Comentarios bíblicos

In this chapter we have, I. A further account of the triumphant song of angels and saints for the fall of Babylon, Re 19:1-4. II. The marriage between Christ and the church proclaimed and perfected, Re 19:5-10. III. Another warlike expedition of the glorious head and husband of the church, with the success of it, Re 19:10-21, etc.

Analysis Of The Chapter

This chapter Revelation 19, as well as the last Revelation 18, is an episode, delaying the final catastrophe, and describing more fully the effect of the destruction of the mystical Babylon. The chapter consists of the following parts:

I. A hymn of the heavenly hosts in view of the destruction of the mystical Babylon, Revelation 19:1-7;

(a) A voice is heard in heaven shouting Hallelujah, in view of the fact that God had judged the great harlot that had corrupted the earth, Revelation 19:1-2.

(b) The sound is echoed and repeated as the smoke of her torment ascends, Revelation 19:3.

(c) The four and twenty elders, and the four living creatures, as interested in all that pertains to the church, unite in that shout of Hallelujah, Revelation 19:4.

(d) A voice is heard from the throne commanding them to praise God, Revelation 19:5; and,

(e) the mighty shout of Hallelujah is echoed and repeated from unnumbered hosts, Revelation 19:6-7.

II. The marriage of the Lamb, Revelation 19:8-9. The Lamb of God is united to his bride - the church - never more to be separated; and after all the persecutions, conflicts, and embarrassments which had existed, this long-desired union is consummated, and the glorious triumph of the church is described under the image of a joyous wedding ceremony.

III. John is so overcome with this representation, that in his transports of feeling he prostrates himself before the angel who shows him all this, ready to worship one who discloses such bright and glorious scenes, Revelation 19:10. He is gently rebuked for allowing himself to be so overcome that he would render divine homage to any creature, and is told that he who communicates this to him is but a fellow-servant, and that God only is to be worshipped.

IV. The final conquest over the beast and the false prophet, and the subjugation of all the foes of the church, Revelation 19:11-21;

(a) A description of the conqueror - the Son of God, Revelation 19:11-16. He appears on a white horse - emblem of victory. He has on his head many crowns; wears a vesture dipped in blood; is followed by the armies of heaven on white horses; from his mouth goes a sharp sword; and his name is prominently written on his vesture and his thigh - all emblematic of certain victory.

(b) An angel is seen standing in the sun, calling on all the fowls of heaven to come to the great feast prepared for them in the destruction of the enemies of God - as if there were a great slaughter sufficient to supply all the fowls that feed on flesh, Revelation 19:17-18.

(c) The final war, Revelation 19:19, Revelation 19:21. The beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies are gathered together for battle; the beast and the false prophet are taken, and are cast into the lake that burns with fire and brimstone; and all that remain of the enemies of God are slain, and the fowls are satisfied with their flesh. The last obstacle that prevented the dawn of the millennial morning is taken away, and the church is triumphant.

The whole heavenly host give glory to God, because he has judged the great whore, and avenged the blood of his saints, Revelation 19:1-6. The marriage of the Lamb and his bride, Revelation 19:7-9. John offers to worship the angel, but is prevented, Revelation 19:10. Heaven is opened, and Jesus the Word of God appears on a white horse; he and his armies described, Revelation 19:11-16. An angel in the sun invites all the fowls of heaven to come to the supper of the great God, Revelation 19:17, Revelation 19:18. The beast, the false prophet, and the kings of the earth, gather together to make war with him who sits on the white horse; but they are all discomfited, and utterly destroyed, Revelation 19:19-21.

