“After this I heard something like the loud voice of a vast multitude in heaven, saying: Hallelujah! Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God, because His judgments are true and righteous, because He has judged the notorious prostitute who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality; and He has avenged the blood of His slaves that was on her hands. A second time they said: Hallelujah! Her smoke ascends forever and ever! Then the 24 elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who is seated on the throne, saying: Amen! Hallelujah! A voice came from the throne, saying: Praise our God, all His slaves, who fear Him, both small and great! Then I heard something like the voice of a vast multitude, like the sound of cascading waters, and like the rumbling of loud thunder, saying: Hallelujah, because our Lord God, the Almighty, has begun to reign! Let us be glad, rejoice, and give Him glory, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has prepared herself. She was given fine linen to wear, bright and pure. For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write: Those invited to the marriage feast of the Lamb are fortunate!” He also said to me, “These words of God are true. ” Then I fell at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow slave with you and your brothers who have the testimony about Jesus. Worship God, because the testimony about Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Revelation 19:1-10 HCSB)
Have you ever been to an “invitation-only” event? It’s an event that is not open to the public and requires that you present an invitation as proof that you should be admitted. An invitation-only event is nothing like your typical backyard barbecue or birthday party. Weddings are generally invitation-only events and, if you can imagine, the wedding feast of the Lamb of God is a VERY big deal and very exclusive.
I have mentioned several times in our previous studies that John’s vision is filled with contrasts and comparisons. We have been looking at the Scarlet Harlot and God’s judgment upon her for the past several weeks, now we switch and see the stark contrast between her and the Bride of the Lamb. Can you imagine any greater contrast? The harlot is dressed in scarlet and purple, flaunting her jewels and gold but the bride is dressed in the finest bright and pure white linen. She doesn’t need anything else because her righteousness is all she needs to set her apart from the harlot. As she enters, all eyes are on her.
Then John hears something, it is like the loud voice of a vast multitude and it is coming from heaven: “Hallelujah! Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God, because His judgments are true and righteous, because He has judged the notorious prostitute who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality; and He has avenged the blood of His slaves that was on her hands.” This is the only place in the New Testament where we encounter this word — Hallelujah. That might seem a bit surprising, at first, but this is a word that is very, very unique. It is a Hebrew word that has been transliterated from Hebrew to Greek to English and it captures the essence of this entire passage. It means, “Praise Yahweh,” or simply, PRAISE GOD!
I asked you last week whether you would cry or rejoice when God’s judgment is poured out on the harlot Babylon. That reveals something about where your relationship with God stands and whether you’ve rejected the sin that has ruined His good creation and your life. This week, that relationship defines whether you get an invitation to the wedding of the Lamb or not. Do we give God the praise that He alone deserves? Do we desire His judgment upon sin? Is our loyalty and allegiance with this world or God’s kingdom? Are we drawn to the harlot and her ways or will we seek the Lamb’s cleansing and join the bridal party?
The loud voice from the vast multitude says that God alone deserves praise – Hallelujah! Then they tell us why, “Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God, because His judgments are true and righteous.” For this world to be made right, all that is wrong with it must be redeemed or destroyed. I don’t know anyone, believers or unbelievers, who doesn’t believe that our world needs to be fixed. We live in a world that is full of righteousness and evil, beauty and ugliness, kindness and unkindness. We live in a world of paradoxes that cause you to laugh one moment and cry the next. The problem isn’t that we’re blind to these things. We recognize the problem but we’re blind to the cause — us.
Have you ever made a stupid decision? I have, just ask my wife. On second thought, don’t ask her. She’ll tell you the truth. The sound of the multitude that John hears is speaking the truth: “Praise God! Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God, because His judgments are true and righteous.” What God does to Babylon, the Harlot, is not vindictive; it is the only way we can be rescued from destruction. The only way for the world to be set right is by destroying evil. The only way for beauty to be the sole expression of our world is by completely removing the ugliness. The only way for kindness to be the defining action of our culture is by changing our unkind hearts.
“Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, Your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” (Matthew 6:9-13 HCSB)
What do we really want? What are we really looking for from God? Do we just want things to be a little bit better, a little less troublesome? Or do we really want things to be set right? In the next verse, we hear a second “Hallelujah!” Then we learn that the smoke from Babylon’s judgment ascends forever and ever! God’s judgment is not some slap on the wrist or a momentary punishment. His judgment is real and it is eternal. God is not going to just push the reset button on all of this, He’s going to make some radical changes. Have you ever asked, “Why doesn’t God do something about all the evil in our world?” Well, He is going to do just that…
“Then I heard something like the voice of a vast multitude, like the sound of cascading waters, and like the rumbling of loud thunder, saying: ‘Hallelujah, because our LORD God, the Almighty, has begun to reign! Let us be glad, rejoice, and give Him glory, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has prepared herself.’ She was given fine linen to wear, bright and pure. For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints.” There it is, the stark contrast between the harlot and the bride. The harlot wears clothing that represents who she is and what she does. Everything about her and what she wears points to her selfish and sensual ways. She’s not interested in what is good or what is right, she’s only interested in what brings her pleasure and fulfills her desires. But the bride is wearing fine, white linen that has been given to her. The bride’s clothing is not about her, it’s all about Him — the LAMB!
The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. If you look at the life of Jesus you’ll notice that His life wasn’t about Him, it was about the Father. “Not My will, Father, but your will be done.” What does the Father want? He wants us to be reconciled to Him and to His will and that’s really the point of contention in all of this. We want our way but our way is selfish and destructive. Our way results in ruined lives, broken dreams, abandoned marriages and broken families. Our way attempts to satisfy our broken and corrupted desires, but the more we feed them the more we realize they’re never satisfied.
“If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.” – C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
“So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat? ’ or ‘What will we drink? ’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” – Jesus, Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:31-33 HCSB – emphasis added)
When our lives get focused on ourselves, our wants, our needs, and our desires, then we’re missing the very things God says our lives should be focused on. Notice the stark contrast between the harlot’s clothing and the bride’s clothing. The harlot wore things that emphasized her privilege, position, and power but the bride’s clothing emphasizes the Lamb’s holiness and the church’s righteous acts. Are we living our lives in such a way that the focus is on the Lamb, His holiness, and our obedience?
“The one who has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves Me. And the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father. I also will love him and will reveal Myself to him.” (John 14:21 HCSB)
Do you want to know the blessings of God? The angel tells John, “Write: Those invited to the marriage feast of the Lamb are fortunate (or blessed). He also said to me, ‘These words of God are true.’” The blessings of God flow through our love for and obedience to God, our love for and obedience to the Lamb, and our invitation to the wedding. There’s a distinction here that is clear, but can seem a bit confusing. Revelation uses overlapping images here: God’s people are pictured both as the bride and as those invited to celebrate the marriage feast. While the harlot represents all that is unholy, unclean, and unfaithful in this world and is rejected and judged by God, the bride represents all that is holy, good, and faithful about the people of God and we are loved by Him.
“Those invited to the marriage feast of the Lamb are fortunate! These words of God are true.” Can you just imagine the collective sigh of relief from the believers of Asia Minor after hearing this angel’s assurance? Every threat, every harsh word, every abuse, and every wound suffered at the hands of their enemies would become irrelevant at the angel’s words. If we believe the words of God are true, then why wouldn’t we commit ourselves to live in obedience to them? The harlot rejects the love of God and seeks to live life on her own terms doing her own thing. But the bride embraces the love of God and seeks to live her life on His terms and in His will.
The invitation belongs to those who know who alone is worthy of their worship.
Finally, notice what happened to John when he heard those words. “Then I fell at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow slave with you and your brothers who have the testimony about Jesus. Worship God, because the testimony about Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” John is so overwhelmed by God’s promise that he falls down in worship before the messenger. The angel admonishes him, “Don’t do that!” Angels should never be objects of worship for any Christian believer. They are simply fellow slaves with us in service to God, the Lamb, and their mission.
God alone deserves worship. That’s the central message of John’s Revelation and that’s the message John’s recipients needed to hear. It is also the central message we need to hear today. No one and nothing in the created order deserves worship. Worship belongs to and is to be reserved for God alone. Then the angel tells John why God alone deserves worship, “because the testimony about Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Every word of promise from God, every prophetic voice in scripture, every hope of man’s heart are focused on the redemptive work of Christ.
If we believe these things to be true, then they ought to be reflected in our lifestyle and our life choices. A friend of mine likes to joke that the answer to every question ever asked in any Sunday School class is always Jesus. In some respects, she’s exactly right. Jesus is the answer to our life questions. He’s our deepest need and our closest friend. I believe that’s what He intended for the crowds to understand when He told them He is the light of the world, the bread of life, the living water, the true vine, the great shepherd, the gate for the sheep, the resurrection, the way, the truth and the life.
If you find yourself with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, then the most probable explanation is that you were made for a different world.
Have you received your invitation?
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