Bible Study No 28 of Revelation

Well, good evening, brethren, to our study on the book of Revelation. Today we're going to cover Revelation chapter 19. So, let's start with a brief revision. We have addressed the messages that Jesus Christ gave to God's churches for the period before the Second Coming. We also went through a number of prophesied events until Christ's Second Coming. We also saw how Satan has been attacking God's church and specifically the brethren in the faith, and he will continue to do so until Christ's Coming. We also have seen how the great Babylon, both in its religious and civil form, will be destroyed. So, that's basically in these four simple bullets. It's basically Revelation up to chapter 18, from chapter 1 to 18. So, that's a very brief synoptic review. But now, to conclude the study of this Babylon's destruction, we today will look at the rest of events, specifically in Revelation chapter 19, which will take place until the destruction of the leaders of this great pagan system. So, yeah, we start in Revelation 19, which is a time to say that, you know, hallelujah, hallelujah, salvation, glory, and honor. So, it's a time of rejoicing. But, let me just backtrack a little bit into Revelation 18, verse 19 and 20, because, yeah, we say, you know, that the people in the world, they threw dust on their heads and cried out weeping and wailing, saying, Alice, Alice, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich, by a wealth, for in one hour she's made desolate. But then, in verse 20, he says, Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her. We went through that in the previous study. But, yeah, we have a call to rejoice because God has judged Babylon the Great in favor of the faithful angels and us, namely the saints, the apostles, and the prophets, as we went through in the last study. So, reading in verse 1, a part of chapter 19, After these scenes, I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, Hallelujah, salvation, glory, and honor and power belong to the Lord our God. Now, yeah, we have a town change in the book of Revelation because now we have a change to a time prophesied of rejoicing and happiness because after yah is being terrible bad news. But now finally, there's a tone change and represents the transfer of power where Christ is now taking over and represents, therefore, the transfer from darkness to light, from days of wrath to days of blessings. But, yes, there's going to be punishment now on those people that have caused so much suffering on the earth.

Now, there is one section here that a number of people sometimes create different meanings around it, so we just want to make sure that we read what the Bible reads because it says, I heard a loud voice of a great multitude. So, now we have the apostle heard but did not see. And so, the apostle did not identify whose voice is that.

It just says it's a loud voice of a great multitude. The word multitude in Greek means a large number of people or beings or could be human beings, people, could be angelic beings. The point is it does not define yah in the Bible what kind of beings they wear. It just says a great multitude and it says a loud voice. And as we look at the context and we see a few other points that in the wild that is the 24 elders, etc., rejoicing, it could well be what we believe to be that they were angels.

And I'm not saying for sure angels because the apostle does not write who it was, but we believe they were angels. It's a great multitude. We know that the first fruits are 144,000. We read that. But yah, it implies a great multitude, a very large number, which therefore it's, I believe, to be definitely angels. So let's just go on in verse 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 shared by her. And yah is the whole point that has been emphasized in previous studies about holotry and the great harlot, which is basically following pagan beliefs, breaking up all away from God's truth. So Babylon's judgment, specifically of the religious system, the great harlot, is declared true and righteous.

There is something else, yah, and let's read now in verse 3 that I want to highlight again, they said. Hallelujah! Her smoke rises forever and ever. And now we have smoking rising up forever and ever. Well, the King James Version separates the words for and ever because, indeed, in Greek, it's two different words. Four in Greek is the word 1519, which is ace, which is a primary proposition to or into indicating the point reached or entered, whether it's a point or a place or a point in time.

On the other side, the Greek word 165, ion, which has basically three meanings. One is forever, an unbroken age, perpetuity of time, eternity. So that could be one meaning. An other meaning could be the worlds, the universe. So one has to look at the context. Which meaning is it? But it has a third meaning, which means a period of time or age. So once again, we need to look at the context to determine which translation of ion is best applicable.

