Revelation of Jesus to John: Revelation 19

Before we begin, please consider the following questions about the "Marriage Supper of the Lamb":

WHO is the groom?
WHO is the best man (or friend of the groom)?
WHO is the bride?
WHO is invited?
WHO are the bridesmaids?
WHEN is the wedding and WHEN is the marriage supper - BEFORE, AFTER or DURING the Millennium?
WHERE does the wedding take place - on earth, in heaven or in the New Jerusalem?
WHERE does the Marriage Supper take place?

Above image from www.truthnet.org/Christianity/revelation/Revelation19

At the pouring of the seventh bowl, a voice was heard from the Temple saying, “It is finished!” (Revelation 16:17). Even though judgment was said to be complete at the pouring of the final bowl, there were several more chapters still ahead. Revelation 17, 18 and 19 provide additional background concerning the judgment of Babylon and the overthrow of the man's rule. The background and ultimate destruction of the Prostitute (Harlot in the KJV) (Babylon) is shown in Revelation 17 and 18.

We ended last time at Revelation 18:21-24: Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder as large as a great millstone. He threw it into the ocean and shouted, "Babylon, the great city, will be thrown down as violently as I have thrown away this stone, and she will disappear forever. Never again will the sound of music be heard there -- no more harps, songs, flutes, or trumpets. There will be no industry of any kind, and no more milling of grain. Her nights will be dark, without a single lamp. There will be no happy voices of brides and grooms. This will happen because her merchants, who were the greatest in the world, deceived the nations with her sorceries. In her streets the blood of the prophets was spilled. She was the one who slaughtered God's people all over the world."

In this chapter are sequentially:

Hallelujah's in heaven at the destruction of the Prostitute followed by
The wedding feast of the Lamb followed by
The return of Jesus Christ to earth followed by
The casting of the Beast and the False Prophet into the Lake of Fire followed by
The destruction of the Beast's army.

(1) AFTER THIS, I heard the sound of a vast crowd in heaven shouting, "Hallelujah! Salvation is from our God. Glory and power belong to him alone.

After this:
- After the destruction of the Prostitute, Babylon the Great, in chapters 17 and 18.
Vast crowd in heaven:

This vast crowd in heaven does not consist of angels - they don't need Salvation! This vast crowd whose Hallelujah is heard first must include the company of martyrs redeemed by the blood of the Lamb who died during the tribulation - souls under the altar (Revelation 6:9). They are a distinct company from the twenty-four elders. A second Hallelujah is shouted by them in verse 4.
Revelation 14:2-3: And I heard a sound from heaven like the roaring of a great waterfall or the rolling of mighty thunder. It was like the sound of many harpists playing together. This great choir sang a wonderful new song in front of the throne of God and before the four living beings and the twenty-four elders. And no one could learn this song except those 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.
Revelation 19:4,6: THEN the twenty-four elders and the four living beings fell down and worshiped God, who was sitting on the throne. They cried out, "Amen! Hallelujah!" ... I heard again what sounded like the shout of a huge crowd, or the roar of mighty ocean waves, or the crash of loud thunder: "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.

Hallelujah:

Greek alleôlouia...From the Hebrew words haòlal (Praise) and yaòhh (Shortened form of Yahweh), so Hallelujah literally means "praise Yahweh".
Hallelujah appears 24 times in the Old Testament, 4 times in this chapter and nowhere else in the New Testament.

Glory and power belong to him alone:
- Satan sought this glory and power, and man's worship and praise, but it belongs to God alone.

(2) His judgments are just and true. He has punished the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and he has avenged the murder of his servants."

Great prostitute:

In the middle of the Tribulation, Antichrist and the ten kings overthrow the world-wide united religion (Babylon the harlot) that had supported them (she rode the beast) because they no longer need her. Then they will set up the worship of Antichrist and require that everyone of every race, tribe, tongue and language worship the Antichrist as God.
The words "great Prostitute" in Greek are tēn pornēn tēn megalēn - the Prostitute, the great [one]. She is the "Mother of All Prostitutes” (Revelation 17:5). An angel told John that he would be shown “the judgment of the great Prostitute” (Revelation 17:1).
The great prostitute is the false religious system that existed from the time of first Babylon under Nimrod.
The quarrel God has with Babylonianism wherever it may be found, not only in the Roman church but in many churches, sects and other religions which fall prey to this error, is that "she glorifies herself" in the name of God. She teaches in the name of Christ, mingling truth with error. Saints are called to separate themselves from that root error: the hunger for earthly glory and position obtained by religious devotion. Whenever a church seeks influence by impressing people with outward splendor you have the seeds of Babylonianism present. Whenever individual Christians try to appear pious and devout while the heart runs after material gain or status, we find Babylonianism. Would not Peter, Paul, James, John and Jesus seem out of place in the assembly pictured below or would they have felt like they were in some kind of Roman Pagan assembly? Would probably have seemed to Paul to be more like his trial before being executed!:

Above image from www.popefrancisnewsblog.com/imgs/2015/consistory01_2015-02-14.jpg

Corrupted the earth:

Satan, who would be worshiped as god by the inhabitants of the Earth in the 2nd half of the 70th week, destroys the “Great Prostitute". With a world wide economic system in place in the 2nd half of the tribulation, The Antichrist will become the focus corrupting the Earth through religious, economic and military might. Any who wish to survive must submit to the kingdom of the Beast.

(3) Again and again their voices rang, "Hallelujah! The smoke from that city ascends forever and forever!"

Smoke ... ascends:

This is an allusion to Isaiah 34:10:

This judgment on Edom will never end; the smoke of its burning will rise forever. The land will lie deserted from generation to generation. No one will live there anymore.

Revelation 14:8-11: Then another angel followed him through the skies, shouting, "Babylon is fallen -- that great city is fallen -- because she seduced the nations of the world and made them drink the wine of her passionate immorality." Then a third angel followed them, shouting, "Anyone who worships the beast and his statue or who accepts his mark on the forehead or the hand must drink the wine of God's wrath. It is poured out undiluted into God's cup of wrath. And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb. The smoke of their torment rises forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night, for they have worshiped the beast and his statue and have accepted the mark of his name.

Forever and forever:

eis tous aiōnas tōn aiōnōn: unto the ages of the ages - forever and ever is a figure of speech meaning the destruction is total and irrevocable.

(4) THEN the twenty-four elders and the four living beings fell down and worshiped God, who was sitting on the throne. They cried out, "Amen! Hallelujah!"

In verse 1 and in Revelation 7:9-14, John is shown a vast crowd, too great to count saved out of the Great Tribulation. Here, this vast crowd, the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures ALL join in worship and praise AND WE'LL BE THERE too (if we're saved):
- Revelation 7:9-14: After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a mighty shout, "Salvation comes from our God on the throne and from the Lamb!" And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living beings. And they fell face down before the throne and worshiped God. They said, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to our God forever and forever. Amen!" Then one of the twenty-four elders asked me, "Who are these who are clothed in white? Where do they come from?" And I said to him, "Sir, you are the one who knows." Then he said to me, "These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white.
Twenty-four elders:

Elders - Greek presbuteros (Strong's Greek 4245).
These 24 elders show up about 6 times, (4:10; 5:8; 5:14; 7:11; 11:16; 19:4), and, every time they do, they are doing the same thing: falling on their faces and worshiping the Lord! They represent the redeemed of God. If you are saved, they picture YOU! Why are they praising the Lord so much? Because in Heaven, they are finally free from the limitations of the flesh and they can see God like He really is (1 John 3:2)!
The elders were first seen seated on thrones around God’s throne:

Revelation 4:4: Twenty-four thrones surrounded him, and twenty-four elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads.

This is the last reference to the 24 elders. Are they from now on seen as the bride?

Four living beings:

The four living creatures were introduced in Revelation 4:6 and they surround the throne of God. Hendriksen says, "They are the cherubim, that is, angels who have been given the task to protect, guard, and do God's bidding (see Gen. 3:24; Exodus. 25:20; Rev. 15:7). They support the elders in uttering praises and the "Amen" (Rev 5:9-10, 14)." This is the last time these are mentioned in the Book of Revelation.
The four living beings, possibly cherubim, were first seen by John around the throne: Revelation 4:6: In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal. In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back.

(5) And from the throne came a voice that said, "Praise our God, all his servants, from the least to the greatest, all who fear him."

Praise our God:

Psalm 150:1: Praise the LORD! Praise God in his heavenly dwelling; praise him in his mighty heaven!

(6) THEN I heard again what sounded like the shout of a huge crowd, or the roar of mighty ocean waves, or the crash of loud thunder: "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.

The following is the most common interpretation of "The Marriage Supper of the Lamb":
(NOTE: While I personally believe the Church which is His Body begin at Acts 28:28, not Acts 2 and I personally believe that the bride is redeemed Israel - which we'll discuss later, but that information presented by Cooper Abrams below is very useful).

