Verse By Verse Through Revelation

Chapter Nineteen


Revelation 19:1-2 “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.”

  • Chapter eighteen also started with: “And after these things…” (Revelation 18:1).
  • Consider the Scriptures have one author (II Peter 1:20-21), you can look at a pattern here. It is not just the book of Revelation that has this phrase. Other contexts have this phrase as a continuation of an account (Genesis 15:1, Genesis 22:1, Genesis 22:20, Genesis 39:7, Genesis 40:1, Genesis 48:1, Joshua 24:29, I Kings 17:17, I Kings 21:1, II Chronicles 32:1, Ezra 7:1, Esther 2:1, Esther 3:1, Luke 5:27, Luke 10:1, John 3:22, etc.).
  • The great city had been thrown down (Revelation 18:21) and all the rejoicing, labor, profit, etc. within had ceased (Revelation 18:22-24).
  • There is now rejoicing in Heaven as was said to do in the previous chapter (Revelation 18:20).
  • God’s judgments are true and righteous (Psalms 19:9, Psalms 119:160, and Revelation 16:7).
  • This praise [glory, honor, power] is similar to what we had seen in previous chapters (Revelation 4:10-11 and Revelation 7:10-12).
  • Their praise is in that God had judged the great whore (Revelation 17:1-5), in part, for vengeance on behalf of the blood of the saints (cf. Psalms 149:1-9).

Revelation 19:3 “And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.”

  • And again… Alleluia [ἀλληλούΐα; “praise ye the Lord” (Strong’s # 239)] is stated four times in this letter. All four times are in this chapter. The other three are: Revelation 19:1, Revelation 19:4, and Revelation 19:6.
  • Praise be to God continually (Hebrews 13:12-15).
  • The smoke going up for ever and ever could be hyperbole signifying the burning of the city (i.e. Genesis 19:28).
  • The smoke going up for ever and ever could also be in reference to eternal judgment to come (Matthew 25:41) as was said of Sodom and Gomorrha (Jude 1:7).

Revelation 19:4 “And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.”

  • The twenty-four elders and four beasts (Revelation 5:1-14 and Revelation 14:1-3).

Revelation 19:5 “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.”

  • A voice from the throne (Revelation 16:17).
  • This voice could be from several sources (Revelation 5:11).
  • God is worthy of praise from small and great. In other words, all (Psalms 47:7, Psalms 67:3, Psalms 117:1, and Romans 15:11).
  • Those that fear Him (Psalms 22:23 and Psalms 112:1).

Revelation 19:6 “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.”

  • The voice of a great multitude is essentially the same as saying of much people (Revelation 19:1; Strong’s # 3793).
  • The voice of many waters and thundering is imagery already present in this letter (Revelation 14:2).
  • Again, “Alleluia” (Revelation 19:1 and Revelation 19:3-4).
  • God is omnipotent, meaning “Almighty” [Strong’s # 3841]. The Greek word is translated “Almighty" in all the other verses the word appears: II Corinthians 6:18, Revelation 1:8, Revelation 4:8, Revelation 11:17, Revelation 15:3, Revelation 16:7, Revelation 16:14, Revelation 19:15, and Revelation 21:22).
  • Regardless of whether or not man wants to accept the reality, the Almighty God reigns (Psalms 10:16, Psalms 146:10, and I Timothy 6:14-15 [cf. I Corinthians 15:20-28).
  • That does not mean anyone is forced into accepting that fact (I Samuel 8:7 and I Samuel 10:19; cf. Joshua 24:14-15).

Revelation 19:7-9 “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.”

  • The “Him” is the Lord God (Revelation 19:6).
  • The marriage of the Lamb (Revelation 21:1-10).
  • The bride of Christ is the church (Romans 7:4, II Corinthians 11:1-2 and Ephesians 5:22-32).
  • The church had made herself ready. The saints were told the Lord was coming quickly in this judgment period (Revelation 3:11).
  • Think of those saints that are not ready (Matthew 25:1-13).
  • The fine linen is the righteousness of the saints (Revelation 3:4-5 and Revelation 7:13-14).
  • Called to the marriage supper (Revelation 3:18-22).
  • There are other contexts about marriage suppers which do not directly apply to this particular context (i.e. Matthew 22:1-14).
  • The true sayings of God (Revelation 22:6-7; cf. John 17:17).