Obviously, we know that this physical world will expire, and the smoke will not be there eternity forever. So the context here is that it will, the smoke will is for ages of ages, for a period of time, for an age, for that period of time, for that period of time, and that age of ages. That's when it will happen there. So the smoke rises up into this age, and it obviously will disappear after that, after it's burned itself out. Right, let's look at verse 4. And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who sat on the throne, saying, Amen! Hallelujah! So now we have here, in verse 1, we read a little earlier, this great multitude said, Hallelujah!

Salvation! Glory! And this was a voice of a great multitude, which, as I said, we believe to be angels, rejoicing that Christ is now intervening at long last. And then the four and twenty-four elders and the four living creatures, which are also spirit beings around God's throne, say, Amen! Hallelujah! So that backs up the strong possibility that I believe to be that, in verse 1, that great multitude is angelic beings. So this is all talking about angelic beings so far.

So, in verse 5 and 6, it then says, then a voice came from the throne, saying, Praise our God, all you, his servants, and those of you whom both small and great. And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude as the sound of waters and as the sound of mighty thundering, saying, Hallelujah!

For the Lord God omnipotent reigns. So, yeah, it's this great multitude again, the voice of this great multitude, the sound of many waters, saying, Hallelujah! For finally, God now is getting into a venian reign on earth. And in verse 7 says, Let us be glad and rejoice and give him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready. So, yeah, it's this voice, these angelic beings now referring to the resurrected human beings as a wife, making herself ready and is ready.

So, all this ties in together that this great multitude of which we hear this voice of this great multitude is angelic beings.

Now, another point here in verse 7, he says, Let us be glad and rejoice and give him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready. Does it say, yeah, where the marriage is? Where the marriage will be conducted? No. You and I can assume various things, fair enough, but it does not say.

Now, in the word marriage, Greek 1062, gamos, or ramos, is a wedding or marriage festival, a wedding banquet, a wedding feast. That's what that says in Greek. It's a banquet. It's a ceremony. It's a festival. It's a celebration. Now, let's look a little bit more about the wedding of the Lamb. In verse 7, we read, His wife has made herself ready. Now, this is an important point, and this is really the important point. Are we ready? Are we ready? Are we making ourselves ready? Note that the wife has made herself ready, so some of us will be ready. So, therefore, the key point is, will you and I be ready? Now, you remember the parable of the 10 virgins in Matthew 25. Five are wise and five are foolish. So, let's just turn there quickly. We're not going to read the old parable, but we're just going to look at a few verses here and there, and look at Matthew 25. Verse 1, it's talking about the 10 virgins. As I said, five are wise and five are foolish, and then read in verse 10. And while they went to buy, the ones that were not ready, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready. So, those are the wise. They were ready. The question is, are we going to be amongst the five wise virgins? Because the others were virgins as well.

Virgins means that they were not committing oratory. They were not committing adultery. They were virgins. But they were not ready. So, a point of being ready is, number one, you must not be committing adultery. And secondly, you must be ready. Must be full of God's Holy Spirit, because Yah is the oil symbolizing God's Holy Spirit. We must be full of God's Holy Spirit. So, those who were ready went in with him to the wedding. They went in to the ceremony. Now, this tizing with Luke 21 verse 36, because Luke 21 says, pray, watch and pray that you may be accounted worthy to what? To escape. Yes, but it's not just that. We are now talking about to stand before the Son of Man. We are now talking, Yah, in this context, to be before the Son of Man, to be the wife. So, we have to watch and pray that we may be accounted worthy. Brethren, we need to be watching and pray that we are striving to be ready so that we may be accounted worthy by God. Now, talking about a marriage. Now, some people may say, oh well, as spirit beings, how can you have a marriage? Because how can you consummate a marriage? You are a spirit being. You can't have children. You can't have the act, the six act and all that. So, how can you do that? But understand, we're talking about a spiritual marriage, just like it happened between God and Old Testament Israel. In Exodus 24, we see the basically the signing of this covenant, the sealing of the covenant, of the Old Covenant.

And there's a commitment they made. And right at the end of Exodus 24, at the end of the sign of this covenant, starting from verse 4 to 8, it says, then Moses wrote all the words of the Lord. And then look at verse 7, then he took the book of the covenant, right, to the book of the covenant, and read in the hearing of the people. And they said, all that the Lord has said, we will do and be obedient. Just like in a marriage covenant, what does the spouse, one of the spouses and the other spouse, they say, I do.