Quoted from "The Marriage Supper of the Lamb - A MARRIAGE MADE IN HEAVEN" by Cooper Abrams: http://bible-truth.org/msg113.html:

"Most couples are looking for a marriage that will last and make the couple happy! It is referred to as a "marriage made in heaven." Well, I just want you to know that while some marriages may have been made in heaven, they still have to be lived out here on earth. That, in itself, makes them all less than perfect.
"There is a marriage that is always 100% successful. It is an eternal marriage, made not between a man and a woman, but between one who believes and receives Jesus Christ as their Savior. Matthew 12:25 tells us that there is no marriage in heaven and believers are like the angels who have no marriage relationship. But there will be a bride in heaven and that bride will be believers who by faith were saved by the grace of God and who the Bible says are the Bride and Body of Jesus Christ.
"Today, we come to an event in the future when Jesus will receive His bride. It will happen after the BEMA judgment and it will involve all of God's children who have been saved since Acts 2 and the Day of Pentecost. This event is commonly referred to as The Marriage Supper Of The Lamb. It will be a time of great joy for all the redeemed people of God! You see, for those saved in this the Church Age, the end times shape up like this:
"In the Rapture, we will be Caught Up; at the BEMA Judgment Seat of Christ, we will be rewarded; and at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, we will be Given the special place God has for us!
"My desire in preaching this sermon is to help those who are saved understand that there are some blessed days ahead for the people of God. Sometimes we get so caught up in the events of today....we forget the future God has for us.
"I also want those who do not know the Lord to know that they need to get ready to meet the Lord. He is coming and He will take His people to Heaven and we will forever be with Him.
"But, He will only take His people! The rest will be left behind to endure the Tribulation and face terrible time when God will pour His wrath out upon the earth. I would like to say that we will deal with the Tribulation in some detail in a later message, but we want you to know...that God's purpose in the Tribulation is two fold....One to bring millions of people to be saved and the second to purge the earth of sinners who refuse to receive Him as their Savior.
"To understand this we must understand the marriage customs of the Jews in Jesus' day.

I. The Four Stages of a Jewish Wedding.

The Betrothal
The betrothal was binding and could only be undone by a divorce with proper grounds, such as the bride being found not to be pure, (see Joseph and Mary - Matthew 1 v18-19). The young man prepared a Ketubah, (Kit to bah) or marriage contract (or covenant) which he presented to the intended bride and her father. Included in this was the "Bride Price", which was appropriate in that society to compensate the young woman's parents for the cost of raising her, as well as being an expression of his love for her.

Acceptance
To see if the proposal was accepted, the young man would pour a cup of wine for his beloved and wait to see if she drank it. This cup represents a blood covenant. If she drank the cup she would have accepted the proposal and they would be betrothed. The young man would then give gifts to his beloved, and then take his leave. The young woman would have to wait for him to return and collect her.

The wedding chamber and the Chuppah (Chup-pa)
Before leaving the young man would announce, " I am going to prepare a place for you ", and "I will return for you when it is ready". The usual practice was for the young man to return to his father's house and build a honeymoon room there. This is what is symbolized by the Chuppah or canopy which is characteristic of Jewish weddings. He was not allowed to skimp on the work and had to get his father's approval before he could consider it ready for his bride. If asked the date of his wedding he would have to reply, "Only my father knows." Typically it would be a year before he came for his bride.
Meanwhile the bride would be making herself ready so that she would be pure and beautiful for her bridegroom. During this time she would wear a veil when she went, out to show she was spoken for (she has been bought with a price).

The Wedding
When the wedding chamber was ready the bridegroom could collect his bride. He could do this at any time so the bride would make special arrangements. It was the custom for a bride to keep a lamp, her veil and her other things beside her bed. Her bridesmaids were also waiting and had to have oil ready for their lamps.
When the groom and his friends got close to the bride's house they would give a shout and blow a shofar to let her know to be ready.
When the wedding party arrived at father's house the newly weds went into the wedding chamber for a seven day honeymoon and the groom's best friend stood outside waiting for the groom to tell them that the marriage had been consummated
Then all the friends really started celebrating for the seven days that the couple were honeymooning. When the couple emerged there would be much congratulation and the Marriage Supper could begin.

II. The Jewish Wedding Paralleled in Salvation.

Betrothal pictures salvation. Like the Jewish marriage custom the betrothal begins with a contract presented by the Bridegroom.

Jesus Christ is the Bridegroom and He presents to all men His contract of salvation and He pays the price. The price for the redemption of bride was His suffering and sacrifice on the Cross.
1 John 2:2 "And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." Propitiation means full payment.
Matt. 26:28 "For this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." This covenant was not the one He made with Israel, but a new covenant made with those who would believe in Him in this age.
Hebrews 8:6 explains this covenant. "But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises."
Jesus gave us a better covenant with better promises.

To Israel God promised the coming of the Messiah and the Messiah's kingdom where Israel would be a peace and prosper. He promised them they would finally have the land that he gave to Abraham that extends from the Nile river in the south to the Euphrates in the north.

To believers saved in the Church Age Jesus has promised something much better.

The Gospel is God's proclamation of the this new covenant. Jesus further revealed this New Testament or covenant when He gave us the Lord's Supper:
1 Corinthians 11:25 "After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me."
The word "testament" means a contract or covenant.

Jesus then offers people in this present age, which began at Pentecost in Acts 2, a new testament.

We are saved just like people in the Old Testament which was by faith in God's revealed promises. They looked in faith to the coming of the Messiah Jesus Christ and we look back on the finished work of Christ and the cross where Jesus paid the sins of the world....past, present and future.

The New Testament is not a new way to be saved, but a new promise in what our salvation would bring. We become the body and Bride of Christ. We have a special close relationship with Him now and in eternity. There is no relationship closer than that of a husband and wife.
1 Corinthians 12:12-14 explains this saying "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many."
Ephesians 4:12 also states this: "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ."

Jesus' promise to His Bride.

Galatians 3:22 tells us: "But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe."

Writing to the Ephesians Paul tells them and us of this promise. Here he says we are sealed...with the holy Spirit of promise. Ephesians 1:13-14 "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory."

Therefore Jesus Christ the Bridegroom has offered to us covenant, a proposal of salvation. But we will see that the proposal is conditional.

III. The acceptance of the proposal.

There would be no wedding if the bride did not respond to the offer of marriage. The bride would be offered a cup of red wine.

The young man would pour a cup of wine for his perspective bride. This clearly symbolizes Jesus' blood that He poured out for our sins. Once again we go to the Lord's Supper to see this truth.
Jesus said as recorded by Matthew 26:28 "For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."
Luke makes it even clearer, "Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you." (Luke 22:20)

Paul writes in Titus: Titus 3:5-7 "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."
In other words all the bride has to do is accept the proposal of marriage.

Remember what John 3:36 said? "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."
John 1:12 "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name."
When a person by faith receives Jesus Christ as their Savior it is a picture of the bride accepting the proposal of the Bridegroom.

The Bridegroom's promise:

John 14:1-3 records the very words spoken by the Bridegroom to His bride.
John 14:1-3 "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."

The Bridegroom goes prepares the wedding chamber and the Chuppah. As in the Jewish wedding the Bridegroom leaves to prepare the new home for His Bride.

Notice that He promises to come again and receive her unto Himself, that where the Bridegroom is so will be the bride.

The proposal of marriage is made to the Father, the bride accepts the proposal and officially the couple is betrothed. The bride is now "sanctified" or set apart to her husband. The only way to break the covenant was divorce and the only grounds for divorce was that the bride, had deceived the bridegroom and was not pure.
We see the example of this when Joseph found out that Mary was with child. Matthew 1:19 says, "Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily." To "put her away" meant to divorce her.
Yet, in the marriage of a believer to Jesus Christ there can be no divorce, because the only grounds of divorce, which is impurity....is completely removed by Jesus Christ. The believer is forgiven of all their sins and given eternal life.

The Bridegroom must also have the approval of his father, which he received prior to making the marriage proposal. The wedding chamber and the Chuppah (huppa) was built on the bridegroom's father's house. It would be where he would live with his new bride. This being his Father's home...the Father was the one who would say when the wedding chamber was ready and when the marriage might take place.
Today the Chuppah is a canopy placed at the Father's house under which the couple stand and the marriage vows are stated. In Bible times it was the home that the bridegroom prepared for his bride in his father's home.
If someone would ask the Bridegroom when was the day of the wedding he would reply "Only Father knows."

IV. The Bridegroom comes for His bride.

At the proper time appointed by the bridegroom's father a messenger would be sent to announce the bridegroom's coming and the bridegroom taking his wife.

The bride not knowing when the bridegroom would come was to keep herself ready at all times.

In Matthew 25 Jesus gave the parable of the ten virgins who were called to a marriage supper. These virgins when they heard the Bridegroom was coming would go to meet him and light the way with their lamps.
The groom, best man and other male escorts would leave the groom's father's house and conduct a torch light procession to the home of the bride.
The groom's arrival would be preceded by a shout. This shout would forewarn the bride to be prepared for the coming of the groom. The guests would be invited to the wedding. In the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, Israel is the invited guest to the ceremony and feast.

Once the Bridegroom arrived the wedding ceremony would take place and the bridegroom would spend their honeymoon night together in the home provided by the bridegroom.
The bride would be adorned in her "wedding garments."

