Zerubbabel led the first group of Jews, numbering 42,360, who returned from the Babylonian . For that which comes distinctly before us in this one verse is the twofold fact, that the ten horns here contemplated receive their kingly power for the same hour or time as the beast, and not subsequently, when his rule was extinguished. Now we see the tree of life again. It was John's instinct to worship the angelic messenger; but the angel forbids him to do that, because the angels are no more than men's fellow-servants. V. An invitation given to the fowls of heaven, that they should come and see the battle, and share in the spoil and pillage of the field (Revelation 19:17; Revelation 19:18), intimating that this great decisive engagement should leave the enemies of the church a feast for the birds of prey, and that all the world should have cause to rejoice in the issue of it. Christianity teaches that God is reaching down to man; exactly the opposite of religious thoughts, man trying to reach God. At the beginning there will have been carnage, as we know, among both the western powers and the eastern powers. His eyes are a flame of fire. This would not be fitting for the church nor the Christian. distinctions. A mysterious lawlessness inherits the well-known name of Babylon when Rome is brought forward; and it does not merely embrace Christian times, but the end of the age after the church has gone, when the course of divine judgment comes. It is not now lightnings and thunders and voices. It is reigning. And there shall in nowise enter into it anything that defileth, nor making abomination and a lie: but only those written in the book of life of the Lamb." He is coming to trample the wine vat. "The nations shall walk in the light of it," Any one of spiritual judgment can see that it should not be "nations of them which are saved." Yet to this heavenly city, after Christ comes, the kings of the earth bring their offerings and their homage; but there is no excitement of the nations, no filthiness of fornication, no abominations, no blood-guiltiness. - Utley. Only the Son of God can understand the mystery of his own being. church (Acts 2:1ff). This is in total contrast to the harlot Babylon. The closing phrase here is the description of the beast in its last state, in which it will come into collision with Babylon. It was, as H. B. Swete puts it, like "the din of a vast concourse, the roar of a cataract, the roll of thunder.". It furnishes material for a contrast between the earthly Jerusalem and the heavenly city, because if there be one thing more remarkable than another in Ezekiel's description, it is the temple. Had he really penetrated under the surface, and seen that beneath the fair guise of Christendom the woman was, of all things under the sun, the most corrupt and hateful to God, it would not be so much to be surprised at. The Church, the Bride of Christ, is clothed in fine linen, pure and shining. John insists that angels are no more than the servants of God; and that God alone must be worshipped. 11-21). The question is, why is she thus designated? She will despise everything really divine; she will only use whatever of God's word she can pervert for increasing her own importance, and gaining a greater ascendancy over the consciences of men, and enjoying herself more luxuriously in this world; for she will go far to obliterate all remembrance of heaven, and to make this world a kind of paradise which she embellishes, not with pure and undefiled religion, but with the arts of men and the idolatries of the world. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for night shall not be there. Once again John finds his inspiration in the words of Scripture. He is in charge of the Anastausus Ship, but he is facing a jail sentence of three and a half years in Greece because He gave a Bible to a sixteen-year old Greek boy and the boy accepted Jesus Christ as His Savior. Just as I said, these robes have been made white by the blood of the Lamb. Hence. The four living creatures, respectively like a lion, an ox, a man and an eagle, stand for two things, for all that is bravest, strongest, wisest and swiftest in nature--and for the cherubim. This verse reports that the heavenly multitude shouted another "hallelujah," which translates to "praise the Lord!" The residents of heaven declare that Babylon's smoke ascends "forever and ever." We should not interpret this declaration to mean the physical smoke from God's judgment on Babylon is eternal. We may surely say her cup was not yet full. These words of praise here are focused on the Lord Jesus Christ. It is necessary that we should all bear in mind, if we have not observed it before, thatRevelation 17:1-18; Revelation 17:1-18 does not pursue the chronological course of the prophecy. Revelation Chapter 11 Explained - bible-studys.org "Upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of the harlots and of the abominations of the earth.". Before God we have that which is found only by and in Christ, which is another and a higher character altogether as compared with the righteousnesses of the saints. come (verse 15; 2:27; 12:5). Amen This is in total contrast to the harlot Babylon. The word of God, Hebrews 4:12, Ephesians 6:17 Indicates the power of Gods words, cf. It is suggested that it is actually written on his thigh, because it was sometimes the custom to engrave the titles of statues on the thigh. 