You, I will be obedient. I commit, I do. So, yeah, we have a marriage covenant between physical Israel and God. It's the point he's talking about. He's a commitment, a marriage commitment, a commitment of loyalty. And then Moses took the blood, right, and sprinkled it on the people and said, this is the blood of the covenant. And so this commitment, this promise was sealed and ratified in blood. So that marriage covenant in the Old Testament is basically a promise which was sealed and ratified in blood. It's got nothing to do with, quote unquote, the sex act. The marriage yah, he symbolizes a commitment of loyalty and faithfulness for the rest of your life. And in this case, the wife marrying the lamb is a commitment for eternal life. And they will not break it because they are faithful. They called chosen and faithful. Now look at Ozziah chapter 2 verse 2 and 3. Ozziah chapter 2 verse 2 and 3.

Ozziah chapter 2, Daniel, Ozziah chapter 2 verse 2 and 3. He says, bring charges against your mother, bring charges. For she is not my wife, nor am I her husband. Let her put away her or the trees from her sight and her adulteries from between breasts lest I strip her naked and expose her as in the day that she was born. So, yeah, we have the point of holidays. What breaks a marriage covenant? It's breaking that commitment. That commitment through what? A commitment of what? What do a commitment is? To love one another, to serve one another, to provide for one another, to submit. And it's that commitment.

And so, breaking that commitment means you put somebody else in place of that. You, you, having holidays, it's not just related to the sex act, but it is doing away. And we've seen the great holot, which is this false church, which is what is this holotry? Having other gods. So, what caused the separation of God and Israel? They following other gods, breaking the Sabbath and having idolatry. Look at Jeremiah chapter 3 verse 8. Jeremiah chapter 3 verse 8.

Jeremiah chapter 3 verse 8.

Jeremiah chapter 3 verse 8. In the, starting in verse 6 says, the Lord said to me in the days of Josiah the king, and we've seen what backsliding Israel has done. She has gone up on every iron mountain and every other green tree, and there played the harlot. Yes, maybe they were doing it physically, but the point here is spiritually they were worshiping idols. And I said after she had done all these things, returned to me, but she did not return. And the treasurer's sister Judah saw it. And then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce. God gave Israel a certificate of divorce. See, God married Israel, and now God gave Israel a certificate of divorce. Now, we know that according to John 1 verse 1 and verse 3, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God, and the Word was with God, and the Word became flesh. And so the Word created everything. The Word interacted with Israel. The Word was the one that married Israel, which became Christ, because the Father is doing everything through the Word, through Christ. He's delegated this great mission through Christ. So the Word became flesh. And we know that Christ died. So this husband of Israel died. The Word died. So now Christ is legally free to remarry because he's married till death to us part, and he died. So now he's legally free to remarry spiritual Israel. So in Romans chapter 7, Romans chapter 7, verse 2 and 3, Romans chapter 7 verse 2 and 3, we read, When the woman who has husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives, but if the husband dies, she's released from the law of her husband. And the husband, the Word is the one that married Israel. When he became flesh and he died, he is now free to remarry. So when he's resurrected as a spirit being, he is now married to the church. So then verse 3, if while her husband lives, she marries under man, she'll be called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she's free from the law so that she's no adulteress. Though she is married under man. You see, so Christ is free from that law because he died. So now he is free to marry spiritual Israel.

Now let's look at Hebrews chapter 9. Hebrews chapter 9 verse 15 through 19. And there's a little bit of a double meaning here, so we've got to read it carefully. Hebrews chapter 9 verse 15. Now for this reason, he Christ, he's the mediator of the new covenant. In other words, of the new agreement, of this new marriage ceremony, right? By means of death.