INTRODUCTION TO Revelation 19

This chapter contains the triumph of the saints over Babylon, and their thanksgiving to God because of his judgments on her; the marriage of Christ and his church, and a battle between him and his and her enemies, with the success of it. The congratulations are first of a promiscuous multitude in the church, ascribing salvation, praise, honour, glory, and power to God, because of the righteousness of his judgments, and because of the perpetuity of them, Revelation 19:1 and then of the four and twenty elders and four living creatures, who worship God, assent to what had been before said, and join in praising the Lord, Revelation 19:4 and then another voice out of the throne is heard, calling upon all the servants of the Lord, and those that fear him, whether small or great, to praise our God, Revelation 19:5 after which is heard the voice of a great multitude, stirring up one another to praise, because of the reign of the Lord God Almighty, and to rejoice and be glad because the time of the Lamb's marriage with his bride was come; who is described by her dress, the righteousness of the saints, comparable to fine linen, clean and white, Revelation 19:6 upon which an angel bids John write those persons happy who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb, and affirms these to be the true sayings of God; wherefore John, in a transport of joy, was just going to worship the angel, had he not been forbidden by him; from which he dissuades him, by observing that he was his fellow servant, that God only is the object of worship, and that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy, Revelation 19:9 next follows a vision of a battle between Christ and his enemies; and first he the General is described, by the horse he sat upon, a white one; by the characters he bears, faithful and true; by what he did, judging and making war in righteousness; by his eyes, which were as a flame of fire; by his having many crowns on his head; by having a name, or names unknown, and particularly one, which is the Word of God; by his habit, a vesture dipped in blood; by the armies he was at the head of, riding on white horses, and clothed in fine linen; by a sharp sword coming out of his mouth, with which he should utterly destroy the nations; and by having a name on his vesture and thigh, King of kings, and Lord of lords, Revelation 19:11 upon which an angel is seen standing in the sun, and calling to all the fowls of the heaven to come to the supper of the great God, and to eat the flesh of kings, captains, mighty men, horses and horsemen, of all ranks, and degrees, Revelation 19:17 and next an account is given of the armies of the beast, and of the kings of the earth, that came to make war with the above warrior, Revelation 19:19 the issue and success of which follow; the beast and false prophet are taken, and cast alive into a lake of fire and brimstone; and the rest are killed by the sword of the above General, and the fowls have a feast of their flesh, Revelation 19:20.

CHAPTER 19

Revelation 19:1. ὡς φωνὴν μεγάλην ὄχλου πολλοῦ. So already Beng., Griesb., according to decisive witnesses. So also λεγόντων (Elz.: λέγοντος). The reading τοῦ θεοῦ ἠμῶν (Elz.: κυρίῳ τῷ θεῷ ἡμ.) is also indisputable (Griesb., Lach., Tisch.).

Revelation 19:5. τῷ θεῷ. So A, B, C, א, Beng., Lach., Tisch. [W. and H.]. The accus. (Rec.) is a modification.

Revelation 19:6. The Rec. λεγόντων (Lach., Tisch. IX.) [bracketed by W. and H.] has, indeed A and other witnesses in its favor, but is subject to suspicion as a modification (א: λεγούσων). More probable is the reading λέγοντας (2, 12, 16, al., Beng.); but what commends itself to most, just because of its incorrectness, is the nom. λέγοντες (B, 4, 7, 8, Tich., Tisch.); cf. the δώσωμεν in 11 (Wetst.).

Revelation 19:9. The art. οἱ before ἀληθινοὶ (A, Beng., Lach., Tisch.) is probable; certainly the εἰσιν belongs to the close. א1 has οὖτ. οἱ λόγ. μον ἀληθ. εἰσ. τ. θ., but corr. λόγ. τ. θ. ἀλ. εἰς; so Tisch. IX.

Revelation 19:12. The ὡς before φλοξ (Elz., Lach.) is indorsed by A, al., Vulg., but may have been interpolated as a modification; cf. Revelation 1:14. It is wanting in B, א, al. (Beng., Tisch. [W. and H.]).

The addition between ἕχων and ὅνομα of ὀνόματα γεγραμμένα καὶ, adopted by Tisch. 1859, and not by IX., has too little authorization from B, min., Syr. (against A, min., Vulg., Orig., al.). The plural alone also occurs (א corr.; cf. also Wetst.). Why it has sometimes been regarded more suitable, is to be seen in Andr., who presupposes the sing, (τὸ ἄγνωστον τοῦ ὀνόματος), and remarks: Christ has many names if the subject be with respect to his various revelations; but, as to his nature, he is ineffable (ταῖς γὰρ οἰκονομῖαις ὢν πολυώνυμος, ὡς ἀγαθὸς, ὡς ποιμὴν, ὡς ἤλιος, κ.τ.λ.; τῇ ουσίᾳ ἐστὶν ἀνώνυμος καὶ ἀνέφικτος. [For being in his administrations many-named, as Good, Shepherd, Sun, etc., but in essence without name and beyond reach]).

Revelation 19:13. Instead of καλεῖται (Elz., Beng.), read κέκληται (A, B, א, al., Lach., Tisch. [W. and H.]).

Revelation 19:19. Before πόλεμον, the art. τὸν is to be inserted in the Rec. (A, B, א, Lach., Tisch. [W. and H.]).

