As the judgments of God are finished, Babylon the great city is destroyed, the harvest of the fruit of the earth is done (what we call the rapture of the believers) and there is a great Hallelujah chorus in heaven. It is time for the wedding supper of the Lamb. It is time for Jesus to be seen as “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” and he takes his place as the head of the armies of heaven arrayed against the beast and his ten kings and their armies. The beast and false prophet are thrown into the lake of fire and the rest of their armies are slain. But there is one more battle. Jesus and the saints from the first resurrection rule on earth for a thousand years. Then the devil deceives the nations again raising an army and surrounding the fortified camp of the saints and the beloved city. Fire comes down from heaven to destroy his army and Satan is thrown into the lake of fire forever. And now is the great white throne judgement with Death and Hades thrown into the lake of fire with all that are not written in the Lambs book of life.
The Lord God, the All-Powerful Reigns
Revelation 19:1–6
In the previous section, Revelation 18, the kings and merchants and seaman of the world were lamenting the fall of Babylon, “never to be found again”, because “with your sorcery they deceived all the nations” and these merchants had become “the most important people of the earth” but at the cost of blood.
Now, in Revelation 19:1-3 there is “the loud sound of a great crowd in heaven saying, Hallelujah!” There is a celebration that judgement has finally come on this system that had rewarded those that oppressed and killed God’s servants. All of heaven says Hallelujah! Then in Revelation 19:4 the elders and living creatures worshiped God saying “Amen Hallelujah!” Then in Revelation 19:5 “a voice from the throne, saying “Praise our god”. Then in Revelation 19:6 “a great crowd … saying, Hallelujah! For the Lord God, the All-Powerful, reigns”.
The Wedding Celebration of the Lamb
Revelation 19:7–10
The day when we are all together comes in Revelation 19:7-9. This is the wedding supper, not just a time when we might meet or look to the future with plans about what might happen. This is the day when the marriage is sealed forever.
With Justice He Judges and Makes War
Revelation 19:11–16
Here in Revelation 19:11-16 we see the “King of Kings and Lord of Lords”, the leader of the armies of heaven. This is not the sacrificial lamb, the one that laid down his life to pay the price for our sins. This is the risen Christ, “the Word of God” whose “eyes were a flame of fire”. He it is that “stomps the winepress of the wine of the furious wrath of God” the one who is not named in Revelation 14:20.
The Great Banquet of God
Revelation 19:17–21
In Revelation 19:17-18 an angel summons “all the birds that fly directly overhead” in vs. 21 “to gorge themselves” on the defeated armies flesh. Then the armies of the beast and his ten kings array themselves against the “King of Kings”, “the one seated on the horse”. And in Revelation 19:20 “the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet … The two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulphur” and they are never to be heard from again. Then in Revelation 19:21 “the rest were killed by the sword … that comes out of his mouth”.
The Ancient Serpent Bound
Revelation 20:1–6
In Revelation 20:1-3 an angel binds the devil with a chain and locks him in “the abyss … in order that he could not deceive the nations again until the thousand years are completed”. Since the context is earthly for these actions, the angel descended, to remove the devil who had been previously thrown down to the earth, and the devil was bound in the abyss so he could not deceive the earthly nations, the thrones and authority in Revelation 20:4 must be on the earth.
Life continues on the earth for this thousand years. And those that had refused the mark of the beast and were beheaded for their refusal are raised from the dead to rule. Not everything was destroyed by the judgments. Jesus took a harvest of believers who are in heaven. The beast and his army was destroyed, Babylon the great city was destroyed, a third of the trees were destroyed, every living thing in the sea died, but not every living thing. In Revelation 20:6 “they will reign with him (Jesus Christ) a thousand years”. They will reign on the earth, where he has defeated the beast and his kings and his armies.
Fire Came Down From Heaven
Revelation 20:7–10
I don’t know why “Satan will be released from his prison” as it says in Revelation 20:7 but I trust that God is righteous and just in all of His ways. Then in Revelation 20:2 “he will go out to deceive the nations … to assemble them for battle”. And “they went up on the broad plain of the earth, in Revelation 20:9. Note that we are still in the context of the earth. And vs. 9 continues, “and surrounded the fortified camp of the saints and the beloved city”. For a thousand years, Jesus will reign with these resurrected saints in Jerusalem. But here, in vs. 9, they don’t raise a finger in defense, “fire came down from heaven and consumed them”, well, all but the devil who in Revelation 20:10 is “thrown into the lake of fire”.
A Great White Throne
Revelation 20:11–15
In Revelation 20:11 the scene shifts, we are no longer on the earth, as it says, “earth and heaven fled”. This is the end of seed, time, and harvest. This is the end of evening and morning, the sun and moon, as we know them. Then in Revelation 20:12-13 the “books were opened … and the dead were judged … according to their deeds”. Everything we do is recorded in heaven. Nothing hidden, nothing secret. And then there is
Revelation 20:14–15 (LEB) And Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
This is the end of all sin, rebellion, unrighteousness.
Study Verses
- Revelation 19:1–6
- Revelation 19:17–21
- Revelation 20:7–10
Today’s Reading
- Revelation 19:1-21
- Revelation 20:1-15