So for the redemption of the translations under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of eternal inheritance. So he dies so he can redeem us because of the sins of humanity. But look at verse 16. For where there is a testament which should read covenant, where there is a covenant, there must also of necessity be the death of the covenant maker. So why? Because this agreement that for instance, if you look at the old covenant, the agreement was ratified with blood, sealed and ratified with blood. So that there was sealing the signature, the ratification of that contract required blood and therefore required the death of the covenant maker. The covenant maker was that animal that died, that became the seal of the covenant. But it's a, as I mentioned, it's a double meaning because it's also related like to a will. So if you have a will, the will only comes into place when the person that made the will dies to pass it on to others. Verse 17, for a will or a covenant is enforced after men are dead. So if there was a will is enforced after the person that dies, then the will is enforced, is applied. Likewise, the covenant maker is enforced. It has no power at all while the covenant maker lives.

Therefore, not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. You see, so the new covenant is dedicated with blood. What is the blood? The death of Christ. And so through his death, we inherit all these things with power of their inheritance. But we also, he's the covenant maker and he's the one that's making the covenant. And he died for us. So you can see a double meaning in this scripture, a very, very powerful scripture. So now continuing, Yah in 2 Corinthians 11 verse 2. 2 Corinthians 11 verse 2, going back to Christ being married as to old Israel that he died. And now in 2 Corinthians 11 verse 2, he is free to marry those who are ready. He says, for I am jealous for you with godly jealousy, for I've betrothed you to one husband. And it was the church. I betrothed you to one husband, which is Christ, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. So we are to be virgins to Christ, to their marriage. So why? Because we are to stay pure. We are to stay in a state of uninvolvement with other false pagan religions, and also being pure in conduct. Again, there's a duality in meaning, Yah. And that's why it says we are to be virgins. But not only virgins, but we need to be ready. We need to be close to God all the time. Now let's continue reading in Revelation 19. And now we're going to read verse 8. And to her was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous act of the saints. Now, the meaning of fine linen, clear and bright, in a sense, is quite clear, because the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. Now, I said righteousness, referring first place to the King James Version, because in the New King James, says righteous acts. But the Old King James, the Authorized Version, or the King James Version, just says righteousness. Why? Because the word acts is not in the Greek.

The Greek word for righteous or righteousness is dakaioma, that which has been deemed right a judicial decision. It's been deemed right by God, a judicial decision. Now, how does God deem one righteous? Because it says, secure the kingdom of God and He is righteousness. It's not my righteousness, it's not your righteousness, it's His righteousness. So how do we seek that righteousness? Well, a good clue is in Romans chapter 4. In Romans chapter 4. In Romans chapter 4, it's talking about Abraham. And then in verse 2 says, for if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? Verse 3, Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Some versions say it was imputed to him as righteousness. He believed God. You see, he was told, leave this country and go to that country, and he did, and he believed God. And it was imputed to him, or was accounted to him for righteousness. Why? Because he obeyed, because he believed.

That is very important. Now to him, verse 4, Romans 4 verse 4. Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace, but as debt. So if it works, it's just a salary, and you've worked before you, indebted to receive a salary at the end of the month.

But it's not grace. It's not a gift. But to him who does not work, but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness. I'm reading verse 5. So we are not justified by our works. Sure, we have to obey, but our obedience does not make us righteous before God. We got to believe that God is able to make us righteousness, because otherwise it's just self-righteousness. Verse 6, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness, in other words grants to him, credits his bank account, let's say that, between the inverted commas, credits him with righteousness. So he says, okay, I'm credited with your bank account for a million dollars. I don't do anything. It's death. It's imputed. It's credited apart from works, apart from works. Verse 7, blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Brethren, that's us.

Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin. Oh, we have sinned, but he says he will not impute because of God's grace.

That is a blessing. That is a blessing. So Christ is doing in Ephesians 5, verse 26 and 27, and we know the scripture normally is relating about a man and a woman and marriage, but it applies to the church. In Ephesians 5, verse 26 and 27, he's talking about husbands love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it, that he Christ might sanctify and cleanser with the washing of water by the word.