Shortly after arrival the bride and groom would be escorted by the other members of the wedding party to the bridal chamber (chuppah). Prior to entering the chamber the bride remained veiled so that no one could see her face. While the grooms men and bridesmaids would wait outside, the bride and groom would enter the bridal chamber alone.

Following the marriage there would be a seven day honey moon in which the bride groom would be together. At the end of the seven days the couple would emerge and the invited guests would have a "marriage supper."

"Conclusion:

The marriage takes place in heaven when Jesus takes believers to be with Him in the Rapture.
The marriage supper takes place after the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus and the invited guests are Old Testament and the Tribulation saints. The marriage supper takes place in the Millennium, the one thousand year reign of the Lord Jesus on the earth.
It will be a glorious time for those who have believed and accepted the Bridegroom the Lord Jesus Christ
What a wonderful thing it will be to have this special relationship and place of service to the Lord throughout eternity.
Like the biblical marriage the wife is to be the help meet of her husband. In her special relationship she has the privilege to serve Him. The bride is a joy to the bridegroom and she is an honor to him."

(7) Let us be glad and rejoice and honor him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself.

The time has come:
- The bride is granted her wedding garments now and found to be wearing them when she rides forth with Christ at the Second Coming (Revelation 19:14). This indicates that the wedding takes place in heaven prior to the Second Coming.
Lamb: Greek arnion …lambkin, little lamb. The Lamb is the suffering Messiah who died as a sacrifice for our sins. The word for lamb is used 30 times in the New Testament, 29 times in Revelation.
Wedding feast of the Lamb:

Isaiah 25:6-10: In Jerusalem, the LORD Almighty will spread a wonderful feast for everyone around the world. It will be a delicious feast of good food, with clear, well-aged wine and choice beef. In that day he will remove the cloud of gloom, the shadow of death that hangs over the earth. He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign LORD will wipe away all tears. He will remove forever all insults and mockery against his land and people. The LORD has spoken! In that day the people will proclaim, "This is our God. We trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, in whom we trusted. Let us rejoice in the salvation he brings!" For the LORD's good hand will rest on Jerusalem. Moab will be crushed like trampled straw and left to rot
Robert H. Mounce, New International Biblical Commentary: “In Biblical times a marriage involved two major events, the betrothal and the wedding. These were normally separated by a period of time during which the two individuals were considered husband and wife and as such were under the obligations of faithfulness. The wedding began with a procession to the bride’s house, which was followed by a return to the house of the groom for the marriage feast.”
C.I. Scofield says of Genesis 24: "The entire chapter is highly typical. (1) Abraham, type of a certain king who would make a marriage for his son (Matthew. 22:2, John 6:44); (2) the unnamed servant, type of the Holy Spirit, who does not "speak of himself" but takes the things of the Bridegroom to win the bride (John 16:13,14); (3) the servant, type of the Spirit as enriching the bride with the Bridegroom's gifts (Galatians 5:22, 1 Cor. 12:7-11); (4) the servant, type of the Spirit as bringing the bride to the meeting with the Bridegroom (Acts 13:4, 16:6,7, Romans 8:11, 1 Thessalonians 4:14-16); (5) Rebekah ... the "called out" virgin bride of Christ (Genesis 24:16, 2 Corinthians 11:2, Ephesians 5:25-32); (6) Isaac, type of the Bridegroom, "whom not having seen" the bride loves through the testimony of the unnamed servant (1 Peter 1:8); (7) Isaac, type of the Bridegroom who goes out to meet and receive his bride (Genesis 24:63, 1 Thessalonians 4:14-16)." (Scofield Reference Bible notes)
While the marriage ceremony will take place in Heaven just before the Second Coming of the Messiah, the marriage feast will take place on earth after the Second Coming of the Messiah. In fact, it would seem that the marriage feast is what begins the Millennium or Messianic Age

His bride has prepared herself:

One would expect the text to refer to a bride (numpha) at this point, but the Greek uses the term guna (wife). "Wife" suggests the wedding is completed. However, in Jewish marriage customs, the betrothed virgin was bond to her husband. The marriage ceremony was a consummation of the legal process begun months and sometime years before.
The bride of Christ stands in stark contrast to the prostitute, whose beauty is a Satanic deception and whose destruction has been the subject of Revelation 16:17-18:24.
Who is the bride?

Is she Israel?

Israel is the LORD's wife:

Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum: "In the Bible, Israel is represented as the “Wife of Jehovah,” whereas the Church is represented as the “Bride of the Christ (Messiah).” A failure to maintain that distinction will only result in a misinterpretation of what the Scriptures teach."
Israel in her land was the wife of Jehovah (Jeremiah 3:14-20; Isaiah 54:1), but the wife was divorced because of her iniquity. Israel, however, is to be reinstated in Jehovah's favor. But a divorced wife can never again be a virgin, and it is not a divorced wife but a virgin whom the Lord marries (Leviticus 21:14 : compare v. 13 with 2 Corinthians 11:2). Israel, moreover, has her place and blessing on the earth; the marriage of the Lamb is in Heaven, the Church's proper home. The exclusively heavenly character of the scene forbids the application of it to Israel.
Israel is called the Wife of YHWH to be restored after a period of separation. (Isaiah 54:5-10, Hosea 2:16):

Isaiah 54:1-10: "Sing, O childless woman! Break forth into loud and joyful song, O Jerusalem, even though you never gave birth to a child. For the woman who could bear no children now has more than all the other women," says the LORD. "Enlarge your house; build an addition; spread out your home! For you will soon be bursting at the seams. Your descendants will take over other nations and live in their cities. Fear not; you will no longer live in shame. The shame of your youth and the sorrows of widowhood will be remembered no more, for your Creator will be your husband. The LORD Almighty is his name! He is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth. For the LORD has called you back from your grief -- as though you were a young wife abandoned by her husband," says your God. "For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great compassion I will take you back. In a moment of anger I turned my face away for a little while. But with everlasting love I will have compassion on you," says the LORD, your Redeemer. Just as I swore in the time of Noah that I would never again let a flood cover the earth and destroy its life, so now I swear that I will never again pour out my anger on you. For the mountains may depart and the hills disappear, but even then I will remain loyal to you. My covenant of blessing will never be broken," says the LORD, who has mercy on you.

Hosea 2:2-5,14-23: "But now, call Israel to account, for she is no longer my wife, and I am no longer her husband. Tell her to take off her garish makeup and suggestive clothing and to stop playing the prostitute. If she doesn't, I will strip her as naked as she was on the day she was born. I will leave her to die of thirst, as in a desert or a dry and barren wilderness. And I will not love her children as I would my own because they are not my children! They were conceived in adultery. For their mother is a shameless prostitute and became pregnant in a shameful way. She said, 'I'll run after other lovers and sell myself to them for food and drink, for clothing of wool and linen, and for olive oil.'" ... "But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her out into the desert and speak tenderly to her there. I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope. She will give herself to me there, as she did long ago when she was young, when I freed her from her captivity in Egypt. In that coming day," says the LORD, "you will call me 'my husband' instead of 'my master.' O Israel, I will cause you to forget your images of Baal; even their names will no longer be spoken. At that time I will make a covenant with all the wild animals and the birds and the animals that scurry along the ground so that they will not harm you. I will remove all weapons of war from the land, all swords and bows, so you can live unafraid in peace and safety. I will make you my wife forever, showing you righteousness and justice, unfailing love and compassion. I will be faithful to you and make you mine, and you will finally know me as LORD. In that day," says the LORD, "I will answer the pleading of the sky for clouds, which will pour down water on the earth in answer to its cries for rain. Then the earth will answer the thirsty cries of the grain, the grapes, and the olive trees for moisture. And the whole grand chorus will sing together, 'Jezreel' -- 'God plants!' At that time I will plant a crop of Israelites and raise them for myself! I will show love to those I called 'Not loved.' And to those I called 'Not my people,' I will say, 'Now you are my people.' Then they will reply, 'You are our God!'"
- It appears that Israel is depicted as being married to the Father, with the Church given in promise to the Lamb.

Israel is called an ADULTEROUS WIFE and a PROSTITUTE:

Jeremiah 3:1-5,20: "If a man divorces a woman and she marries someone else, he is not to take her back again, for that would surely corrupt the land. But you have prostituted yourself with many lovers, says the LORD. Yet I am still calling you to come back to me. Look all around you. Is there anywhere in the entire land where you have not been defiled by your adulteries? You sit like a prostitute beside the road waiting for a client. You sit alone like a nomad in the desert. You have polluted the land with your prostitution and wickedness. That is why even the spring rains have failed. For you are a prostitute and are completely unashamed. Yet you say to me, 'Father, you have been my guide since the days of my youth. Surely you won't be angry about such a little thing! Surely you can forget it!' So you talk, and keep right on doing all the evil you can." ... But you have betrayed me, you people of Israel! You have been like a faithless wife who leaves her husband," says the LORD.
Jeremiah 31:32: This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife," says the LORD.
Ezekiel 16:1-2,8,15,20-21,32: Then another message came to me from the LORD: "Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her loathsome sins. ... And when I passed by and saw you again, you were old enough to be married. So I wrapped my cloak around you to cover your nakedness and declared my marriage vows. I made a covenant with you, says the Sovereign LORD, and you became mine. ... "But you thought you could get along without me, so you trusted instead in your fame and beauty. You gave yourself as a prostitute to every man who came along. Your beauty was theirs for the asking! ... "Then you took your sons and daughters -- the children you had borne to me -- and sacrificed them to your gods. Was it not enough that you should be a prostitute? Must you also slaughter my children by sacrificing them to idols? Yes, you are an adulterous wife who takes in strangers instead of her own husband.

