Revelation 19
Disciples’ Literal New Testament
Heaven Rejoices Over God’s Judgment
19 After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven[a] of ones saying “Hallelujah— the salvation and the glory and the power of [b] our God! 2 Because His judgments are true and righteous. Because He judged the great prostitute who corrupted[c] the earth with her sexual-immorality, and He avenged the blood of His slaves from her hand”. 3 And a second time they have said, “Hallelujah! And her smoke goes up forever and ever”. 4 And the twenty four elders and the four living-creatures fell and gave-worship to God, the One sitting on the throne, saying “Amen. Hallelujah!”
Heaven Rejoices Over The Wedding of The Lamb
5 And a voice came out from the throne, saying “Give-praise[d] to our God, all His slaves, and[e] the ones fearing Him— the small and the great”. 6 And I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of strong thunders, saying “Hallelujah! Because the Lord our God, the Almighty, began[f] to reign. 7 Let us rejoice and be overjoyed, and give the glory to Him, because the wedding[g] of the Lamb came, and His wife prepared herself ”. 8 And[h] authority was given to her to[i] clothe herself with shining clean fine-linen. For the fine-linen is the righteous-acts of the saints. 9 And he[j] says to me, “Write— ‘Blessed are the ones having been called[k] to the banquet of the wedding of the Lamb’”.
These Words Are True Words of God
And he says to me, “These[l] words are true ones of God”. 10 And I fell in front of his feet to give-worship[m] to him. And he says to me “See that you not do it. I am a fellow-slave of you and your brothers— the ones holding the testimony of [n] Jesus. Give-worship to God. For the testimony of [o] Jesus is the spirit[p] of prophecy”.
Vision 5: Heaven Is Opened. The King of Kings Comes To Earth On a White Horse
11 And I saw heaven having been opened. And behold— there was a white horse, and the One sitting on it being called Faithful and True. And He judges and wages-war in righteousness. 12 And His eyes are like a flame of fire, and upon His head are many diadems[q]— He having a name having been written which no one knows except Himself, 13 and having clothed Himself with a garment having been dipped in blood[r]. And His name has been called “The Word of God”. 14 And the armies in heaven were following Him on white horses, the riders having been dressed-in white clean fine-linen. 15 And a sharp sword comes out of His mouth, in order that He may strike the nations with it. And He Himself will shepherd[s] them with an iron rod. And He Himself treads the winepress of the wine of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 And He has a name having been written on the garment and[t] on His thigh: “King of kings, and Lord of lords”.
An Angel Calls The Birds To Feast On Human Flesh
17 And I saw one angel standing in the sun, and he cried-out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds flying in mid-heaven, “Come, be gathered-together for the great banquet of God, 18 in order that you may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of commanders, and the flesh of powerful ones, and the flesh of horses and of the ones sitting on them, and the flesh of everyone— both free and slaves, both[u] small and great”.
The Beast And His Followers Are Conquered. The Birds Are Satisfied
19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies having been gathered-together to make[v] war against the One sitting on the horse, and against His army. 20 And the beast was seized, and with him the false-prophet having done the signs in his presence, by which he deceived the ones having received the mark of the beast, and the ones giving-worship to his image. While living, the two were thrown into the lake of fire burning with sulphur. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword of the One sitting on the horse, the sword having come-out of His mouth. And all the birds were filled-to-satisfaction from their flesh.
Footnotes
- Revelation 19:1 John’s perspective changes from earth (17:3-18:24) back to heaven, where he hears heaven’s response to the events in 16:17-21.
- Revelation 19:1 Or, belonging to, belongs to. Or, of our God came, as in 12:10.
- Revelation 19:2 Or, was corrupting.
- Revelation 19:5 Note that verses 6 and 7 come in response to this command. Or, this command may be in response to v 4, concluding that paragraph; verse 6 then beginning a second thing John ‘heard’ (v 1).
- Revelation 19:5 Or, even.
- Revelation 19:6 Or, reigned, became king, as also in 11:17.
- Revelation 19:7 Or, wedding-celebration.
- Revelation 19:8 The preceding quotation may extend to ‘fine-linen’ or ‘saints’ in this verse.
- Revelation 19:8 Or, that she might.
- Revelation 19:9 That is, the angel who has been guiding John since 17:1; or, the voice in 19:5, who is now with John in person.
- Revelation 19:9 Or, summoned, invited.
- Revelation 19:9 That is, all that this angel has been a part of since 17:1; or, the words in verse 9 in particular.
- Revelation 19:10 John takes the preceding declaration to mean God is directly speaking to him.
- Revelation 19:10 That is, given by; or, about.
- Revelation 19:10 That is, given by.
- Revelation 19:10 Or, breath. That is, the testimony given by Jesus is the inspiration producing what the prophets speak.
- Revelation 19:12 That is, royal crowns.
- Revelation 19:13 The blood could be Christ’s own (at the Cross), that of the martyrs, or that of His enemies.
- Revelation 19:15 That is, rule. He will herd this flock to its destiny in a way that permits no opposition or deviation.
- Revelation 19:16 Or, even.
- Revelation 19:18 Or, and.
- Revelation 19:19 Or, make the war; that is, the one previously mentioned in 16:14, 16; 17:14.
Revelation 19
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 19
Song of Victory and Wedding Day of the Lamb.[a] 1 After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven, shouting:
“Alleluia![b]
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
2 for true and just are his judgments.
