Hallelujah! (Revelation 19:1-10)

OPEN IT

1. What is one of the most memorable weddings or banquets you have ever been to?

EXPLORE IT

2. What was the roar that John heard coming from heaven? (Rev.19:1)

3. Why were the inhabitants of heaven praising God? (Rev.19:1-2)

4. Who shouted? Why? (Rev.19:3)

5.How did the creatures closest to God act? (Rev.19:4)

6. What did the voice from the throne urge? (Rev.19:5)

7. Why did the great multitude urge everyone to be happy? How? (Rev.19:6-7)

8. In what ways did the bride get ready for the heavenly wedding? (Rev.19:7-8)

9. What is the significance of the fine linen worn by the bride of Christ (Rev.19:8)

10. Who is called “blessed”? (Rev.19:9)

11. How did John respond to the angel who was his “writing instructor” (Rev.19:10)

12.What was the angel’s instruction to John? (Rev.19:10)

13. What did John learn about worship? (Rev.19:10)

14. What did John learn about angels? (Rev.19:10)

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15. What are some implications of the fact that Christ’s relationship with the church is described as a marriage?

16. In what ways ought we to act as people “engaged” to Christ?

APPLY IT

17. What is one way you could become a more worshipful person in how you participate in worship services at church?

Commentary

The praise seen in heaven throughout Revelation (4:8-11; 5:9-14; 7:10-12; 11:15-18; 15:3-4; 16:5-6) reaches a crescendo in this text. The heavenly rejoicing is not over the damnation of those who reject God (Ezek. 18:23, 32; 33:11), but because Jesus Christ will soon remove those obstinate sinners from the world. God will then be properly honored, the Lord Jesus Christ enthroned, and the earth restored to its lost glory. Heaven rejoices because history is finally going to reach its culmination as the true King establishes His kingdom on earth.

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; (19:1)

As it does throughout Revelation (4:1; 7:9; 15:5; 18:1), the phrase after these things marks the beginning of a new vision. This new vision takes place after the destruction of Babylon (chaps. 17-18) and before the triumphant return of Jesus Christ (19:11-21) to establish the Millennial Kingdom (20:1-10). As the loud laments over Babylon’s destruction fade into silence, loud hallelujahs ring out in heaven. In his vision John heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven. The text does not identify those whose composite voices make up the loud voice John heard, but they are likely angels. This great multitude does not appear to include the redeemed saints, since they are encouraged to join in the praise later (vv. 5-8). The uncounted millions of holy angels make up a majestic, awe-inspiring choir.

The angelic chorus opens with the important word Hallelujah, an exclamation of praise to God. The Greek word Allēlouia is a transliteration of a Hebrew phrase comprised of the verb halal (“to praise”) and the noun Yah (“God”). It appears only in this chapter in the New Testament (vv. 3-4, 6). The Hebrew phrase first appears in Psalm 104:35,” Let sinners be consumed from the earth and let the wicked be no more. Bless the Lord, O my soul. Praise the Lord!” In its first Old Testament appearance, as in its first New Testament appearance, Hallelujah expresses praise for God’s judgment on the wicked oppressors of His people. The Hebrew phrase is associated with God’s deliverance of His people from Egypt in Psalms 113-18, which are known collectively as the Egyptian Hallel. It is a word often associated with both the judgment of the ungodly and the salvation of God’s people. Heaven rejoices specifically because salvation has come for God’s people, and with it the glory and power that belong to God (1 Chron. 29:11) have been put on display. The word salvation does not focus on justification or sanctification, but celebrates the final aspect of salvation history, the glorification of the saints in the kingdom of Christ. The imminent coming of Jesus Christ prompts this praise as the angels anticipate the glory of His kingdom.

“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.” (19:2)

Heaven also rejoices because God’s judgments are true and righteous (16:7), as evidenced by the destruction of wicked, deserving Babylon. That joy over the imminent triumph of God’s justice is something that all who pray and work for righteousness can relate to. Throughout history God’s people have been disturbed by the inequity, injustice, and unrighteousness in the world, and have longed for God’s justice to come. The stage was set for establishing that kingdom when God judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality. Babylon is identified as the great harlot (17:1, 15-16), Satan and Antichrist’s system that seduced the unbelieving world to believe the lies of Satan. Because that system rules the whole world, it is thus guilty of corrupting the earth with its immorality (14:8; 17:2; 18:3, 9). The evil of the commercial and religious Babylon will be pervasive and dominant, leading to equitable retribution from God. A further reason for Babylon’s judgment was her maltreatment of God’s people (18:24). As a result, He has avenged the blood of His bondservants on her. That God will exact vengeance for His people is clearly taught in Scripture. Deuteronomy 32:42-43 reads: “‘I will make My arrows drunk with blood, and My sword shall devour flesh, with the blood of the slain and the captives, from the long-haired leaders of the enemy. ’Rejoice, O nations, with His people; For He will avenge the blood of His servants, and will render vengeance on His adversaries, and will atone for His land and His people.”