So that Christ sanctifies and cleanses us by the washing of water. What water? Well, we can say the baptism, yes, but the washing of real water is living waters, and those living waters are God's only Spirit, and the word are the washing of waters and by the word, God's word, the Bible. So God's only Spirit working with the Bible, and us reading the Bible and realizing we're going to do something, and God's only Spirit breaking our minds. Christ is therefore sanctifying us and cleansing us through God's only Spirit and the word, and he's cleansing us and sanctifying us, and giving us righteousness because we don't have it. So our works, sure, we have to believe, we have to practice, we have to obey, but that obedience is not gonna make us righteous, is not gonna forgive our past self. So look at 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 2. 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 2. 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 2.

1 Peter chapter 1 verse 2. 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 2. 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 2. 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 2. 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 2. It's talking about addressing the brethren, the pilgrims of the dispersion, and it says, 2 He will collect according to the full knowledge of God the Father in sanctification of the Spirit.

For obedience. God's only Spirit is what sanctifies us, is what sets us apart, is the sanctification and cleaning us by His Spirit, by the washing of water. What for? For obedience, so that we become obedient.

And obviously through the spreaking of the blood of Jesus Christ.

Look at 2 Peter chapter 1. 2 Peter chapter 1. 1 Peter chapter 1. Starting in verse 3.

As His divine power. What is His divine power? It's God's Holy Spirit. Has given to us all things that pertain to life and Godness. So God's Holy Spirit gives us all the tools, all the characteristics, all the attributes, all the things we need. For what?

For eternal life and to become like God.

Through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue. Through understanding who Christ is and us becoming like Christ is by growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ. So as knowing who Christ is and the knowledge of Christ, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises. What exceedingly great and precious promises are those? To have eternal life, to be children and sons and daughters of God, to be glorified within.

He says that through these you might be partakers of the divine nature. Through these what? Through these tools, through these attributes, through these things, all things that have been given to us by His power as we read in verse 3. So by these, these tools, these capabilities of the Holy Spirit, we may be partakers of the divine nature, which is God's nature. Having escaped a corruption that is in the world through lust. And for this reason, give all diligence to do these things, to add this up. And then you read that in verse 10. He says, therefore brethren, be even more diligently to make your call and election sure. You know what? Be diligent. To be ready. To be ready. To be ready. Are we going to be ready? Be diligent to make our calling and election sure. Because if we do these things, you'll never stumble. If you do these things, you will be ready. So, and give all diligence to add at your five virtues, to five knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, becoming like God, bridal kindness, and godly love. So, for so, verse 11, an entrance will be supplied because that's how you will enter the kingdom of God. And it was for an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In other words, this is how we'll enter the kingdom of God. And if we do these things, we will be ready. So, the important question about the wedding is really, are we ready? Are we going to be there? Or people went entered into the debates. Where is the marriage supper? Where is not the marriage supper? Blah, blah, blah, blah. Brethren, if you're not there, all the other things are useless. So, let's rather work in the debate about how am I? How am I? Evaluate ourselves. Examine yourselves. Am I ready? Are you ready? That's what we need to do. We need to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Peter, in the second epistle, he starts with this, and then he concludes basically with the same thing on verse 18, and he says right at the end, beware, beware. Don't fall away. Don't become, look warm. Don't, don't let your hands go, but remain, work diligently.

Be steadfast till the end, and therefore grow in the grace, in the kindness, in the loving kindness. And in the knowledge and understanding of who Christ is, because he's our standard, he is who we need to imitate, so let us therefore grow in that grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That's what we need to do. And continue Revelation 19 verse 9.

Then he said to me, right, blessed are those who are called to the married supper of the lamp. And he said to me, these are the true sayings of God. This is a very special blessing, a very special distinction, a glorious distinction. And then he first said, and I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, see that you do not do that. I am your fellow servant and your your brethren who, and I am your fellow servant and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. I'm just the servant of yours and of the servant of your brothers and sisters in Christ. So worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. In other words, all prophecy, all the whole Bible, the whole of God's plan, the whole of God's objective, which is prophecy is what what will happen. That's what's God's mind. The whole of the plan points to Christ and his testimony. That's what the whole spirit of what God is doing is Jesus. And his testimony, his life, his example, how he lived is basically what we need to follow.

