Dover Assembly of God
We are nearing the end of our study in the Book of Revelation. We saw in chapter 17, God’s judgment on the false religion of the day. Remember it will be a one-world religion.
Comprised of every false doctrine, occult practices, and new age philosophies.
It begins during the tribulation and God ends it in chapter 17.
Revelation 17:1 NLT
The prostitute is the world religion. Chapter 18 told us that God will judge the one-world economic and commercial systems.
The anti-Christ has set up the mark of the beast so that everyone must get it in order to buy or sell.
The merchants and leaders of companies have made themselves rich off the backs of the regular people using immoral practices to enrich themselves.
In a single day, God wipes those out.
Revelation 18:9-10 NLT
Now we come to chapter 19. People have always wanted to know how and when everything will end.
People go to fortune tellers, seances, read their horoscope, all in an attempt to see the future.
Chapters 19-20 sow us 5 key events that will happen just before God wraps it up.
1) HEAVEN WILL REJOICE
Revelation 19:1-10 NLT
Revelation 18:20 NLT
So guess what? They are rejoicing! Why are they rejoicing?
b) GOD HAS JUDGED HIS ENEMIES
Revelation 19:1-4 NLT
It says, after this, so we have 3 separate visions. Ch 17, 18 and now 19.
And this time it wasn’t an angel starting it off, it was a vast crowd in heaven.
Some feel it could be angels and elders.
Revelation 5:11-12 NLT
Some feel it could be all the martyred saints.
Some feel it is the multitude of angels.
Hebrews 12:22 NLT
Revelation 18:20 NLT
They saw the fall of the religious system and the economic commerce systems.
And now in heaven everyone is praising God.
Revelation 19:1 NLT
The Greek word for “praise” is alleluia. That’s the Greek form of the word “hallelu which is a command to praise.
The shortened word for Jehovah is “Jah”.
So, the word hallelujah is literally “Praise the Lord”
They are praising the Lord, not for the fall of the Babylon system, but that God is true and righteous and that He is glorified by those holy judgments.
If you remember back in chapter 6:
Revelation 6:9-11 NLT
That time is now, and everyone is rejoicing and praising the God who said . . .
Romans 12:19 NLT
They are also rejoicing because:
b) GOD IS REIGNING
Revelation 19:5-6 NLT
In other words, “everyone, keep on praising God”.
Up to this point, God has always reigned, but there have always been other rulers that reigned on Earth as well.
Now, all that has come to an end, and God is the only one who reigns. And is about to usher in the 1000-year reign, or millennial reign.
Here, the praise is louder than the first time.
We are to praise God for his judgments, but we are to praise God more for fulfilling His promises.
All those (which at this point would include all of us if we trusted Christ) in heaven are now about to receive the fullness of their inheritance.
Revelation 19:7-8 NLT
Right now, we look forward to this event, but when we are all there, we will be all the more excited about it.
Think about the symbolism.
We are the bride and Christ is the groom. As you plan a wedding months or even years in advance, you are excited then, but when that day finally gets here, isn’t everyone REALLY excited?
That’s how it will be then. The fine linen here does not represent salvation or imputed righteousness.
It says what it symbolizes. (Fine linen represents the good deeds done by the people of God.)
These are acts of faith and righteousness that we do on Earth as a result of being saved.
These acts DON’T save you, but they are what we do and how we live after we are saved.
So, we will be judged for our works. Not for our salvation.
Note that we are already in heaven. So, the works don’t get us in, but they do count after we’re in.
1 Corinthians 3:13-15 NLT
Revelation 19:9 NLT
Up to this point, John has only seen things, now he’s being asked to write it down.
So who is invited to this marriage supper?
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NLT
Every born-again believer will be at this supper.
The question is are you a born-again believer? If you are not, you are not invited, and you will be included in the judgement we’ve been teaching these past many weeks.
So, The most important choice you will ever make is to accept the invitation.
Revelation 19:10 NLT
This vision was so wonderful and amazing it even tempted John to worship the messenger and not the author of the message.
There’s a lot of books and writing about angels and angel worship.
But clearly God’s word says that we do NOT worship them, pray to them, or place them in a higher position than God.
Angels are servants of God, just like we are.
Our job is to worship God alone.
What happened when an angel wanted to receive worship?
That was Satan (Lucifer) and God kicked him out and set him up for eternal destruction. And all that worship him.
The anti-Christ wants worship and when people take the mark, they are not doing it for food alone, but they are giving their allegiance (worship) to the anti-Christ.
Revelation 13:14-16 NLT
The way you qualify for the mark to buy food was to worship the beast.
Revelation 19:10 NLT
This is what we’ve been saying all throughout this series.
Prophecy isn’t meant to scare you but prepare you. Prepare you for what?
Prepare you for the return of Christ by getting you saved.
“Bible prophecy isn’t entertainment for the curious, it’s encouragement for the serious”
It should make everyone who hears it, think about Jesus.
All of prophecy should make us see the glory and holiness of Jesus and encourage us to be ready.
This chapter ends with the judgment of the political system. We had the religious, and economic, now we get to the top
Revelation 19:11-16 NLT
This not the marriage supper, this is another vision where John sees heaven opened and Jesus coming to Earth as a conqueror.
He’s not coming to TAKE his people home (rapture), he is coming WITH his people to conquer and establish His kingdom.
White linen here indicates those who have been made righteous by the blood of Christ.
He’s coming with the word of God which means everything he is going to do has already been written and handed down to us.
Everything he does lines up with what is in the book.
2 Thessalonians 1:7-8 NLT
Many crowns means King of Kings. Lord of Lords.
3 different forms or pictures of judgment.
Sword to cut down the nations, using the word of God.
Rod of iron used to shatter the nations.
Literally means to use the rod side of the shepherds’ staff to destroy the enemies of the sheep.
The winepress is reflecting back to:
Zechariah 14:3-5 NLT
Revelation 19:17-18 NLT
The battle of Armageddon will soon be over, we will win, and God is calling the birds mostly vultures to clean up all the dead bodies resulting from Christ’s defeat of the nations.
None of the bodies will receive a proper burial or tombstone or recognition.
No matter how important or how much money or power they had, all will be left to the shame and dishonor of being bird food.
Revelation 19:19-21 NLT
The birds are ready to start dining. The beast gets his people ready to fight against Christ and his saints.
But instantly, the war is over, Christ wins and now the enemy and his followers are getting ready for His judgment.
The followers are all killed and are awaiting their turn at the great white throne judgment.
All these followers that are alive at this point have heard the gospel.
Revelation 14:6 NLT
The anti-Christ and the false prophet are thrown into the lake of fire. Satan’s turn comes later.
He gets thrown in after the millennium and the wicked dead get thrown in at the great white throne judgment.
The birds are filled with the dead bodies, the beast & false prophet are in hell, Satan is in prison.
Revelation 20:1-3 NLT
Nothing can hinder the establishment of the millennial reign.