THE SUPPER IN HEAVEN & THE SUPPER ON EARTH (2)

The Supper in Heaven and the Supper on Earth Ch. 19

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Introduction

Chronology: "After these things."  vs. 1

"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:"

 

This undoubtedly refers to the things of Chapters 17 and 18. While the destruction of Chapter 17 occurs approxi­mately in the midst of the seven-year period, apparently the demolition of the city of Babylon occurs at some time before the close of the seven-year period. This seems evident in view of the fact that Antichrist is not men­tioned with the defeat of his city (Ch. 18). cf. also Dan. 11:44, tidings out of the East and North.

"But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many."

Moreover, the inhabitants of the earth mourn the loss of the great city of Babylon (Ch. 18). Then again, Antichrist is not defeated until he besieges the city of Jerusalem (Zech. 14:1ff; Rev. 19:11-21). The story in Ch. 19 picks up, now that Babylon is destroyed, but chrono­logically takes place somewhere during the last half of the tribulation period.

The unveiling (Revelation) of Jesus Christ now presents Him coming into His Kingdom on the earth. In this chapter, and the first three verses of the next, we have the account of the inauguration of the reign of a thousand years. In this inauguration there are four distinct and august movements. The first is that of the heavenly rejoicing. The second is that of the marriage of the Lamb to His espoused bride, the Church. The third is that of the actual manifestation of Jesus to the world. The last is that of the binding of Satan. The words we now consider constitute the key-note to everything. They are the words of a song, the expression of adoring gladness. There are three movements in the praise. First, it is the sons of a great multitude. Then that of the elders and the living ones, in a great Amen. Finally, in response to a voice proceeding from the Throne, a mighty chorus breaks forth, which is as "the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunders." It is the music which celebrates the fall of the false, and the triumph of the true. Let us carefully observe that this music is heard "after these things." This is the vindication of all the terror of the things of wrath. That awful wrath has been working ever towards this song. The only way to the full realization of salvation is that of compelling the mystery of lawlessness to express itself to the fullest extent, in order that so it may be completely overcome.

The Content of This Chapter

• The Lamb of God and the bride. 19:1-10
• The Lord of Lords and the nations. 19:11-21

"Alleluia" The great cry, “Alleluia,” sounds out four times from the great assembly in heaven (Revelation 19:1, 3, 4, 6), and these are the only occurrences of the word in the New Testament. Meaning, “Praise the Lord!” it is the same as “Hallelujah,” and occurs in the Hebrew in the first and last verses of each of the last five psalms of the book of Psalms. These final “Hallelujah Psalms” thus may well represent the praise songs of all the redeemed as they gather in preparation for the great marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9).

"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 "wife" of the Lamb in Rev. 19:1-9 The symbolical language here will not be strange to readers of the New Testament. The Apostle Paul has described the Church of the present age as the future wife of Christ. Thus he writes to the Church: "I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ" (2 Cor. 11:2). The same spiritual relationship and also the same future day of presentation is spoken of in Eph. 5:25-27, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it . . . . That he might present it to himself a glorious church . . . . that it should be holy and without blemish." To the Apostle John finally it was given in prophetic vision to behold the blessed consummation of this conjugal relationship between the Church and her Lord. He hears the voice of a great multitude saying, "The marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready" (Rev. 19:7). Another voice adds, "Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb" (Rev. 19:9). Nothing could be more certain than that John and Paul are speaking of the same body of the saved and of the same eschatological event. But the point of immediate interest is that the entire scene of the marriage and its glorious supper is set by John "in heaven" (Rev. 19:1), not upon the earth. In the order of events, therefore, John puts the Church in heaven before the glorious coming of Christ (Rev. 19:11-16), and before the final and most terrible of the entire series of judgments preparatory to His establishment of the Kingdom on earth (Rev. 19:17-20).