Revelation 19:21 Komentár

In this chapter we have, I. A further account of the triumphant song of angels and saints for the fall of Babylon (Rev 19:1-4). II. The marriage between Christ and the church proclaimed and perfected (Rev 19:5-10). III. Another warlike expedition of the glorious head and husband of the church, with the success of it (Rev 19:10, etc.).

INTRODUCTION TO REVELATION 19 This chapter contains the triumph of the saints over Babylon, and their thanksgiving to God because of his judgments on her; the marriage of Christ and his church, and a battle between him and his and her enemies, with the success of it. The congratulations are first of a promiscuous multitude in the church, ascribing salvation, praise, honour, glory, and power to God, because of the righteousness of his judgments, and because of the perpetuity of them, Rev 19:1 and then of the four and twenty elders and four living creatures, who worship God, assent to what had been before said, and join in praising the Lord, Rev 19:4 and then another voice out of the throne is heard, calling upon all the servants of the Lord, and those that fear him, whether small or great, to praise our God, Rev 19:5 after which is heard the voice of a great multitude, stirring up one another to praise, because of the reign of the Lord God Almighty, and to rejoice and be glad because the time of the Lamb's marriage with his bride was come; who is described by her dress, the righteousness of the saints, comparable to fine linen, clean and white, Rev 19:6 upon which an angel bids John write those persons happy who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb, and affirms these to be the true sayings of God; wherefore John, in a transport of joy, was just going to worship the angel, had he not been forbidden by him; from which he dissuades him, by observing that he was his fellow servant, that God only is the object of worship, and that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy, Rev 19:9 next follows a vision of a battle between Christ and his enemies; and first he the General is described, by the horse he sat upon, a white one; by the characters he bears, faithful and true; by what he did, judging and making war in righteousness; by his eyes, which were as a flame of fire; by his having many crowns on his head; by having a name, or names unknown, and particularly one, which is the Word of God; by his habit, a vesture dipped in blood; by the armies he was at the head of, riding on white horses, and clothed in fine linen; by a sharp sword coming out of his mouth, with which he should utterly destroy the nations; and by having a name on his vesture and thigh, King of kings, and Lord of lords, Rev 19:11 upon which an angel is seen standing in the sun, and calling to all the fowls of the heaven to come to the supper of the great God, and to eat the flesh of kings, captains, mighty men, horses and horsemen, of all ranks, and degrees, Rev 19:17 and next an account is given of the armies of the beast, and of the kings of the earth, that came to make war with the above warrior, Rev 19:19 the issue and success of which follow; the beast and false prophet are taken, and cast alive into a lake of fire and brimstone; and the rest are killed by the sword of the above General, and the fowls have a feast of their flesh, Rev 19:20.

And the remnant were slain,.... Not only the kings of the earth, and their armies, that will now be gathered together, but all the remains of Papists, Pagans, and Mahometans, in the several parts of the world, even all the enemies of Christ: these will be slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse; upon the white horse, as the Ethiopic version reads; the Arabic version reads, that sat upon the throne, which sword proceedeth out of his mouth, Rev 19:15 and is the word of God, or the judiciary sentence of Christ according to it; and the meaning is, either that these shall be subdued, conquered, and converted by the word; and so are fitly called a "remnant", a remnant according to the election of grace among the antichristian party; and which sense agrees with Rev 11:13 or else that they will be convicted and confounded, and not be able to stand against the light and evidence of the word of God, and will be sentenced by Christ to everlasting punishment; and it may be partly one, and partly the other. And all the fowls were filled with their flesh; all the Christian princes and people will be satisfied with their kingdoms, riches, and wealth, and will rejoice at their destruction, and in the righteousness of God, which will be displayed in it; and now the world being clear of all Christ's enemies, Pagan, Papal, and Mahometan, the way will be prepared for Christ's open and glorious kingdom in it. Next: Revelation Chapter 20

Having begun once to speak about the judgment which he will give to the Devil, guarding the continuity of the discourse, he also recounts what he suffered in the incarnation of the Lord; and taking this as his theme, he speaks more at length about the Lord's presence in the flesh.

“The beast was captured and with him the false prophet.” This refers to the devil and the antichrist or the leaders and their entire following.… There are two, the head and the body, the devil and his society … which shall continue until the end of time. “The rest were slain by the sword … which issues from his mouth.” It divides the one body into parts, wishing to show both those who have been dead a long time and those whom Christ will find living at his second coming, as we read, “whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the brightness of his coming.”

