This pericope has strong ties to what precedes (16:17-18:24). It is the concluding revelation concerning the fall of Babylon, the latter-day Egypt and Tyre, and Antichrist, the ultimate Pharaoh of the Exodus and King of Tyre. The praise in this section is in response to the angel's invitation for those in heaven to rejoice (18:20).616Verses 9 and 10 conclude the section begun in 17:1-3.617The proleptic silence of ruined Babylon on earth now gives way in the narrative to enthusiastic rejoicing in heaven.618This is the climactic expression of praise in Revelation (cf. 4:8, 11; 5:9-10, 12-14; 7:10, 12, 15-17; 11:15, 17-18; 15:3-4; 16:5-7).
The four songs in verses 1-5 look back to the judgment of Babylon, and the song in verses 9-10 looks forward to the marriage supper of the Lamb. The harlot dies, but the bride begins to enjoy new life.619
19:1 This first song praises God for judging the harlot. After John received the revelation about the destruction of commercial Babylon, he evidently heard another angelic chorus singing loudly in heaven (cf. 4:8, 11; 5:12-14). "Hallelujah"means "Praise the Lord."Its only four occurrences in the New Testament are in this pericope (vv. 1, 3, 4, 6), though it occurs frequently in the Psalms.620There it usually has some connection with the punishment of the ungodly, as it does here (e.g., Ps. 104:35). God is worthy of praise because He has all salvation (cf. 7:10; 12:10), glory (cf. 15:8), and power (cf. 4:11; 7:12; 12:10; 1 Chron. 29:11).
19:2 This group praises God because of His true (fair) and righteous (just) judgments (cf. 15:3; 16:7), especially of the harlot Babylon.
"By now all men have made their choice between God and Satan. Universal worship of the beast and universal rejoicing over the deaths of the two witnesses mark the world not only as guilty but also as irreclaimable. The earth-dwellers have hardened their hearts forever to a point that precludes any possibility of repentance . . . God's judgment of those with this disposition is the special occasion of praise to God."621
The angels anticipated God's judgment of the harlot; it had not happened yet. Probably both aspects of Babylonianism are in view here, religious and commercial. The essence of the harlot's guilt lies in her corrupting the earth with her immoralities (cf. 14:8; 17:2; 18:3). By destroying Babylon God will avenge the blood of believers who died as a result of its influences (cf. 18:24; Deut. 32:42-43; 2 Kings 9:7).
The outpouring of God's wrath on the earth-dwellers will come as a consequence of believers' petitions (cf. 5:8; 6:9-11; 8:3-5; 9:13; 10:6; 14:18; 16:7; 19:2).622
19:3 A second burst of praise from the same group glorified God for judging Babylon finally so its influences will never rise again. This encore heightens the praise in the first song. The divine judgments of Sodom and Gomorrah and Edom were previews of this judgment (cf. Gen. 19:38; Isa. 34:10).623The smoke represents the effects of the fire that will destroy Babylon (cf. 17:16; 18:8, 9, 18). It will stop rising when the fire dies out, but the destruction that it symbolizes will be permanent. The punishment of God's enemies will be everlasting (cf. vv. 20, 21; 14:11; Dan. 12:2; Matt. 25:46).
19:4 The 24 elders and the four living creatures echoed these sentiments in a third song of praise (cf. 4:9-10; 5:8, 14; 7:9-11; 14:3). The one who sits on the throne is evidently God the Father. "Amen"voices their approval of the two previous expressions of praise (vv. 1-2, 3), and "Hallelujah"expresses their own praise (cf. 7:12).
19:5 The authoritative voice from the throne probably belonged to an angel (v. 10). It called for added continuous praise from all God's servants (cf. Ps. 113:1; 115:13). Allusions to the Hallel psalms in this pericope connect the vindication that the psalmists cried out for so often with what was now imminent (cf. Ps. 113:1; 135:1, 20). The bond-servants to whom the voice appealed for praise probably include all the servants of God in heaven, angelic and human, including the saints and prophets (cf. 18:14, 20; 19:2). The angel called for the fear of God since judgment is in view. The call extends to creatures of all classes (cf. Ps. 115:13).
19:6 This praise followed and probably included that of the angels. Together all God's servants in heaven now praised Him for the fact that He reigns. In this proleptic statement they look forward to what is about to happen, namely, Jesus Christ's return to earth and the beginning of His eternal reign.624Here He receives the title "the Lord our God, the Almighty."This praise is appropriately great since Messiah's earthly reign is the climax of history. Thus John heard a voice that sounded like multitudes of people, the roar of a huge waterfall, and loud claps of thunder announcing its arrival (cf. Ezek. 1:24; 43:2; Dan. 10:6). The singers are evidently angels (cf. 6:1; 10:1-4; 11:15-17; 14:2). This is the last song of praise in the Apocalypse.
