Revelation 19 20. Great Christian Library. Mandatory elements of apocalypses
For His judgments are true and righteous! because He condemned that great fornicator who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and exacted the blood of His servants from his hand
In the description of the complete and final destruction of Babylon, the following words are found: “Rejoice in this, O heaven and the holy Apostles and prophets, for God has judged it.” (18,20). And here it is, the joy that was called for.
It begins with the cry of a large people in the sky. We have already met twice with numerous hosts in heaven: martyrs, in 7.9 and angels in 5,11. Here, most likely, a host of angels praises God.
This cry of joy begins with screams "Hallelujah!" Hallelujah - a typical word in religious vocabulary, but it appears in Scripture only four times in this chapter. Like Hosanna, it is one of the few Hebrew words that survives in the common religious vocabulary. It is possible that it is well known even to the simplest members of the Church, because it is used in praise in the Easter service.
Literally Hallelujah Means praise God. It comes from halal, what does it mean praise And Yah(ve) - name of God. Although hallelujah appears only here in the Bible, it appears frequently in translation. This is the first sentence in Ps. 105, ON, 111, 112,116, 134, 145, 146, 147, 148, and 150. Ps. 112-117 called Hallel, Praise be to God; they were an important element in the education of every Jewish boy. When occurs in the Old Testament Hallelujah it translates as praise God; the original transliterated form is retained here.
They praise God because He has salvation, glory, honor and power. These great attributes of God should awaken an echo in the human heart. Salvation should awaken him gratitude; glory God must be awakened in him awe; strength God's love always manifests itself in God's love and should evoke a feeling trust. Gratitude, reverence, and trust are the ingredients of true praise.
God is praised because He carried out His just and true judgment under the great harlot. Judgment is the inevitable consequence of sin. One commentary says on this matter: “The moral law cannot be violated any more than the law of gravity; it can only be illustrated.” It says here that God's judgment truths And righteous. Only God is perfect in his judgment for three reasons; only He can see the inner thoughts and desires of a person; He alone possesses that purity which gives the ability to judge without prejudice; only He has the wisdom to find the right solution and the strength to implement it.
The Great Harlot is condemned because she corrupted the world. The worst of all sins is teaching others to sin.
There are no other reasons for joy. The judgment of Rome confirms that God never abandons His people.
Revelation 19:3-5 A Hymn of Praise for Nature and the Church
And they said a second time: Hallelujah! And its smoke rose forever and ever.
Then the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying: Amen! Hallelujah!
The angelic host sings another song of praise (hallelujah). This is a praise to God that the smoke of Babylon will rise forever and ever, that is, Babylon will never rise from the ruins. This picture goes back to the prophet Isaiah: “And the rivers thereof (Edom) shall be turned into pitch, and its dust into brimstone, and its land shall be burning pitch: it shall not be quenched day or night; its smoke will rise forever, it will remain desolate from generation to generation; forever and ever no one will pass over it.” (Isa. 34:9.10).
This is followed by the praise of the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures. The twenty-four elders are well known to us from previous visions (4,4.10; 5,6.11.-14; 7,11; 11,16; 14,3), as well as four animals (4,6-9; 5,6-14; 6,1-7; 7,11; 14,3; 15,7). We have seen that the twenty-four elders symbolize the twelve patriarchs and twelve apostles, and thus symbolize the entire Church. Four animals, similar respectively to a lion, a calf, a man and an eagle, symbolize, on the one hand, all that is most courageous, strong, wise and swift in nature, and on the other hand - the cherubs. And therefore the song of praise of the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures is a hymn of praise that is sung by the entire Christian Church and all of nature. The voice coming from the throne most likely should be understood as the voice of one of the cherubim. “Praise ye our God, all ye His servants and ye that fear Him,” says the voice. And again John found a prototype for his thoughts in the Old Testament, because this is a quote from Ps. 134.1.
Two groups of people are called to praise God; Firstly, slaves His. In Revelation slaves are called primarily prophets (10.7; 11.18; 22.6) And martyrs (7.3; 19.2). This means, first of all, the praise of the prophets and martyrs who testified to God with their voices and their lives. Secondly, this small and great. Sweet says this all-encompassing phrase embraces “Christians of all intellectual abilities and social levels, at every stage of the Christian life.” This is a comprehensive call to praise God for His great works.
Revelation 19:6-8 Song of Praise of the Redeemed
Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory; For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.
And it was given to her to be clothed in fine linen, clean and bright; The fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.
The last to rise is the cry and praise of the host of the redeemed. John makes every effort to make as many comparisons as possible when describing the sound of the voice. It is like, as Sweet put it, “the noise of a great mass of people, the roar of a waterfall, the clap of thunder.”
Again, John draws inspiration from the words of Scripture. First of all, he remembers Ps. 96.1:“The Lord reigns: let the earth rejoice.” Secondly, he says, “let us rejoice and be glad.” These two verbs (hairein And agallian) stand side by side in the New Testament only in one other place - in the promise of Jesus Christ to the persecuted: "Rejoice and be merry, for great is your reward in heaven." (Matthew 5:12). The vast mass of the redeemed raises their cry of praise, as if because Christ's promise to the persecuted was fully fulfilled.
Next comes the marriage of the Lamb to His bride. This symbolizes the final union of Jesus Christ with His Church. R. G. Charles said that the symbolism of marriage "signifies the intimate and indestructible unity of Christ with the Church which He redeemed with His blood", a unity which "first reached its fullness in the host of martyrs."
The idea of identifying the relationship between God and His people goes back to the Old Testament. The prophets repeatedly presented Israel as the chosen bride of God. “I will betroth you to Me forever, and I will betroth you to Me in righteousness,” said the prophet Hosea. (Hos. 2:19.20).“Your Creator is your husband; The Lord of hosts is His name,” says Isaiah (Isa. 54:5). The prophet Jeremiah hears God speaking and calling: “Return, you apostate children... for I have joined myself with you.” (Jer. 3:14). A more complete picture is given by the prophet Ezekiel in Chapter 16 your book.
The symbolism of marriage also runs through the Gospels. We read about the wedding feast (Matthew 22:2), about wedding clothes (Matthew 22:11), about the sons of the bridal chamber (Mark 2:19) about the groom (Mark 2.19; Matt. 25.1), and about the groom's friend (John 3:29). Paul says of himself that he betrothed the Church, like a pure bride, to Christ (2 Cor. 11.2); and for him, the relationship of Christ with His Church is a model of the relationship between husband and wife (Eph. 5:21-33).