“And all the birds were gorged with their flesh.” We ought not think of this in a carnal manner so that we believe that the saints, who seek higher things, are sated on the flesh of the impious. Rather, when the equity of the divine judgment has been revealed, through which [God] will determine the full number of the elect and so decree that the others are to be damned, [the saints] are said to be sated with the knowledge of that righteousness after which they hungered and thirsted in this life but were unable to comprehend perfectly. For even Isaiah said of the impious, “And they shall be a complete spectacle to all flesh.” I think it is the satiety of the birds that is mentioned in this passage. Also the apostle admits that he has not yet understood perfectly when he says, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I press on so that I might understand because I have been known by Christ.” And so, they shall not rejoice at the damnation of the wicked, but sated by the light of the divine righteousness, they will at that time rejoice. One might interpret the birds in a negative way and regard them as the transgressing angels. Having led their followers into destruction, these angels are said to have fulfilled their evil desire and to be filled on the flesh of the lost. Thus, they acquire their satiety from the damnation of those to whom they had offered themselves as guides to error.

All who have believed [the beast] will be killed by the judgment of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the breath of his mouth, and their flesh will be put out for the birds of the air and for the beasts of the earth.

There are two deaths, the first that of the separation of the soul and body, and the second that of being sent to Gehenna. Concerning those who ally themselves with the antichrist, there is reason to think that they will suffer the first death, that of the flesh, by the sword of God, that is, by his command, and that then the second death will follow. However, should this not be the case, then they will share with those who deceived them the second death, that of eternal torment. The birds are gorged on their flesh. To this we might add, that just as God spoke to some through Isaiah, “You have become loathsome to me,” so every fleshly deed is tiresome, grievous and loathsome to the saints.

And all the birds were filled with their flesh. If now the righteous will rejoice when they see the vengeance of the wicked, how much more will they then, when present with the judge himself, become one spirit with Him. However, the birds can also be understood as unclean spirits, who will be satiated with the destruction of their own. Tyconius explains this supper as follows: “At all times, the Church eats the flesh of its enemies, while it is being eaten by them; it will be satiated in the resurrection, being vindicated from their carnal work.”

The whole heavenly host give glory to God, because he has judged the great whore, and avenged the blood of his saints, Rev 19:1-6. The marriage of the Lamb and his bride, Rev 19:7-9. John offers to worship the angel, but is prevented, Rev 19:10. Heaven is opened, and Jesus the Word of God appears on a white horse; he and his armies described, Rev 19:11-16. An angel in the sun invites all the fowls of heaven to come to the supper of the great God, Rev 19:17, Rev 19:18. The beast, the false prophet, and the kings of the earth, gather together to make war with him who sits on the white horse; but they are all discomfited, and utterly destroyed, Rev 19:19-21.

With the sword of him that sat upon the horse - He who sat on the white horse is Christ; and his sword is his word - the unadulterated Gospel.

THE CHURCH'S THANKSGIVING IN HEAVEN FOR THE JUDGMENT ON THE HARLOT. THE MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB: THE SUPPER: THE BRIDE'S PREPARATION: JOHN IS FORBIDDEN TO WORSHIP THE ANGEL: THE LORD AND HIS HOSTS COME FORTH FOR WAR: THE BEAST AND THE FALSE PROPHET CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE: THE KINGS AND THEIR FOLLOWERS SLAIN BY THE SWORD OUT OF CHRIST'S MOUTH. (Rev. 19:1-21) As in the case of the opening of the prophecy, Rev 4:8; Rev 5:9, &c.; so now, at one of the great closing events seen in vision, the judgment on the harlot (described in Rev. 18:1-24), there is a song of praise in heaven to God: compare Rev 7:10, &c., toward the close of the seals, and Rev 11:15-18, at the close of the trumpets: Rev 15:3, at the saints' victory over the beast. And--so ANDREAS. But A, B, C, Vulgate, Syriac, and Coptic omit. a great voice--A, B, C, Vulgate, Coptic, and ANDREAS read, "as it were a great voice." What a contrast to the lamentations Rev. 18:1-24! Compare Jer 51:48. The great manifestation of God's power in destroying Babylon calls forth a great voice of praise in heaven. people--Greek, "multitude." Alleluia--Hebrew, "Praise ye JAH," or JEHOVAH: here first used in Revelation, whence ELLICOTT infers the Jews bear a prominent part in this thanksgiving. JAH is not a contraction of "JEHOVAH," as it sometimes occurs jointly with the latter. It means "He who Is": whereas Jehovah is "He who will be, is, and was." It implies God experienced as a PRESENT help; so that "Hallelujah," says KIMCHI in BENGEL, is found first in the Psalms on the destruction of the ungodly. "Hallelu-Jah" occurs four times in this passage. Compare Psa 149:4-9, which is plainly parallel, and indeed identical in many of the phrases, as well as the general idea. Israel, especially, will join in the Hallelujah, when "her warfare is accomplished" and her foe destroyed. Salvation, &c.--Greek, "The salvation . . . the glory . . . the power." and honour--so Coptic. But A, B, C, and Syriac omit. unto the Lord our God--so ANDREAS. But A, B, C, and Coptic read, "(Is) of our God," that is, belongs to Him.

the remnant--Greek, "the rest," that is, "the kings and their armies" (Rev 19:19) classed together in one indiscriminate mass. A solemn confirmation of the warning in Psa 2:10. Next: Revelation Chapter 20