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Revelation 19:1-10 – Questions and Commentary – Marriage Supper Of The Lamb
Revelation 19:1-10 Bible Study Video
Revelation 19:1-10 Bible Study Podcast
Outline
I. Celebration For The Judgment of Babylon (1-5)
II. Marriage Supper Of The Lamb (6-10)
I. Celebration For The Judgment of Babylon (1-5)
Discussion Questions
- What transition does the phrase “after this” in verse 1 signify?
- Who is celebrating?
- What are they celebrating?
- How do they praise God?
- What can we learn from this passage about praising God?
- What do we learn about God’s judgment?
- What instruction is given to us in verse 5?
- How can you develop a lifestyle of praise?
- What are some practical ways you praise God more?
Cross-References
James 5:13 – Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.
Hebrews 13:15 – Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.
Psalm 115:1 – Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!
Acts 17:31 – Because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.
Romans 12:19 – Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
Deuteronomy 32:35 – Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.’
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. After this – This phrase signifies a transition in the book. From Revelation 6-18, we have seen the war between God and Satan. The earth and all its inhabitants are caught up in this war. It is really a war for them. Now the war and the judgments are drawing to a close. In chapters 17-18 we saw the judgment of Babylon, the one-world government and religion. Thus, the final stages of God’s plan are coming to fruition. The world is being judged and the eternal celebration is about to begin.
The phrase “after this” can give us hope. All of the horrible, earth-shattering judgments in the middle part of Revelation will finally be a thing of the past. They do not represent the final state. Though the church will be persecuted and tortured during this time period, it will pass and the church will emerge on the other side into the joy of eternity.
Application: Sometimes it seems that the trials we face will never end. Chronic pain or illness seems to go on and on. Sin causes wounds that never seem to heal. Yet this phrase “after this” gives us hope that something more and better is coming.
2. The loud voice of a great multitude in heaven – In Revelation 7:9-12 we saw God’s plan for the nations. There will be representatives from every tribe, nation, and tongue. Here we see this great multitude. Note that they are “in heaven.” The focus has shifted from the judgments that God has been executing on the world, to the scene in heaven.
Descriptions of the “great multitude” remind us that God is going to save vast numbers of people. His desire is to see huge numbers of people saved.
2 Peter 3:9 – The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
Application: The most important decision you can ever make is if you will be part of this great multitude. Will you be in heaven celebrating and cheering the Lord on? Or will yoke yourself the world and “go down with the ship?” The book of Revelation gives us a clear choice to make. It is a great blessing that we can be part of that multitude. At the same time, we should be inviting others. If you were gifted one-hundred free tickets to a great concert, you would not let them go to waste. You would invite your friends. How much more should we invite our friends to this eternal celebration?
3. Praises to the Lord – Throughout Revelation, we see that the saints will be praising God for eternity. Jesus told the woman at the well that the time will come when people will worship God in “spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24) There is no doubt that when believers are face to face with the Lord that they will worship Him in spirit and in truth. They will no longer see Him through a mirror, but will see Him as He is (1 Corinthians 13:12).
Our praise for Him will be free of distraction or distortion. It will be sincere and from the heart. It will be truth-based. And it will be worshipful. God will be worshiped in the way and form He wants to be.
Since worship in heaven is the right type of worship, it is beneficial to study it so that we can worship Him the right way now. Below we will look at several aspects of the worship we see in these verses.
A. Praise for His character (19:1) –
Revelation 19:1 – Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God.
What is praise? Some synonyms for praise include; applause, approval, commend, compliment, esteem, glorify, tribute, and recognize.
Praising God means to exalt Him by testifying of His character. When you describe a person, that description could be criticism or commendation, depending on whether the character quality described is good or bad. When I say that my friend is generous, that is commendation. But when I say that my friend is tardy, that is criticism.
God has no sin. He has no imperfections. He has no character flaws. So when we describe God’s nature, that is by definition praise, because it will always be positive. Therefore, praising God is consciously observing His character. It can include silent meditation within our own minds (which God sees), or public verbalizing.
