The word, from Hebrew, is a compound of hallelu, praise, and jah, a shortened form of the name Jehovah; hence, it means praise Jehovah. It is used in Psa. 104:35 and at the beginning and end of Psa. 146, Psa. 147, Psa. 148, Psa. 149, Psa. 150.
Babylon the Great, in both its religious aspect and its material aspect. See note Rev. 18:41a.
Lit., from her hand.
The "Hallelujah" in vv. 1, 3 is the praise of the great multitude of saints. Here, the twenty-four angelic elders and the four living creatures say "Amen" to the praise of the saints, and then, like the saints, they praise by saying "Hallelujah!" Hence, taken together, this is the praise of the saints, angels, and all creatures it is their praise to the Triune God from the past to the present and for eternity.
Like the sound of many waters, the praise of the great multitude of saints proceeds continually, and like the sound of mighty thunders, it displays solemnity.
Like the sound of many waters, the praise of the great multitude of saints proceeds continually, and like the sound of mighty thunders, it displays solemnity.
After the rapture of the majority of the saints (Rev. 14:16; 1 Thes. 4:15-16) and the judgment at the judgment seat of Christ for the giving of the reward (Rev. 11:18; 2 Cor. 5:10), the events that immediately follow should be the marriage of the Lamb, and then the destruction of Antichrist and Babylon the Great (19:1-4, Rev. 19:19-21; 18:1-24), which bring in the reign of God — the kingdom of God (v. 6). For this reason, the great multitude of the saved rejoice and praise with hallelujahs (vv. 1, 3, 6), and the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures join them in praising God (v. 4).
The reign of God, the kingdom, is related to the marriage of the Lamb, and the marriage of the Lamb is the issue of the completion of God's New Testament economy. God's economy in the New Testament is to obtain for Christ a bride, the church, through His redemption and divine life. By the continual working of the Holy Spirit through all the centuries, this goal will be attained at the end of this age. Then the bride, the overcoming believers, will be ready, and the kingdom of God will come. This corresponds with the Lord's prophecy in Matt. 26:29.
His wife refers to the church (Eph. 5:24-25, 31-32), the bride of Christ (John 3:29). However, according to vv. 8-9, the wife, the bride of Christ, here consists only of the overcoming believers during the millennium; whereas the bride, the wife, in Rev. 21:2 is composed of all the saved saints after the millennium for eternity. The readiness of the bride depends on the maturity in life of the overcomers. Furthermore, the overcomers are not separate individuals but a corporate bride. For this aspect, building is needed. The overcomers not only are mature in life but also are built together as one bride.
Or, pure. Clean refers to the nature, whereas bright refers to the expression.
Matt. 5:20; Job 29:14; cf. Isa. 64:6
Or, righteous acts. The righteousnesses (plural) here are not the righteousness (i.e., Christ) that we received for our salvation (1 Cor. 1:30). The righteousness we received for our salvation is objective and enables us to meet the requirement of the righteous God, whereas here the righteousnesses of the overcoming saints are subjective (Phil. 3:9) and enable them to meet the requirement of the overcoming Christ. In Psa. 45:13-14 the queen has two garments: one corresponds with the objective righteousness, which is for our salvation, and the other with the subjective righteousnesses, which are for our victory. The second garment is equivalent to the wedding garment in Matt. 22:11-12.
The marriage dinner of the Lamb here is the wedding feast in Matt. 22:2. It will be a reward to the overcoming believers. Only the overcomers will be called to it; not all the saved ones will participate in it. The five foolish virgins in Matt. 25:8-13 will miss it. However, after being dealt with by the Lord in the kingdom age, they will participate in the New Jerusalem for eternity. Hence, to be called to the marriage dinner of Christ, which will usher the overcoming believers into the enjoyment of the millennium, is to be blessed. The overcoming believers, who will be called to the marriage dinner of the Lamb, will also be the bride of the Lamb.
The chief meal, taken usually in the evening.
The spirit of the prophecy is the reality, substance, disposition, and characteristic of the prophecy. Thus, the testimony of Jesus is the reality, substance, disposition, and characteristic of the prophecy of this book.
