Four beasts: The four beasts are the cherubim as described (in Rev. He has saved us! 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." H. B. Swete says that this comprehensive phrase embraces "Christians of all intellectual capacities and social grades, and of all stages of progress in the life of Christ." There is the basis for my righteousness. And they also lasted much longer. Present tense. 14 We must therefore look a little into the two objects Babylon and the beast. Revelation 19:7 "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the believers lives, i.e., the outward manifestation of inward virtue. And the city lieth foursquare, and its length is as much as the breadth." That is why Christianity is successful. ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? Judgment is the inescapable consequence of sin. I agree one hundred percent. This is the last main section of the Book of Revelation. wedding garment ready for the wedding. all the faithful believers saved by grace through faith up to the birth of the "Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, because his judgments are true and just, for he judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and has avenged upon her the blood of his servants.". At the same time the attempt to apply Babylon to ancient Rome is almost as unhappy; and for a plain reason. Revelation 18. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come: and let him that heareth say, Come: and let him that is athirst come: let him that will take the water of life freely." - Utley, Isaiah 63:1-3; (Source of imagery for the Battle Hymn of the Republic.). derives from a Hebrew word meaning "to be firm," and may be translated "truly" And her smoke rose up for ever Jeremiah hears God say and appeal: "Return, O faithless children, for I am your master" ( Jeremiah 3:14). It is thus that God is wont to deal as a rule in His judgments, not necessarily on the one that first introduces an evil, but on those that inherit the guilt, and perhaps aggravate it, instead of taking warning by it. is a myth. Again the righteousness of His judgment attested to. First, he is remembering Psalms 97:1: "The Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice." In the Testament of Dan ( Daniel 6:2) the angel who intercedes for men is mentioned. great affection and vehemence of spirit, which will be raised hereby. Worship is for God alone. That is why religions fail. In the description of the total destruction of Babylon, come the words: "Rejoice over her, O heaven, O saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!" 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 ( Revelation 19:10 ): Now, John like so many people, we want to worship the instrument that God uses to bring His knowledge or love or grace to us. Verse 1. All the energy to mislead men in the presence of the first beast was long in his hands, and now nothing more is spoken of. There is no doubt that Rome in some form is the woman described in the chapter: the seven heads or hills clearly point to that city, which of all cities might best and indeed alone be known as ruling over the kings of the earth. I admit that afterwards no doubt the new heaven and the new earth are seen; but who contends that this is the sphere to which the Lord comes? You can believe this. 5:10). We do not mend matters by hasty conclusions, we only complicate the truth. In his mind are two things. linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.". Isaiah says of the heavenly king: "He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked" ( Isaiah 11:4). For a short time (what a mercy that it must be only for a short time!) There is only one other place in the New Testament where these two verbs (chairein, G5463, and agallian, G21) come together--in Jesus Christ's promise to the persecuted: "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven" ( Matthew 5:12). Lord. and righteousness to the world. I speak not of anything that might be deemed exceptional or peculiar, but of two acts of raising saints. The ceremony (the exchanging of vows). His secret name indicates his unique authority (11-12). There are thrones filled with certain persons, who reign along with Him. 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. And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great ( Revelation 19:5 ). And the marriage is the eternal In Wisdom there is a description of the plagues in Egypt, and in particular of the slaying of the first-born sons of the Egyptians: "Thine Almighty Word leaped down from heaven out of thy royal throne, as a fierce man of war, into the midst of a land of destruction, and brought thine unfeigned commandment as a sharp sword, and standing up filled all things with death; and it touched the heaven, but it stood upon the earth" ( Wis_18:15-16 ). Hence He must have come back previously to both. 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. What is the "righteousness of the saints" that they are clothed with? And God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more, nor sorrow, nor crying nor shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Then the word is, "Award her even as she awarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she mixed, mix to her double. I will tell thee the mystery of the woman." For her sin., have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities." Then comes not the destruction only of these rebels by divine judgment, but the dissolution of heaven and earth. But there never was the thought of giving Christ the only place He could take. It is hard to see how Roman city, or anything civil connected with it, could be called "mystery." We. The thought of the relationship between God and his people as a marriage goes far back into the Old Testament. "True and righteous are thy judgments, O Lord.". 