Revelation 19

The Voice

19 The scene changed. After this, I heard the great sound of a multitude echoing in heaven.

Multitude: Praise the Lord!
    Salvation and glory and power truly belong to our God,
²        for true and just are His judgments.
    He has judged the great whore
        who polluted the entire earth with her sexual immorality,
    And He has vindicated the blood of His servants, which she shed.

³Again praise spilled from heaven.

Multitude: Praise the Lord!
The smoke rises up from her ruins forever and ever.

⁴And the twenty-four elders and four living creatures fell on their faces and worshiped God who reigns on the throne.

Four Living Creatures and 24 Elders: Amen, Praise the Lord!

⁵A Voice from the Throne: Give praise to our God,
        all of you, God’s servants,
    All who reverence Him,
        small and great.

⁶And I heard what seemed to be an immense crowd speaking with one voice—it was like the sound of a roaring waterfall, like the sound of clashing thunder.

Multitude (in unison): Praise the Lord!
    For the Lord our God,
        the All Powerful, reigns supreme.
⁷    Now is the time for joy and happiness.
        He deserves all the glory we can give Him.
    For the wedding feast has begun; the marriage of the Lamb to His bride has commenced,
        and His bride has prepared herself for this glorious day.

The church that suffered and remained pure is now prepared for a time of glorious celebration. As Israel has been the bride of God, now the church—the bride of the Anointed One—will be intimately united with the Lamb. God and His people are about to become one. The marriage feast has been arranged at great expense, and the festivities are about to begin. But before the wedding, some things need to be put in order.

⁸    She had been given the finest linens to wear,
        linens bright and pure,
        woven from the righteous deeds of the saints.

Guide: ⁹Write this down: “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage feast of the Lamb.” What I am telling you are the true words of God.

¹⁰At that, I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he refused my praise.

Guide: Stop it. Don’t you see? I am a servant like you and your brothers and sisters, all who hold fast to the testimony of Jesus. Address your worship to God, not to me! For the testimony about Jesus is essentially the prophetic spirit.

¹¹I looked up and saw that heaven had opened. Suddenly, a white horse appeared. Its rider is called Faithful and True, and with righteousness He exercises judgment and wages war. ¹²His eyes burn like a flaming fire, and on His head are many crowns. His name was written before the creation of the world, and no one knew it except He Himself. ¹³He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name He was known by is The Word of God. ¹⁴And the armies of heaven, outfitted in fine linen, white and pure, were following behind Him on white steeds. ¹⁵From His mouth darts a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He will rule over them with a scepter made of iron. He will trample the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God, the All Powerful. ¹⁶And there on His robe and on His thigh was written His name: King of kings and Lord of lords.

¹⁷Then I looked up and saw a messenger standing in the sun; and with a loud voice, he called to all the birds that fly through midheaven.

Heavenly Messenger: Come. Gather for the great feast God is preparing for you ¹⁸where you will feast on the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of the rich and powerful, the flesh of horses and their riders—all flesh—both free and slave, both small and great.

¹⁹I looked down, and I saw the beast I had seen earlier and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered together to wage war against the One riding the white horse and His heavenly army. ²⁰The beast was soon captured along with the false prophet, the earth-beast I had seen earlier who performed signs to deceive those who had agreed to receive the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its detestable image. Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. ²¹And all who remained met death at the blade of the sword that proceeded from the mouth of the One riding on the white horse. All the birds feasted fully on their flesh.