Bible Commentaries

The apostle hears the multitude of the heavenly hosts rejoicing over the fall of Babylon, and sees the bride, the Lamb’s wife, arrayed in white linen, ready for the consummation of her marriage to her Lord. After this he has another vision, of the final conflict between Christ and the powers of darkness, which ends in their utter overthrow and the ushering in of the age of millennial peace and glory.

Alleluia; in Hebrew, hallelujah; meaning, praise ye the Lord.

For ever and ever; expressive of the perpetuity of her torment.

Amen; Alleluia; be it so, praise ye the Lord; showing their hearty acquiescence in the infliction of his judgments.

Hearty acquiescence in all the dealings of God is the duty of all creatures, and the delight of all the holy.

The marriage of the Lamb; the church has been from the first espoused to Christ as a chaste virgin, but now he takes her into full union with himself, and thus gives her rest from all her conflicts and sufferings.

His wife; representing the multitude of his faithful followers. She appears as a bride arrayed in pure and white linen, in contrast with the filthy harlot of Rome described in chap Revelation 17:1-18.

Is the righteousness of saints; representing their righteousness.

They which are called unto the marriage-supper; as the bride represents the faithful people of God taken as a whole, so they which are called to the marriage-supper represent the faithful servants of Christ considered individually.

Do it not; no creature is to be worshipped.

And of thy brethren; that is, and the fellow-servant of thy brethren.

Worship God; and him only shalt thou serve. Matthew 4:10.

The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy; the grand scope and end of the spirit of prophecy is to bear witness concerning Jesus. With this spirit John was endowed as well as the angel. They were in this respect alike; one therefore was not to worship the other, for they were fellow-servants-each by prophecy making known the testimony of Christ. As no creature in heaven or on earth is to be worshipped, as men are commanded to worship God only, and as both men and angels do worship Christ, and that in obedience to divine command, it is certain that he is God. John 1:1; Hebrews 1:6; Revelation 5:13.

Heaven opened; in token of still further communications which were to be made of the purposes of Christ. The final conflict here described seems to be identical with "the battle of that great day of God Almighty," chap Revelation 16:14. There the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet gather their hosts into the valley of Armageddon. Here the beast and the false prophet are taken and cast into the lake of fire; and then, chap Revelation 20:1-3, the dragon, who had instigated this war against Christ, is bound and cast into the bottomless pit for a thousand years. There also, as here, the conflict is immediately followed by the complete triumph of Christ and his reign over men. Compare chap Revelation 16:17; with chap Revelation 20:1-3.

A white horse; here, as in chap Revelation 6:2, the symbol of victory over his foes.

Faithful and True; he is Jesus Christ, "the faithful and true Witness." Chap Revelation 3:14.

He doth judge and make war; compare Isaiah 11:3-4, where the same attributes and works are ascribed to the Messiah.

That no man knew, but he himself; the apostle saw in vision the name, but no one save its divine bearer could know it. The meaning, according to some, is, that it was a secret inscription which Christ only could read. Others suppose it to be the name given in verse Revelation 19:13 -"The Word of God"-which might be read outwardly, while no one but Christ could comprehend its meaning, since the name contains the deep mystery of his nature and office.

He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood; compare Isaiah 63:1-3, and notes.

His name is-The Word of God; applied here, as in John 1:1, to the second person of the god-head.

The armies which were in heaven; representing the multitude of Christ’s redeemed followers.

Out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword; see note to chap Revelation 1:16.

He treadeth the wine-press; for the symbol of treading the wine-press, see note to chap Revelation 14:19-20; Isaiah 66:3.

King of kings, and Lord of lords; indicating his universal and supreme dominion. The supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ, and his determination to crush his enemies and save his friends, are most clearly revealed in the Bible; and in his manifestations of himself, all will see that he is a just God and an almighty Saviour.

The supper of the great God; which the great God prepares for you; representing the immense destruction of his enemies, on the flesh of whom the fowls of heaven were invited to feed. The imagery is taken from Ezekiel 39:17-20, where God invites all the feathered fowl and wild beasts to come to the table which he has provided for them.

The beast; the first beast, described in chap Revelation 13:1.

The false prophet; the same as the second beast, chap Revelation 13:11.

The remnant; of the armies that followed them, verse Revelation 19:19.