Revelation 19:10 “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.”

  • God is to be worshipped (Matthew 4:10, John 4:20-24, Acts 10:25-26, Acts 12:21-23, and Revelation 22:8-9).
  • Angels are not deity (Psalms 103:20-21, Psalms 104:4, and Hebrews 1:14).
  • The Spirit of prophecy (I Peter 1:10-11 and II Peter 1:19-21).

Revelation 19:11 “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.”

  • Heaven opened (Ezekiel 1:1, Acts 7:54-56, Revelation 4:1, and Revelation 11:19).
  • The white horse (Revelation 6:2).
  • The context (Revelation 19:12-16) makes it abundantly clear that this is Jesus.
  • Jesus is Faithful (Revelation 1:5) and True (I John 5:20).
  • Jesus is righteous (I John 2:28-29).
  • Think about the righteous judgment of Christ (John 5:30).
  • We have read contextually about the true and righteous judgments of God (Revelation 19:2).

Revelation 19:12 “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.”

  • No doubt, this is Jesus (Revelation 1:10-18 and Revelation 2:18).
  • With Satan figuratively having seven crowns (Revelation 12:3), Jesus of course has many (Ephesians 1:19-23 and I Peter 3:18-22).
  • The unknown name is language we have seen already (Revelation 2:17 and Revelation 3:12).

Revelation 19:13 “And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.”

  • In the context of the Lord in battle, His clothing was dipped in blood (Isaiah 9:1-7; cf. Revelation 14:19-20). See: Revelation 19:15
  • Jesus is the Word of God (John 1:1-14 and I John 5:7).

Revelation 19:14 “And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.”

  • We had the Lord with His saints previously (Revelation 17:14).
  • This vision is not the saints on earth. This is the armies which were in Heaven (Psalms 68:17).
  • Clothed in white (Matthew 28:1-6).

Revelation 19:15 “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.”

  • As referenced in the notes on Revelation 19:12, this is clearly Jesus (Revelation 1:10-18; Notice vs. 16).
  • The sword being the word (Revelation 2:12 and Revelation 2:16, cf. Ephesians 6:17, and Hebrews 4:12).
  • The imagery of verse 13 comes clear here. The winepress of the wrath of God (Revelation 14:17-20).

Revelation 19:16 “And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

  • Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 17:14; cf. I Timothy 6:14-15).

Revelation 19:17-18 “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.”

  • John has seen an angel pour out his vial upon the sun (Revelation 16:8).
  • Now he sees one standing in the sun loudly telling the birds to gather to eat. The death brought about by the Lord has set a feast of human flesh and their horses to be eaten by the birds (cf. I Samuel 17:44-46).
  • God had long ago warned Israel that this would come to them if they were disobedient (Deuteronomy 28:15-26 and Jeremiah 7:30-33).
  • This would come on the great and the small. It would not matter if one were considered great or small (II Chronicles 19:7).

Revelation 19:19 “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.”

  • Again, as we have seen before, the battle scene (Revelation 16:16).
  • As we already know however, it is a losing effort (Revelation 17:12-14).

Revelation 19:20 “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.”

  • Remember, there are two beasts empowered by Satan (Revelation 13:1-15). The first was the emperor and the second was the false prophet.
  • The second beast, the false prophet, caused all to receive the mark of the beast (Revelation 13:16-18).
  • All of the above are cast ALIVE into a lake burning with brimstone in what John is seeing in this vision. Later, we will see this language in relation to the lake of fire as in the second death (Revelation 21:8).
  • This does not necessarily point to eternal condemnation (Deuteronomy 29:23, Psalms 11:4-6, Isaiah 34:1-9, Jeremiah 25:15-17, and Ezekiel 38:22).
  • The next verse and chapter suggests this is still earthly judgment. Remember, this language does not have to be end of the world language (Daniel 7:1-12).

Revelation 19:21 “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.”

  • The fact that there are still those that remain suggests, as well as what we will read in chapter twenty, that this is not the final Judgment (Revelation 20:1-15).
  • The final Day of Judgment is one in which the earth ceases to exist (II Peter 3:9-14). Thus, there is not a remnant on earth to die by the sword.

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22


Return To Homepage

Return To Brian's Bible Notes Page