Jerusalem is God's Bride:

Isaiah 62: Because I love Zion, because my heart yearns for Jerusalem, I cannot remain silent. I will not stop praying for her until her righteousness shines like the dawn, and her salvation blazes like a burning torch. The nations will see your righteousness. Kings will be blinded by your glory. And the LORD will give you a new name. The LORD will hold you in his hands for all to see -- a splendid crown in the hands of God. Never again will you be called the Godforsaken City or the Desolate Land. Your new name will be the City of God's Delight and the Bride of God, for the LORD delights in you and will claim you as his own. Your children will care for you with joy, O Jerusalem, just as a young man cares for his bride. Then God will rejoice over you as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride. O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen on your walls; they will pray to the LORD day and night for the fulfillment of his promises. Take no rest, all you who pray. Give the LORD no rest until he makes Jerusalem the object of praise throughout the earth. The LORD has sworn to Jerusalem by his own strength: "I will never again hand you over to your enemies. Never again will foreign warriors come and take away your grain and wine. You raised it, and you will keep it, praising the LORD. Within the courtyards of the Temple, you yourselves will drink the wine that you have pressed." Go out! Prepare the highway for my people to return! Smooth out the road; pull out the boulders; raise a flag for all the nations to see. The LORD has sent this message to every land: "Tell the people of Israel, 'Look, your Savior is coming. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.'" They will be called the Holy People and the People Redeemed by the LORD. And Jerusalem will be known as the Desirable Place and the City No Longer Forsaken.

Is she the true Jewish believers-the overcomers? Jesus at the Last Supper speaking to the disciples after Judas has left:

John 13:36-38,14:1-3: Simon Peter said, "Lord, where are you going?" And Jesus replied, "You can't go with me now, but you will follow me later." "But why can't I come now, Lord?" he asked. "I am ready to die for you." Jesus answered, "Die for me? No, before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me." ... "Don't be troubled. You trust God, now trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father's home, and I am going to prepare a place for you. If this were not so, I would tell you plainly. When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.

Jewish tradition: The bridegroom prepares a house for his bride attached to his father's house. Once completed and approved by his father, he fetches his bride, marries her and then celebrates the marriage with a 7-day marriage supper.

Is she the church?:

Most dispensational interpreters believe that the bride of the Lamb is none other than the glorified Church.
2 Corinthians 11:2: I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. For I promised you as a pure bride to one husband, Christ.
Ephesians 5:22-23: You wives will submit to your husbands as you do to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of his body, the church; he gave his life to be her Savior.
Ephesians 5:25-27: And you husbands must love your wives with the same love Christ showed the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by baptism and God's word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.

Is she the Body of Christ, made up of saved Jews and Gentiles after Acts 28:28 when Israel rejected Christ, as distinct from restored Israel? How can the Church which is His Body be both His Body and His Bride?

Acts 28:25-28 (KJV): And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.

Ephesians 4:4: We are all one body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all been called to the same glorious future.
Ephesians 4:11-13: He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ, until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ.
Ephesians 3:3-6: As I briefly mentioned earlier in this letter, God himself revealed his secret plan to me. As you read what I have written, you will understand what I know about this plan regarding Christ. God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now he has revealed it by the Holy Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets. And this is the secret plan: The Gentiles have an equal share with the Jews in all the riches inherited by God's children. Both groups have believed the Good News, and both are part of the same body and enjoy together the promise of blessings through Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 4:15-16: Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. Under his direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
Ephesians 5:23: For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of his body, the church; he gave his life to be her Savior.
Ephesians 5:29-30: No one hates his own body but lovingly cares for it, just as Christ cares for his body, which is the church. And we are his body.
Colossians 1:18: Christ is the head of the church, which is his body. He is the first of all who will rise from the dead, so he is first in everything.
Colossians 1:24: I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am completing what remains of Christ's sufferings for his body, the church.
Colossians 2:19: But they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For we are joined together in his body by his strong sinews, and we grow only as we get our nourishment and strength from God.
Colossians 3:15: And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Is she the New Jerusalem?:

Revelation 21:2, 9-10: And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven LIKE a beautiful bride prepared for her husband. ... Then one of the seven angels who held the seven bowls containing the seven last plagues came and said to me, "Come with me! I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." So he took me in spirit to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.

But, the descent of the New Jerusalem is at least one thousand years in the future. The city will eventually be presented as a bride, but does not participate in the marriage described here. So, who are the occupants of the New Jerusalem?

The Lamb (Jesus) is the bridegroom & John the Baptist is the best man:
- John 3:27-29: John replied, "God in heaven appoints each person's work. You yourselves know how plainly I told you that I am not the Messiah. I am here to prepare the way for him -- that is all. The bride will go where the bridegroom is. A bridegroom's friend rejoices with him. I am the bridegroom's friend, and I am filled with joy at his success.

(8) She is permitted to wear the finest white linen." (Fine linen represents the good deeds done by the people of God.)

Finest white linen:

The bride of the Lamb is to be contrasted with the Prostitute. Both wear fine linen, but of different colors. The bride’s is clean and bright, denoting her sinlessness before God, having been washed in the blood of the Lamb. The Prostitute wore purple and scarlet indicating her sinful luxurious living. The clean and bright linen which the bride wears corresponds to the clothing promised to the overcomers in the church at Sardis. Jesus told the Laodicean church that the white garments are to be obtained from Christ.
- Revelation 3:4: "Yet even in Sardis there are some who have not soiled their garments with evil deeds. They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.
- Revelation 3:18: I advise you to buy gold from me -- gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. And also buy white garments so you will not be shamed by your nakedness. And buy ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see.
Notice that while the clothing represents the bride's righteousness, it's not her clothing. It was given to her. We're not righteous by our own works. Our righteousness is given to us by the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:21) The Greek word literally means righteousness rather than good deeds:

Isaiah 61:10 describes this scene more clearly: I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels.

Revelation 7:14: And I said to him, "Sir, you are the one who knows." Then he said to me, "These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white.
Revelation 17:4: The woman wore purple and scarlet clothing and beautiful jewelry made of gold and precious gems and pearls. She held in her hand a gold goblet full of obscenities and the impurities of her immorality.

Good deeds:

But the words here refer us to the judgment seat of Christ, the Bema seat before which we must appear. Then the hidden things are brought to light and the wood and the hay and stubble are burned (1 Corinthians 3:12-15). Then “God will give to everyone whatever praise is due.” (1 Corinthians 4:5).
1 Corinthians 3:12-15: Now anyone who builds on that foundation may use gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But there is going to come a time of testing at the judgment day to see what kind of work each builder has done. Everyone's work will be put through the fire to see whether or not it keeps its value. If the work survives the fire, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builders themselves will be saved, but like someone escaping through a wall of flames.

(9) And the angel said, "Write this: Blessed are those who are INVITED to the wedding feast of the Lamb." And he added, "These are true words that come from God."

Write:

The angel reminds John of his original commission, to write down the things which he is being shown (Revelation 1:19; 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14; 10:4; 14:13).

Invited:

As I've said before, my own personal opinion is that Jesus Christ is the groom, John the Baptist is the best man and redeemed Israel is the bride.
Who are the guests invited to the wedding feast? If the bride constitutes the believers, as so many believe, then who could be the invited guests?:

The groom? Obviously not; the groom needs no invitation to the marriage supper.
The bride? Obviously not; the bride needs no invitation to the marriage supper.
The best man? Obviously not; the best man needs no invitation to the marriage supper.
The father? Obviously not. Matthew 22 tells us that it is the Father who sends out the invitations to the wedding supper (Matthew 22).
The Old Testament saints BEFORE the promises given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel) such as Adam, Job, Noah?
Israel of the Old Testament?

See Isaiah 54 & 62 where Israel is called the wife of Yahweh.
Hosea 2:16,19-20: "In that coming day," says the LORD, "you will call me 'my husband' instead of 'my master.' ... I will make you my wife forever, showing you righteousness and justice, unfailing love and compassion. I will be faithful to you and make you mine, and you will finally know me as LORD."

The redeemed during Jesus's ministry such as the twelve apostles (except Judas), Mary mother of Jesus, Mary and Martha and Lazarus, the centurion, etc.?

Matthew 8:10-12: When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to the crowd, he said, "I tell you the truth, I haven't seen faith like this in all the land of Israel! And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. But many Israelites -- those for whom the Kingdom was prepared -- will be cast into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Jesus’ response to the faith of the Roman centurion (a Gentile) indicates who was invited.