The judgment over the great harlot, i.e., the great city, is now actually fulfilled.[4021] But just as the casting of the arch-enemy from heaven, the first proof of the Divine victory over antichrist, was celebrated with a loud song of praise,[4022] so now also heavenly hallelujahs resound, since the first act of the final judgment over the antichristian powers in the service of Satan has been accomplished (Revelation 19:1-8). A direct reference to the blessed fulfilment of the mystery of God,[4023] the glory prepared for believers, is immediately connected with this (Revelation 19:9 sq., cf. Revelation 19:7); for the pre-requisite for the entrance of that glory, the conquest of the antichristian enemies, is comprised already in the fulfilment.

The development of a catastrophe so long prepared, once begun, now, however, proceeds quickly to a still greater extent: the Lord himself, a just Judge and almighty Victor, goes forth with his heavenly hosts to the annihilation of the entire antichristian empire, besides all kings and nations belonging thereto; the beast from the sea, and the false prophet, are cast alive into the lake of fire, and the inhabitants of the earth are slain with the sword which proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord, and serve as food for fowls.

[4021] Cf. the preliminary remarks on ch.18

[4022] Revelation 12:10.

[4023] Cf. Revelation 10:7.

Re 19:1-21.

THE CHURCH'S THANKSGIVING IN HEAVEN FOR THE JUDGMENT ON THE HARLOT. THE MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB: THE SUPPER: THE BRIDE'S PREPARATION: JOHN IS FORBIDDEN TO WORSHIP THE ANGEL: THE LORD AND HIS HOSTS COME FORTH FOR WAR: THE BEAST AND THE FALSE PROPHET CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE: THE KINGS AND THEIR FOLLOWERS SLAIN BY THE SWORD OUT OF CHRIST'S MOUTH.

1. As in the case of the opening of the prophecy,

Re 4:8; 5:9,

&c.; so now, at one of the great closing events seen in vision, the judgment on the harlot (described in

Re 18:1-24),

there is a song of praise in heaven to God: compare

Re 7:10,

&c., toward the close of the seals, and

Re 11:15-18,

at the close of the trumpets:

Re 15:3,

at the saints' victory over the beast.

And--so ANDREAS. But A, B, C, Vulgate, Syriac, and Coptic omit.

a great voice--A, B, C, Vulgate, Coptic, and ANDREAS read, "as it were a great voice." What a contrast to the lamentations

Re 18:1-24!

Compare

Jer 51:48.

The great manifestation of God's power in destroying Babylon calls forth a great voice of praise in heaven.

people--Greek, "multitude."

Alleluia--Hebrew, "Praise ye JAH," or JEHOVAH: here first used in Revelation, whence ELLICOTT infers the Jews bear a prominent part in this thanksgiving. JAH is not a contraction of "JEHOVAH," as it sometimes occurs jointly with the latter. It means "He who Is": whereas Jehovah is "He who will be, is, and was." It implies God experienced as a PRESENT help; so that "Hallelujah," says KIMCHI in BENGEL, is found first in the Psalms on the destruction of the ungodly. "Hallelu-Jah" occurs four times in this passage. Compare

Ps 149:4-9,

which is plainly parallel, and indeed identical in many of the phrases, as well as the general idea. Israel, especially, will join in the Hallelujah, when "her warfare is accomplished" and her foe destroyed.

Salvation, &c.--Greek, "The salvation . . . the glory . . . the power."

and honour--so Coptic. But A, B, C, and Syriac omit.

unto the Lord our God--so ANDREAS. But A, B, C, and Coptic read, "(Is) of our God," that is, belongs to Him.

And after these things - The things particularly that were exhibited in the previous chapter. See the notes on Revelation 18:1.

I heard a great voice of much people in heaven - The voice of the worshippers before the throne.

Saying, Alleluia - The Greek method of writing "Hallelujah." This word - ἀλληλούΐα allēlouia - occurs in the New Testament only in this chapter, Revelation 19:1, Revelation 19:3-4, Revelation 19:6. The Hebrew phrase - הללוּ יה haleluw Yah "Hallelujah" - occurs often in the Old Testament. It means, properly, "Praise Yahweh," or "Praise the Lord." The occasion on which it is introduced here is very appropriate. It is uttered by the inhabitants of heaven, in the immediate presence of God himself, and in view of the final overthrow of the enemies of the church, and the triumph of the gospel. In such circumstances it was fit that heaven should render praise, and that a song of thanksgiving should be uttered in which all holy beings could unite.

Salvation - That is, the salvation is to be ascribed to God. See the notes on Revelation 7:10.

And glory, and honour - notes on Revelation 5:12.

And power - notes on Revelation 5:13.

Unto the Lord our God - That is, all that there is of honor, glory, power, in the redemption of the world belongs to God, and should be ascribed to him. This is expressive of the true feelings of piety always; this will constitute the song of heaven.