Sermon Tone Analysis

And so we are now at the conclusion of the book of Revelation we have only four chapters remaining.

We have spent twenty-five weeks so far looking at the details and the intricacies of this single book.

Throughout these many weeks we have seen on full display the just judgment of the wicked.

We were given a glimpse of the overwhelming nature of the righteous character of our God.

And we have seen the future of God’s perfect plan for our world.

I’m not sure I was always able to accomplish my goal but I hope that our time together in this amazing book and the few weeks we have left have brought us to a point that we seek to passionately worship Jesus and to share Him at all costs.

We have spent time looking at a “tale of two cities.” Thus far we have primarily focused on the great city Babylon which represents all that is evil within the world system that we find ourselves right now.

But throughout we have had glimpses of hope for something better still yet to come.

And that something better is the New Jerusalem.

But this is the tale of a love story in the end.

And we might say a tale of two women.

Today we are going to be introduced to the second woman in our story.

The first was the prostitute Babylon who hates the groom at our stories wedding.

And because the groom is out of reach from her wiles and power she seeks to destroy the bride.

And today we are going to be introduced to the bride in our story.

Our bride is better known as the bride of the Lamb.

She is the Church.

She is you and I.

This is the part in the grandest love story every told that you and I play.

Throughout our story we have seen the prostitute attempt to destroy the bride.

But today and next week we will see the Groom come into the picture as a knight in shining armour so to speak riding tall and proud upon His horse to scoop up His bride and to bring her finally to the wedding.

And so today we are looking at Revelation chapter nineteen and what I like to call the final “Hallelujah” of the angels as they are about to witness Jesus rescue His bride from the clutches of Satan eternally.

And we read in verse one.

Look this hallelujah chorus has just begun.

However, it begins with the greatest words ever sung by the angels.

Salvation and glory and power belong to our God.

Jesus alone has the power to save His bride and when He exercises that power all glory is due to Him and Him alone.

Then in verse two we read.

As long as Babylon and the influence of Satan exist within this world the Kingdom of God cannot be established.

Why?

Because the all encompassing nature of the influence of Babylon and Satan.

And so Babylon and Satan must be removed in order to preserve and protect the Bride of Christ eternally.

Then in verse three we read.

Will the smoke from the destruction of Babylon go up forever and ever.

I don’t believe so.

I believe that this is simply a poetic way of saying that her destruction is complete and utter.

There is nothing of the great prostitute that will remain.

Then in verse four we read.

Now we see the heavenly court we might call it of God Most High fall before the awesome nature of their God.

And they sing His praises.

Then in verse five we read.

And now the voice of an angel calls out from the throne and calls all the saints to join the worship of our Lord and Savior.

We have seen several times the word Hallelujah.

This word is a call for all those who hear it to praise our God.

And as such the two are used interchangeably throughout our passage.

The first five verses we might call the introductory fanfare or music to the presentation of our bride before the groom.

And the next five verses we could consider the celebration of the entrance of the bride.

And in verse six we read.

The angels again gather together and in one massive booming voice cry out, Hallelujah for the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.

This is the greatest praise and worship event to ever occur.

And in verse seven they continue and we read.

This is the public proclamation that the wedding between the Lamb and His Bride, the Church is about to take place.

And when the two finally come together the wedding is consummated.

The relationship between the Groom and the Bride is made complete.

There relationship between Jesus and the Church will be made perfect.

And in that moment the two will know each other perfectly.

Listen very carefully, I’m not trying to be trite.

But this perfect picture of a marriage between a groom and His bride was begun before the fall in Genesis chapter two.

And God has throughout the scriptures and throughout our lives used the picture of marriage as means to point to His relationship with each one of us.

This is why the church needs to hold fast to and guard what we have come to call the institution of marriage.

It plays such an important part in the greatest love story ever told between God and His people.

Then in verse eight we read.

As in marriage a bride where a white gown in order to signify her purity in her relationship between herself and her husband.

The bride of Christ will one day be clothed in fine white linen cleansed of all of her sin perfect and spotless.

In verse nine we read.

No one can attend the great marriage supper of the Lamb without first being invited by the Groom.

And the thing that I have always found most interesting in this picture that is being presented is that there are no real “guests” per se.

Except we might say, perhaps, the angels.

But, rather it is the bride that in fact receives the invitation to come and dine eternally with her groom.

Essentially, I believe that this states that there are those who exist within the Kingdom of God, they will receive an invitation.

And there are those who exist within the Kingdom of Satan and they will not be invited.

And just in case you were concerned someone might try to attempt to crash the party uninvited.

The angel turns to John and says, these are the true words of God.

Then in verse ten we read.

John is so overwhelmed by the beauty of the story that he has just witnessed that he is overcome and he falls before this angel in worship and the angel corrects him.

And the angel redirects Johns worship towards the one true God the only one worthy of worship.

John was overwhelmed by the content of the prophecy that was show to him.

And the truths that are revealed through true prophecy or the nature of prophecy must have at its core the testimony of the grace of Jesus.

It is His story that is paramount above all else within this world.

And now in verses eleven through sixteen the Groom rides onto the scene and we read in verse eleven.

The hero of our story now appears.

And is there anything greater that could be stated concerning a brides groom, than the fact that he is faithful and true.

And the outflow of His faithfulness towards both Himself and His bride He is going to bring righteous judgment and He will make war against those who have sought to bring about her downfall as His bride.

Then in verse twelve we read.

Jesus is seen here as having eyes are brought forth to show that he sees everything and that in his eyes stand the fires of judgment against sin.

He wears many diadems because He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

And then we are told that He bears a name that no one knows but Himself.

It’s not unknown because He has kept it as a secret.

Jesus isn’t purposefully hiding something about himself in order to keep himself hidden somehow.

So far in this chapter He has been called the word of God and faithful and true.

But rather this name is, I believe, unknown because when the fully glorified Jesus reveals Himself then we will see Him as no fallen mind can grasp the depths of today.

Then in verse thirteen we read.

Jesus appears as the conquering King.

He comes to His bride as a warrior fresh from battle.

Even though we are still yet to read of the battle in the next chapter.

I believe that this picture is given prior to all of that that is still yet to occur as a means of hope for His bride.

Even though evil still persists and Satan is still at large Jesus will be victorious.

Then in verse fourteen we read.

The angelic host is arrayed for battle behind their King who will overcome all of His foes.

And this angelic host is similar in appearance to their King because they will share in his coming victory.