The Second Coming of Christ

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Introduction: The spirit of Revelation changes in this chapter. It is no longer the gloom of the tribulation but now looks forward with victory to the coming King.

I.                    THE ALLELUIA CHORUS (19:1-6)

A.       First Verse (19:1-2) 

1.   Their response to Revelation 18:20

2.   A great voice of much people in heaven (v.1)

3.   Alleluia, salvation, glory, honor, power unto God (v .1)

4.   True and righteous are His judgments (v.2; Psalm 19:9)

5.   He hath judged the great whore (v.2)

6.   He hath avenged the blood of His servants (v.2) 

B.        Second Verse (19:3) 

1.   They again said Alleluia

2.   Her smoke rose up forever and ever 

C.       Third Verse (19:4) 

1.   By the 24 elders and four beasts

2.   They fell down and worshipped God

3.   Saying, Amen, Alleluia  

D.       Fourth Verse (19:5) 

1.   A solo: a voice coming out of the throne

2.   Saying, Praise our God

a.         All ye His servants

b.        Ye that fear Him 

E.        Final Verse (19:6) 

1.   The voice of a great multitude

a.         As the voice of many waters

b.        As the voice of mighty thunderings

2.   Saying, Alleluia, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth 

II.                 THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB (19:7-10) 

A.       A Time of Rejoicing (19:7-8) 

1.   Be glad and rejoice (v.7)

2.   Give honor to Him (v.7)

3.   The marriage of the Lamb is come (v.7)

4.   His wife has made herself ready (v.7)

5.   She is arrayed in fine linen (v.8)

a.         Clean and white

b.        The righteousness of the saints (see Ephesians 5:26-27) 

B.        Special Note on the Marriage Supper of the Lamb 

1.   The Biblical pattern for marriage

a.         First, the marriage contract

(1)      The was consummated before the two came together as husband and wife

(2)      However, it was a legal contract and the couple were at this time considered legally married

(3)      At this time, a proper dowry would be determined and paid

b.        Second, the wedding

(1)      This often occurred years after the marriage contract had been signed

(2)      In this ceremony, the bridegroom would go to the house of the bride and escort her to his home

c.         Third, the marriage feast

(1)      This followed the actual wedding

(2)      Guests would be invited and a great feast would take place (John 2:1)

2.   The Biblical fulfillment of this pattern

a.         The Lamb is Jesus Christ (John 1:29)

b.        His bride is the New Testament church in glory (Ephesians 5:25-27, 32)

c.         The marriage contract was settled when He died on the cross

d.        The contract is settled and the bride is already considered to be His wife (Revelation 19:7)

e.         He left the dowry (earnest) of His Spirit for the believer (Ephesians 1:13-14)

f.          He will come and take us to His home in heaven (John 14:1-3)

g.         Later, guests will be invited and the marriage feast will take place (Revelation 19:9)  

C.       A Source of Blessing (19:9) 

1.   Blessed are those called to the marriage supper of the Lamb

2.   These are the true sayings of God 

D.       A Cause to Worship (19:10) 

1.   Not a cause to worship

a.         A fellow servant

b.        A brother who has the testimony of Jesus

2.   But a time to worship God (see 22:8-9)

3.   The cause for worshipping God

a.         Because of the testimony of Jesus

b.        Because of the spirit of prophecy

III.               THE CONQUERING CHRIST (19:11-16)

A.       The Vision (19:11) – “I saw heaven opened” 

B.        His Horse (19:11) – “a white horse” – compare 2Kings 6:17 

C.       His Description 

1.   His eyes were as a flame of fire (v.12; 1:14)

2.   On his head were many crowns (v.12; Hebrews 2:9)

3.   Clothed with a vesture dipped in blood (v.13; Isaiah 63:1-4)

4.   Out of His mouth goes a sharp two-edged sword (v.15, 21; 1:16) 

D.       His Names 

1.   Faithful (v.11; Revelation 3:14)

2.   True (v.11; John 14:6)

3.   A name written (v.12)

a.         No man knew (Judges 13:18)

b.        But he himself

4.   The Word of God (v.13; John 1:1, 14)

5.   KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS (v.16; 17:14; 1Timothy 6:15)

a.         Written on His vesture; the vesture of Christ (Psalm 22:18; Matthew 27:35)

b.        Written on His thigh

(1)      The thigh of Abraham (Genesis 24:2, 9)

(2)      The thigh of Jacob (Genesis 32:25, 31-32)

(3)      The thigh of Joseph (Genesis 47:29)

(4)      The thigh of Ehud (Judges 3:16, 21)

(5)      The sword on the thigh (Psalm 45:3; Song of Solomon 3:8)

(6)      Smiting on the thigh – a sign of shame (Jeremiah 31:19; Ezekiel 21:12)

(7)      The name on the thigh (Revelation 19:16) 

