The Biblical Hallelujah Chorus, Rev. 19:1-8 (2)

Now we come to the response to these four Hallelujah choruses:

There are three responses to the Hallelujah's

Let us Rejoice

Let us be glad/exult

Let us Give the Glory to Him.

Why the above?

Because

The Wedding of the Lamb has come

and

It has been given to her

In order that

she be clothed with -

fine linen bright pure

For the linen is the righteousness of the Saints.

The response that is called for by the Lord to these four Allelouia's is that we would rejoice in kind to this praise.

This first part Rejoice and be glad is only used in one other place together in the NT. where the cause for rejoicing is the heavenly reward for those who were persecuted for Christ. Here is it realized by them.

the first, Let us rejoice/be glad- xairw- to rejoice, be glad, it is the feeling, inner experience of joy or gladness. it is not a ho hum I might as well be happy sort of gladness like someone has to paste a smile on your face. No this is an inward Joy that has to express itself in festal joy. like a fisherman who has made a huge catch, .

john uses this word in where the friend of the bridegroom is said to "rejoice greatly at the bridegroom's voice."

Or the festal celebration of the harvest in . The Psalms are full of expressions of this festal joy "Shout for joy in the Lord O you righteous!" "Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!"

In again John uses the word to describe the joy the disciples should have when Jesus returns to the Father. It means that Jesus is exalted to the right hand of the Father.

It is the joy Jesus speaks of in "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."

"Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full."

In His prayer in Jesus prayed, "But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves."

We rejoice when our team wins the superbowl. Or when we get really good news. We want to let everyone know of our joy. But that is very superficial in comparison to what John is expressing here.

One rejoices and celebrates exceedingly when they attain a mountain top accomplishment.

This far exceeds that. In fact, our joy will be so full that it will bubble out of us uncontrollably. Imagine the joy you will share when you are there participating in the marriage supper of the lamb. It will be joy so exuberant that it is inexpressible today.

However, this joy will not be because you made it, but because of God. It will not be a self centered joy, but God-centered. We see that in the phrase "give glory to him."

How much more should we rejoice in Him. All the direction of the praise is toward the Lord. We join in that praise and joy and gladness.

Now the second response is closely associated with the first. In fact, the two words are synonyms.

2. Let us be glad/exult

It is the word agalliomai - to leap for joy, to show one's joy outwardly, rejoicing with song and dance in teh LXX the word is used in various psalms, like

"May we shout for joy over your salvation,

and in the name of our God set up our banners!

May the LORD fulfill all your petitions! "

"But may all who seek you

rejoice and be glad in you;

may those who love your salvation

say continually, “Great is the LORD!”

"But the righteous shall be glad;

they shall exult before God;

they shall be jubilant with joy! "

In Jesus rejoices in the Holy Spirit that the Father has revealed his truths to his disciples.

And the Jailer in rejoices along with his entire household because they believed in God.

This word is associated primarily with the salvation acts of God. Salvation is the primary theme of this word.

In his doxology, Jude states, "

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,"

And Peter in

"But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed."

at the appearing of Christ's glory we will be glad.

You see to rejoice and be glad at the announcement and ratification of who God is as Savior, as Judge of the unrepentant, To see Him as God almighty, who reigns over all is to declare that you believe. That you recognize Him for who He is. It is to rejoice and be glad in what He rejoices in. Those of us who fear Him praise Him. So now we rejoice and are glad.

Which leads me to the third response;

3. Let us give glory to Him.

What does it mean to Give God glory?

The word glory/doxa means to think or suppose at its root. The idea of recognizing the true value of something. So to glorify God means to recognize the the true value of who he is. Men glorify themselves and seek the glory of men as Jesus points out in , but God seeks glory, to be recognized as the God of all gods. There is no other besides Him.

This is the aim of all that is in the universe.

Piper points out that God expects all humans to see the self-authenticating glory of God in the universe he created. "the heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork" (Piper, Reading the bible supernaturally, p.20)

As he puts it we "should aim in all our seeing to savor his excellence above all things." that is what Piper the concept of glorifying God is. That we see the worth and beauty of God above all else in the universe. It is to see God as supremely valuable.

In John confesses "The word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."

In speaking of the turning water into wine he said "and manifested his glory. and his disciples believed in him." The raising of lazarus from the dead was akin to this, "Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God."()

In we see the glory of God expressed. He sees God in all His holiness and then in v.5 he declares

"Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”

Isaiah Saw the Lord, Jesus pre-incarnate and believed.

How do I know?

Again Piper reminds us of this. A crowd had gathered to hear Jesus , and though he had done many miracles they still didn't believe. Jesus said it was a fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy he said it was because of their hardness of heart. Then John said this in v.41,

"These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him." What John points out is that what Isaiah saw was the glory of the Son of God. He saw Jesus. but those in the crowd did not see Jesus for who he truly is. (Piper, Reading the bible supernaturally, p.92)

Look at ,, for a sampling of what it means to give glory to God.

