Revelation 19—The Two Suppers

Revelation 19—The Two Suppers

Ronda

Principles of Interpretation: There are patterns to Revelation which should be considered when trying to understand it. One pattern is that each new section is introduced by a scene from the temple. There is significance to these introductions. Do not ignore them. They are a key to understanding the section. Another pattern is that the book is written in symbolic language. The King James Version translates verse 1 as “he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:” To signify is to show in signs, i.e., symbols. Those symbols are based in the rest of the Bible, both Old and New Testament. As such, look to the rest of the Bible to interpret Revelation rather than using Revelation to interpret the rest of the Bible. This also means that you need to let the Bible interpret itself rather than attempting to have it fit into today’s headlines. In short, do not treat Revelation as separate from the rest of the Bible. Instead, expect that the events described in Revelation have been presented in other parts of the Bible. A third pattern in Revelation is the idea of judgement. There are courtroom scenes and wrath and complaints about God not bringing justice. In fact, humans are not the only ones under judgment. God Himself is on trial, and the repeated verdict is that God is just, holy, and worthy. From the beginning claim that this is the Revelation of Jesus to the promise in the last chapter that we shall see God’s face, Revelation is an examination of who our Creator is and whether He is worthy of our loyalty.

Disclaimer: There are four basic methodologies used to interpret the book of Revelation in modern society: futurism, historicism, idealism, and preterism. Many modern churches have embraced the idea of the secret rapture, which is a form of futurism. On the other hand, some churches say that Revelation deals solely with events that were happening in the apostolic era. This is called preterism. Other churches teach that Revelation does not describe any specific time period. Instead, the symbols are philosophical and/or spiritual ideas. The series of studies that I am posting is based on historicism, which says that the Bible teaches that Revelation begins with the time of John and describes the interactions of the church with a hostile world throughout history culminating in the final future eradication of sin from the universe. This view denies a secret rapture. I do not want you to be in confusion about the basic premises of this series of lessons. If you disagree with the historicist viewpoint, please study for yourself to be certain that the interpretations that you have been told by others and simply accepted make sense with the whole Bible. As you study, first ask for guidance from the Holy Spirit; then study the verses, and let the Bible interpret itself. Even if you disagree with my comments, you may find the verses and background information that I provide useful. Finally, I want to emphasize that I myself am still studying Revelation and my understanding is deepening each time I open the book and read. Revelation is a distillation of the whole Bible; as such, the limited space of this blog and my limited understanding means that these lessons are not nearly as in-depth as they could (and maybe should) be.

References: See the end of this post for sources and references.

Introduction:  “Revelation 19:1-10 functions as an interlude between the description of Babylon’s judgement (Rev. 17-18) and the conclusion of the battle of Armageddon (19:11-21)” (Plain Revelation).  It is also the story of two suppers.  The first half speaks of the marriage supper of the Lamb.  The last part is the Great Supper of God.

Revelation 19:1-3

  • This verse is a reference to the destruction of Babylon prophecy in Jeremiah 51:48-49.  Although Jeremiah was speaking of literal Babylon, but Revelation gives it a broader fulfillment.  (48)  Then the heavens and the earth, and all that is in them, shall sing for joy over Babylon, for the destroyers shall come against them out of the north, declares the LORD.  (49)  Babylon must fall for the slain of Israel, just as for Babylon have fallen the slain of all the earth.
  • Luke 18:7-8 promises that God will ultimately intervene to rule against the persecutors of His people.  Jesus seems to say that this justice will occur when He returns.  (7)  And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?  (8)  I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
    • This almost seems like Jesus is sadly commenting on how few He will be able to save.  Let’s hope that the answer to His question will be a resounding “YES!”
  • Revelation 14:11 speaks of the destruction of individuals with the mark of the Beast, but Revelation 19 is speaking of the destruction of the whole system.  The last verse of chapter 18 says that all the death of God’s people and in fact the deaths of all people were found in Babylon.  Thus, Babylon is more than just an end-time alliance of church and state.  It is Satan’s kingdom.  The people here are rejoicing because death and pain are finished.  I am sure the angels of heaven are just as ready for this conflict to end as we are here on earth.  We will rejoice when God puts our world out of its misery.
  • In Daniel 7:26-27, we see another view of this same situation.  This passage explains why the people of God rejoice.  (26)  But the court shall sit in judgment, and his dominion shall be taken away, to be consumed and destroyed to the end.  (27)  And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.’
  • There is a reason why John uses the imagery of smoke going up forever.  It reminds the reader of another kingdom that was destroyed and never rose again.  This is a way to speak of ultimate end figuratively.  Edom is not still burning today, and the prostitute will not be burning eternally.  Isaiah 34:8-10  (8)  For the LORD has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion.  (9)  And the streams of Edom shall be turned into pitch, and her soil into sulfur; her land shall become burning pitch.  (10)  Night and day it shall not be quenched; its smoke shall go up forever. From generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it forever and ever.
  • The smoke goes on forever and ever means that we will always have the example of all that went wrong on our planet to remind us that God’s way of self-giving love is superior to grasping for our own desires.  It is a monument to the results of sin.  Sin will arise no more.

