of Jesus from the church age and the tribulation who will rule on earth with Him for a thousand years.
At His second coming, Jesus's weapon of choice is His Word, pictured as a sharp sword coming from His mouth, with which He will strike the nations (Revelation 19:15). As "KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS" (Revelation 19:16), conquering every enemy on earth will be a matter of relative ease, a matter of speaking.
From Genesis to Revelation, Jesus is portrayed as possessing an authoritative Word. John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." At creation, Jesus spoke the words, "Let there be light" (Genesis 1:3), and light came into being. He used that same authoritative Word to cause the devil to flee in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11) and to send a legion of demons out of a demon-possessed man and into a herd of pigs (Mark 5:1-13). The way He brought about powerful results was by speaking His Word. And so it shall be at the end of time.
Followers of Jesus must not simply know God's Word or study it, but also verbally quote it. When you quote the Word accurately to people or to the forces of Satan, it carries intrinsic authority to accomplish God's purposes.
The Defeat of the Beast and False Prophet (Revelation 19:17-21)
Vultures are summoned to gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, military commanders, horses and their riders, and all people, free and slave, small and great (Revelation 19:17-18). This gruesome image depicts the utter defeat of Satan, the Antichrist, and their allies, who seek to destroy Jesus at the battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:12-16). Jesus will utterly defeat them, leaving their bodies to be eaten by birds of prey, a reality also mentioned in Matthew 24:27-28.
The active opposition of the Antichrist and his allies to Christ is made explicit (Revelation 19:19). Jesus does not return to bring capricious judgment against unsuspecting innocent parties. He strikes down the wicked who are gathered to wage war against Him.
The beast, or Antichrist, and the false prophet are seized and thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur (Revelation 19:20). This demonstrates that there is no annihilation in store for those who reject Christ. Their punishment is unending.
Those who stand against Jesus at the battle of Armageddon face temporal judgment on earth: they are killed with the sword that comes from the mouth of Jesus—His Word (Revelation 19:21).
Revelation 19 sets the stage for the millennial kingdom and the final judgment, highlighting the ultimate triumph of Christ and the establishment of His eternal reign.
And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.
And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
Revelation 19 marks a pivotal moment in the unfolding drama of the end times. After the fall of Babylon, representing both a corrupt religious system and the Antichrist's political empire (Revelation 17-18), the scene shifts dramatically from earth to heaven, filled with praise and anticipation of Christ's glorious return. This chapter is a powerful declaration of God's justice, the victory of good over evil, and the establishment of Christ's kingdom on earth. Unlike Christ's humble first coming (Luke 2:7; Philippians 2:8), this return is characterized by power, judgment, and the commencement of His reign. It's crucial to understand that this event is distinct from the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17), where Jesus returns in the air to gather believers to Himself. Revelation 19 focuses on His visible and triumphant return to earth.
Hallelujah! Praise in Heaven (Revelation 19:1-6)
John hears what sounds like the loud voice of a vast multitude in heaven, praising God with cries of "Hallelujah!" This Greek word transliterates a Hebrew phrase, "hallal Yah," meaning "praise Yahweh." Praise, unlike worship, is a verbal declaration of God's glory, greatness, power, and majesty. It is a fitting response to God's righteous judgments and His establishment of justice. The multitude proclaims, "Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God" (Revelation 19:1).
The reasons for this exuberant praise are manifold, specifically because His judgments are true and righteous (Revelation 19:2). Christ's second coming involves judging those unfaithful to their Creator, a judgment entirely appropriate given their corruption and violence against the Lord's servants during the tribulation. A second cry of "Hallelujah" arises as smoke ascends from the godless society forever (Revelation 19:3), not as a delight in destruction, but as worship in response to God's righteous judgments. The twenty-four elders, representing the church, and the four living creatures, angelic beings, join in, worshipping God on the throne, saying, "Amen! Hallelujah!" (Revelation 19:4). The sheer volume of praise emphasizes the magnitude of God's victory and the rightness of His actions. All believers, "both small and great," are called to render such praise (Revelation 19:5).
The sound of cascading waters and loud thunder accompanies a fourth "Hallelujah," as the vast multitude worships God because "the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!" (Revelation 19:6). God reigns in both blessing and judgment, and either way, it is awe-inspiring when the Lord visibly manifests His presence and establishes His rule.
The Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-10)
The focus shifts to the "marriage of the Lamb" (Revelation 19:7) and the ensuing "marriage supper of the Lamb" (Revelation 19:9), events that will occur on earth after Jesus returns and will last for a thousand years during the millennial kingdom (cf. Revelation 20:1-6). This imagery draws from ancient wedding traditions, where betrothal is followed by the bridegroom taking the bride to his father's house, and then a wedding feast celebrates the union.
In the church's spiritual marriage to Christ, the church age represents the betrothal period, when Christians are pledged to Christ. The wedding will occur when Jesus returns to take His bride to His heavenly Father's house. The celebration will take place during the millennium, after the church has prepared herself (Revelation 19:7) by adorning herself with righteous acts (Revelation 19:8). The bride is arrayed in fine linen, bright and pure, representing the righteous acts of the saints.
This "marriage feast of the Lamb" paints a picture far removed from the common caricature of heaven as a place of passive harp-playing. During this thousand-year celebration, believers will have rewards and responsibilities determined by their faithfulness to Christ on earth. Jesus will ensure the complete absence of disorder and discord.
The angel guiding John corrects him when he falls at the angel's feet to worship him: "Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers and sisters who hold firmly to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God!" (Revelation 19:10). This highlights the importance of directing our worship solely to God.
The Rider on the White Horse (Revelation 19:11-16)
Verse 11 returns to the second coming of Jesus, which precedes the millennium. Heaven visibly opens, revealing Jesus riding a white horse, the Roman symbol of victory. Christ's primary task upon returning is making war against the enemies of God (Revelation 19:11). His eyes are like a flame of fire, glorious and intense, and He wears many crowns, symbolizing His vast authority (Revelation 19:12). Even in this open manifestation of Christ's glory, aspects of His person remain beyond human comprehension, symbolized by a name written on Him that no one knows except Himself (Revelation 19:12).
The meekness of Jesus at His first coming stands in stark contrast to His disposition at His second coming. He establishes His reign on earth by force. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood (Revelation 19:13) and accompanied by the armies of heaven, who follow Him on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean (Revelation 19:14). These armies are followers of Jesus from the church age and the tribulation who will rule on earth with Him for a thousand years.
At His second coming, Jesus's weapon of choice is His Word, pictured as a sharp sword coming from His mouth, with which He will strike the nations (Revelation 19:15). As "KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS" (Revelation 19:16), conquering every enemy on earth will be a matter of relative ease, a matter of speaking.
From Genesis to Revelation, Jesus is portrayed as possessing an authoritative Word. John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." At creation, Jesus spoke the words, "Let there be light" (Genesis 1:3), and light came into being. He used that same authoritative Word to cause the devil to flee in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11) and to send a legion of demons out of a demon-possessed man and into a herd of pigs (Mark 5:1-13). The way He brought about powerful results was by speaking His Word. And so it shall be at the end of time.
Followers of Jesus must not simply know God's Word or study it, but also verbally quote it. When you quote the Word accurately to people or to the forces of Satan, it carries intrinsic authority to accomplish God's purposes.
The Defeat of the Beast and False Prophet (Revelation 19:17-21)
Vultures are summoned to gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, military commanders, horses and their riders, and all people, free and slave, small and great (Revelation 19:17-18). This gruesome image depicts the utter defeat of Satan, the Antichrist, and their allies, who seek to destroy Jesus at the battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:12-16). Jesus will utterly defeat them, leaving their bodies to be eaten by birds of prey, a reality also mentioned in Matthew 24:27-28.
The active opposition of the Antichrist and his allies to Christ is made explicit (Revelation 19:19). Jesus does not return to bring capricious judgment against unsuspecting innocent parties. He strikes down the wicked who are gathered to wage war against Him.
The beast, or Antichrist, and the false prophet are seized and thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur (Revelation 19:20). This demonstrates that there is no annihilation in store for those who reject Christ. Their punishment is unending.
Those who stand against Jesus at the battle of Armageddon face temporal judgment on earth: they are killed with the sword that comes from the mouth of Jesus—His Word (Revelation 19:21).
Revelation 19 sets the stage for the millennial kingdom and the final judgment, highlighting the ultimate triumph of Christ and the establishment of His eternal reign.