Look at Psalm chapter 2. Psalm chapter 2.

Psalm chapter 2, second psalm. Why do nations rage and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed, against the Father and against Jesus Christ, saying, Let us break their bonds. The Lord of God and Jesus Christ in pieces and cast away their courts of the Father and Jesus Christ. He who sits in the heavens shall laugh. The Lord shall hold them in derision. Then he shall speak to them in his wrath and distress them in his deep displeasure. Yet I've set my king on my holy hill of Zion. He was the Father who set up Christ in his holy hill of Zion.

I will declare the decree, The Lord has said to me, You are my son. The Father has said to Christ, You are my son. Today I have begotten you. Ask of me and I'll give you the nations for your inheritance. The Father says to Christ, Ask of me and I'll give you the nations for your inheritance. And that's what's going to happen in Christ's coming. And the ends of the earth or your possession. You shall break them, the nations, with a rod of iron. You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel. Now therefore be wise, O kings, be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord. Serve Jesus Christ with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the son. Christ, respect him. Lest he be angry. So serve God, serve Jesus Christ, kiss the son, love Jesus Christ, lest he be angry. And you perishing away when his wrath is king-billed by the little that is coming. Blessed are those who put the thrust in him. You see, the Father puts all creation on Christ's control. He says, Ask of me and I'll give you the nations for your inheritance. And God has done that. God has done that. So we get to the point of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. In Revelation 19, verse 11, 12, and 13. Now I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse. And he was sat on himals called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowds. He had a name written that no one knew except himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. That's Jesus Christ. He's the one that spoke to the Word of God. In Zechariah 14, verse 3 and 4, he prophesied this event in anticipation. Look at Zechariah 14, verse 3 and 4. Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations as he fights in the day of battle. And in that day his feet will stand on a mount of olives, which face Jerusalem in the east, on the east, and a mount of olives shall be split in two from east to west, making a very large valley. Half of the mountain shall move towards the north, and half of it towards the south. So you see this, and we covered that section about earthquakes in earlier study on this book of Revelation. So this event, he has prophesied, it's Christ's coming. At this time, to execute righteousness, this final righteousness.

So in Isaiah 64, Isaiah 64, verse 1 through 5, oh, that you would ram the heavens, that you would come down, that the mountains might shake at your presence. And yes, he's coming down. As fire burns brush wood, as fire causes water to boil, to make your name known to your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at your presence. And that will happen. When you did awesome things for which we did not look, you came down, the mountains shook at your presence, for since the beginning of the world may have not heard, nor perceived by the year, nor has I seen any God besides you who acts for the one who waits for him. You meet him who rejoices and has righteousness, who redeems you in your ways. You are indeed angry for we absent. And in these ways we continue, and we need to be saved. We need to be saved. You see, this prophecy is going to be fulfilled. And look at it in, as it will read, yeah, oh, that you would render heavens, that you would come down, that the mountains might shake at your presence. And that is going to happen. So let's continue now in Revelation 19. We're going to read now verse 14 through 16. And armies of heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, I believe the armies are angelic beings, followed him on white horses. Now, I'm not saying that resurrected saints would not be with him, but what I'm saying is that the armies, those that are actively prepared to fight, is the angelic armies. So now, out of his mouth goes a sharp sword that with it you should strut the nations. And he himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He himself treads the winepress of the fiercest and wrath of Almighty God. He has on his robe and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Look at Isaiah 34. And Isaiah 34 describes the ultimate destruction of end-time Babylon. Look at Isaiah 34.