In this verse, they ascribed certain attributes to God including; salvation, glory, and power. They named out His character qualities, touching on His mercy (in salvation), His beauty (glory), and His might (power).
Application: Some people might think that they are not good at praising God. It’s simple. Just describe His character and that is praise. As we intentionally consider His character, He is lifted up in our minds and in front of others around us.
B. Praise for His righteous judgment (19:2) – Another aspect of praise is to observe and highlight His actions.
Revelation 19:2 – For his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.
Just as describing His nature is by definition praise, so recalling His actions is also by definition praise. When I make a positive comment to my daughter that, “you finished your schoolwork quickly,” it is praise. But if I say, “you are very slow to do your homework today,” then that is criticism. Commenting on people’s actions can be positive or negative. But commenting on God’s actions is always positive, because His behavior is perfect in every way.
Application: Praise God not only for who He is, but also for what He has done!
Isaiah 12:4-5 – Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples,
proclaim that his name is exalted. “Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth.
C. Celebration that the war is won (19:3) –
Revelation 19:3 “Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.”
“Her” is a reference to Babylon. The last two chapters show her fate. God will destroy her in a “single hour.” The perpetual smoke refers to the eternal punishment of that evil kingdom’s citizens.
Babylon will be responsible for murdering many believers around the world. When justice is served, the heavenly multitude of saints will celebrate. When a righteous war is won and evil is defeated, those who love good celebrate.
D. Worship before the throne (19:4) – In verse 4, the elders and the four living creatures (who seem to be responsible for leading heavenly worship sessions) will fall down before the throne and worship God. They recognize that the victory is His.
E. Commanded to praise (19:5) – Lest there be any doubt of what God’s people should be doing, God issues a command from the throne.
It is not just the elders who should praise Him. All of His servants, great and small, are to join in the heavenly chorus, giving Him the praise He deserves. He commands it. When we try to take glory for ourselves, it is stealing, because only He is worthy to receive it. It is pride and selfishness.
When God demands it, it is holy and right because He deserves it. When we praise Him, we are fulfilling what we are designed for.
II. Marriage Supper Of The Lamb (6-10)
Discussion Questions
- Who is talking in verses 6-8?
- Describe the frame of mind in this heavenly scene.
- Why do you think the voices sounded like “many waters” and “peals of thunder?”
- What is the Marriage Supper Of The Lamb?
- Who is the Bride? Who is the Groom?
- Why is the picture of marriage used to describe the relationship of Christ and the church?
- What are the similarities of our relationship to Christ and a marriage?
What will the bride be wearing? What will that signify? - Who is invited to the Marriage Supper?
- How will they be blessed?
- What does it mean that “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy?”
- What does a bride do to prepare for a wedding? How can you prepare for this event?
Cross-References
Ephesians 5:25-27 – Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
Ephesians 5:32 – This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.
Galatians 3:28 – There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
John 3:29 – The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.
John 14:3 – And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. The voice of a great multitude like the roar of many waters – John describes the sounds he hears as the “roar of many waters” and “mighty peals of thunder.” Both of these point to the fact that this is a tremendous number of people. Their combined voices are reminiscent of the most powerful sounds in nature. Their praises for God are reverberating through heaven. What an incredible day that will be!
2. The marriage supper of the Lamb has come – Jesus’ second coming doesn’t happen until later in the chapter. So why is the Marriage Supper of the Lamb mentioned first? There are a couple of different ways to understand the chronology of this event.
A. It could mean that the raptured church (and possibly also martyred believers) will take part in this event in heaven before Jesus physically returns to the earth. After the marriage banquet is completed, the saints, who are the bride of Christ, return with Him to earth as His entourage.
B. Another interpretation is that these verses record an invitation to an event that will officially begin only after Christ’s second coming. Verse 9 seems to support this interpretation as the angel says to write, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” The invitation goes out through all ages. And after Jesus’ return, all of those who responded to the invitation can then join in this banquet. In this view, Revelation 21 is a description of the Marriage Supper.
In either case, this is a future event where believers will celebrate with Jesus. No longer will they be physically separated from Him. Instead, they will be with Him together face-to-face for eternity.