Or read what and the myriads of believers in heaven say about the Lamb, giving glory to Him.

Or the great multitudes giving glory to God and the Lamb.

In those unbelievers who witness the ascension of the two witnesses from the dead and survive the subsequent judgment, will give glory to God.

Then read the command of the angel preaching the gospel in , as he calls people to fear God and give glory to Him, because of his judgment and worship the creator. as the multitudes worship God by singing to Him and glorify your name.

There are those who refuse to give him glory though they are suffering immensely for their sin. Rev.16.9ff

What I am saying is that to glorify God means to see and savor (as Piper repeatedly says) Jesus Christ as God.

In other words, John here in Revelation, as all eyes and ears are directed to the subject of the four Alleluias who is God is telling us in no uncertain terms that the only right response to such a magnificent display is to Rejoice in, Exult in, and give Glory to Jesus Christ.

Now notice with me this fleshes out as true, because of what we are directed to next:

and then our aim is to glorify Him in all we do: ;

Our only response is to Rejoice and shout for Joy and give Him glory. To declare Him King of Kings and Lord of Lords or as Isaiah so aptly put it, "My eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts!" and fall down and worship Him.

Now notice with me this fleshes out as true, because of what we are directed to next:

Because, hoti, reason:

the wedding celebration of the lamb has come

and

His bride has prepared herself

and it has been give to her

in order that she be clothed with fine linen bright and pure,

for the linen is the righteousness of the saints.

The Hoti- indicates the reason for the rejoicing and giving credit to God.

An Exegetical Summary of Revelation 12–22 19:7

The Jewish marriage had three parts: (1) the betrothal in which the formal engagement was agreed on, the bride price paid, and the couple legally became husband and wife; (2) the coming of the bridegroom to the house of the bride with his friends to get the bride and take her to his home; and (3) the wedding banquet [Wal]. The wedding began with the groom going to the bride’s house to get her and bringing her back to his house for the wedding banquet [NIC]. The festivities continued for a week or longer [Lns].

Who is the bride? It is the church, cf. . and which we already referred to.

through verse 10 this is all preparatory to the coming of the Bridegroom on his white horse with his army following on white horses. This is the bridegrooms entourage. They come in victory. I find some similarities to the Song of Solomon as the bride there describes her lover coming with his mighty men wearing swords and expert in war (,) but we will get to that when we get there.

how has the bride prepared herself? she has put on her wedding dress, v.8

through verse 10 this is all preparatory to the coming of the Bridegroom on his white horse with his army following on white horses. This is the bridegrooms entourage. They come in victory. I find some similarities to the Song of Solomon as the bride there describes her lover coming with his mighty men wearing swords and expert in war (,) but we will get to that when we get there.

God is the one who has given her the dress. Which is her righteousness.

This fine linen is what we have seen the people of God clothed with. It was the clothing of the Priests in the OT. Believers are a kingdom of priests this makes sense to clothed in the same fashion. It is the clothing of the soldiers who follow Jesus in .

WE are told this is the righteousness of the saints. Most refer to this as the righteous acts of the saints. But this is provided to her. Remember regarding the righteous deeds the believer is to do. We see here that she is prepared to be presented to the Lamb, the Bridegroom.

The beatitude ,v.9,10

“Blessed are those who are called to the supper of the wedding of the Lamb.”

YOu will recall the parable of the ten virgins who were called to the wedding, five of which were not prepared and were thus left out. . True believers are both the Bride of the Lamb and those who are called to the wedding supper

True believers are both the Bride of the Lamb and those who are called to the wedding supper

John’s response is to immediately fall down and worship the angel who was the messenger., v.10. He is forbidden and then reminded to worship God. Even Jesus as explained here.

“for, the witness of Jesus (or about Jesus) is the spirit of prophecy.” In other words, the message of prophecy in this context is to point us to Christ as God in the beauty of his holiness as our Savior. It bears witness to Jesus Christ.

Conclusion

through verse 10 this is all preparatory to the coming of the Bridegroom on his white horse with his army following on white horses. This is the bridegrooms entourage. They come in victory. I find some similarities to the Song of Solomon as the bride there describes her lover coming with his mighty men wearing swords and expert in war (,) but we will get to that when we get there.

John wants us to see the glory of Jesus to believe in Him.

and then our aim is to glorify Him in all we do: ;

Our only response is to Rejoice and shout for Joy and give Him glory. To declare Him King of Kings and Lord of Lords or as Isaiah so aptly put it, "My eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts!" and fall down and worship Him.

The Biblical Hallelujah Chorus, Rev. 19:1-8 (2)

Introduction