And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! Her smoke rises up forever and ever.” (19:3) Babylon’s judgment provoked the first outburst of heavenly rejoicing; the aftermath of her destruction prompts the heavenly chorus for a second time to say, “Hallelujah!” At the climax of her judgment, Babylon was “burned up with fire” (18:8; 17:16), and sinners mourned as they watched the pall of smoke rise into the sky (18:9, 18). That the smoke rises forever and ever indicates that this judgment is final, permanent, and irreversible. The language is like that used of God’s destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19:28), and Edom (Isa. 34:10). The flames and smoke will eventually die out, but the judgment is eternal on the souls of the sinners destroyed. And hell is a place “where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:48), where the damned “will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever” (14:10-11).

And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” 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.” 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.” (19:4-6)

In agreement with the angelic chorus, hallelujahs ring out from other heavenly residents. The twenty-four elders are best seen as representatives of the church. The four living creatures are cherubim, a high-ranking order of angels. These two groups have worshiped God throughout Revelation (4:8-11; 5:8-12, 14; 7:11; 11:16-18). Prostrate before God’s throne the two new additions to the heavenly chorus cried out, “Amen. Hallelujah!” That phrase comes from Psalm 106:48 and indicates their solemn agreement (the use of Amen, “so let it be,” in 5:14; 7:12) with the heavenly rejoicing over Babylon’s downfall.

The text does not identify the owner of the voice that came from the throne, but it is likely an angel, since he refers to God as our God. The voice authoritatively calls another group to join in the anthem of praise, saying, “Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.” The redeemed believers in heaven are described as God’s bond-servants (v. 2; 1:1; 2:20; 7:3; 11:18; 15:3; 22:3, 6; Luke 2:29; Acts 4:29; 16:17; Rom. 1:1; Gal. 1:10; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:7; 4:7; 2 Tim. 2:24; Titus 1:1; James 1:1; 2 Pet. 1:1; Jude 1), and those who fear Him (Deut. 6:13; 8:6; 10:12, 20; 13:4; Josh. 24:14; 1 Sam. 12:14, 24; 2 Kings 17:39; Ps. 22:23, 25; 25:14; 33:18; 34:7, 9; 85:9; 103:11, 13, 17; Luke 1:50). The all-inclusive phrase the small and the great (11:18) transcends all human categories and distinctions to embrace everyone. All the redeemed are called to praise God.

  When the redeemed obeyed the command from the heavenly voice and added their voices to the heavenly chorus, the dramatic sound John heard was something like the voice of a great multitude. The loud chorus of praise rose to a deafening crescendo, which the apostle likened to the sound of many waters (1:15; 14:2) and … the sound of mighty peals of thunder (6:1; 14:2). The fitting finale to the heavenly oratorio of praise is a fourth “Hallelujah!” followed by the motive for it—” For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.” The evil world system has been destroyed, and God’s kingdom has come in its fullness. This usage of Hallelujah is reminiscent of Psalms 146-50, which repeatedly offer praise for God’s sovereign rule and eternal fellowship with the redeemed. The title Almighty is used nine times in Revelation (v. 15; 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7, 14; 21:22).

“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.” 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. 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.” 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.” (19:7-10)

The heavenly praise continues with a call for gladness, rejoicing, and giving God glory for yet a fifth reason—the marriage of the Lamb. The imagery of marriage is used frequently in Scripture. A marriage was the single greatest celebration and social event of the biblical world. Wedding preparations and celebrations in ancient times were even more elaborate and involved than those of today and lasted longer. They consisted of three distinct stages. First was the betrothal, or engagement. This was an arrangement by both sets of parents contracting the marriage of their children. It was legally binding and could only be broken by a divorce (Matt. 1:18-19). A betrothal contract was often signed long before the children reached the marriageable age of thirteen or fourteen. Since a marriage represented the union of two families, it was natural for the parents to be involved. And there were years of preparation for the time of marriage, as the boy prepared for his bride. The second stage of a wedding was the presentation, a time of festivities just before the actual ceremony. Those festivities could last up to a week or more, depending on the economic and social status of the bride and groom. The third and most significant stage of a wedding was the actual ceremony, during which the vows were exchanged. At the end of the presentation festivities, the groom and his attendants would go to the bride’s house and take her and her bridesmaids to the ceremony. After the ceremony would come a final meal, followed by the consummation of the marriage.

