Bible Commentaries
Revelation 19

Verse 1

Salvation (See Scofield " :-") .

Verse 4

beasts

living creatures. (See Scofield " :-") .

Verse 7

wife

The "Lamb's wife" here is the "bride" Revelation 21:9 the Church, identified with the "heavenly Jerusalem" Hebrews 12:22; Hebrews 12:23 and to be distinguished from Israel, the adulterous and repudiated "wife" of Jehovah, yet to be restored ; Isaiah 54:1-10; Hosea 2:1-17 who is identified with the earth Hosea 2:23. A forgiven and restored wife could not be called either a virgin 2 Corinthians 11:2; 2 Corinthians 11:3 or a bride.

Verse 8

righteousness

The garment is Scripture is a symbol of righteousness. In the bad ethical sense it symbolizes self-righteousness (e.g) Isaiah 64:6; Philippians 3:6-8 the best that a moral and religious man under law could do). In the good ethical sense the garment symbolizes "the righteousness of God. . .upon all them that believe."

(See Scofield "Philippians 3:6-50.3.8- :") .

Verse 11

saw heaven opened

The vision is of the departure from heaven of Christ and the saints and angels preparatory to the catastrophe in which Gentile world-power, headed up in the Beast, is smitten by the "stone cut out without hands". (Daniel 2:34); (Daniel 2:35).

white horse

Contrast (Revelation 6:2); (Psalms 45:4).

Contrast (Matthew 21:2-5).

Day of the Lord

(Day of Jehovah). (Isaiah 2:10-22); (Isaiah 4:1-6); (Isaiah 11:10-13); (Isaiah 13:9-16); (Isaiah 24:21-23); (Isaiah 26:20-21); (Isaiah 63:1-6); (Isaiah 66:15-24); (Revelation 19:11-21).

Verse 17

Come

Armageddon (the ancient hill and valley of Megiddo, west of Jordan in the plain of Jezreel) is the appointed place for the beginning of the great battle in which the Lord, at His coming in glory, will deliver the Jewish remnant besieged by the Gentile world- powers under the Beast and False Prophet Revelation 16:13-16; Zechariah 12:1-9. Apparently the besieging hosts, whose approach to Jerusalem is described in Isaiah 10:28-32 alarmed by the signs which precede the Lord's coming Matthew 24:29; Matthew 24:30 have fallen back to Megiddo, after the events of Zechariah 14:2 where their destruction begins; a destruction consummated in Moab and the plains of Idumea Isaiah 63:1-6. This battle is the first event in "the day of Jehovah" Isaiah 2:12 and is the fulfilment of the smiting-stone prophecy of Daniel 2:35.

Verse 19

make war

The day of Jehovah (called, also, "that day," and "the great day") is that lengthened period of time beginning with the return of the Lord in glory, and ending with the purgation of the heavens and the earth by fire preparatory to the new heavens and the new earth Isaiah 65:17-19; Isaiah 66:22; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1. The order of events appears to be:

(1) The return of the Lord in glory Matthew 24:29; Matthew 24:30

(2) the destruction of the Beast and his host, "the kings of the earth and their armies," and the false prophet, which is the "great and terrible" aspect of the day Revelation 19:11-21.

(3) the judgment of the nations Zechariah 14:1-9; Matthew 25:31-46.

(4) the thousand years, i.e, the kingdom-age Revelation 20:4-6.

(5) the Satanic revolt and its end Revelation 20:7-10.

(6) the second resurrection and final judgment Revelation 20:11-15 and

(7) the "day of God," earth purged by fire 2 Peter 3:10-13.

The day of the Lord is preceded by seven signs:

(1) The sending of Elijah Malachi 4:5; Revelation 11:3-6

(2) cosmical disturbances Joel 2:1-12; Matthew 24:29; Acts 2:19; Acts 2:20; Revelation 6:12-17

(3) the insensibility of the professing church 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3

(4) the apostasy of the professing church, then become "Laodicea" 2 Thessalonians 2:3

(5) the rapture of the true church 1 Thessalonians 4:17.

(6) the manifestation of the "man of sin," the Beast 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8

(7) the apocalyptic judgments (Rev. 11.-18.).

make war Armageddon (battle of). See note, Revelation 16:14; Revelation 19:17 (See Scofield "Revelation 19:17- :")

Verse 20

Beast

The Beast, Summary: This "Beast" is the "little horn" of Daniel 7:24-26 and "desolator" of Daniel 9:27 the "abomination of desolation" of Matthew 24:15 the "man of sin" of 2 Thessalonians 2:4-8 earth's last and most awful tyrant, Satan's fell instrument of wrath and hatred against God and the Jewish saints. He is, perhaps, identical with the rider on the white horse of Revelation 6:2 who begins by the peaceful conquest of three of the ten kingdoms into which the former Roman empire will then be divided, but who soon establishes the ecclesiastical and governmental tyranny described in Dan. 7., Daniel 7:9., Daniel 7:11.; Revelation 13:0. To him Satan gives the power which he offered to Christ. ; Matthew 4:8; Matthew 4:9; Revelation 13:4. See "The great tribulation," Psalms 2:5.

(See Scofield "Psalms 2:5- :") .