Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Revelation 19:1-5


This chapter is about praise, glorifying, and worship for God who is the just judge, has righteous character and a perfect plan.  Then it is the return of the King of kings and the Lord of lords.  This is it.  The earthly “city” is judged with all her entrapments.  Those who follow this worldly system of values will fall with her.  All of us are in a constant battle to fight to love only the One true God and to keep our eyes on His Son Jesus.  He alone will win this war.  We cannot defeat the Babylonian influence in our lives without Him.  And so, it is imperative that we praise God and lift up our Savior, Jesus, for saving us!  Everyone who recognizes the despair that they came from is always quick to praise God and to tell what He did for them. 

In verses 1, 3, 4, and 6 the word “Alleluia” or “Hallelujah” is used depending upon your version of Bible.  It is not used anywhere else in the New Testament.  Around the world, it was or still might be in some traditional to stand at the beginning of Handel’s Messiah most famous oration “Hallelujah Chorus”.  However, in heaven we are going to see a different reaction.  Everyone will fall down and worship.

There has been a lot of intense scenery and overall destruction described in this book so far.  It gets overwhelming to read and read about the destruction of people, the world system, and the earth.  It is depressing to know that the world will regress further and further and that we Christians will become targeted, that the world will be against us specifically.  All of it is just not very uplifting.  However, we are about to read where that changes because the Good News is ready to arrive.  If you have ever longed for that time of no pain, dwelling in your heavenly Father’s house with Him and with all the brothers and sisters who know Him, and of being a part of a heavenly worship, that time is now.

1 After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! 2 For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.” 3 Again they said, “Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!” 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!” 5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!”

“After” verse 1 tells us, this is after the judgment of Babylon, the world system.  “Hallelujah” means “praise Yahweh” and heaven is not like many churches today, they aren’t partly singing this or going through the motions, this is a loud shout!  They praise God for salvation, glory, honor, power, His true and righteous judgments, judging the world system, and avenging the blood of His servants.  The multitude follows with a 2nd shout over the permanent death of the world. 

We should note that this isn’t a judgment made of vindication.  This praise is not because Satan has lost.  This is not a football game.  God wants every person to have every chance to choose Him.  We have seen this over and over throughout Revelation.  But once all hearts are decided and those who will follow Him, come what may, and those who will never follow are established, He will remove all that opposes Him.  John Piper said in his sermon “Worship God!” (desiringgod.com),
“If God turned a deaf ear to sin and evil and injustice and suffering in the world.  He would not be true, and He would certainly not be just.  God here is rightfully and wholeheartedly praised for His justice.”
These are shouts of praise for salvation and the restoration of all things.  Paul spoke of this time in Romans 8:18-23.  “18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.”  All of creation is awaiting this day, persevering in patience for this glorious appointed time.  My sons now tell me that I make “old man noises” because I groan sometimes when I have to move certain ways.  Groaning is scriptural, and we all groan with the earth awaiting the new day.

In verses 4 and 5 we see where all in heaven, the elders, the four creatures, and this immense heavenly chorus are all praising and worshiping together.  Everyone is praising together with a shout, with all of their heavenly being from heaven to the glory of God.  

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