Scripture uses the familiar imagery of a wedding to picture the Lord’s relationship with His church. Second Corinthians 11:2 mentions the betrothal of the church to Christ. Paul wrote, “For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.” The church’s betrothal contract was signed in eternity past when the Father promised the Son a redeemed people and wrote their names in the Book of Life. The apostle Paul described the church’s presentation in Ephesians 5:25-27: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.” That presentation will take place at the Rapture. Speaking of both the present time of preparation, as He makes a home for His bride, and the moment of presentation, when He comes for her, Jesus said, “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2-3). In the imagery of an ancient wedding, the Rapture marks the time when the Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 9:15; Mark 2:19-20; Luke 5:34-35; John 3:28-29), takes His bride to His Father’s house. During the Tribulation, the raptured church will be presented in heaven. But at the end of those seven years of joyous fellowship and wonderful celebration, the time will come for the wedding ceremony, the marriage of the Lamb. That final union of the Bridegroom and the bride is marked by a great supper.

In preparation for her marriage to the Lamb, His bride has made herself ready. That was not, of course, by her own works, but rather by God’s gracious working. Paul taught that believers, by God’s grace, participate in His work in their lives: “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:12-13). To the Colossians he wrote, “I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me” (Col. 1:29). The bride has made herself ready in the power of God, by the grace of God, through the work of the Spirit of God. Purged from all sin and impurity (1 Cor. 3:12-15), she is a flawless, blameless, unblemished virgin.

Having been presented glorified, purified, and spotless before God’s throne, it was given to the church to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean. Fine linen was expensive and beautiful cloth (18:12, 16), like that worn by Joseph (Gen. 41:42), David (1 Chron. 15:27), and Mordecai (Est. 8:15); lampros (bright) means glistening, shining, or radiant (its use in Acts 10:30); katharos (clean) is translated “pure” in 21:18, 21. Such dazzling garments were worn earlier in Revelation by angels (15:6), and will be the clothing of the armies of heaven (made up of both angels and the redeemed saints) that accompany Christ when He returns to earth (v. 14).

The fine linen with which the bride is clothed in the vision represents the righteous acts of the saints. At salvation, believers were clothed with Christ’s righteousness, imputed to them (Rom. 3:21-24; 4:5; 5:19; 1 Cor. 1:30; 2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:8-9). But now the church is clothed with a righteousness of its own; the glorified believers are intrinsically righteous, like the holy angels. No longer will the church have only an imputed righteousness, but also then an imparted holy perfection. The promise of 1 John 3:2, “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is” (Rom. 8:19-21) is then fulfilled.

Then the angel who had been speaking with John (17:1, 15) said to the apostle, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” This is the fourth of seven beatitudes in Revelation (1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 20:6; 22:7, 14), all introduced by the word blessed, which means “happy,” “joyous,” “satisfied,” and “fulfilled.” The recipients of this blessing are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. That they are invited guests marks them as a distinct group from the church, since a bride would hardly be invited to her own wedding. These guests represent Old Testament believers. Matthew 8:11 and Luke 13:28 both refer to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as being in the kingdom, and Luke 13:28 also mentions the prophets. All the heroes of the faith mentioned in Hebrews 11 will be among the invited guests. So will John the Baptist, the greatest of all Old Testament believers (Matt. 11:11), who described himself as the friend of the bridegroom (John 3:29) and hence one of the invited guests. All the Tribulation saints, glorified and still alive on earth and entering the millennial kingdom, will be guests.

So great was John’s astonishment at the angel’s message that he involuntarily and thoughtlessly fell at his feet to worship him (22:8)—a practice strictly prohibited in Scripture (Col. 2:18; Matt. 4:10). Calling him back to his senses with a sharp rebuke, the angel said, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God.” Like John, the angel was a servant of God, sent to minister to John and his brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus. Angels serve all believers (Heb. 1:14), particularly those who, like John, are involved in preaching the gospel (22:9). The angel reminds John that he is to worship God only. Worship is the theme of redemptive history, and the purpose for which believers were redeemed (John 4:23). It will also be their occupation throughout eternity.

The angel’s final word to John is a reminder that “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” The central theme of Old Testament prophecy and New Testament preaching is the Lord Jesus Christ. Until the coming of His kingdom, all who proclaim the gospel must be faithful to the testimony of Jesus, the saving gospel message, which was His message. Those who are not will forfeit heavenly affirmation of their ministry.

The glorious reality that God will judge the wicked and usher believers into His kingdom should cause all believers to rejoice. “For after all,” wrote Paul, “it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus” (2 Thess. 1:6-8). Because believers are defined as those who “have loved His appearing” (2 Tim. 4:8), they are to eagerly wait for His return from heaven (Phil. 3:20).

THINK ABOUT THIS: Just as a bride prepares for her wedding day, so Christians should prepare for Christ’s return. How can you be ready? First, you must be justified by Christ’s obedience. When God gives faith in Christ to a sinner, He joins that sinner to the Lord Jesus and imputes to him Christ’s perfect righteousness. Second, you must be sanctified by Christ’s Spirit. The same Spirit who gives a person faith also dwells in his heart, producing growing holiness. The person whom God justifies and sanctifies is dressed for the wedding. Are you ready?