Revelation 19:4-6

  • Voice from the throne—This is either God Himself or someone who speaks for God
    • The command is given for everyone to praise God.  Not everyone praises God now, but the day will come when everyone praises God.
  • The image begins with a great multitude shouting out praise for God because of the judgment of the great harlot.  Then a sub-group of twenty-four and four shout out “Amen.  Hallelujah!” in agreement.  Then from the throne itself there is a cry for praise.  Then a great multitude shouts out their allegiance.  “the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.”
  • The call is for God’s servants to praise Him.  The answer is from a great multitude that is so loud that it sounds like thunder or the roar of a waterfall.  That is a lot of people.

Revelation 19:7-9

  • Then the multitude goes on to say how excited they are because it is time for the marriage of the Bride and Lamb.
  • The Bride has made herself ready
    • In the Old Testament, the Bride is Israel, which was both a kingdom and a people.  Hosea 2:14-23  (14)  “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.  (15)  And there I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth, as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.  (16)  “And in that day, declares the LORD, you will call me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal.’  (17)  For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be remembered by name no more.  (18)  And I will make for them a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety.  (19)  And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy.  (20)  I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the LORD.  (21)  “And in that day I will answer, declares the LORD, I will answer the heavens, and they shall answer the earth, (22)  and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil, and they shall answer Jezreel, (23)  and I will sow her for myself in the land. And I will have mercy on No Mercy, and I will say to Not My People, ‘You are my people’; and he shall say, ‘You are my God.’”
    • In the New Testament, the bride is the church.  2 Corinthians 11:1-2  (1)  I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me!  (2)  For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
    • In a little while, we will also see another aspect of the bride, but let’s look at something else first.
  • The Bride is clothed in fine linen that is bright and pure
    • We are told that the linen is the righteous deeds of the saints
    • The church is ready, but we are told that there was a time when she was not clothed in pure linen.   Revelation 3:17-18  (17)  For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.  (18)  I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.
    • Evidently, many of the Laodiceans did buy gold and white garments and salve from Jesus.
  • We are told that the Bride is the New Jerusalem.
    • Revelation 21:2  (2)  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
    • Compare this with the seventh trumpet:  Revelation 11:15  (15)  Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”
    • Jerusalem is the capital city of the New Earth.  Thus, it represents the kingdom of this world.
    • City and Bride are metaphors for the people of God, i.e. Israel/the church
  • In a wedding, two separate people become one unit. 
    • Ephesians 5:31  (31)  “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”
    • The marriage ceremony is the coronation of Jesus as the King of Earth in every way.  At the cross, Jesus earned the right to be our king, but Satan was still in possession.  However, when the last choice for or against Jesus had been made, the kingdom was ready to be united with the king to nevermore be separated.
  • Blessed to be invited—As a group, we are the bride.  As individuals, we are the guests at the wedding.
    • Matthew 25:1-13  (1)  “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.  (2)  Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.  (3)  For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, (4)  but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.  (5)  As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.  (6)  But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’  (7)  Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.  (8)  And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’  (9)  But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’  (10)  And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.  (11)  Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’  (12)  But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’  (13)  Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
    • There is going to be a wedding when Jesus becomes the official King of this world.  We are invited to be part of that wedding.  We are ready and waiting for the big procession that will come and carry us to the wedding supper.  We must not get complacent or assume that the procession will not come.  Like the virgins in Jesus’ parable, we must have oil in our lamps when we realize that the time has come to accompany the bridegroom to the wedding.
    • I have found understanding for some of this in my experience of Arab weddings, which are different from western weddings.  When two people get married in the U.S., lots of people attend the ceremony.  Some will attend the reception also, but to us the ceremony is the big event that we need to attend.  In the Middle East, the actual wedding is a private ceremony in the home of the bride, but they do not sleep together at this time, so it is essentially a betrothal.  The dowry is promised at this time in a legal contract.  Usually, a dowry of gold jewelry is paid at this time.  Sometime later (it could be as much as a year later), there is a big party where everyone comes and eats and dances and celebrates that the two are married.  It is not until the party that the two are considered to be totally married, even though there is no religious ceremony at this time.  In ancient Israel, a couple was betrothed, and this was considered as binding as a wedding, but they did not sleep together yet.  This is why Joseph was thinking about divorcing Mary rather than just breaking an engagement.  The betrothed man would go a prepare a place (John 14:1-3).  Then he would return with a big procession (which traditional Arab ceremonies still do today) and come to the bride’s house to take her back to her new home.  There was a big party.  It was at that point that they were considered to be truly married.
  • The Marriage Supper:  Communion is not just a symbol of Jesus’ sacrifice.  It is also a symbol of the marriage supper.  In other words, Communion points to the betrothal, the payment of the dowry on the cross, and to the actual wedding.  Matthew 26:26-29  (26)  Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”  (27)  And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, (28)  for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (29)  I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
  • It is important to remember that this passage is just the invitation to the wedding.  The wedding will not actually take place until Revelation 21.