Matthew 15:24: Then he said to the woman, "I was sent only to help the people of Israel -- God's lost sheep -- not the Gentiles."
Matthew 22:1-13: Jesus told them several other stories to illustrate the Kingdom. He said, "The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son. Many guests were invited, and when the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to notify everyone that it was time to come. But they all refused! So he sent other servants to tell them, 'The feast has been prepared, and choice meats have been cooked. Everything is ready. Hurry!' But the guests he had invited ignored them and went about their business, one to his farm, another to his store. Others seized his messengers and treated them shamefully, even killing some of them. Then the king became furious. He sent out his army to destroy the murderers and burn their city. And he said to his servants, 'The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren't worthy of the honor. Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.' So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to meet the guests, he noticed a man who wasn't wearing the proper clothes for a wedding. 'Friend,' he asked, 'how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?' And the man had no reply. Then the king said to his aides, 'Bind him hand and foot and throw him out into the outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

In the Matthew 22 parable, the king is Father God and His Son is Jesus Christ, the Lamb. The wedding feast is the wedding feast of the Lamb. Those who were invited are the nation of Israel. Those from the nations who eventually attend are those who accept the gospel as it went forth to all nations after the rejection of Jesus by Israel - notice that their city is burned. The importance of having the proper wedding attire is seen in the response of the king to the man. The proper wedding attire is provided by the redemption of Christ. It is the imputed righteousness of God (Romans 3:21-26). The man who was cast out of the marriage feast was ignorant of God’s righteousness and sought to establish his own righteousness. He rejected the wedding garment provided by the king and so was ultimately found unfit to participate. The man was one who tried to enter over a wall instead of through the door: John 10:1: "I assure you, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber!

The redeemed during the book of Acts such as the 120 believers mentioned in Acts 1:15, the 3000 in Acts 2:41, Stephen mentioned in Acts 6:5, Philip in Acts 8, Paul/Saul in Acts 9, the Gentiles grafted in to the olive tree (Israel) according to Paul in Romans?

2 Corinthians 11:2: I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. For I promised you as a pure bride to one husband, Christ.

The church the Body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12) formed after the close of the Book of Acts when the salvation of God is sent to the Gentiles (Acts 28:28)?

How can the church be both the bride and the body of Christ?
Since the Church is the body of Christ, it means that if Christ is the bridegroom we are part of His groomsmanship. Thus, we are of the bridegroom, not the bride! Wife and bride are titles that belong to Israel not the Church. Our title is “the body of Christ.” As the body, we are of the bridegroom, not the bride.

The redeemed during the Tribulation?
Those saved on the earth during the Millennium?

(10) THEN I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said, "No, don't worship me. For I am a servant of God, just like you and other brothers and sisters who testify of their faith in Jesus. Worship God. For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus."

Don't worship me:

Unlike John, no rebuke was given when Joshua fell on his face to worship the Commander of the army of the LORD. In fact, the Commander said, “Take off your sandals, for this is holy ground” (Joshua 5:15). Earlier, when John first saw the glorified Jesus, he fell at His feet as dead (Revelation 1:17). The absence of any rebuke in the foregoing situations indicates that the object of worship was none other than God - Jesus Christ!
Revelation 22:8-9: I, John, am the one who saw and heard all these things. And when I saw and heard these things, I fell down to worship the angel who showed them to me. But again he said, "No, don't worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers the prophets, as well as all who obey what is written in this scroll. Worship God!"

Note that the word "again" above indicates that the angel here in chapter 19 and in chapter 22 are the same.

Worship God:

John Piper: "That's the goal of everything the angel has been revealing. That's what the whole book of Revelation is about. That's the point of all God's judgments, all God's dealings with the world. All God's plans for history from beginning to end have this one goal—WORSHIP GOD! Don't worship the wealth of Babylon, don't worship the power of Babylon, don't worship the pleasures of Babylon and don't even worship the holy messenger who brings you the news that Babylon has fallen forever. WORSHIP GOD! Worship is not the performance of a routine of hymns and prayers and preaching and anthems. When the angel said to John, who had fallen at his feet, "Don't do that to me. Worship God," he did not mean recite a creed, or open your hymnal, or listen to a sermon. He meant connect with GOD! Focus on God, not the messenger. Concentrate on God, not the hymn tune. Pursue God, not just knowledge about God. And in all your focusing and concentrating and pursuing after God, seek to stir up your feelings to love him and honor him and admire him and fear him and enjoy him and savor him"

(11) THEN I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. And the one sitting on the horse was named Faithful and True. For he judges fairly and then goes to war.

In Verses 11-16, we come to the great climax of all history - the most prophesied event in the Bible.
This is what Paul calls "the splendor of his coming" (2 Thessalonians 2:8 NIV), or literally, in the actual Greek, "the outshining of his presence."
The Glorious Appearing will take place "immediately after the distress of those days," (Matthew 24:29) that is, at the end of the Tribulation and before the Millennium.

Matthew 24:27-31: For as the lightning lights up the entire sky, so it will be when the Son of Man comes. Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near. Immediately after those horrible days end, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. And then at last, the sign of the coming of the Son of Man will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the nations of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man arrive on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send forth his angels with the sound of a mighty trumpet blast, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven."

Heaven opened:

Opened is ēneōgmenon, perfect tense participle: having been opened.
Heaven was opened when He came out of Jordan at His baptism - Matthew 3:16 & Luke 3:21.
Just like the door, or possibly the same door, which John saw by which he first ascended in his vision. This appears to be a dimensional doorway:

Revelation 4:1: Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven, and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me with the sound of a mighty trumpet blast. The voice said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after these things."

Much like Jacob's ladder in Genesis 28:12-13: As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from earth to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down on it. At the top of the stairway stood the LORD, and he said, "I am the LORD, the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I will give it to you and your descendants.

White horse:

Anti-Christ also rode a white horse (Revelation 6:2). He was the one who was granted authority by God to overcome the saints for a season (Revelation 13:5) and to appear initially as a peacemaker (Daniel 9:27). Now, the peace that he brought is seen to be a false peace and the time has arrived for Christ to ride forth to defeat him (Revelation 19:20).
As Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem, now His Name and Word are on the white horse of Judgment, conquering His and our enemies!

Sitting on the horse:

Jesus sits on a white horse, the Prostitute (Harlot) sits on the Beast.

Goes to war:

Psalm 96:12-13: Let the fields and their crops burst forth with joy! Let the trees of the forest rustle with praise before the LORD! For the LORD is coming! He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness and all the nations with his truth.

(12) His eyes were bright like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him, and only he knew what it meant.

Eyes ... flames of fire:

Fire symbolizes judgment. His eyes match the description which John saw in his first vision of the glorified Christ:

Revelation 1:14: His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were bright like flames of fire.
Revelation 2:18: "Write this letter to the angel of the church in Thyatira. This is the message from the Son of God, whose eyes are bright like flames of fire, whose feet are like polished bronze:"

Many crowns:

Crowns is diadēmata. He no longer wears the crown of thorns (Matthew 27:29; Mark 15:17; John 19:2,5). The many crowns worn by Christ may indicate that He rules over all nations of the world. Zechariah saw two of these crowns: His simultaneous role as priest and king. Only in Messiah, the BRANCH, will these two rules coincide:

Zechariah 6:11-13: Accept their gifts and make a crown from the silver and gold. Then put the crown on the head of Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Tell him that the LORD Almighty says: Here is the man called the Branch. He will branch out where he is and build the Temple of the LORD. He will build the LORD's Temple, and he will receive royal honor and will rule as king from his throne. He will also serve as priest from his throne, and there will be perfect harmony between the two."

In the Levitical priesthood, the same person should not wear at once the crown of a king and that of a high priest (Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 5:10) - but Jesus, the Branch, does.

A name written:

"Had a name written" is gegrammenon, perfect passive participle: a name having been written. The name was written upon Him in the past.
Clarke is among those who believe that the name written that no one knew except Himself is actually the tetragrammaton, the four letters YHWH that make up the name Yahweh, the sacred and secret name of God.
Isaiah 62:2: The nations will see your righteousness. Kings will be blinded by your glory. And the LORD will give you a new name.
Revelation 2:17: "Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Everyone who is victorious will eat of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it."

(13) He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God.