Rev. 19:14; cf. Rev. 6:2
After the marriage dinner, Christ will come as a fighting General with His bride (the overcoming believers called to the marriage dinner) as His army to fight against Antichrist and the kings under him with their armies at Armageddon.
Christ is faithful both to God and to those who believe in Him. In His faithfulness He defeats and destroys those who oppose God and persecute the believers. He is also true in carrying out God's economy and in caring for those who believe in Him.
Christ is faithful and true both to God and to His believers, and He is righteous to those who oppose and rebel against God. In righteousness He will defeat Antichrist and judge the rebels who follow him.
Christ's flaming eyes are for the carrying out of His judgment.
Because Christ has been crowned with many kinds of glory (Heb. 2:9; 1 Pet. 1:11 and note 6), He wears many diadems. Every kind of glory is a diadem. These crowns of glory are the issues of the things that Christ accomplished. In the glorious issues of His accomplishments He will fight for God and destroy all those who rebel against God, putting them to shame for eternity.
This indicates that there are certain aspects of Christ that we have not experienced and that only He Himself knows. It also indicates that the Christ whom we experience is inexhaustible.
Christ's being clothed with a garment dipped in blood is related to His treading the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God (v. 15; Isa. 63:1-3) at Armageddon (Rev. 16:14, 16), where the blood will rise up to the bridles of the horses (Rev. 14:20).
The armies here are the called and chosen believers in 17:14 and those who are called to the marriage dinner of the Lamb in v. 9, that is, those who constitute the bride of Christ.
The garment of the overcoming believers qualifies them both to attend the marriage dinner of the Lamb (vv. 8-9) and to fight with the Lord against His enemy.
The sword, which proceeds out of the mouth of Christ, who is the Word of God, is the word that will judge the rebellious (John 12:48).
To shepherd here is to rule; the iron rod signifies strong power. First, with His judging word Christ will smite the nations; then, with His strong power He will shepherd those who remain. His ruling with strong power is His shepherding. He will rule over the nations by shepherding them.
See note Rev. 14:191a.
Christ's garment signifies Christ's attributes, His character, especially His righteousness in His humanity; whereas His thigh signifies His standing strength, His stability. His title King of kings and Lord of lords is exhibited in His righteousness and stability.
The great dinner of God is in contrast to the marriage dinner of the Lamb. The latter is for the called overcomers; the former is for the invited birds.
Lit., captains over 1,000 men.
Rev. 16:12, 14, 16
The kings of the earth (Rev. 16:12-14) include especially the ten kings under Antichrist (Rev. 17:12-14).
The armies include the two hundred million horsemen from the rising of the sun (Rev. 9:14-16; 16:12).
This war will take place at Armageddon (Rev. 16:14, 16), at the valley of Jehoshaphat (Joel 3:9-16; Zech. 14:2-3, 12-15), which is very close to Jerusalem. This war will be the treading of the great winepress of the fury of God (see Rev. 14:17-20 and note Rev. 14:191a).
Antichrist and the false prophet will be the first to be cast into the lake of fire (cf. Rev. 20:10, 15). Unlike all the others who perish, they will be cast alive into the lake of fire, without passing through death and resurrection.
At this point we can see that once the seventh trumpet is sounded, on the same day, the last day of the great tribulation, the following events will all take place:
1) the kingdom of the world will become the kingdom of Christ;
2) the dead saints will be resurrected and will be raptured with the living saints;
3) the two witnesses will be resurrected and raptured;
4) Christ will execute the judgment at His judgment seat for the rewarding of the overcomers;
5) the marriage of the Lamb and the overcomers will take place;
6) Christ and His newly-wed overcomers will come to the earth to defeat Antichrist and destroy those who destroy the earth in the war at Armageddon, and to cast Antichrist and the false prophet into the lake of fire;
7) by the war at Armageddon Christ will rescue Israel from Antichrist's besieging, and the whole house of Israel will repent and be saved;
8) the material Babylon the Great will be destroyed;
9) at the same time the seven bowls will be poured out.
The war at Armageddon will occur at the time of the sixth bowl. The various plagues of the seven bowls will be executed by God on the same day, perhaps at the time when the few positive events mentioned previously will occur.