Revelation 19King James Version
After these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia. The marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. Heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True. His name is called The Word of God. KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Heaven erupts in Alleluia as God's judgment of the great harlot is declared just. The twenty-four elders and four living creatures worship. A voice calls all servants of God to praise. The multitude roars like thunder: the marriage of the Lamb has come, his bride has made herself ready in fine linen of righteous deeds. John is told to write the blessing of those invited to the marriage supper. Then heaven opens: a rider on a white horse, Faithful and True, eyes of flame, many crowns, clothed in blood, called the Word of God. The armies of heaven follow. The beast and false prophet are taken and thrown into the lake of fire. The rest are slain.
The celebration of Babylon's fall flows directly into the marriage of the Lamb and then into the rider coming on the white horse: justice, joy, and judgment are not three separate events but one movement.
16: "And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." The rider named Faithful and True carries a name on his thigh that settles every question about who holds final authority over every kingdom that has ever claimed it.
The armies of heaven on white horses in fine linen follow the rider but do not fight. The sword comes from his mouth, not their hands, continuing the image of the Word of God as the weapon. The birds gathering for the supper of God create a grotesque visual: circling overhead before the battle, called in advance, a dark fulfillment of Ezekiel 39's prophecy about birds feasting on the fallen.
The great multitude in heaven singing Alleluia; the bride of the Lamb, whose fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints; the rider called Faithful and True and the Word of God; the beast and false prophet, captured and cast into the lake of fire; the birds called to the great supper of God.
The contrast between two suppers in this chapter is deliberate and grim: the marriage supper of the Lamb for the bride, and the supper of the great God to which birds are invited to eat the flesh of kings and generals. One table is a wedding feast; the other is a battlefield. The rider's robe is dipped in blood before any battle, suggesting the blood of the cross rather than the blood of enemies.
For when you need to know that the rejoicing is not premature. The Alleluias in this chapter are not wishful thinking but the response of those who have watched the entire arc of the vision and are now naming what they see. The marriage of the Lamb, long anticipated in imagery scattered across the whole book, is here.
1And 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:
2For 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.
3And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
4And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
5And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
6And 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.
7Let 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.
8And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
9And 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.
10And 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.
11And 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.
12His 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.
13And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
14And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15And 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.
16And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
17And 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;
18That 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.
19And 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.
20And 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.
21And 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.