There are certain truths contained in this metaphor. A true marriage includes four elements that must also be present in the relationship between a Christian and Christ.
1. Love. Marriage without love is incompatible concepts.
2. Intimate intimacy; an intimacy so intimate that husband and wife become one flesh. The relationship between a Christian and Christ should be the closest in all life.
3. Joy. There is nothing greater than the joy of loving and being loved. If Christianity doesn't bring joy, it doesn't bring anything.
4. Loyalty. A marriage cannot last without fidelity, and a Christian must be as faithful to Jesus as Jesus is faithful to him.
Revelation 19:6-8 (continued) The Almighty and His Kingdom
In this passage, God is given certain titles and is said to have entered into His reign.
Here God is named Almighty. In Greek it is pantocrator, literally the one who controls everything. In connection with this word, it is important to emphasize that it occurs ten times in the New Testament: once in a quotation from the Old Testament in 2 Cor. 6.18 and all the other nine times a day Rev. 1.8; 4.8; 11.17; 15.3; 16.7.14; 19.6.15; 21,22. In other words, this title of God is specific to Revelation.
Never again in history have greater forces risen against the Church than in the era when John wrote Revelation. Never again was a Christian forced to endure great suffering and constantly reckon with a terrible death. And at such a time John calls God pantocrator.
This is faith and trust; and the meaning of this passage is that faith and trust pay off.
The Church, the bride of Christ, is dressed in fine and bright linen. This is a contrast to the purple, scarlet and gold of the great harlot. The light fine linen symbolizes the good deeds of the people of God, that is, the dress that the bride of Christ wore forms character.
Revelation 19:9.10a The only true worship
And the Angel said to me: Write: Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me: these are the true words of God.
I fell at his feet to worship him, but he said to me: see, don’t do this; I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who have the testimony of Jesus; Worship God.
The Jews believed that when the Messiah came, His people would be invited, so to speak, to the feast of the Messiah. The prophet Isaiah says that the Lord God of hosts will make for all nations “a table of rich foods, a table of pure wines.” (Isa. 25:6). Jesus speaks of many who will come from the east and from the west and sit with the patriarchs in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 8:11). They will lie down reflects the ancient manner of reclining at the table. The idea behind this is that people will sit down at the feast of the Messiah. At the Last Supper, Jesus said that he would not drink from the fruit of the vine until the day when he drank new wine with the apostles in the kingdom of His Father. (Matthew 26:29).
It may well be that the idea of the wedding feast of the Lamb arose from this old Jewish idea, because this would indeed be the feast of the Messiah. It's a simple picture; it cannot be taken completely literally. It simply means that in the Kingdom of God all people will benefit from His bounty. But in this passage we encounter something that has become very important in church worship. John instinctively wanted to bow to the messenger angel, but the angel forbade him to do so, because angels are only fellow servants of man. Only one God should be worshiped. Thus John forbids the worship of angels; and this prohibition was very necessary, because in the early Church there was an almost inevitable tendency to worship angels - a tendency which was never completely eliminated.
1. In certain Jewish circles, angels occupied a very important place. Archangel Raphael tells Tobit that it was he who offered him, Tobit, a prayer before God (Tob. 6:12-15). In the fourth century, Rabbi Yehuda ordered that the people should not pray in Aramaic because angels supposedly did not understand Aramaic! The very fact that the rabbis insisted that prayers should be offered directly to God and not to Michael or Gabriel indicates that the opposite was widespread.
In Judaism, the remoteness of God and His inaccessibility to man were increasingly emphasized, and therefore the feeling that man needed a mediator became increasingly stronger, which led to the rise of the angels.
When the Jews converted to Christianity, they sometimes brought with them this special reverence for angels, forgetting that after the coming of Jesus no intermediaries were needed between God and man.
2. The Greeks were converting to Christianity from a worldview that made the worship of angels a real danger. Firstly, they had many gods - Zeus, Hera, Apollo, Aphrodite and many others. There was nothing simpler than to preserve their old gods as angels. Secondly, they came from a world where they believed that God Himself is not interested, but comes into contact through demons, and through them controls natural forces and influences people. What was easier than turning demons into angels and worshiping them?
John insists that angels are only servants of God and only this God should be worshiped. It is necessary to resist any mediators between man and God other than Jesus Christ.
Revelation 19:10b Spirit of Prophecy
For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
We will take this phrase separately because it is both unclear and important. The ambiguity arises from the fact that testimony of Jesus can have one of two meanings.
1. It can mean the testimony of Christ that Christians bear. That's how Sweet understands it. He says: “The possession of the spirit of prophecy, which makes a man a true prophet, is manifested essentially in the life of a witness of Jesus. Jesus perpetuates this testimony about the Father and about Himself.” The prophet's message lies more in the personal testimony that he bears with his life than in the testimony contained in his words.
2. It can mean the testimony that Jesus Christ gives to people. In this case, the phrase will mean that no person can speak to another person until he himself hears Jesus Christ. They said about one preacher: “He first listened to God, and then spoke to people.” It may well be that John deliberately put two meanings into these words and we should not choose between them, but accept both. In this case, we can say that a real prophet is a person who has received a message from Christ that he brings to people; and his words and deeds are at the same time a testimony of Christ.
Revelation 19:11 The Victorious Christ
And I saw the heavens opened, and behold a white horse, and He who sat on it was called Faithful and True, Who judges righteously and makes war.
This is one of the most dramatic episodes in all of Revelation - the appearance of the Victorious Christ.
1. John sees Christ the Victor, as Sweet puts it, “a royal commander, accompanied by a brilliant retinue.” This is a specifically Jewish picture. The Jews dreamed of a militant Messiah who would lead the people of Israel to victory and the defeat of their enemies.
Here is one of the rabbinic images of the Messiah: “How wonderful is the King Messiah who will come out of the house of Judah. He girded up his loins and went to war against those who hated him; kings and princes will be killed; he will stain the rivers with the blood of the slain... his clothes will be stained with blood.”
The white horse is a symbol of the winner, because the Roman commander rode a white horse in his triumph.
We would do well to remember that this picture is based on Jewish expectations of the future, and that it has little in common with the Christ of the Gospels, who was meek and lowly in heart.