Revelation 19:10

  • Revelation 1:1-3  (1)  The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, (2)  who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.  (3)  Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
  • Revelation 12:17  (17)  Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.
  • The above verses equate the testimony of Jesus with the spirit of prophecy
  • What does that mean?  Why would Jesus be giving testimony?  How is prophecy a witness?  Jesus speaks through His prophets.  His words are His witness/testimony.  We have seen throughout Revelation the theme of a court case.  God is on trial.  The universe has declared Him worthy, but the earth must bring a verdict in favor of God also.  The prophets/God’s word give testimony to His worthiness, especially as found in Jesus.

Revelation 19:11-12

  • The groom is ready.  He is coming for His bride in a great procession.
  • He has received His kingdom.  Now, He is riding out to rescue His bride from the hands of the enemy, who has been holding her captive.  This is a warrior riding out to conquer, but it is also a bridegroom riding out to gather His beloved.
  • This answers the question in Revelation 13:4  (4)  And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”
    • There were those who worshipped the beast because they thought that it was the best there was. They asked, “Who is like the beast?” as if no one could come close to the greatness of the beast.  Now, we see that he is not the greatest or the highest or the top of anything.  Jesus is the best.
    • There were some who worshipped the beast because they did not believe that they had any other option.  They did not trust Jesus to be strong enough to fight for them.  They had no faith in God’s love, only Satan’s power.  This answers the question:  Who can fight against the beast?
  • Description of Jesus
    • Revelation 1:13-16  (13)  and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest.  (14)  The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire,  (15)  his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters.  (16)  In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
    • Eyes like a flame of fire—Jesus will judge.  Nothing will be hidden from His penetrating gaze.
    • Many diadems—
      • The crown in Revelation 6 is a victor’s crown in a competition.  Revelation 6:2  (2)  And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.
      • The crowns in Revelation 19 are royal crowns of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
    • No one knows His name but Himself
      • Names symbolize character or who someone is.
      • Just as we will sing a song that no one else in heaven can sing because of our unique experience.  Jesus is unique in the whole universe.  He is wholly man, and He is wholly God.  He is sinless and yet He became sin.  He was dead with the second death, yet He is alive.  There are aspects of who Jesus is that we can never understand.

