Hallelujah!

Revelation 19:1-21

After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting:

"Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are His judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of His servants."

And again they shouted:

"Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever." The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried: "Amen, Hallelujah!"

Then a Voice came from the throne, saying:

"Praise our God, all you His servants, you who fear Him, both small and great!"

Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

"Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)

Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!'" And he added, "These are the true words of God."

At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose Rider is called Faithful and True. With justice He judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on His head are many crowns. He has a name written on Him that no one knows but He Himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following Him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.

On His robe and on His thigh He has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, "Come, gather together for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great."

Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the Rider on the horse and His army. But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

Revelation 19 deals with the end of the tribulation and tells us about Christ’s triumphant Second Coming to earth to destroy the ungodly and begin the reign with His people. The word “Hallelujah!” is derived from two Hebrew words: halal, meaning “praise,” and jah, meaning “Yahweh” or “Lord”; thus, it means “Praise the Lord!” The people in heaven praise the Lord because God has judged the world and avenged those who suffered at its hand, and because finally Jesus Christ is returning to reign on earth!

19:7, “Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready.” The church is referred to as the bride – and we are already in heaven when this event takes place. Quite often when people talk about the “Second Coming,” they are talking about the rapture (calling away) of the church. This, however, is a true “coming.”

In verse 10 John falls at the feet of the angel to worship him. However the angel says, “Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus….”

John does this again in 22:8, and again is told not to do it. A few years back, many people got caught up in being overjoyed because of angels. But angels consider themselves fellow servants… and we know what happened to Satan when he sought to be worshipped. God exiled him from heaven! These angels know better than to try to steal God’s glory. He does not like it!

19:13, 14, “He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following Him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.”

We, the saints, are the armies of heaven. We come riding on white horses, dressed in fine white and clean linen! These do not sound like battle clothes… because they aren’t! Verse 15 says that He takes care of everything Himself!

“Out of His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter.’ He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.”

19:15 tells us that Christ will rule with an iron scepter… He then shows the world what the wrath of God is really like. Verses 17 and 18 are rather gruesome, for the birds of the air eat the bodies of kings, generals… all flesh that does not know God.

The beast tries to make war with Christ. The beast and the false prophet are then thrown into the lake of fire. Their followers all die. Next week we look at the 1,000-year reign of Christ.

Matthew Henry writes, “Praising God for what we have, is like praying for what else God will do for us.” When we look at all that has happened the past few chapters in Revelation, the only possible response is “Hallelujah!”

Experience has taught many of us that God loves to be praised a lot more than He likes our incessant requests. In fact, the Bible teaches us that “Godliness with contentment is great gain!”

Both saints and angels praise God in this chapter. Christ is the Bridegroom of His ransomed church! This second union will be completed in heaven; but the beginning of the glorious millennium (by which is meant a reign of Christ, or a state of happiness, for a thousand years on earth) may be considered as the celebration of His espousals on earth. Then the church of Christ, being purified from errors, divisions, and corruptions, in doctrine, discipline, worship, and practice, will be made ready to be publicly owned by Him as His delight and His beloved….

Hebrews 10:23-31

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified Him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, "It is Mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge His people." It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

When Handel wrote the "Hallelujah Chorus," his health and his fortunes had reached the lowest possible ebb. His right side had become paralyzed, and all his money was gone. He was heavily in debt and threatened with imprisonment. He was tempted to give up the fight. The odds seemed entirely too great. And it was then he composed his greatest work--Messiah. Could we not say of Handel that the Spirit entered into him and set him upon his feet?

On the first Sunday of the month we celebrate Holy Communion – we remember the that the body of Christ was broken for us and His blood shed for us so that we might be healed and redeemed from sin. To do this properly we must first examine our lives and be sure that there is no known sin. Ask God to bring to mind any sins or failures that haven’t been dealt with. Ask the Lord to forgive you and cleanse you.

Also, ask God if you have any unforgiveness towards another person. Ask for forgiveness and guidance on how to mend the relationship. Then you will be free to receive the Bread and the Cup with joy.

If you have not received Jesus as your Savior, may I urge you to do so now!

In Christ’s name and for His glory. Amen