2. His name is Loyal And True. But this, on the contrary, is something that retains its value at all times. Christ is characterized by two words.
a) He loyal. In Greek it is pistos; someone you can completely trust.
b) He true. In Greek it is alefinos, which has two meanings. Firstly, it means true in the sense that Jesus Christ is the One who brings the truth and in whose speech there was never anything false.
Secondly, this means real, genuine as opposed to unreal. In Jesus Christ we meet with reality.
3. He judges and makes war in righteousness. John again finds his picture in the words of the prophets of the Old Testament, where it is said about the chosen king of God: “He will judge the poor with righteousness.” (Isa. 11:4). In the age of John the perversion of justice was well known; no one could expect justice from some capricious pagan tyrant. In Asia Minor, even the proconsular court took bribes and made incorrect decisions. Wars were more a matter of ambition, tyranny and opposition than of justice. But when the conquering Christ comes, He will exercise His authority justly.
Revelation 19:12 Unknowable Name
His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; He had a name written, which no one knew except Himself.
We begin the description of the Victorious Christ. His eyes are like a flame of fire. We have already seen this in 1,14; 2,18; and this symbolizes the all-destroying power of Christ. There are many crowns on His head. Diadima - This royal crown, unlike stephanos - winner's wreath. It may seem strange that He had many crowns on His head, but in the time of John it was quite natural. It was not unusual for a monarch to have more than one crown on his head, as a sign that he was the king of several countries. So, for example, when the Egyptian king Ptolemy entered Antioch, he had two crowns on his head - Asia and Egypt (1 Macc. 11:13). There are many crowns on the head of Christ the Victorious to show that He is the Lord of all the kingdoms of the earth.
No one knows His name except Himself. The meaning of this passage is unclear. What kind of name is this? Many assumptions have been made.
1. It has been suggested that the name is - kurios, - Lord. IN Phil. 2.9-11 we read about the “name above every name” that God gave to Jesus Christ for His absolute obedience, and there this name is almost certainly - Lord.
2. It has been suggested that the name is Yahweh (Jehovah), the Hebrew name for God. The fact is that Hebrew did not have vowels; they had to be supplied by the reader. Nobody knows what vowels were in the word; the name, in fact, is so sacred that it has never been spoken. In Russian it is pronounced Jehovah, but the vowels in Jehovah are the same as in the Hebrew word Adonai, what does it mean Lord; the name by which the Jews called God in order to avoid pronouncing the sacred name. Many scholars believe that the name should be Yahweh. The letters are called the “four letter name”, or “sacred four letters”.
3. It may be that this name will be revealed only with the complete and final unity of Christ and the Church. The Jews believed that a person could learn the name of God only after entering heavenly life.
4. Perhaps the ancient idea is reflected here that knowledge of the name of a celestial being gives a person a certain power over him. In two Old Testament stories - Jacob's struggle in Penuel (Gen. 32.29) and the appearance of the angel of the Lord to Manoah (Kings 13:18) - the heavenly visitor refused to give his name.
5. We may never know the symbolism of the unknown name, but Sweet expressed the excellent idea that in the essence of Christ there must always remain something inaccessible to human understanding. “Although the Church offers help, the mind cannot grasp the inner meaning of the person of Christ, which eludes any attempt to fit it into the concepts of human knowledge. Only the Son of God can understand the mystery of His being.”
Revelation 19:13 God's Word in Action
He was dressed in clothes stained with blood. His name is: the Word of God.
Here are two more paintings of Christ.
1. He is dressed in blood-stained clothes; not with His blood, but with His enemies. R. G. Charles says that we must remember here that the Heavenly Leader this time is not killed, but kills. John, as always, takes this picture from the Old Testament and thinks in terrible pictures Is. 63.1-3, where the prophet describes the return of God after the destruction of Edom: “I have trampled them in My wrath, and trampled them under foot in My fury; their blood spattered on My garments, and I stained all My clothing.” This is the Messiah of Jewish apocalyptic expectations rather than the Messiah claimed by Jesus Himself.2. His name is the Word of God. Although these words are the same as in the first chapter of the fourth Gospel, their meaning is completely different and much simpler. Here we have a purely Jewish idea of the Word of God. In the mind of the Jew, the word was not just a set of sounds; it did things. As John Paterson writes in The Book That Lives: “The spoken word was terribly alive in Hebrew. It was not a sound or a set of sounds that came thoughtlessly from the lips. It was charged unit of energy. This energy was supposed to bring happiness or sorrow.” This can be seen, for example, in the ancient story of how Jacob fraudulently received a blessing from Isaac. (Gen. 27). This blessing could not be taken back.
If this is true of man's word, how true must it be of the Divine word. God created the earth and the sky and everything on them and in them with his word. And God said - this phrase is repeated over and over again in the story of creation (Gen. 1,3.6.9.14.26). The Word of God, Jeremiah said, is like a hammer breaking a rock. (Jer. 23:29).
The active, effective word fulfilled the commandments of God. This idea is also contained in Heb. 4.12:“The Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword.” By calling Christ the Warrior the Word of God, John meant that the whole power of the word of God is at work here; everything that God has said and threatened and promised is all embodied in Christ.
Revelation 19:14-16 Vengeful Wrath
And the armies of heaven followed Him on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
From His mouth comes a sharp sword, with which to smite the nations; He shepherds them with a rod of iron; He tramples the winepress of the wrath and wrath of God Almighty.
On His robe and on His thigh is written the name King of kings and Lord of lords.
Here is an expanded description of Christ the Warrior.
The armies of heaven followed Him. We may recall here the words spoken by Jesus when He was taken into custody, that He could have twelve legions of angels to fight for Him (Matthew 26:53). The armies of heaven are hosts of angels.
From His mouth come a sharp sword (1,16). This description is taken from two Old Testament passages. The prophet Isaiah said about the heavenly King: “He will smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his mouth he will slay the wicked.” (Isa. 11:4). And the psalmist says of the Messianic king: “You will smite them with a rod of iron; You will break them like a potter's vessel." (Ps. 2:9). And again, we must not forget that this picture was painted in Jewish imagery.
He tramples the winepress of God's wrath and wrath. This means that Christ the Warrior tramples grapes to obtain the wine of God’s wrath, which His enemies must drink at their hour of death.