Robe dipped in blood:

This is a picture of His Second Coming in judgment and wrath.
From www.christiansentry.com/edom-and-bozrah-the-second-coming-of-christ/:
"Where did this blood come from? We assume the Lord doesn’t come from Heaven already stained in blood, so there must be something that happens before John sees him. What could possibly happen in Edom and Bozrah for the Lord to be covered in blood? Bozrah is an Old Testament city in Edom (in modern day Southern Jordan) - it is today a city called Petra. The Edomites are descendants of Esau. Why would Jesus be so full of fury at Edom that it is destroyed, filled with blood, at his second coming? Our clue is given in Matthew 24:15-16, "The time will come when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about: the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place" -- reader, pay attention! "Then those in Judea must flee to the hills." We know that the armies of the nations come and gather together in the valley of Meggido, in preparation to destroy all of Israel. The Jews see the Abomination standing in their newly rebuilt temple and they flee southward, because Meggido is North of Jerusalem, and they run into Jordan and into the mountains of Petra. There they try and hide, but with the pressure of the Antichrist bearing down on them, they are backed into a corner and they cry out as foretold in Matthew 23:39, For I tell you this, you will never see me again until you say, 'Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord!'". The Lord hears this and returns directly over their heads there in Bozrah and lays waste to the following armies, Isaiah 34:2-10: For the LORD is enraged against the nations. His fury is against all their armies. He will completely destroy them, bringing about their slaughter. Their dead will be left unburied, and the stench of rotting bodies will fill the land. The mountains will flow with their blood. The heavens above will melt away and disappear like a rolled-up scroll. The stars will fall from the sky, just as withered leaves and fruit fall from a tree. And when my sword has finished its work in the heavens, then watch. It will fall upon Edom, the nation I have completely destroyed. The sword of the LORD is drenched with blood. It is covered with fat as though it had been used for killing lambs and goats and rams for a sacrifice. Yes, the LORD will offer a great sacrifice in the rich city of Bozrah. He will make a mighty slaughter in Edom. The strongest will die -- veterans and young men, too. The land will be soaked with blood and the soil enriched with fat. For it is the day of the LORD's vengeance, the year when Edom will be paid back for all it did to Israel. The streams of Edom will be filled with burning pitch, and the ground will be covered with fire. This judgment on Edom will never end; the smoke of its burning will rise forever. The land will lie deserted from generation to generation. No one will live there anymore. Jeremiah 49:13: For I have sworn by my own name," says the LORD, "that Bozrah will become an object of horror and a heap of rubble; it will be mocked and cursed. All its towns and villages will be desolate forever." Isaiah 63:1-3: "Who is this who comes from Edom, from the city of Bozrah, with his clothing stained red? Who is this in royal robes, marching in the greatness of his strength?" It is I, the LORD, announcing your salvation! It is I, the LORD, who is mighty to save!" Why are your clothes so red, as if you have been treading out grapes?I have trodden the winepress alone; no one was there to help me. In my anger I have trampled my enemies as if they were grapes. In my fury I have trampled my foes. It is their blood that has stained my clothes. For the time has come for me to avenge my people, to ransom them from their oppressors. Amazingly enough, we are told in Revelation 14:20, that this massacre of blood stretches for 183 miles. Why 183 miles? The valley of Jezreel, where Armageddon is, is exactly 183 miles from Petra! Revelation 14:20: And the grapes were trodden in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress in a stream about 180 miles long and as high as a horse's bridle.
To summarize:
1. At the end of the tribulation, the nations gather in the valley of Jezreel, near Mt. Meggido.
2. The Jews flee south after seeing the Abomination set up in their temple.
3. They escape to Southern Jordan to the city of Petra in the mountains and are cornered.
4. They cry out and proclaim the Lord as Savior, “blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord".
5. The Messiah returns to lay waste to the attacking nations in Bozrah.
6. He, along with the returning Saints, march all the way back to the Valley of Jezreel."

The Word of God:

This is a unique title of Jesus used by John the Apostle, a strong indicating that John the Apostle is the writer:

John 1:1,14: In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God, and he was God. ... So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father.
1 John 1:1: The one who existed from the beginning is the one we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is Jesus Christ, the Word of life.

The armies of heaven, dressed in pure white linen, followed him on white horses.

Armies of heaven ... in pure white linen:

Note the word "armies" is plural - more than one army. They are angels and the glorified saints.
When Hezekiah petitioned the LORD for defense against Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, the LORD sent His angel who killed 185,000 Assyrians in one night. When forces came against Elisha and his servant became alarmed, Elisha prayed that the LORD might open his eyes. We are surrounded by an invisible world in another dimension:

2 Kings 6:13-17: The king commanded, "Go and find out where Elisha is, and we will send troops to seize him." And the report came back: "Elisha is at Dothan." So one night the king of Aram sent a great army with many chariots and horses to surround the city. When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. "Ah, my lord, what will we do now?" he cried out to Elisha. "Don't be afraid!" Elisha told him. "For there are more on our side than on theirs!" Then Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!" The LORD opened his servant's eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.
2 Kings 19:35: That night the angel of the LORD went out to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 Assyrian troops. When the surviving Assyrians woke up the next morning, they found corpses everywhere.

Psalm 68:17: Surrounded by unnumbered thousands of chariots, the Lord came from Mount Sinai into his sanctuary.
Zechariah 12:9-11: For my plan is to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on all the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died. The sorrow and mourning in Jerusalem on that day will be like the grievous mourning of Hadad-rimmon in the valley of Megiddo."
1 Thessalonians 3:13: As a result, Christ will make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy when you stand before God our Father on that day when our Lord Jesus comes with all those who belong to him.
2 Thessalonians 1:7-8: And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don't know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus.
Jude 1:14-15: Now Enoch, who lived seven generations after Adam, prophesied about these people. He said, "Look, the Lord is coming with thousands of his holy ones. He will bring the people of the world to judgment. He will convict the ungodly of all the evil things they have done in rebellion and of all the insults that godless sinners have spoken against him."

(15) From his mouth came a sharp sword, and with it he struck down the nations. He ruled them with an iron rod, and he trod the winepress of the fierce wrath of almighty God.

Sharp sword:

Deuteronomy 32:40-43: Now I raise my hand to heaven and declare, "As surely as I live, when I sharpen my flashing sword and begin to carry out justice, I will bring vengeance on my enemies and repay those who hate me. I will make my arrows drunk with blood, and my sword will devour flesh -- the blood of the slaughtered and the captives, and the heads of the enemy leaders. Rejoice with him, O heavens, and let all the angels of God worship him, for he will avenge the blood of his servants. He will take vengeance on his enemies and cleanse his land and his people."
Isaiah 11:4: He will defend the poor and the exploited. He will rule against the wicked and destroy them with the breath of his mouth.
Hebrews 4:12: For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are.
Revelation 1:16: He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was as bright as the sun in all its brilliance.
Revelation 2:16: Repent, or I will come to you suddenly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth."

He ruled them:

It is mentioned here that Jesus will "rule" with a rod of iron. The word "rule" means to shepherd. After His enemies are defeated, the Lord Jesus will establish His Kingdom and He will lead the peoples of the earth like a shepherd leads his flock. He will, in that day, lead them beside all the still waters and He will cause them to lie down in the green pastures.
Joseph A. Seiss: “It does not mean the leavening of existing governments with Christian principles, the spiritual conversion of countries and empires, leaving them in existence, and simply Christianizing them so as to exhibit something of Christ’s spirit in their administrations; but the total displacement of all this world’s sovereigns and governments, the taking of all dominion and authority out of their hands and putting it in the hands of Christ, as the true and only King of the world.”

Rod of iron:

Psalm 2:9: You will break them with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots.'"

(16) On his robe and thigh was written this title: King of kings and Lord of lords.

1 Timothy 6:15: For at the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Revelation 17:14: Together they will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because he is Lord over all lords and King over all kings, and his people are the called and chosen and faithful ones."

(17) THEN I saw an angel standing in the sun, shouting to the vultures flying high in the sky: "Come! Gather together for the great banquet God has prepared.

Vultures:

The birds of prey are summoned in anticipation of the battle of Armageddon which is then imminent. The day of wrath has come. The slain of the Lord shall be many (Isaiah 66:16: The LORD will punish the world by fire and by his sword, and many will be killed by the LORD.).

(18) Come and eat the flesh of kings, captains, and strong warriors; of horses and their riders; and of all humanity, both free and slave, small and great."

Kings ... all humanity:

When the nations gather for the war against the Messiah, they will represent every segment of society.

Ezekiel 39:1-4: "Son of man, prophesy against Gog. Give him this message from the Sovereign LORD: I am your enemy, O Gog, ruler of the nations of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you and drive you toward the mountains of Israel, bringing you from the distant north. I will knock your weapons from your hands and leave you helpless. You and all your vast hordes will die on the mountains. I will give you as food to the vultures and wild animals.

(19) THEN I saw the beast gathering the kings of the earth and their armies in order to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army.

The Antichrist, the False Prophet and Satan will inspire the armies of the world to invade Israel in a gigantic effort to rid the world of the Jews and to fight against Christ. This will be Satan's last attempt at his "final solution" - the death of every living Jew, which Haman and Hitler failed to do and which now the ayatollahs, Hamas, Hezbollah and others hope to do.
This is clearly the fulfillment of the sixth bowl. With the arrival of the rider on the white horse, the stage is set.
The beast:

This is the Beast who rose from the bottomless pit in a miraculous restoration from death and was worshiped by the earth dwellers.

Revelation 11:7: When they complete their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the bottomless pit will declare war against them. He will conquer them and kill them.
Revelation 13:1: And now in my vision I saw a beast rising up out of the sea. It had seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns on its horns. And written on each head were names that blasphemed God.

