19:1 And {1} after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, {a} {2} Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
(1) This chapter has in summary two parts, one transitory or of passage to the things that follow, to the tenth verse, Re 19:2-10, another historical of the victory of Christ over both the beasts, to the end of the chapter Re 19:11-21, which I said was the second history of this argument, Re 17:1. The transition has two places, one of praising God for the overthrow done to Babylon in Re 19:4: and another likewise of praise and prophecy, for the coming of Christ to his kingdom, and his most royal marriage with his Church, thence to the tenth verse Re 19:5-10. The former praise has three parts, distinguished after the ancient manner of those that sing: an invitation in Re 19:1,2, a response or answer in Re 19:3, and a close or joining together in harmony in Re 19:4, all which I thought good of purpose to distinguish in this place, lest any man should with Porphyrius, or other like dogs, object to John, or the heavenly Church, a childish and idle repetition of speech.
(a) Praise the Lord.
(2) The proposition of praise with exhortation in this verse, and the cause of it in Re 19:2.
19:1 The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
SUMMARY OF REVELATION 19:
Rejoicing in Heaven. The Bride Preparing the Bridegroom. The White Horse and the Word of God. Conquering the World for Christ. The Great Battle. The Beast and False Prophet Taken. Cast into the Lake of Fire.
And after these things. Following the preceding scenes.
I heard a great voice of much people in heaven. These songs of rejoicing and thanksgiving are seen in Revelation whenever any great triumph or blessing is about to come. See Re 5:13 7:12 11:15 12:10.
19:1 I heard a loud voice of a great multitude - Whose blood the great whore had shed. Saying, Hallelujah - This Hebrew word signifies, Praise ye Jah, or Him that is. God named himself to Moses, EHEIEH, that is, I will be, Exod 3:14; and at the same time, Jehovah, that is, He that is, and was, and is to come: during the trumpet of the seventh angel, he is styled, He that is and was, Rev 16:5; and not He that is to come; because his long - expected coming is under this trumpet actually present. At length he is styled, Jah, He that is; the past together with the future being swallowed up in the present, the former things being no more mentioned, for the greatness of those that now are. This title is of all others the most peculiar to the everlasting God. The salvation - Is opposed to the destruction which the great whore had brought upon the earth. His power and glory - Appear from the judgment executed on her, and from the setting up his kingdom to endure through all ages.
19:1-10 Praising God for what we have, is praying for what is yet further to be done for us. There is harmony between the angels and the saints in this triumphant song. Christ is the Bridegroom of his ransomed church. This second union will be completed in heaven; but the beginning of the glorious millennium (by which is meant a reign of Christ, or a state of happiness, for a thousand years on earth) may be considered as the celebration of his espousals on earth. Then the church of Christ, being purified from errors, divisions, and corruptions, in doctrine, discipline, worship, and practice, will be made ready to be publicly owned by him as his delight and his beloved. The church appeared; not in the gay, gaudy dress of the mother of harlots, but in fine linen, clean and white. In the robes of Christ's righteousness, imputed for justification, and imparted for sanctification. The promises of the gospel, the true sayings of God, opened, applied, and sealed by the Spirit of God, in holy ordinances, are the marriage-feast. This seems to refer to the abundant grace and consolation Christians will receive in the happy days which are to come. The apostle offered honour to the angel. The angel refused it. He directed the apostle to the true and only object of religious worship; to worship God, and him alone. This plainly condemns the practice of those who worship the elements of bread and wine, and saints, and angels; and of those who do not believe that Christ is truly and by nature God, yet pay him a sort of worship. They stand convicted of idolatry by a messenger from heaven. These are the true sayings of God; of Him who is to be worshipped, as one with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