The difficulty is to find out what is behind what is on clothes and on the thigh Christ the Warrior is written in the name of the King of kings and Lord of lords. Many different assumptions have been made about this. It has been suggested that the name is either embroidered on His belt or engraved on the hilt of His sword. It has also been suggested that it is inscribed on the brim of His cloak because on the horseman it is easiest to read there. It has been suggested that it is actually written on His thigh because titles were sometimes engraved on the thighs of statues. One gets the impression that everyone could see the name, and therefore, most likely, it was written on the hem of the robe of Christ the Warrior, which covered His thigh when He sat astride a white horse. In any case, the name indicates that He is the greatest of rulers, the only one truly Divine and the King of all.
Revelation 19:17-21 The Death of Christ's Enemies
And I saw one Angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of the sky: Fly, gather together for the great supper of God,
To devour the corpses of kings, the corpses of mighty men, the corpses of captains of thousands, the corpses of horses and those sitting on them, the corpses of all free and slaves, both small and great.
And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered to fight against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.
And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet, who performed miracles before him, with which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image, both were thrown alive into the lake of fire, burning with brimstone;
And the rest were killed by the sword of Him who sat on the horse, which proceeded from His mouth; and all the birds fed on their corpses.
Before us is a grim picture of birds invited from all sides of the sky to feed on the bodies of the slain. And this picture is taken directly from the Old Testament, from the description of the slaughter of Gog and Magog by the prophet Ezekiel: “Say to every kind of bird and to every beast of the field... You will eat the meat of mighty men and you will drink the blood of the princes of the earth, rams, lambs, goats and bulls... And You will eat the fat until you are full and drink the blood until you become drunk from My sacrifice, which I will kill for you.” (Ezek. 39:17-19). This bloodthirsty picture again corresponds more to the Old Testament apocalyptic expectations than to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
This is a repetition of imagery chapter 13. The beast is Nero redivivus; false prophet - provincial administration for the introduction of the cult of Caesar; those who received the mark of the beast are those who worshiped Caesar; the kings of the earth and their armies - the Parthian hordes, which Nero had to lead again against Rome and against the world.
Thus, all the forces hostile to God gather together, but Christ the Warrior must win. The Antichrist and his armor bearers are cast into the lake of fire and their followers are killed to await the Day of Judgment in hell.
The space drama is coming to an end. Nothing has yet been said about the fate of Satan, and now we will see his fate.
Rejoicing in heaven and on earth, the singing of alleluia by the inhabitants of heaven over the coming marriage of the Lamb with his bride (1–8). John's Adoration of the Angel Who Explained the Vision (9–10). Vision of the Faithful and True on a White Horse, His appearance, jewelry and attire (11–16). God's judgment on the beast, the false prophet and their worshipers (17–21).
Rev. 19:1. After this I heard in heaven a loud voice as if of a large people, saying: Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and honor and strength be to our Lord!
Chapter 19 speaks of solemn joy over the destruction of Babylon, for this event foreshadowed the imminent and final triumph of goodness and truth. The Holy Seer hears a new, loud heavenly (in heaven in its opposite to earth) voice, i.e. the sounds of singing (cf. Rev. 10:3, 16:18) exclusively of the blessed Angels with four seraphim - animals at the head (Rev. 4:8). They cry: “Alleluia” (from the Hebrew language “praise God”) (cf. Ps. 105:48). They are glorified for salvation, which must be understood in the sense of the complete deliverance of Christian society from the wiles of the devil. By glory we must understand the glory of God, which has been characteristic of God from all eternity; and the power is like God. omnipotence is the basis of this victory, this triumph.
Rev. 19:2. For His judgments are true and righteous: because He condemned that great fornicator, who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and exacted the blood of His servants from her hand.
Rev. 19:3. And they said a second time: Hallelujah! And its smoke rose forever and ever.
Rev. 19:4. Then the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying: Amen! Hallelujah!
The third verse contains a repetition of the song, but with the addition of a new basis for this praise of the Lord. This is that the death of Babylon from ten kings is an eternal and final death, constituting the transition to the eternal kingdom, for the eternal smoke speaks of the eternal fire of Gehenna torment. That is why the elders and animal seraphim fall and say: “Amen, hallelujah.” (Ps. 105:48).
Rev. 19:5. As soon as the angelic singing ceased, a voice from God was heard. throne, from Jesus Christ Himself, who demanded that all servants of God give glory to God.
Rev. 19:7. Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory; For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.
In response to the call of God. John hears new singing from the voice of Jesus Christ. He compares the sounds of this singing with the noise of talking and singing of a large people. One might think that it was as much heavenly as earthly. It involves all the glorified people and martyrs of the last time who are in heaven, and all those who are appointed to glorification, but were still on earth. As a result, the sounds of singing were so strong and so solemn. The basis of praise is, first of all, that the kingdom of the Almighty God has come, that is, the kingdom of the next century. The second motivation for joyful praise is that the marriage of the Lamb has already arrived and His wife has prepared herself. Here we speak about the unity of Jesus Christ with His society, but not about the accomplished advent of this kingdom, but only about the moment closest to it. This is the same moment of eschatology when the Lord, at the sound of the Angel’s trumpet, gathers all His chosen ones, separating them from the wicked, and places them on the right side of His throne (Matthew 25:33) to pronounce the final judgment. The community of faithful Christians who have lived to the end is this woman, this bride of the Lamb. It prepared itself to meet its bridegroom, Jesus Christ.
Rev. 19:8. And it was given to her to be clothed in fine linen, clean and bright; The fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.
The bride of Jesus Christ is dressed in linen clothing, which signifies her holiness and which was given to her by the Lord Himself. She is evidence that the bride is pleasing to the Lord and can enter His bridal chamber. The brightness of the Christian garment is called the righteousness of the saints. And this righteousness of a person, as his right to closeness to God, can and is achieved simultaneously in two ways: both by his own virtue, and by God. by the grace of justification. The pure and perfect bride of the Lamb, that is, the Christian society of the last time, is a society whose members have achieved the highest moral perfection possible for man with the assistance of God. grace; it is, so to speak, the fruit of the historical interaction of the grace of Christianity and man’s own efforts.
Rev. 19:9. And the Angel said to me: Write: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me: these are the true words of God.