1-3), and does not appear again until (Revelation 22:16), emphasizing the ( John 1:14 ) And now again He comes as the Word of God. The Lord is not so interested in telling you who you are going to marry or what is going to happen to you next week, the spirit of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet, who performed in his presence signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast, and who worship his image. There was never a time in history in which such forces were drawn up against the Church as when the Revelation was written. But still we have not the end of Babylon yet. Then the book concludes after a solemn warning against either adding to or taking from its contents. An allusion to Psalms 2:9 ; shall rule them . If you preach on prophecy, you are bringing the testimony of Jesus. Ephesians 6:17; smite the nations . Consequently, here we must most unquestionably go back to be shown an important object in the prophecy which could not, without interrupting its course, have been described before. But what I particularly call your attention to is the exceeding importance of heeding the retrospect at the bride, or new Jerusalem here, and the consequent removal of the difficulty caused by taking the last vision of this book as part of the prophetic series which begins in Revelation 19:1-21. For a short time (what a mercy that it must be only for a short time!) This would have been altogether inappropriate for such a progress: when the King comes forth riding to victory in the judgment of wicked men of the world, it is not in the quality of bride, but of armies or hosts, that the saints follow Him; and these include no doubt the guests as well, i.e., all the glorified take their place in His train. 14:1-3; 1 Thess. *It is the aorist in Greek, which in such a case as this it is difficult correctly to represent in English; for neither "reigned" nor "hath reigned" could convey that God had entered on His kingdom, but rather that it was past. In Judaism there was increasingly stressed the transcendence of God, because of that it was increasingly felt that man needed some intermediary. servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for This too must not be viewed as if it were a loss. [issues, proceedeth, comes, came, goeth, comes out, ] . Gods sovereignty (verse 6); and. It is one of those cases which every now and then appear where God checks and reproves our foolish curiosity, as He alone knows how to do perfectly. Revelation 19 explained (every verse) - YouTube All the way along the fairness of God's judgment has been challenged.I don't know what God is going to do in a lot of cases. In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, the Word was God. And her smoke rose up for ever Moral unfitness has its just censure; but sovereign grace must be asserted also. But, further, we find that the saints who had suffered for Christ, during the time that the others were in heaven, are now reunited to their bodies and live, the Lord waiting for the last martyr that He might not leave out one of those who had died for His name. We may have a special task in it, but this is not the work for us, as it seems to me. John was forbidding angel worship; and that was a very necessary prohibition, for in the early church there was a well-nigh inevitable tendency to worship angels, a tendency which has never wholly disappeared. "And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife." Gods deliverance of His people from their enemies (verse 1); Gods permanent crushing of mans rebellion (verse 3); Gods communion with His people (verse 7). John saw heaven opened and a RIDER UPON A WHITE HORSE verse 11. He is, as H. B. Swete puts it, "a royal commander followed by a dazzling retinue." (i) John sees Christ as the conqueror. ). As noted in the commentary on Rom. What does Revelation chapter 13 mean? | BibleRef.com His word which hurled the suns in space will execute his will when the time comes. Supper), who will turn to Christ in "And the nations shall walk in the light of it." THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY ( Revelation 19:10 b). "Let him that heareth say, Come." Verse 5. You would never hit the bottom. Bear this in mind: to leave the last part out is fatal to any accurate understanding of the Revelation. And they also lasted much longer. It is the "Word of God" that will conquor nations, not physical armies using force. They are all to reign concurrently with the beast. Verse 3. What was easier than to turn the demons into angels and to worship them? He comes to execute vengeance, and with a sign of death for rebels. Rabbi, Jehudah, actually gave