Gathering together:

Gathering together is synēgmena, perfect tense: having already gathered together. This is the gathering which was initiated by the three unclean spirits like frogs. Unknowingly fulfilling Joel’s prophecy, they have beaten their plowshares into swords and their pruning hooks into spears (Joel 3:10). This is Gods’ assembly of kingdoms upon which He promised to pour out His indignation and fierce anger.
Hal Lindsey believes that the principals in this battle are the Israelis and the Palestinians who have attempted to usurp control over a city that holds no genuine significance for them and a land they never particularly wanted until the Jews occupied it again. God names the participants in Joel 3:4: "What do you have against me, Tyre and Sidon and you cities of Philistia? Are you trying to take revenge on me? If you are, then watch out! I will strike swiftly and pay you back for everything you have done." Tyre, Sidon and the regions of Philistia are the ancestral areas of the modern day Palestinians.

Joel 3:9-14: Say to the nations far and wide: "Get ready for war! Call out your best warriors! Let all your fighting men advance for the attack! Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Train even your weaklings to be warriors. Come quickly, all you nations everywhere! Gather together in the valley." And now, O LORD, call out your warriors! "Let the nations be called to arms. Let them march to the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I, the LORD, will sit to pronounce judgment on them all. Now let the sickle do its work, for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread the winepress because it is full. The storage vats are overflowing with the wickedness of these people." Thousands upon thousands are waiting in the valley of decision. It is there that the day of the LORD will soon arrive.
Zephaniah 3:8: So now the LORD says: "Be patient; the time is coming soon when I will stand up and accuse these evil nations. For it is my decision to gather together the kingdoms of the earth and pour out my fiercest anger and fury on them. All the earth will be devoured by the fire of my jealousy."
Zechariah 14:1-16: Watch, for the day of the LORD is coming when your possessions will be plundered right in front of you! On that day I will gather all the nations to fight against Jerusalem. The city will be taken, the houses plundered, and the women raped. Half the population will be taken away into captivity, and half will be left among the ruins of the city. Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives will split apart, making a wide valley running from east to west, for half the mountain will move toward the north and half toward the south. You will flee through this valley, for it will reach across to Azal. Yes, you will flee as you did from the earthquake in the days of King Uzziah of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all his holy ones with him. On that day the sources of light will no longer shine, yet there will be continuous day! Only the LORD knows how this could happen! There will be no normal day and night, for at evening time it will still be light. On that day life-giving waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half toward the Dead Sea and half toward the Mediterranean, flowing continuously both in summer and in winter. And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day there will be one LORD -- his name alone will be worshiped. All the land from Geba, north of Judah, to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, will become one vast plain. But Jerusalem will be raised up in its original place and will be inhabited all the way from the Benjamin Gate over to the site of the old gate, then to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king's winepresses. And Jerusalem will be filled, safe at last, never again to be cursed and destroyed. And the LORD will send a plague on all the nations that fought against Jerusalem. Their people will become like walking corpses, their flesh rotting away. Their eyes will shrivel in their sockets, and their tongues will decay in their mouths. On that day they will be terrified, stricken by the LORD with great panic. They will fight against each other in hand-to-hand combat; Judah, too, will be fighting at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the neighboring nations will be captured -- great quantities of gold and silver and fine clothing. This same plague will strike the horses, mules, camels, donkeys, and all the other animals in the enemy camps. In the end, the enemies of Jerusalem who survive the plague will go up to Jerusalem each year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Shelters.
Revelation 16:12-16: Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great Euphrates River, and it dried up so that the kings from the east could march their armies westward without hindrance. And I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs leap from the mouth of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. These miracle-working demons caused all the rulers of the world to gather for battle against the Lord on that great judgment day of God Almighty. "Take note: I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their robes ready so they will not need to walk naked and ashamed." And they gathered all the rulers and their armies to a place called Armageddon in Hebrew.

Revelation 17:14: Together they will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because he is Lord over all lords and King over all kings, and his people are the called and chosen and faithful ones."

Kings of the earth:

Beyond the ten kings allied with the Beast, Scripture mentions “the kings from the east” as well as “the rulers of the earth” (Revelation 16:12-14).

Armies:

John says nothing about a battle. This is an entirely one-sided affair, more of a simple act of judgment than an actual war. “The battle of Armageddon is the laughter of God against the climax of man’s arrogance.” (Barnhouse)
Battle of Armageddon:

The greatest war the world will ever see will be the Battle of Armageddon, which occurs near the very end of the Tribulation period. It is immediately followed by the Second coming of Jesus Christ. The ultimate purpose of the Tribulation period is for the redemption and regeneration of the chosen people - the Jews. In the battle of Armageddon it will be the ultimate battle of the forces of good and evil. The Bible makes it clear that the Lord defeats his enemies, the Jewish people come to know Jesus as their Messiah, and the 1,000 year Millennial Kingdom is setup shortly thereafter. The battle of Armageddon will be so massive that the Lord noted in the Bible that if He did not return when He did that no flesh would be saved on earth.
In Ezekiel 38:1-39:16, we have a prophecy which will occur before the Tribulation about the invasion of Israel by Gog's armies who will meet the Almighty and will be completely annihilated. In contrast with this invasion which occurs before the Tribulation, will be this invasion of Israel by the forces of the Antichrist at the end of the Tribulation.
Once before, Satan challenges YHWH at Megiddo. He loses. On Mount Carmel, overlooking the Valley of Armageddon, the prophets of Baal dared the YWHW to answer by fire. He did, and it looks like He will again.
“By the end of the 70th week, Satan and his forces will have drawn all the rulers and armies of the world into the land of Israel for the battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:12-16+), which will take place at Christ’s Second Coming and will pit Satan and his ungodly allies against Christ and His forces (Revelation 19:11+-20:3+). This will be Satan’s ultimate challenge to Christ’s right to take tenant possession of the earth and rule it. The combined military might of rebellious mankind will be gathered to the precise location to which Christ will return to take possession of the earth, because Satan will want all the help he can get to try to prevent Christ from exercising His right (Psalm 2:1-3).”—Renald E. Showers, Maranatha, Our Lord Come (Bellmawr, NJ: The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, 1995), page 94.

(20) And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast -- miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.

False prophet:

The False Prophet “had two horns like those of a lamb, and he spoke with the voice of a dragon” (Revelation 13:11). He was a dragon in lamb’s clothing! The main purpose of the False Prophet was to deceive the earth dwellers into worshiping the first Beast who was miraculously restored and to cause them to receive his mark and worship his image (Revelation 13:12-17). He was empowered by Satan to use counterfeit power and signs and miracles in order to “fool those who are on their way to destruction because they refuse to believe the truth that would save them” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10). Their rejection of the love of the truth and salvation resulted in the compounding of their deception at the hands of God, “ So God will send great deception upon them, and they will believe all these lies. Then they will be condemned for not believing the truth and for enjoying the evil they do.” (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12).

Thrown alive:

Their being cast alive is emphasized by those words appearing first in the Greek.
The fact that they are not eaten by birds indicates a different outcome for them unlike the rest who will be eaten.
Today, no one is in the Lake of Fire, but it becomes populated as follows:

The Beast and the False Prophet are cast alive into the Lake of Fire at the Second Coming of Christ (Revelation 19:20+). After the Second Coming, immediately prior to the Millennial Kingdom, the non-believing goats among the nations are sent “into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his demons” (Matthew 25:41). The devil is cast into the Lake of Fire at the end of the Millennial Kingdom (Revelation 20:10). After the Millennial Kingdom and the Great White Throne Judgment, the unsaved dead, who are not written in the Book of Life, are cast into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:15: And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.).

Although the Beast and False Prophet are cast while alive into the Lake of Fire, the process results in their death: “I continued to watch because I could hear the little horn's boastful speech. I kept watching until the fourth beast was killed and its body was destroyed by fire.” (Daniel 7:11). Paul told the church at Thessalonica, “Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will consume with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.” (2 Thessalonians 2:8). Consume is anelei which means to “to take up, take away, make an end” (Strong's 337). Since the Lake of Fire only contains individuals and not systems or institutions, their destination provides additional evidence of their identity as individuals.
After one thousand years, Satan joins them after his final rebellion: Revelation 20:10: Then the Devil, who betrayed them, was thrown into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Lake of fire:

Matthew 25:41: "Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, 'Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his demons!
Revelation 20:14-15: And death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death -- the lake of fire. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.
I strongly suspect that the lake of fire is a black hole from which nothing, not even light, can escape.

(21) Their entire army was killed by the sharp sword that came out of the mouth of the one riding the white horse. And all the vultures of the sky gorged themselves on the dead bodies.