Subsequently, John hears confirmation of the future blessed state of the depicted and perfect Christians. He is commanded by one of the Angels to write: “blessed are those who are called...” - These are the perfect Christians of the last anti-Christian time, those who remained alive until the coming of the Lord. It is they who are consoled by the revelation and told them that their sorrows and suffering serve as a condition for their blissful life in the future. They are blessed as those called, for for them, as the chosen and perfect, God has prepared bliss, which they will receive as a reward for their suffering, for their work in achieving piety and perfection. The wedding supper itself is an expression of the closest communion with the Lord, which can only happen in the future life, only after the final and perfect reign of Jesus Christ, after His second coming. The words about earthly bliss are worthy of full faith and acceptance, since they belong to God Himself, the most perfect Truth and the source of all revelation, which is why the Angel calls them true God. words.
Rev. 19:10. I fell at his feet to worship him; but he said to me: see that you do not do this; I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who have the testimony of Jesus; Worship God; for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
John fell at the feet of the Angel. John's admiration was a natural, involuntary consequence of the extraordinary impression of the appearance of the Angel and his words. The content of the words was so amazing that John could not resist and fell at the feet of the speaking Angel, just as the prophet fell at the feet of the Angel. Daniel. The angel corrects this involuntary human error of the seer and explains that, no matter how majestic these or other phenomena on earth may be, because of them people should not forget God, Who is their root cause and the only one worthy of worship and service (Deuteronomy 6:13 ). – The testimony of Jesus is Jesus Christ Himself, everything that He taught and that He accomplished for the salvation of the human race. This testimony is the “spirit of prophecy,” which expression is used in the sense of the basis of prophecy, that which animates prophecy and constitutes its essence: in the testimony of Jesus Christ, that is, in His teaching and the revelation brought by Him, prophecy, it is revealed and explained that God alone is worthy of worship and reverence. The insertion of verses 9 and 10 disrupted the flow of the description of the upcoming wedding evening of the Lamb; from 11th century John again refers to this description. Now we are talking about those who not only will not be worthy of participating in the wedding supper, but will be subjected to severe punishment as retribution. These are the events of the last time, the time of the Last Judgment and the final retribution.
Rev. 19:11. And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse, and he who sat on it was called Faithful and True, Who judges righteously and makes war.
Rev. 19:12. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on His head are many crowns. He had a written name that no one knew except Himself.
John sees heaven open; such a beginning of speech speaks of a new and completely separate vision. The sky itself opens to give passage to the earth for the appearing white horse with its rider. The rider is called Faithful and True. This name is undoubtedly the name of Jesus Christ; it indicates the permanent properties of His relationship to the community of believers. Possessing such properties, He is terrible for His enemies and an unshakable hope and consolation for His admirers. In order to be a righteous judge, He has eyes like a fiery flame, that is, He penetrates everything with His gaze, sees everything and destroys everything that is not pleasing to Him and is hostile to Him. The fact that He is not only a righteous Judge, but also an almighty executor of His sentences is evidenced by the many diadems adorning His head. This indicates that the whole world belongs to Him, must acknowledge His authority over itself and submit to the verdict of His judgment. According to the properties of this nature. He also bears a name that no one knows except Himself: the Divine nature of Jesus Christ in its essence and the fullness of Divine properties is incomprehensible to man. This mysterious name was on the tiaras. This assumption is confirmed by the fact that the tiaras themselves, as an accessory of royal dignity, speak of the incomprehensible properties of the Divine nature of Jesus Christ.
Rev. 19:13. He was dressed in clothes stained with blood. His name is: “The Word of God.”
The horseman appears dressed in clothes stained with blood - Jesus Christ in bloody clothes because He has already carried out part of His judgment on sinful humanity; the wicked were punished with terrible executions, and Babylon was already destroyed. Jesus Christ appears into the world for the second time, and just as it was said about His first coming: “The Word became flesh,” so at the second coming He is called the Word of God, as the eternal son of God.
Rev. 19:14. And the armies of heaven followed Him on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
Rev. 19:15. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, with which to smite the nations. He shepherds them with a rod of iron; He tramples the winepress of the wrath and wrath of God Almighty.
Jesus Christ, as the Judge and Rewarder, is accompanied by heavenly armies, consisting exclusively of disembodied Angels (Matthew 16:27, 25:31). The army rode on white horses to match their leader, and their clothing was of white linen. The weapon with which Christ defeated his enemies was the sword that came out of His mouth (Rev. 1:16, 2:12). This sword is His word, the word of His omnipotence and omnipotence. He shepherds the people with a rod of iron, for He completely subjects them to His authority and His decision. He tramples the winepress of the wrath and wrath of God (Rev. 14:19-20). The entire symbolic image is an image of the Last Judgment and bribery, when the wicked will be brought to the consciousness of their complete insignificance. Christ, as the almighty King, alone can bear the name of King and Lord.
Rev. 19:16. On His robe and on His thigh is written the name: “King of kings and Lord of lords.”
Rev. 19:17. And I saw one Angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of the sky: Fly, gather together for the great supper of God,
John, further, sees one Angel standing in the sun. This must be understood to mean that he stood surrounded by the rays of the sun. His mission is to call the birds to the upcoming supper of God. It will consist of birds destroying the corpses of killed enemies of the Kingdom of God. The enemies gathered in a whole army. This gathering of all the wicked must be understood in such a way that, according to the wise providence of God and His almighty action, all the wicked before the Last Judgment will be separated and experience what they deserve. According to the word of the Apostle, all those living who survive until the second coming of the Lord will experience a change in their bodies (1 Cor. 15:51-52). Sinners, followers of the Antichrist, must also undergo this change. And if his change for the righteous will be blissful, calm and joyful, then for the wicked it will be painful. The angelic call of birds of prey to feed on the corpses of the enemies of the Kingdom of God is an indication of the horrors and suffering of these latter during the final revolution.
Rev. 19:18. to devour the corpses of kings, the corpses of the mighty, the corpses of captains, the corpses of horses and those sitting on them, the corpses of all free and slaves, both small and great.
Rev. 19:19. And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered to fight against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.
Under the army of the 19th century. one must understand the extreme tension and intensification of wickedness and hostility to God before the coming of the Lord. The wicked will be like an army going out to battle and challenging God to fight with them. But the denouement of this long story of wickedness is short. Retribution began with those who were the perpetrators of human wickedness in the last times - with the Antichrist and the false prophet. And since their wickedness and their deserving of eternal torment will be undoubted for everyone, then there will not even be a trial for them - they will be thrown alive into the lake of fire, Gehenna, without judgment, to eternal torment. The beast Antichrist and his false prophet will be the first to receive retribution, they will be destroyed by the spirit of the mouth of God and removed from the eyes of the rest of the people gathered by the Lord for the final judgment. A terrible, painful change will occur by the verdict of God: the wicked (others) will be killed by the sword of him sitting on a horse, that is, by the action of the omnipotence of God and judgment. Their former bodies will become food for birds; in a painful process they will be reborn into new ones that would correspond to the upcoming eternal torment, the eternal feeling of uninterrupted pain.
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1 There is joy in heaven over the fall of Babylon. 11 Seated on a white horse; King of kings and Lord of lords. 17 The beast was thrown into the lake of fire.
2 For His judgments are true and righteous: because He judged that great fornicator, who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and exacted the blood of His servants from her hand.
3 And a second time they said: Hallelujah! And its smoke rose forever and ever.
4 Then the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying: Amen! Hallelujah!
7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give glory to Him; For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.
8 And it was given to her to be clothed in fine linen, clean and bright; The fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.
9 And he told me Angel: write: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me: these are the true words of God.
10 I fell at his feet to worship him; but he said to me: see that you do not do this; I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who have the testimony of Jesus; Worship God; for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse, and he who sat on it was called Faithful and True, Who judges righteously and makes war.
12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on His head are many crowns. He had a name written, which no one knew except Himself.
13 He was dressed in clothes stained with blood. His name is: “The Word of God.”
14 And the armies of heaven followed Him on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15 Out of His mouth comes a sharp sword, to smite the nations. He shepherds them with a rod of iron; He tramples the winepress of the wrath and wrath of God Almighty.
16 His name is written on his robe and on his thigh: “King of kings and Lord of lords.”
17 And I saw one angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds flying in the middle of the sky: fly, gather together for the great supper of God,
18 To devour the carcases of kings, the carcases of mighty men, the carcases of captains of thousands, the carcases of horses and those who sat on them, the carcases of all freemen and slaves, both small and great.
19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to fight against him who sat on the horse, and against his army.
20 And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet, who performed miracles before him, with which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image: both were thrown alive into the lake of fire, burning with brimstone;
21 And the rest were killed by the sword of Him who sat on the horse, which proceeded from His mouth, and all the birds fed on their carcasses.
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Revelation of John the Theologian, chapter 19
M. Song of praise and glory in heaven (19:1-10)
1. THE GREAT PEOPLE IN HEAVEN PRAISE GOD (19:1-3)
Chapters 4-18 are primarily devoted to describing the events that will take place on earth during the Great Tribulation. Starting from chapter 19, the theme changes noticeably. The Great Tribulation is coming to an end, and now the focus of John's vision is what is happening in heaven - the second coming of Christ to earth. For saints and angels, this is a time of joy, a time of victory.
Open 19:1. The well-known sequence of events described is indicated by the words “After this,” with which chapter 19 begins. They clearly relate to what happened in chapter 18. So, after the events of the Great Tribulation that he “saw”, John heard in heaven a loud voice as if of a large people, praising and glorifying God, apparently for the judgment that had taken place over Babylon. (Note that the end of verse 1 must be understood in the sense that salvation and glory and honor and power belong to our Lord and come from Him.) In theological literature, unfortunately, there is a lot of confusion regarding the order of events that “happen” in the chapters 19-20; Therefore, it is important to emphasize that the doxology in 19:1 follows precisely the destruction of Babylon described in chapter 18.
The words “loud voice” convey in Russian the Greek words “megalen phonen” - literally “strong sound”; it came from a large crowd (compare with Rev. 7:9, which talks about believers martyred during the days of the great tribulation). For them, the judgment of Babylon is a special reason for joy. In Greek, the word halleluia comes from a similar Hebrew word used in the Old Testament. It occurs only four times in the New Testament, and only in the book of Revelation (19:1,3-4,6).
Open 19:2-3. In expressing praise to God, His glory and power, which are the cause and result of His act of salvation, are mentioned along with the truth and righteousness of His judgments. His condemnation of the great fornicator (compare 17:1,4) is a righteous act of retribution for her corruption of the earth and the murder of God’s servants (17:6). However, the punishment of the harlot only marked the beginning of the eternal punishment of the wicked, as indicated by the words ... and her smoke ascended forever and ever.
2. TWENTY-FOUR ELDERS SING "HALLELUJAH" (19:4-5)
Open 19:4-5. The twenty-four elders and four living creatures join the choir of many people singing Hallelujah. This is further evidence (and a reminder) that the 24 elders represent the present-day Church, as opposed to the tribulation saints who are represented in verse 1 as the “great crowd.” The four "living creatures" that first appear in Revelation 4:6-8 are, in all likelihood, angels praising God. And John hears another voice, apparently coming from the Angel standing at the throne, who calls on all His servants and those who fear Him to praise God (19:5).
3. PROPHETIC PROCLAMATION OF THE MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB (19:6-9)
Open 19:6-8. The last, fourth time, hallelujah, according to the testimony of John, came as if from a large people, and it was like the sound of many waters and strong thunder. One might think that these powerful and solemn sounds came from both heaven and earth, i.e., that the righteous who survived the great tribulation also took part in this doxology.
However, this joy was not about what had already happened, but about what was about to happen. (This is evidenced by the words that are rendered in the present tense in the English translation of the Bible: For the Lord God Almighty reigns.) The word “Almighty” (pantocrator) is used by John in 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:13; 16:7,14; 19:15; 21:22.
The call to “rejoice” is followed by the announcement that the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.
The concept of "marriage" in the Bible is often used to describe the relationship between the saints and God. In the Old Testament, in the book of Hosea, for example, Israel is represented as the unfaithful wife of Jehovah, whose “status” will be restored in the coming kingdom. And in the New Testament, the relationship between Christ and the Church is characterized as a marriage union, but, unlike the Old Testament, here the Church appears (as an immaculate virgin awaiting the arrival of her heavenly Bridegroom (2 Cor. 11:2).