the odd instruction that men ought not to pray in Aramaic because the angels did not understand Aramaic! Revelation - Matthew Henry's Commentary - Bible Gateway "Surely I come quickly." THE AVENGING WRATH ( Revelation 19:14-16 ). This scene Salvation is simple. Enduring Word Bible Commentary Revelation Chapter 4 For true and righteous are his judgments ( Revelation 19:2 ): All the way through we have had this affirmation that the judgments of God are true and righteous. The absence of a temple is therefore no loss but a gain for this city. 5. Here we see the chaste virgin . When the beast dares to fight with the Lamb He shall overcome the beast; and they that are with Him, "called and chosen and faithful" terms, as a whole, entirely inapplicable to the angels. Again the righteousness of His judgment attested to. There were two particular effects of her evil: the one, illicit commerce with the kings of the earth; the other, intoxicating the inhabitants of the earth with the wine of her fornication. The particulars are reserved for a later point in this prophecy. All this gives us a true and just view of the various parties that have a share in the resurrection. What is there to hinder it? From his mouth there comes forth a sharp two-edged sword, so that with it he may smite the nations, and he will control them with an iron rod. Accordingly the rapture of the church with the Old Testament saints must have already taken place, all (as I have no doubt) being caught up at the self-same time to be with the Lord above. Then go into each of the twenty two chapters of the Book of Revelation one by one. Accordingly these are the two main objects of judgment brought before us in the chapter. 3:12-15; 2 Cor. In other words, it is too He is saying (throw them out), they are not part of the elect. And here observe. This tells us something about our approach to In short, it is not tropical language, as when it is said of the prodigal son "This my son was dead, and is alive again;" or of the restoration of Israel, which is compared to a resurrection from the dead for the rest of the world. Here were thrones, and people sat upon them, changed 'before this into the image of Christ's glory. The church is the bride, The marriage Verse 7. Thus there is a completeness and perfection about it suited to its present character. The woman was there seen sitting on a scarlet-coloured beast, i.e., the well-known imperial power of the Roman Empire, "full of [the] names of blasphemy" in its wicked opposition to God, and clothed with the forms we have already seen "seven heads and ten horns." One of our pastors, Imad, spent some time in the Egyptian jail. What about little babies?" "And the dead were judged," but not out of the book of life, which has nothing to do with judgment. This is the first resurrection.". believers at salvation, but the practical results of that righteousness in There was judicial discernment with the distinct possession of all titles to sovereignty. "The kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour unto it" not into but unto. 19:12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on his head are many royal crowns, and he has a name written which no one knows except himself. union of the church with Christ following the Rapture (see 1 Thess. "He has a name inscribed which no one knows but Himself." If my righteousness were dependent upon my keeping the Law, or keeping rules or regulations-Let's say that we said that every day you should be reading five chapters out of the Bible. Since then the world has not seen the imperial power to which all bow. The voice that comes from the throne is most likely to be understood as the voice of one of the cherubim. Man has always sinned in one or other of these two ways, looking now at sin in its broadest forms. Then there was a time of preparation as the Zechariah 14:18, but nowhere else with a sword. (i) In certain circles of Judaism the angels had a very large place. It is partly because of this that many excellent men have endeavoured to apply the vision to Romanism; and I admit that there is found a measure of analogy. A mighty angel takes a stone and says, when he cast it into the sea, "Thus with violence shall be thrown down Babylon the great city, and shall be found no more at all." 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; Wars were matters of ambition and tyranny and oppression rather than of justice. - Utley, Isaiah 63:1-3; (Source of imagery for the Battle Hymn of the Republic.). It is to be supposed that it will far exceed anything yet seen on the face of the earth. Second, he alone has that purity which can judge without prejudice. But alas! He says: "The possession of the prophetic spirit, which makes a true prophet, shows itself in a life of witness to Jesus, which perpetuates his witness to the Father and to himself" A prophet's message lies in the personal witness of his life, even more than in the spoken witness of his words. "The ten horns which thou sawest AND the beast" would give unquestionably the right form of the verse. Their praise is that the smoke of Babylon rises for ever and ever. persecution are made the beasts provoking sins. "At the last day" does not mean merely an instant of time. That is He destroys them with His word.Now, we are told that He was in the beginning with God and that He created all things. Christ will come in glory to judge and rule. But here is a mystery altogether different: "Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of the harlots and of the abominations of the earth.". 