Revelation 19:13-16

  • Dipped in blood—Is it the blood of His enemies or His own blood or someone else’s blood?  This is before the battle, so one possibility is that this is the blood of the martyrs that Jesus is coming to avenge.  The ones who cried out from under the altar.
  • Word of God— John 1:1-5  (1)  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  (2)  He was in the beginning with God.  (3)  All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.  (4)  In him was life, and the life was the light of men.  (5)  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
  • Armies in white—There are some questions that I still have.  Here are my thoughts:
    • Are they angels?  We know that Jesus will come with His angels.
    • Are they human? 
      • Clothed in white linen is a symbol of people clothed in Christ’s righteousness. 
      • Who is fighting the battle of Armageddon?  Jesus and the saints. 
      • Even though we are here, we are also in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:4-6  (4)  But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,  (5)  even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—(6)  and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
      • This contrasts with those with the mark of the beast who are referred to as “those who dwell upon the earth” in multiple places (Rev. 6:10, 8:13, 11:10, 13:8, and 14:6).  Revelation 6:10  (10)  They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
  • Jesus’ weapons
    • Sharp sword from mouth—smite the nations—Jesus’ words will not be words of mercy.  They will be words of death. 2 Thessalonians 2:8  (8)  And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.
    • Rule with a rod of iron—the rod is His scepter.  It is the tool of a shepherd.  It is iron, so it will not break.  His people will be protected.
    • This is a reference to Isaiah 11:4  (4)  but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
  • Winepress/wrath—We have read about the wicked going into the winepress in other chapters.
  • One evidence that the Battle of Armageddon is symbolic is the way that Jesus’ wins.  There is a sword in His mouth.  This is obviously symbolic.  He is treading a winepress—again symbolic.  With all of these symbols, it makes no sense to insist on a war between armies in the Middle East.
  • King of kings/Lord of lords on robe and thigh—parallels Revelation 17:14  (14)  They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.” 
    • The significance is that the war began in Revelation 17 is being finished in Revelation 19.
    • Philippians 2:9-11  (9)  Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, (10)  so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, (11)  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Revelation 19:17-21

  • The Great supper is for the carrion birds. They will eat kings/captains/mighty men/horses and riders/all men—free and slave or great and small
    • Before modern times, this would have been a familiar picture.  The dead on the battlefield would have lain where they fell in battle and not been collected right away, so carrion eaters would have gathered and feasted on flesh.
    • The point here is that the mighty fighters of the world are dead meat even before the army of heaven enters the battle.  They have already lost.
    • This passage refers us back to Ezekiel 39 where the leader who is called Gog and the city called Magog are prophesied with destruction.  There is a whole scene of carrion birds similar to the Revelation description, especially verses 17-21.
  • Verse 18 refers to people of all levels.  This detail is an allusion to Revelation 6:15-17 (15)  Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, (16)  calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, (17)  for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”
    • The parallels between the sixth seal of Revelation 6 and the Battle in Revelation 19 show that this battle is part of Jesus’ Second Coming.
  • Now the scene of the battle is pictured.  The political powers and the beast are advancing against seemingly weak people, but these bullies do not know that those helpless people are backed up by a mighty army.  Jesus captures the beast and the false prophet (the sea beast and the earth beast) and throws them into the lake of fire.  The rest of the people are killed by the word of Jesus.  In other words, the false systems are gone for good.  The wicked dead will still play a part later.
  • This is in the context of Revelation 16:13-16  (13)  And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. (14)  For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.  (15)  (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”)  (16)  And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
  • Of the unholy false trinity, there is only one left—the dragon.  Revelation 20 will speak of his fate.

Summary: In order to have a marriage supper with the Lamb, there must first be a rescue of the bride.  Jesus comes to take His people home, but He must destroy the threats to them in the process.  The dead will cover the face of the earth just as in a battlefield of old.  We will not remain to see it.  We will be with our Beloved returning to the home that He has prepared for us.  I pray that the Bridegroom returns quickly and that we are all ready for Him.

References:

  • Andrews Study Bible–In some lessons, I refer to study comments from this Bible.
  • God Cares: The Message of Revelation for You and Your Family-A book by C. Mervyn Maxwell that examines how the prophecies of Revelation relate to an individual’s life.
  • Plain Revelation–A book by Ranko Stefanovic that summarizes the meaning of various sections of Revelation
  • Revelation of Jesus Christ–A book by Ranko Stefonovic that comments on each verse of Revelation.
  • Salvation in Signs and Symbols–a series of shows where two pastors and two others study through the books of Revelation and Daniel. These programs can be accessed at 3abnplus.tv . Scroll down to 3ABN Dare to Dream Network and choose Salvation in Signs and Symbols from the list there.
  • Seventh-Day Adventist Bible Commentary (Volume 7) (Copywrite 1957)–This is the old green set of commentaries, not the new commentary series that is in the process of being published and should be released after 2022. (Boy, I would love to get my hands on that set when it comes out!)
  • Table Talk–A series of shows where four pastors discuss various topics. These programs can be accessed at tabletalk.online . Season 4 focuses on Revelation.
  • Unlocking Revelation–A series of pamphlets that can be downloaded for free from lightbearers.org and clicking on Resources