E.        His Work 

1.   In righteousness (v.11)

a.         To judge (John 5:22; Acts 17:31)

b.        To make war

2.   He shall smite the nations (v.15)

3.   He shall rule the nations with a rod of iron (v.15; Psalm 2:8-9)

4.   He treads the winepress of Almighty God (v.15; 14:17-20)

a.         The fierceness

b.        The wrath 

F.        His Armies (19:14) 

1.   With Him in heaven

2.   Followed Him on white horses (1Thessalonians 3:13)

3.   Clothed in fine linen (19:8)

a.         White

b.        Clean 

IV.              THE SUPPER OF THE GREAT GOD (19:17-21)

A.       The Call to Supper (19:17-18) 

1.   The angel who made the announcement (v.17a)

a.         Standing in the sun

b.        Crying with a loud voice

2.   The fowls which were called to supper (v.17b)

3.   Title: the supper of the great God (v.17); compare with “the marriage supper of the Lamb” in verse 9.

4.   The provisions to be made for the supper (v.18)

a.         Kings

b.        Captains

c.         Mighty men – elite soldiers

d.        Horses and riders - cavalry

e.         All men - infantry

(1)      Free and bond

(2)      Small and great 

B.        NOTE: The Angel Standing in the Sun (v.17) 

1.   The standing angels in the Book of Revelation

a.         The four angels standing on the four corners of the earth (Revelation 7:1)

b.        The seven angels which stood before God (Revelation 8:2)

c.         Another angel which stood at the altar (Revelation 8:3)

d.        The angel which stood upon the sea and upon the earth (Revelation 10:5, 8, 11:1)

e.         The angel standing in the sun (Revelation 19:17)

2.   The critics

a.         Many modern scholars say the angel is really standing in the center of heaven, but do not say much about that

b.        Most commentators either ignore this fact or acknowledge it and say nothing about it

3.   The interpretation

a.         There must be something significant about the sun at the coming of Christ in His glory

b.        The LORD God is a sun and a shield (Psalm 84:11)

c.         One set of events during the tribulation is called “signs in the sun” (Luke 21:25)

d.        The tribulation is marked by signs such as the sun being darkened, the moon giving no light, and the stars falling (Matthew 24:29)

e.         However, a special sign called “the sign of the Son of man in heaven” immediately precedes His coming in power and great glory (Matthew 24:30). By nature, this sign must be different that the other signs which mark the tribulation.

f.          The sign mentioned in Matthew 24:30 is called the sign of the Son of man, not the sign of the Son of God. Why? Perhaps the answer is to be found in the description of the glorified Christ in Revelation, chapter one. He is described as “one like unto the Son of man” (Revelation 1:13). He is then described with nine expressions. The last, or ninth, phrase states: “his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.”

g.         This fits in with Malachi 4:1-3 where Christ will come to those who fear His name as the “Sun of righteousness.” This day shall burn as an oven and shall burn up all who do wickedly (v.1). Also, at this time, the saints shall tread down the wicked (v.3). The events perfectly fit the battle of Armageddon.

h.         So, what does all this have to do with the literal sun? Read Isaiah 30:25-33.

(1)      It describes “the day of the great slaughter” (v.25). This matches “the supper of the great God” (Revelation 19:17).

(2)      At this time, there is a sign in the heaven (v.26)

a)         The moon becomes as bright as the sun

b)        The light of the sun is sevenfold

(3)      The wicked of the earth will be destroyed with the burning of God’s anger (v.27, 30)

(4)      The Assyrian shall be beaten down (v.31); NOTE: The Assyrian is another name for the antichrist

(5)      The breath of the LORD will flow like a stream of brimstone (v.33; compare Revelation 19:20)

(6)      Compare Revelation 16:8-9, where the sun is given power to scorch men with fire

(7)      Consider the following:

a)         The sun burning seven times brighter is different than the sun being darkened

b)        Though we do not know how to measure seven times the brightness God’s way, mankind could certainly not last long under these circumstances. So, it must be a short event.

c)         How better to indicate the coming of the Sun of righteousness than with the brightening of the physical sun?

d)        Even with all this evidence, we must still admit that we may not know for sure the identity of the sign of the coming of the Son of man. But we can know that His coming is connected to the brightening of the sun.

i.           Further evidence is found in 2Thessalonians 2:7-10

(1)      The Lord Jesus Christ is revealed from heaven with the mighty angels (v.7); so the time matches Revelation 19:17-21.

(2)      He comes in flaming fire taking vengeance on the wicked (v.8); therefore, His coming is connected with flaming fire. We know from Isaiah 30:26 that this includes the brightening of the sun.

(3)      He comes to be glorified in his saints (v.10) 

C.       The Battle of Armageddon (19:19) 

1.   The armies against the Lord

a.         The beast – antichrist

b.        The armies gathered to fight with him

2.   The armies of the Lord

a.         He that sat on the horse

b.        The armies that followed Him (see v.14) 

D.       The Defeat of the Armies of Antichrist (19:20-21) 

1.   The leaders of the armies of Satan (v.20)

a.         The beast – antichrist

b.        The prophet

(1)      Who worked miracles

(2)      Who deceived the people

a)         Those who received the mark of the beast (contrast John 1:12; Colossians 2:6)

b)        Those who worshipped the image of the beast (contrast Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3)

c.         Cast alive into the lake of fire

(1)      A place burning with brimstone [sulfur]

(2)      A place of torment day and night forever (Revelation 20:10)

(3)      The eternal home of the beast and false prophet

(4)      The eternal home of the devil (Revelation 20:10; Matthew 25:41)

(5)      The eternal home of death and hell (Revelation 20:14)

(6)      The eternal home of all who are not written in the Lamb’s book of life (Revelation 20:15)