The fine linen (meaning fine linen) in which the bride is dressed symbolizes the righteousness of the saints (verse 8). In the Old Testament, the high priests also dressed in fine linen; Ref. 28:42; Lion. 6:10; 16:4,23,32.) (The English text does not say “the righteousness of the saints,” but “the righteous works of the saints.”) The point here (19:86) is not so much about the justification of the saints by faith, but about God’s recognition of those good deeds that the saints performed by His grace, and the semantic emphasis here is precisely on the good or righteous deeds of the “bride.” In any case, there is no doubt that human righteousness is achieved both by God's grace of justification and by personal virtue; it is the result of the historical interaction of His grace and man's own efforts.
So here is the last of the 14 doxologies recorded in Revelation, pronounced by the saints, angels, 24 elders and 4 living creatures. Hymns of praise are found in the following verses: 4:8,11; 5:9-10,12-13; 7:10,12; 11:16-18; 15:3-4; 16:5-7; 19:1-4,6-8.
Open 19:9. The angel who commanded John to “write” (14:3) repeats his commission regarding the following words: blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!
One misinterpretation that has unfortunately become widespread in the churches has led to the idea that God does not discriminate between saints. In fact, upon a thoughtful reading of the biblical texts, one cannot help but notice that in the Holy Scriptures there are different groups of saints; in 19:9 we see that the “bride” and those invited to the wedding supper are not the same thing. God will not treat everyone the same. He has a plan for Israel as a nation and a plan for saved Israelites.
Another plan of His includes the Old Testament pagans who believed in the true God. Finally, in the New Testament we are presented with His plan for the Church, which forms a special group of saints. And again, in the book of Revelation, the “saints who came out of the great tribulation” are distinguished from other, previous groups of believers.
It is not so much that the blessings are different in nature and degree for these different groups, but that God has a plan for each of them, depending on the part that each is called to play in the implementation of His overall plan. In this case, the Church acts as a bride, who will be accompanied by saints who are different from her.
Theologians argue about whether this marriage will take place in heaven or on earth. But this is not so important. But when interpreting this passage, it is useful to turn to how marriages were performed in the Middle East in the first century. The marriage ceremony included the following stages:
1) an official marriage agreement between the parents of the bride and groom, with the latter paying a bride price;
2) the coming of the groom for the bride (in Matt. 25:1-13);
3) the wedding feast (John 2:1-11), which was a holiday that lasted several days.
In Rev. 19:9 speaks of the “marriage supper,” that is, the third stage of the marriage ceremony. And the message about it coincides with the second coming of Christ to earth. However, John, apparently, was not given the opportunity to witness the “marriage supper.” Deciphering all this symbolism, we can say that Christ completed the first stage of the marriage ceremony in the age of the Church through the salvation of the people who made it up. Stage two will take place at the rapture of the Church from earth, when Christ takes His bride to heaven to the house of His Father (John 14:1-3).
Continuing the disclosure of this allegory, it can be assumed that the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom will be the beginning of the wedding supper. Noteworthy is the use of the word “wife” (gyne) in 19:7, instead of “bride” “nymph”; compare John. 3:29; Open 18:23; 21:2,9; 22:17); this “replacement” is apparently explained by the fact that stage two will be completed by that time, and only the celebration of the “supper” itself will remain, which will thus take place on earth. This seems to be evidenced by the “marriage allegory” in the New Testament (Matt. 22:1-14; 25:1-13). The importance of what was announced in 16:6-7,9, as well as the invitation to the wedding supper repeated in 22:17, follows from the phrase uttered by the Angel: These are the true words of God.
4. COMMAND TO WORSHIP GOD (19:10)
Open 19:10. So impressive was the scene in heaven, with the four times repeated “Hallelujah” and the announcement of the beginning of the wedding feast, that the shocked apostle again fell on his face to worship the Angel who spoke to him. When he bowed to the Angel at the very beginning (1:17), he bowed to Christ, and this was right, but now the Angel restrained him, commanding him to worship only God, since the angels are just fellow servants of John and his brothers. For, he added, the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
In other words, the nature and purpose of Bible prophecy is explained and determined by the testimony of Jesus Christ and the need to glorify Him and the Father in Him. One of the main functions of the Holy Spirit today is to glorify Jesus Christ and to tell believers about what is to come (John 16:13). The stunning revelation given in the first 10 verses of chapter 19 forms the introduction to what will be revealed next - the second coming of Jesus Christ, which, in fact, is the main theme of the entire book (1:1).
N. Second Coming of Christ (19:11-21)
In the revelation given to him from above, John prophetically saw the second coming of Christ and the events associated with it. The doctrine of the second coming is the most important of the doctrines of Holy Scripture (Ps. 2:1-9; 23:7-10; 95:10-13; 109; Isa. 9:6-7; Jer. 23:1-8; Ezek. 37:15-28; 7:13-15; 12; 14:1-9; 24:27-31; 37; 21:25-28; 2 Pet. 4; Jud. 1:14-15; Rev. 1:25-28; The second coming of Christ is also the most important event in God's plan.
Conservative theologians almost unanimously believe that this is an event of the future (this is also stated in the church creed), and that it will be fulfilled literally, just as His first coming into the world was literally fulfilled. However, there is a difference of opinion among them regarding the time of the rapture of the Church, as described in 1 Thess. 4:13-18 and 1 Cor. 15:51-58; Will it take place during the second coming of Christ to earth or, as the “pre-sorrowers” believe, seven years before it?
It should be noted that none of the many "details" revealed in Rev. 19:11-21 does not indicate a rapture of the Church as described in the pages of the New Testament. There Christ does not touch the earth anywhere, and the saints meet Him in the air (1 Thess. 4:17), while Revelation speaks of His return to earth.
It is very remarkable that in Rev. 19-20 there is complete silence regarding the transfer to heaven of the saints living on earth. Apparently, this is due to the fact that they will remain on earth and enter His Millennial Kingdom in their earthly bodies. After all, if the rapture of the Church took place at the return of Christ to earth, then such an important event should have been spoken of in Rev. 19. However, we repeat, there is nothing of the kind there. In light of these and other considerations, it appears that chapter 19 indirectly confirms the doctrine of the rapture of the church as a separate event prior to the second coming, and that the saints who survive the great tribulation will not be raptured into heaven.