Come near your nations to year, and heed your people. Let the earth year, and all that is in it, the world and all things that come forth from it. For the elimination of the Lord is against all nations, and his fury against all their armies. Yes, they gathered together to fight against Christ, and he is coming. Also, he has utterly destroyed them. He has given them over to the slaughter. Also, their slain shall be thrown out. And you see, you can go on reading this. I'm not going to read at all. And look at it in verse 5. For my sword shall be birthed in heaven. Indeed, it shall come down on Edom. Look at Obadiah, which is a prophecy against Edom, and on the people of my curse for judgment. The sword of the Lord is full of blood. It is made of over-flowing, made over-flying with fatness, with the blood of the lambs and goats, etc. And then look at it in verse 8. For it tees the day of the Lord's vengeance, the year of recompense, for the cause of Zion. And you can go on reading this whole chapter. The ultimate destruction of end time, Babylon. Look at Isaiah 63. Isaiah 63 verse 1 through 6. Isaiah 63 verse 1 through 6. Who is this who comes from Edom? As we mentioned there in Isaiah 34, the destruction of Edom, the destruction of Babylon, with dyed garments from Basra, this one who is glorious, in his apparel. In the words of Jesus Christ, coming there, traveling in the greatness of his strength, I who speak in righteous mighty to save. Why is your apparel red and your garments like one who treads in the winepress? I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with me. I have trodden them in my anger and trampled them in my fury, their blood is sprinkled upon my garments. I have stained all my robes for the day of vengeance is in my heart, and the year of my redeemed as come.

Let's continue reading in Revelation 19 verse 17 through 19.

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses, and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, but small and great, and also the beasts and the kings of the earth and their armies, gather together to make war against him who sat on the horse and against his army. And we know from Revelation 16 verse 12 through 16 that's the sixth lost plague, that is when the physical armies just gathered in Armageddon, and then they go to Jerusalem to fight Christ. So that's this event here. So now continuing in verse 20. Then the beast was captured, and within the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast, and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire, burning with brimstone. These two leaders are thrown alive into the lake of fire, at the beginning of the millennium. And now in verse 21, and the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh. So the gathered armies are now completely destroyed. And that's what we read just now in Zechariah 14 verse 1 through 5. That we read, but let's just go back to it. Zechariah 14. We read that a moment ago. It says, The day of the Lord is coming, I'll gather all the nations, and the Lord will go forth and fight against the nations. That's what we're talking about in Revelation 19, 20, and 21. That's exactly Zechariah 14. And then, look at a bit later, in verse 12 through 14. And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem. Their flesh will dissolve while they stand on their feet. Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, and their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths. It shall come to pass in that day, that a great panic from the Lord will be among them. Everyone will seize the hand of his neighbor and raise his hand against his neighbor's hand. Judah also will fight Jerusalem. At that time, the Jewish nation will recognize who their Messiah is, and they will be the first ones. The first nation en masse that will be converted and will repent and will come to support Christ at that time. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be gathered together, gold, silver, and apparel, and in greater patterns. And that kind of leads into the war tomorrow. So we can see Christ as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords coming and fighting these nations. And right there, Judah will then recognize Christ's and will then intervene. So let's talk a little bit about God's grace and justice in conclusion. We know that God's word is very clear that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. For us to be safe. Yes, we know that. We also know, when we read about the story in Acts 24, where Paul was discussing with Felix and he was talking about judgment. Let's look at there very briefly. Look at Acts 24, Acts 24 verse 24 and 25. Acts 24 verse 24 and 25. And he says, And after some days when Felix came with his wife, Drusilla, that's his third wife, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul, that's Felix, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. Now he reasoned, that's Paul reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come. Felix was afraid.

Reverend, there's going to be a judgment to come. Okay, God is merciful, but there's going to be a judgment to come. In James chapter 2 verse 13, he says, Judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Do we show mercy to other people, particularly to others in the church? Do we? Because mercy triumphs over judgment. He says, If you forgive others, you will be forgiven. So there is a whole different level that we need to attain in our Christian life, being ready, and that is being forgiving and being merciful, and being merciful, because it's going to be a judgment. How foolish is the Christianity of this world, which believes in God's grace. Oh, yes, oh, and mercy. But they reject part of God's word, which deals with God's righteous judgment, because we have to obey. We have to obey. We're not justified by our works, but there is a sanctification for obedience. God gives His Spirit to those that obey Him. Acts 5 verse 32. So therefore, will you and I, will we be ready and striving to overcome our weaknesses all the way to the end as the five wise virgins, fully trusting God in His help through His Holy Spirit? Would you be ready? Would you have made yourself ready for the marriage supper?