Revelation 19

Revelation 19 is the nineteenth of the twenty-two chapters of the Book of Revelation. Heaven responds with praise to the fall of the great whore, Babylon, described in chapters 17–18, and the rider on the white horse then defeats the armies of the beast. The book's concluding section (chapters 20–22) begins after this chapter.

Outline

• Verses 1–5 A great multitude in heaven praises God with "Alleluia" for judging the great whore. The twenty-four elders and the four beasts fall down and worship, saying, "Amen; Alleluia."
• Verses 6–10 The multitude praises the reign of the Almighty and proclaims that the marriage of the Lamb has come. The bride is clothed in fine linen, which represents the righteousness of the saints. When John attempts to worship an angel, the angel stops him, declaring that he is a fellow servant, and tells him to worship God alone.
• Verses 11–16 Heaven opens, and a rider on a white horse, called "Faithful and True" and "The Word of God," comes forth leading the armies of heaven. On his vesture and on his thigh is written "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."
• Verses 17–21 An angel standing in the sun summons the birds to "the supper of the great God." The beast and the kings of the earth make war, but the beast and the false prophet are cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. The rest are slain by the sword that proceeds out of the rider's mouth.

Key Verses

• Revelation 19:6 "Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth." The praise that runs through the chapter reaches its climax in this proclamation.
• Revelation 19:13 "And his name is called The Word of God." This connects with John 1, which calls Christ the Word (Logos).
• Revelation 19:16 "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." This title, expressing Christ's sovereignty, is widely quoted.

People and Places

• John: the narrator who sees and records the vision.
• The twenty-four elders and the four beasts: beings who worship before the throne in heaven.
• The great whore: a symbol referring to Babylon in chapters 17–18.
• The rider on the white horse: on the basis of the names and titles given to him, most interpreters identify him as Jesus Christ.
• The beast and the false prophet: commonly understood as the two beasts of chapter 13, the powers that caused people to receive the mark of the beast and deceived them into idolatry.

Interpretive Considerations

• Verses 11–21 are commonly read as a depiction of Christ's Second Coming. However, their sequence in relation to chapter 20 is understood differently depending on one's view of the millennium. Premillennialism holds that the millennium follows the Second Coming described in chapter 19. Amillennialism regards chapter 20 as a recapitulation of the entire church age and therefore does not read it as following chapter 19 chronologically. Dispensationalism sometimes explains the marriage supper as an event enjoyed in heaven by the raptured church.
• Interpretive traditions also differ on the identity of the beast. Some see it as a specific power of the past, others as the future Antichrist, and still others as a symbol of the evil powers of every age. The text itself does not identify it.
• Opinions are also divided over whether the blood on the "vesture dipped in blood" in verse 13 is Christ's own blood or that of his enemies.
• The rod of iron in verse 15 draws on the language of Psalm 2:9, and the great supper in verses 17–18 draws on Ezekiel 39:17–20. This chapter is the only place in the New Testament where "hallelujah" appears.

In the Korean Church

The "Hallelujah" chorus from Handel's Messiah takes its text from verses 6 and 16 of this chapter, among other passages. The piece is frequently performed by church choirs around Christmas.