3. Marriage of Christ and the Church – Throughout the New Testament, the relationship between Christ and the church is pictured as a marriage. This illustration is used not because our relationship with Jesus is exactly like a marriage, but because there are many similarities. For an in-depth look at this relationship, you can see Ephesians 5:25-32.
Here are some of the similarities:
- The husband is the head of the marriage and Christ is the head of the church.
- The husband should sacrifice himself for his wife and Christ sacrificed Himself for us.
- The husband is to love his wife and put her first and Christ did this for the church.
- Marriage is a commitment and bond on both sides and our relationship to Jesus is as well.
- The wife is to submit to and respect her husband and the church is to obey Christ.
- The wife is a helper for the husband and we are to serve Christ and help Him fulfill the Great Commission.
- The bride is beautiful to the groom and we are beautiful and loved to Christ.
- God hates divorce and marriage was designed to be permanent. Our relationship with Christ will last forever.
Mark 3:34 – And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!
Marriage is not the only relationship that shows some similarities to our relationship with Christ. Here, Jesus refers to some as “mother” and “brothers.” In other places, He calls us “friends.” God is also our Master, our Lord, our Savior, etc. Marriage is one of many pictures used of our relationship to Christ. He also calls Himself a shepherd, a doctor, and many other things. Each one of these shows us one aspect of our relationship with Him.
Application: Our key role in this “marriage” is to submit to Christ as our head. A marriage will be filled with conflict and problems if the two sides both strive to be the leader. Christ is our leader. And we are to humbly follow Him.
4. The Celebratory Banquet –A marriage banquet is a joyous and exciting event!
My wife and I looked forward to our wedding day with great anticipation. That day was one of, if not the most, important days in our lives. We spent a lot of time preparing for it. Preparations included studying the Word so that we could be better husband and wife, and have a God-honoring marriage. We also spent time together even before marriage, getting to know each better and deepening our relationship. In addition, we went shopping and bought clothes. We wanted to look our best and be attractive for each other.
The day of the wedding came and it marked a new chapter for us. Our lives can be separated into two parts, life as a single before marriage, and life together as a couple after marriage.
The vows and procedures formalizing the marriage came first. And after that the celebration banquet! Then after the celebration meal, we began the rest of our lives together. It was a time to both look back with gratitude at what God had done in bringing us together, and look forward to spending “happily ever after” together.
The Marriage Supper of the Lamb in heaven will be similar in some ways. Now we prepare ourselves for that day when we will be together with the Lord. We study the Word so that we can be better followers of Christ. We pray toward sanctification. We deepen our relationship with Him. We prepare ourselves for that blessed day. And we anticipate with excitement the time when we will be together with Him face-to-face for eternity. That banquet will be the official beginning of our eternity with Him.
5. The clothing of the bride –
We have no righteousness of our own. Every good thing we can do is a result of God’s grace. At the same time, like a bride, we are supposed to prepare ourselves to meet the Lord.
Brides often spend a lot of time and expense on picking out just the right wedding dress. They want to look stunning for their groom.
In a similar manner, we are to zealously pursue good deeds (Ephesians 2:10), which He has prepared for us. This verse equates our robes with righteous deeds. We should therefore seek to do more righteous deeds, which are attractive and pleasing to our King.
Application: Who are you seeking to please? Are you trying to please your boss, a parent, a teacher? Or are you living your life to please the Lord? On her wedding day, a bride seeks to please her groom. Her eyes are completely on him and no one else. We too should seek to please Jesus above all others.
6. Worship God only – The section closes out with John falling down in worship of the angel who gave him this message. And the angel tells him not to do that. Only God is worthy of worship. Here we see a difference between righteous angels, which seek to glorify God, and fallen angels (Satan) who seek to glorify themselves.
Application from today’s lesson: How can you prepare yourself this week for that future meeting with the groom at the marriage supper of the Lamb?
Revelation Bible Study Guide – If this study is helpful, you can download the whole Revelation study PDF, get the paperback from Amazon, or also get the 7 Churches in Revelation study.
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