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16 Commentary. * Let us be glad and exult, and give the glory to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready." "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. Nor is there any real reason to wonder at their deriving help from partial light. email us at: It is the fault, however, of the bad Greek text of Erasmus, Stephens, etc. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword ( Revelation 19:15 ). What is this name? It is plain that what the verse contemplates is neither the Roman power when there was one head of the empire, nor the eastern or Byzantine part of it after that partition, nor the western state of division under the kings who succeeded the deposition of Augustulus; for in the medieval state there may have been ten kings (in contrast with the ancient state of the beast without them but no beast or imperial system with its chiefs. VII. [3] In this chapter, heaven exults over the fall of Babylon the Great. On these I may say but a very few words. Even the worst of governments is better than none. Verse 11. Called: Those who are invited to the marriage supper are Israel, who will turn Next comes the marriage of the Lamb to his bride. revelation 19 - Bible Commentaries - page 2 of 46 To this earth He is coming, and not merely to the new earth in the eternal state. We have already seen that God will cause a third part of the sea to turn to Imagine when all living creatures in the seas die. (1) A mighty angel comes down from heaven. Apart from his return to purge his creation of evil, redemption remains forever incomplete." It is not the gospel, nor the Holy Spirit, but the lawless revived Latin empire with its vassal kingdoms of the west, that combine and destroy Babylon. and the fullness of the Gentiles will be brought in. "Behold I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the words of the prophecy of this book." And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses ( Revelation 19:14 ). And her smoke rose up for ever and ever ( Revelation 19:3 ). So, he is one of our pastors here, but that is what religion does. Further, a negative point of great importance is presented by the seer, "And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God the Almighty is the temple of it, and the Lamb. Let us bear this in mind. This is of immense moment doctrinally, because it decisively proves that it is altogether unfounded to assume, as is popularly done, that the Lord only returns at this juncture. There was not yet fairly out before men what God foresaw as that which must finally provoke His judgment. And it is pretty well ascertained that there was a discussion among them, even to the suggestion by one of the most wicked of their emperors, whether Christ should not be owned and worshipped in the Pantheon, hundreds of years before Constantine, indeed from the earliest epoch of the gospel. Here you may see the reason for saying that the four and twenty elders and the four living creatures are not absolutely the church, because when that symbol applies, and the one of the bride comes forward, we have got others too. Instead of judgment being executed on them, it was given to them. As Dr. John Paterson puts it in The Book that is Alive: "The spoken word in Hebrew was fearfully alive. Christ is the Bridegroom at the marriage and his Church is the The blessing given could not be taken back. It is an added digression for the purpose of describing an object already named passingly in the foregoing series, which closes at Revelation 21:8. Now, this vesture dipped in blood is probably a reference to Isaiah sixty-three. Every strange coded word and phrase is meant for this generation. They were caught in flagrant treason and rebellion: what further need of any process of judgment whatsoever? It will never happen. If only an imperial city, what has this to do with mystery? Their doom was awful, but by no means after the same sort as their two leaders. This symbolic meal will take place at the establishment of the It is no problem for the infinite God to reach to finite man. remnant, a small company, when compared with the world and carnal professors; (1) Five reasons for their praise emerge: (1) Return to Home Page His blows on this world come more nationally as on Israel; incomparably more severe, as in possession of greater privileges, is the judgment of corrupt Christendom, or Babylon as it is called here.

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