1. REVELATION OF THE RIDER ON THE WHITE HORSE (19:11-13)
Open 19:11-13. And I saw the sky opened, and behold a white horse, and one sitting on it. Although some theologians identify this horseman with the horseman in Rev. 6:2, such an opinion is refuted by the context of the relevant verses. In Rev. 6:2 The rider on the white horse is the world ruler of the time of great tribulation, but here the rider is the Ruler who comes down from heaven. The white horse is a sign of His coming triumph.
In the Roman Empire, there was a custom: the victorious commander rode in triumph on a white horse along the Via Sacra - the main thoroughfare of the imperial capital, and after him they carried trophies and led captives - evidence of his victory (2 Cor. 2:14). The white horse is thus a symbol of Christ’s victory (as it was also a symbol of the short Antichrist victory) over the forces of evil in this world.
He who sits on a white horse is called Faithful and True, because both His judgment and the war that He wages are righteous. Christ “pierces through” all sin and condemns it unconditionally; this is expressed by the words: His eyes are like a flame of fire (compare Rev. 1:14). Many crowns on His head are a sign of His right to rule and rule.
He had a written name, which no one knew except Himself - this is evidence of the “ineffability” of Christ, of His “indescribability.” And yet he bears very specific titles. In Rev. 19:13 says: His name is the Word of God (compare John 1:1,14; 1 John 1:1), and in Rev. 19:16 we read: On His robe and on His thigh is written the name: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS (compare 1 Tim. 6:13; Rev. 17:14) So, the rider on the white horse is Jesus Christ, returning in His glory to land. However, He comes as Judge, and this is confirmed by the fact that He was clothed with a robe stained with blood (19:13; compare Isa. 63:2-3; Rev. 14:20).
2. THE COMING OF THE KING AND HIS HEAVENLY ARMY (19:14-16)
Open 19:14-16. This amazing picture is completed by the vision of the heavenly army, which followed him on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean (compare verse 8). John sees a sharp sword coming from the mouth of Christ to smite the nations. The apostle goes on to say that He shepherds the nations with a rod of iron (compare Ps. 2:9; Rev. 2:27). Christ is described by John as the One who treads the winepress of the wrath and wrath of God Almighty (compare 14:19-20; use of the word "Almighty" in 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7,14 ; 19:6; 21:22).
This whole scene sounds like a dramatic foreshadowing of the terrible judgment that is to come. From Matt. 24:30 it follows that the inhabitants of the earth will see with their own eyes this picture that surpasses imagination. At this time they will kill each other in the last world war. On the very day that Christ returns, warring armies will fight each other in the Holy Land and in Jerusalem itself (Zechariah 14:7). They will be brought to the battlefield by Satan's angels so that with their hands they can fight the armies of heaven (Rev. 16:12-16).
3. DESTRUCTION OF THE WICKED (19:17-21)
Open 19:17-18. However, what are earthly armies compared to the heavenly armies? “The sharp sword proceeding from the mouth of Christ” (verse 15) also symbolizes the supreme power of His word, at the sound of which the armies of earth will be destroyed by power from above. Millions of people and horses will die instantly. That is why John writes that the Angel he saw standing in the sun... exclaimed with a loud voice, saying to all the birds flying in the middle of the sky: fly, gather together for the great supper of God, to devour the corpses of kings, the corpses of the mighty - all those who will be killed by Jesus Christ .
Open 19:19-21. The beast and all his armies will gather to war against Christ and His army. The result of this battle, which in Rev. 16:14 is called “the warfare of that great day of God Almighty,” summed up in Rev. 19:19-21. The ruler of the world - the beast and his false prophet, who performed miracles by his power - will be captured. Their demonic power, which has deceived the world, will not be sufficient to save them. Both of them will be thrown alive into the lake of fire, burning with brimstone.
The location of the wicked and wicked who lived throughout the history of the world until the return of Christ was hell (Luke 16:23). “The lake that burns with fire and brimstone” is not the same as hell; this place is prepared for Satan and his angels (Matt. 25:41), and people will not enter it until the time spoken of in Rev. 20:14-15.
Let us repeat that the armies mentioned above will be destroyed according to the word of Christ (19:21 cf. 1:16; 2:12,16; 19:15). The number of those killed will be so huge that even birds of prey will not be able to devour all the corpses. This will be the decisive defeat of the forces of evil on earth, and it will culminate in the judgments of God that will follow: they will overtake unsaved people in every corner of the earth (Matt. 25:31-45).
The same inspired word of God, which so wonderfully speaks of the mercy of God to all who believe in Him, and that those who believe in Him will be saved, does not leave doubt in the judgment that is coming on all who reject His mercy. Attempts by liberal Bible interpreters to focus readers' attention on those passages of Holy Scripture that speak of God's love for people - to the detriment of the revelation of the inevitability of His fair judgment - are completely unjustified. The Bible is clear that there will be a world-wide judgment for the wicked at the second coming of Christ, and there will be no judgment equal to it since Noah's flood.
Listen to THE REVELATION OF JOHN THE GOLDEN chapter 19 online
2 For His judgments are true and righteous: because He judged that great fornicator, who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and exacted the blood of His servants from her hand.
3 And a second time they said: Hallelujah! And its smoke rose forever and ever.
4 Then the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying: Amen! Hallelujah!
7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give glory to Him; For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.
8 And it was given to her to be clothed in fine linen, clean and bright; The fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.
9 And the angel said to me, Write: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me: these are the true words of God.
10 I fell at his feet to worship him; but he said to me: see that you do not do this; I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who have the testimony of Jesus; Worship God; for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it was called Faithful and True, Who judges in righteousness and makes war.
12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on His head are many crowns. He had a written name that no one knew except Himself.
13 He was clothed in a robe stained with blood. His name is: “The Word of God.”
14 And the armies of heaven followed Him on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15 Out of His mouth comes a sharp sword, to smite the nations. He shepherds them with a rod of iron; He tramples the winepress of the wrath and wrath of God Almighty.
16 His name is written on his robe and on his thigh: “King of kings and Lord of lords.”
17 And I saw one angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of the sky: Fly, gather together for the great supper of God,
18 To devour the carcases of kings, the carcases of mighty men, the carcases of captains of thousands, the carcases of horses and those who sat on them, the carcases of all freemen and slaves, both small and great.
19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to fight against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.
20 And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet, who performed miracles before him, with which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image: both were thrown alive into the lake of fire, burning with brimstone;
21 And the rest were killed by the sword of Him who sat on the horse, which proceeded from His mouth, and all the birds fed on their carcasses.