13:9; Rom. Bringing in history here embroiled the subject; and those who appeal most to its evidence are the very men who seem in this to ignore its facts. Let others speculate, if they will: I am persuaded that he who essays to conceive the details is merely striving to draw a bow beyond the power of man. A Verse by Verse Study of the Book of Revelation - Glenn Earle Cummings 2007-02 The Gospels, Acts, Epistles and Book of Revelation: Commonly Called the New Testament. Christ will strike down His enemies with a word that His long, tongue-shaped sword (Gr. We know that the change of all those caught up takes place in the twinkling of an eye. (iii) There is joy. "Crowns and thrones may perish Kingdoms rise and wane But the Church of Jesus Constant will remain. judgment seat of Christ (compare 1 Cor. THE DOOM OF THE ENEMIES OF CHRIST ( Revelation 19:17-21 ), 19:17-21 And I saw one angel standing in the sun, and he cried with a great voice to all the birds who fly in midheaven. They were judged every man according to their works. The judgment on Rome is the guarantee that God never in the end abandons his own. They received their power as kings when the beast ceased to exist. (ii) A Greek came into the Church from a world of thought which made angel worship a real danger. The common notion, therefore, that the coming of the Lord is at this point is an evident fallacy upon the face of this scripture that describes it, not to speak of others elsewhere. Revelation 19:1. But in this is shown what it is of importance to see the true nature of the kingdom or millennial reign. ", And the twenty-four elders, and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped the God who is seated upon the throne. It does not mean persons merely, but the souls of beheaded persons. If ancient times failed fully to meet the requirements of the chapter, it is evident that the middle ages are passed without its fulfilment as a whole. Matches the description of Christ in Revelation 1:16 . pl.") What is there to hinder it? And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb." He is crowned as conqueror. Here is faith and confidence; and the whole point of this passage is that that faith and confidence are vindicated. *It now appears that the Cod. Revelation chapter 19 and 20 Paul, the apostle said as he was recounting to the Philippians his past credits as a Jew, "Hebrew of the Hebrews, circumcised the seventh day, the tribe of Benjamin, a Pharisee, concerning zeal persecuting the church", but he said, "Those things that were gain to me", those credits that I had, those brownie points, "I counted loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, for whom I suffer the loss of all things and count them but refuse that I may know Him and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness which was of the Law", circumcised seventh, eighth day and so forth, not having that righteousness which was of the law, "but now having the righteousness which was of Christ through faith" ( Philippians 3:5-9 ). These events are in chronological sequence, as will become clear. As any dream or vision has to be interpreted, so does Revelation. And he treadeth the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God - This language is probably derived from Isaiah 63:1-4. In short, no testimony can avail, no work, power, or glory without the word of God applied by the Spirit of God. All this description closes in verse 5. And to her [that is the bride of Christ, the church] was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints ( Revelation 19:8 ). Nothing has yet been said of the fate of Satan, but now we go on to see that fate. This is the It is well to remember that the whole background of this picture lies in Jewish expectations of the future and has little to do with the Christ of the Gospels who was meek and lowly in heart. Second, there are the small and the great. "Upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of the harlots and of the abominations of the earth.". Link with Johns vision of Revelation 19:11-16 a meditation on the Hymn "Crown Him with many crowns" and also the stirring Hymn "Onward Christian soldiers." 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and, behold, a white horse, and he who is mounted on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. Then follows a description of the wall, gates, foundations, and general position. Then you may be very good all week long, and you put your little star behind each of the categories each evening. II. Verse 2. faith during the Tribulation (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Zech. He spoke it into existence. Hitherto the reverse of this has been true in history. The betrothal takes place on earth during the church age; (2) 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. Polyglot, and all editions of the least critical value. And I fell at His feet to worship him. He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God Norris' Commentary on the Book of Revelation. reign with Christ in the millennial kingdom. The church is heavenly; and in heaven there are no times nor seasons. The person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Redeemer, is in the centre of these future events.