Heaven and Earth Rejoice (Rev. 19:1-10)

The first ten verses of chapter 19 are a stark contrast to the previous chapter. Chapter 18 was more like a funeral dirge for Babylon the Great, as the kings and merchants of the earth mourn the loss of their wealth and pleasure; chapter 19:1-10, on the other hand, is filled with exuberant praise over her fall. The reasons given for this joy are twofold: 1) The manifestation of God’s glory in the earth, as He judges all evil and avenges the blood of His martyred saints; and 2) the sight of the consummation of Christ’s union with His bride- “the marriage supper of the Lamb.” This scene of God’s sovereign reign over the earth and of Christ receiving His bride is so breathtaking and incredible, that John can’t help but fall down on his face to worship. Words cannot describe the scene, as the host of heaven joins with the saints on earth, all crying out: “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns” (Rev 19:6); and Rev 11:15-17 adds: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” John said the voice of this great multitude was “like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder.” This vision ends with the angel telling John to: “Write this: 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” (Rev 19:9).In a world that is upside down, this passage gives us great hope, because we know how things are going to end. God will bring an end to all evil and vindicate his righteous saints; and Christ will come back for His bride, and we will forever be with the Lord. Therefore, in the same way that the host of heaven looked forward to that day with joy and anticipation, we too can sing with confident assurance of our victory in Christ, because these are the true words of God. Hallelujah!