19:7 The song begun in verse 6 continues with an exhortation to rejoice and to glorify God (cf. Matt. 5:12). God deserves praise because He has prepared the bride for the Lamb.625
The bride of the Lamb is evidently the church (cf. v. 9; 3:20; 21:2, 9; 22:17; John 3:29; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:25-32). Even though the translators usually render the Greek word gyne, translated "bride,"as "wife,"here the context clearly shows that a wedding is in view.626The bride is the Lamb's newly married wife having been joined to Him in heaven immediately after the Rapture.627God referred to Himself as Israel's husband in the Old Testament (Isa. 54:6; 62:5; Jer. 31:32; Ezek. 16:7-14; Hos. 2:2, 16, 19). However this figure almost always describes Israel as an unfaithful wife.628Israel cannot be this bride or part of this bride because this bride comes to earth with Christ, but Old Testament saints will not experience resurrection until Christ returns to the earth (Dan. 12:1-2). The fact that the bride in 21:12 and 14 includes Israel indicates that the bride will be a growing body of people that will eventually encompass Israel as well as the church. There the bride is the New Jerusalem. However at this time, just before Christ returns to the earth (v. 7), the figure of the bride must describe the church alone.629
Jesus Christ, the Lamb, frequently referred to Himself as a bridegroom (cf. Matt. 9:15; 22:2-14; 25:1-13; Mark 2:19-20; Luke 5:34-35; 14:15-24; John 3:29). For the Jews, the wedding figure stressed the intimate relationship that will exist between God and His people in the earthly messianic kingdom.630
We can clarify the general time and place of the marriage of the Lamb by comparing it with marriage customs in the ancient Near East.631There were three main events involved in a marriage. First, the parents chose a bride for the groom. This takes place presently as the Holy Spirit calls the elect out of the world to be Christ's bride through regeneration. Second, when the time for marriage had come, the groom would leave His home with His friends, go to the home of the bride, and escort her from her home to his. The bride did not know when this would occur. This will take place when Christ comes to take His bride to heaven at the Rapture (cf. John 14:1-2). Third, the groom provided a feast for his bride and his friends at his home that lasted several days. This will take place on earth either at the beginning of the Millennium,632throughout the Millennium,633or beginning with the Millennium and continuing throughout eternity (cf. 21:2, 9).634The present verse (v. 7) describes the wedding proper, stage two (cf. vv. 8, 14), which had taken place in John's vision. It also announces that the bride is ready for the feast, stage three.
The preparedness of the bride is one reason for the celebration called for in this verse. The bride had prepared herself (cf. Matt. 25:14-23; 2 Cor. 7:1; 1 John 3:3; Jude 21), but the ultimate preparation was God's, so He deserves praise (cf. Matt. 20:1-16; Eph. 5:25-27). The theme of the first song (vv. 1-3) was the destruction of the harlot, and the theme of this one is the wedding of the Lamb to His bride, who is the antithesis of the harlot.
19:8 The angelic chorus continued to describe the preparation of the bride for the wedding feast. God graciously enabled her to clothe herself in fine linen (cf. 6:4; 8:3; 9:5; 15:6; 18:12; 19:14; Gen. 41:42; Dan. 10:5; 12:6-7). "Bright"indicates divine glory,635and "clean"reflects purity (cf. 21:18, 21). This is dress appropriate for God's presence. Fine linen represents righteous deeds, as this verse explains (cf. 14:13). These are the works of the saints rather than their standing before God. Their good deeds that God's grace made possible constitute them dressed appropriately for their righteous Lord (cf. Matt. 22:1-14). The bride's clothing contrasts with the harlot's gaudy garments (cf. 17:4; 18:16).
"Contrast the prostitute and her lovers in the preceding chapters with the Lamb and His chaste bride . . ."636
19:9 The person who now spoke to John appears to be the same angel who had been guiding him thorough the revelation concerning Babylon (cf. 17:1, 15). He instructed John to write again (cf. 1:11, 19), this time another beatitude (cf. 14:3). This blessing gives Tribulation saints an additional motivation to remain faithful. Those invited to the Lamb's marriage supper include His friends as well as the bride. This implies the presence of other believers besides church saints at this celebration.637Those invited to the supper will include the bride and other believers who are not members of the church. These would be Tribulation martyrs and believers who will live through the Tribulation and enter the Millennium alive (cf. 12:13-17; 20:4-5; Matt. 22:11-14; 25:1-13). They may also include Old Testament saints who will experience resurrection at the beginning of the Millennium (cf. Isa. 26:19; Dan. 12:2).
The angel concluded with the final sentence, "These are true words of God"(cf. 22:6, 8-9). He could have been referring to what we read in the first part of this verse.638However since this statement concludes all that this angel had revealed since 17:1, it seems better to take it as referring to all the intervening revelation.639
19:10 The wonder of this revelation and the certainty of its fulfillment seem to have overwhelmed John. He fell down to worship the angel because the angel had revealed these things to him (cf. 1:17; Acts 10:25). This was not proper, as the angel explained (cf. 22:9). Human beings should never worship angels (Col. 2:18).640The angel described himself as a fellow-servant of God with John (cf. Heb. 1:14). Angels, like humans, can only bear witness to the testimony borne by Jesus (cf. 1:2, 9; 6:9; 12:17; 20:4; 22:9, 20).
Therefore the angel directed John to worship God (cf. 22:9; John 4:21-24). To emphasize the centrality of Jesus Christ in this testimony and to encourage worship of God, the angel said that the spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus. The last clause of the verse ("for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy") is capable of various interpretations. Some take the genative "of Jesus"as objective, which yields two possible understandings. Perhaps the angel meant that testimony about Jesus is the common substance of all prophecy, that all prophecy ultimately reveals Him.641Alternatively the angel could have meant that the true spirit of prophecy always manifests itself in bearing witness to Jesus; prophecy that does not bear witness to Him is false prophecy.642If the genative is subjective, the angel meant that the testimony that Jesus has given is the essence of prophetic proclamation.643This last view seems preferable since it affords the best explanation of why John should not worship the angel: Jesus is the source of revelation, and angels just communicate it. Moreover the phrase "of Jesus"in the preceding clause also seems to be subjective.