It is shortly after this time when Jesus takes up the throne of David and all from among the nations who were not direct participants in the Campaign of Armageddon are gathered before Him. There, He will separate the sheep from the goats and judge their eternal destiny by how they have treated the faithful Jews who suffered so terribly during Jacob’s Trouble and the Great Tribulation:
- Matthew 25:31-46: "But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. Then the King will say to those on the right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.' "Then these righteous ones will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?' And the King will tell them, 'I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!' "Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, 'Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his demons! For I was hungry, and you didn't feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn't give me anything to drink. I was a stranger, and you didn't invite me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me no clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn't visit me.' "Then they will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?' And he will answer, 'I assure you, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.' And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life."
Isaiah 29:7: All the nations fighting against Jerusalem will vanish like a dream! Those who are attacking her walls will vanish like a vision in the night.
Daniel 2:34-35;2:44-45: But as you watched, a rock was cut from a mountain by supernatural means. It struck the feet of iron and clay, smashing them to bits. The whole statue collapsed into a heap of iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold. The pieces were crushed as small as chaff on a threshing floor, and the wind blew them all away without a trace. But the rock that knocked the statue down became a great mountain that covered the whole earth."... "During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed; no one will ever conquer it. It will shatter all these kingdoms into nothingness, but it will stand forever." That is the meaning of the rock cut from the mountain by supernatural means, crushing to dust the statue of iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. "The great God has shown Your Majesty what will happen in the future. The dream is true, and its meaning is certain."
Obadiah 1:18: At that time Israel will be a raging fire, and Edom, a field of dry stubble. The fire will roar across the field, devouring everything and leaving no survivors in Edom. I, the LORD, have spoken!"
Zechariah 14:12: And the LORD will send a plague on all the nations that fought against Jerusalem. Their people will become like walking corpses, their flesh rotting away. Their eyes will shrivel in their sockets, and their tongues will decay in their mouths.
Jude 1:14-15: Now Enoch, who lived seven generations after Adam, prophesied about these people. He said, "Look, the Lord is coming with thousands of his holy ones. He will bring the people of the world to judgment. He will convict the ungodly of all the evil things they have done in rebellion and of all the insults that godless sinners have spoken against him."

Read "The battle of Armageddon" at www.discoverrevelation.com/5.html.

Armageddon (quoted from http://amazingbible.org/Documents/Bible_Prophecy/Armageddon_part2.htm##25-THE%20KINGDOM%20OF%20THE%20ANTICHRIST%20WOULD%20BE%20DESTROYED):

   Jesus parts the heavens. He returns with darkness under His feet and dark clouds around Him. He returns upon a white horse, and the saints are with Him. The Lord flies. He rides upon a cherub. He comes with many chariots like a whirlwind.
    Jesus returns to punish the world for their sin. He has been patient for a very long time. The wrath of the Lord is upon all nations. They shall be like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord. This dreadful and terrifying battle (or day of the Lord) is one day long.
    The Antichrist and the kings of the earth, with their armies, are gathered together to make war against Jesus. Multitudes are in the valley of decision. The Lord goes forth to fight. The Bible indicates that Jesus will execute vengeance such as the heathen cannot even imagine.
    As He returns, lightnings will lighten the world. Great cracks of thunder occur. Some people will be struck with lightning; trees and buildings will also be struck—many will die.
    Jesus’ feet shall stand upon the Mount of Olives. The mount shall split in two, from east to west, and will form a very large valley. Part of the mountain moves to the north and part to the south. The Lord shall fight for Mount Zion.
    The Antichrist stands up against Jesus, but shall be broken by spiritual power. Jesus shall consume him with the breath of His mouth and shall destroy him with the brightness of His coming. Both the Antichrist and the false prophet shall be cast alive into the lake of fire. His power is taken away and completely destroyed.
    Jesus will save the dwellings of Judah, first, and, then, Jerusalem. The Lord will defend them. All that have chosen to fight against Jerusalem shall be cut to pieces; their flesh shall rot away while they are still standing on their feet. Their eyes will rot or disintegrate in their sockets, and their tongues will rot away in their mouth.
    What happens next is almost beyond comprehension. Jesus does not use one or two weapons. Apparently, He uses every destructive force of (what we call) nature, together, at the same time. The result is immense devastation. Jesus roars out of Zion. He smites the earth with His Word. He goes forth with flames of fire. The earth and the enemies of Jesus are devoured with fire. The sword of the Lord is filled with blood. The mountains are melted with the blood of the dead.
    A great panic comes upon the people from the Lord. They go berserk and attack each other. The camels, horses, mules, and other animals do the same. There is pandemonium. People go mad. Vehicles stop working. Volcanoes erupt all over the earth, producing great smoke. Massive earthquakes occur, simultaneously, worldwide. The entire earth trembles. The foundations of the hills move. Mountains plunge into the sea. Jesus speaks, and the mountains move.
    And then it happens: the greatest earthquake (since man has existed) takes place. All over the earth, cities, towns, houses, mountains, and trees fall. Jerusalem is divided into three parts. Every island flees away. The mountains, as we know them, will no longer exist. Both small and great mountains of the world crumble. As they come down, plateaus should take their place.
    Even as these things are happening, huge hailstones fall from the sky. Each one weighs between 70 to 100 pounds. With their dying words, people are blaspheming God. The fierceness of God’s wrath, against rebellion and sin, is now making itself known.
    As this occurs, great and mighty wind storms strike the earth. Hurricanes, tornadoes, monsoons, cyclones, and every possible wind storm and whirlwind can be expected to come forth.
    While this is taking place, Jesus goes forth to trample the people throughout the earth, even as grapes are crushed in a great winepress. Their blood is poured out like dust.
    Meanwhile, the kings of the earth and their armies are gathered in Israel to fight against the Lord Jesus. Perhaps 200,000,000, or more, troops are gathered. They are as grapes that are fully ripened. Their sin has come to the full. They are pictured as grapes in a great winepress that stretches for about 200 miles. They shall be squashed. Their blood flows, rising as high as the horses’ bridles, for about 200 miles. The surviving people are terrified. Fear and the pit await them.
    As the Battle of Armageddon comes to a close, there is little resemblance left of the earth as it is today. The foundations of the world are discovered. The earth has melted and is broken down. It is clean dissolved and split asunder. It is emptied and spoiled. The earth has moved like a drunkard and has been completely shaken. It has moved out of its place. It has been made a waste.
    God’s enemies submit. The war ceases.
    A great number of people are now dead. The birds gather from around the world to eat the flesh of the corpses. The amount of people left alive will be so few that a child could write the number.
    The names of the idols are cut off out of the land.
    An angel from heaven catches Satan and binds him for a thousand years. He is cast into the bottomless pit. He is shut up, and a seal is placed on him, so that he cannot deceive the nations any longer till the thousand years are finished. The kings that are left alive and the wicked spirits, in heavenly places, are punished. They shall be shut up in the pit.
    The war is over. Only one day has passed.
    The judgment of the nations is now at hand. The elect shall be gathered. For one thousand years, Jesus shall reign as the King of kings and Lord of lords. There shall be peace.
    So many preachers and people do not understand the fear of the Lord. It may have never entered their mind that Jesus would do such things. They do not understand that God is a jealous God. They do not understand judgment. God has tolerated man’s rebellion for a very long time. But now that time has ended. During the Tribulation, the people of the world had taken the mark of the Antichrist. They had worshiped him and his image. Sin had come to the full. Mankind’s rebellion against God will be brought to a very abrupt end.
    It is written, Isaiah 34:1-COME NEAR, YE NATIONS, TO HEAR; AND HEARKEN, YE PEOPLE: LET THE EARTH HEAR, AND ALL THAT IS THEREIN; THE WORLD, AND ALL THINGS THAT COME FORTH OF IT.

APPLICATION: From www.ccbcfamily.org/daniel-5-6-revelation-19/:

"The goal of my life should be that God and His Son be lifted up through me. My life should reveal the power of God. My life should reflect that transforming presence of Christ. I must continually see myself as an instrument in God’s hand. I am a vessel into which He has placed His glory and through that glory must be revealed to a lost and dying world. In the end, my life should be living proof of the reality that “Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just” (Revelation 19:1-2 ESV). As people look at my life, they should be able to see God’s power in me. My actions should point them to Christ as I live in dependence upon Him and place my faith in Him. Over in the book of Revelation, we are reminded that our great God is one day going to bring His plan of redemption to a close. He is going to send His Son one last time to the earth. The Word of God will appear one last time, and He will come in power, bringing judgment against all those who have chosen to worship someone or something other than God Most High. And He will bring with Him, “the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure” (Revelation 19:14 ESV). Once again, God will use His people as His instruments, through whom He will accomplish His will and bring Himself glory. But the battle will be His. The victory will be His. It will be He alone who wears the title, “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16 ESV). When all is said and done, the point of it all will revealed: “Worship God!” (Revelation 19:10 ESV). That is why we were created. It is why we exist. And it will be what we do for eternity. Because He has been, is, and always will be the point of it all."

Coming up next:
Revelation 20:1-4: THEN I saw an angel come down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand. He seized the dragon -- that old serpent, the Devil, Satan -- and bound him in chains for a thousand years. The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan could not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished. Afterward he would be released again for a little while. Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus, for proclaiming the word of God. And I saw the souls of those who had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their forehead or their hands. They came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

NOTES:

Unless otherwise noted, the scripture version used is the New Living Translation, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois.
Disclaimer: Source material for this study has been gleaned from many different sources. If you want further study, I have attempted to acknowledge these sources at http://revelationofjesustojohn.blogspot.com/2014/03/book-of-revelation-references.html
Index to our other Revelation studies is at http://revelationofjesustojohn.blogspot.com/2014/03/index-to-book-of-revelation.html
Index to all our studies is at http://oakview-bible-fellowship.blogspot.com/

Revelation of Jesus to John

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Revelation 19 - Return of the King

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