He has condemned the great harlot
who corrupted the earth with her harlotry.
And he has paid her back
for the blood of his servants.”
3 Once again they shouted:
“Alleluia!
Her smoke will rise
forever and ever.”
4 The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures threw themselves to the ground and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, and they cried:
“Amen. Alleluia!”
5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying:
“Praise our God,
all you his servants,
and all who fear him,
small and great alike.”
6 And I heard what seemed to be the sound of a vast multitude, like the sound of a torrential stream or of great peals of thunder, crying out:
“Alleluia.
The reign of the Lord our God,
the Almighty, has begun.
7 Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory.
For the wedding day of the Lamb has come,
and the bride has made herself ready.
8 She has been permitted to wear
a bright and clean garment of fine linen.”
(The fine linen represents the righteous deeds of the saints.)
9 Then the angel said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed[c] are those who are invited to the wedding banquet of the Lamb.’ ” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”
10 I fell at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brethren who have given witness to Jesus.[d] Worship God! For the witness to Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Recapitulative Visions of the History of Salvation[e]
11 The White Horse and the King of Kings.[f] Now I saw heaven opened, and a white horse appeared. Its rider was called “Faithful and True,” for with righteousness he judges and wages war. 12 His eyes were like fiery flames, and on his head were many crowns. The name inscribed on him was known to no one but himself.
13 He was clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and he was known by the name The Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.
15 Coming out of his mouth was a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron scepter, and he will tread the winepress[g] of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh[h] he had a name inscribed: “King of kings and Lord of lords.”
17 The Great Booty.[i] Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he cried out to all the birds flying in midair, “Come here! Gather together for the great supper of God, 18 to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of commanders, and the flesh of warriors, the flesh of horses and their riders, the flesh of all, both free and slave, both small and great.”
19 The Beast and the False Prophet.[j] Next I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the one upon the horse and against his army. 20 The beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had performed the signs by which he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and those who had worshiped its image.
These two were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21 The rest were killed by the sword that came forth from the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.
Footnotes
- Revelation 19:1 No other image could better evoke the fulfillment of all the expectations of believers than this vast heavenly liturgy and the vision of the wedding feast (see Mt 22:1-14; 25:1-13).
The plea of the martyrs (see Rev 6:9) has been heard; the immense throng, along with the twenty-four elders and the four living beings, makes up the entire Church, reunited at last. The Kingdom of God reveals itself in all its reality. It is described as Christ’s marriage to the Church and as the complete manifestation of the Covenant, which is God’s ardent, jealous love for his people (see Isa 54:1-8; Hos 2:16-18) and Christ’s nuptial love for his Church (see Eph 5:23, 25, 32; see also Jn 3:29). - Revelation 19:1 Alleluia: an important exclamation of praise in the Psalms that is found only here in the New Testament. It is derived from two Hebrew words meaning “Praise the Lord.”
- Revelation 19:9 Blessed: the fourth beatitude (see note on Rev 1:3).
- Revelation 19:10 Witness to Jesus: the proclamation that the predictions of the Prophets have been truly fulfilled.
- Revelation 19:11 There now follows a new series of six tableaus, which the imagination projects onto the destiny of the world. Is it necessary then to foresee a new series of events in an ever more distant future? And is the history of God’s judgments something that is forever beginning again? The author has no intention of setting forth an indefinite series of calendars of the future. But before sketching the tableau of the new heaven and the new earth, he wishes one last time to interpret the drama of the world; for he has at hand other materials, some of which greatly resemble those that he has already used. He organizes them to compose this rapid sequence: a powerful summary of the whole History of Salvation. It begins with Jesus and takes us well beyond the fall of Rome to the resurrection of the dead and the last judgment—a kind of tragic prelude whose contrast heightens the dazzling joy that will later inform the grand symphony of the heavenly Jerusalem.
- Revelation 19:11 To describe the victory of Christ, the author uses the classic images of the warrior Messiah who establishes justice (Isa 11:4), annihilates hostile powers (Isa 63:3), subjects the nations (Ps 2:9), and traverses the world as the efficacious Word of God (see Wis 18:14-18). Through him justice reigns upon the world. He is the truthful and faithful one who fulfills God’s promise and makes his justice a reality.
- Revelation 19:15 Will tread the winepress: the image was commonplace in the Prophets for symbolizing God’s destruction of the enemies of his people on the great day of his wrath (see Gen 49:9-12; Isa 63:1-6; Jer 25:30; Joel 4:13); the wine is the blood of the enemies.
- Revelation 19:16 Thigh: this should probably be “standard”; the two words are quite similar in Hebrew and can be confused. King of kings and Lord of lords: see note on Rev 17:14.
- Revelation 19:17 In a final, gigantic combat, the forces of destruction will be annihilated (see Rev 14:6-13). This is the terrible sacrifice of which Ezekiel speaks (39:2, 17-20).
- Revelation 19:19 The beast and the false prophet are thrown into the fiery lake and destroyed. The vision sums up in a single scene all the tableaus of the fall of Rome, and corresponds to that in Rev 14:14-20. The beast, the false prophet, and the entire campaign aimed at imposing emperor worship are described in ch. 13.
Revelation 19
King James Version
19 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.
3 And again they said, Alleluia And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing
