Hallelujah! Amen!

INTRODUCTION

Does anybody else remember growing up in church and singing that song, “hallelu, hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah… PRAISE YE THE LORD!” Then the sides would switch, “PRAISE YE THE LORD, halleljuah!” and people would get all mixed up (even though it’s not really difficult.) It was a class favorite at vbs and youth camps back in my day.

Well that word shows up repeatedly in our passage today but nowhere else in the entire New Testament.

hallelujah - is a transliteration of a Hebrew word that literally means “Praise God.” Hallel - praise ; yah - God.

God is worthy to be praised.

There are probably many reasons why you might look at things in your life and say “hallelujah.”

This morning we’re going to look at a song in Revelation 19 and examine some additional reasons for why we ought to Hallelujah.

Context to Chapter 19

For you math whizzes in the room, Revelation 19 comes after Revelation 18.

Those of you who’ve been with us for a while know that Revelation 17-18 deal with the fall of a place called Harlot Babylon.

Revelation is apocalyptic literature and so it uses symbols and imagery to communicate truth. Harlot Babylon is the symbol for a city of sin.

Babylon represented the centralization of idolatry, decadence and sensual indulgence. Not only did she promote sin and disobedience to God, she also participated in the persecution of Christians and death of God’s saints.

Revelation 18 describes her downfall and it ends with a call for Christians to rejoice in her downfall.

Revelation 18:20 (CSB)

20 Rejoice over her, heaven,

and you saints, apostles, and prophets,

because God has pronounced on her the judgment she passed on you!

The invitation to rejoice is accepted in Revelation 19. The chapter opens with John hearing the loud sound of a vast multitude in heaven saying...

Revelation 19:1 (CSB)

Hallelujah!

Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God,

Worship = Gratitude, Reverence & Trust

What’s going on in this passage? Heaven is rejoicing in the destruction of evil by the Lord Jesus Christ.

He has come and he has judged the this godless city, the false Christ and his false prophet.

Who are these singers? They are the people who’ve been delivered from the tribulation inflicted on them by Satan, his false Christ and this harlot city of Babylon.

In some ways you could count yourself as part of this vast multitude that will one day sing from heaven. (I believe it’s the same vast multitude from Revelation 7:9.)

Notice what they sing: “Hallelujah! Praise God. “

Why? Three words: salvation, glory and power belong to our God.”

He alone is savior. He is alone is glorious. He alone is able.

SALVATION: There are are other people who promise to save but they can’t save like only God can.

GLORY: There are other people who impress and are glorious but only God’s glory can outshine the sun.

POWER: There are people and things that possess great power. But there is no power in this world that is greater than God’s power. NOTHING is impossible with our God.

Three words. Each of them important.

I love what William Barclay says about this verse.

Each of these three great attributes of God should awaken its own response in the heart of man. The salvation of God should awaken the gratitude of man; the glory of God should awaken the reverence of man; the power of God is always exercised in the love of God and should, therefore, awaken the trust of man. Gratitude, reverence, trust--these are the constituent elements of real praise.

Gratitude, Reverence, Trust - these are the elements of real praise. This is what it means to raise a hallelujah. Is your life characterized by these things?

Is it characterized by gratitude for God’s salvation, awe and reverence in the face of His Glory and trust and dependance on his power to do all things?

Why Praise Him?

If not, my prayer this morning is that you’ll see at least TWO reasons why your life SHOULD be marked by this kind of praise.

Revelation 19 presents TWO primary GROUNDS for praise. And we need to become familiar with them and comfortable with them.

In both categories there’s a call to PRAISE GOD for WHO he is and WHAT he will do.

In verses 1-5 it’s what he will do in his judgment on sinners.

In verses 6-10 it’s what he will do in His blessing of the saints.

This WILL BE our future song. So if it’s a song we will sing in the future. Then it’s wise for us to learn how to sing it today. We will start with verses 2-5.

His Judgment On Sin

Revelation 19:1-5 establishes the praise of God for who He is and what He will do in his judgment on sinners. In particular his judgment of Babylon, the notorious prostitute.

Revelation 19:1–5 (CSB)

1 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,

2 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 servants

that was on her hands.

3 A second time they said,

Hallelujah!

Her smoke ascends forever and ever!

Righteous Judgment

When it comes to God’s judgment of sin and the centralization of sin in places like Babylon (or others like it) - the emphasis is on God’s righteousness in executing judgment.

“His judgments are true and righteous.”

Just the other day I was listening to a woman talk about why she struggles with putting her faith in Jesus. She pointed to all of the suffering in the world. (kids getting cancer, needless gratuitous suffering)

She’s not alone in thinking that. There are things that happen on this side of heaven we do not understand.

The enemy whispers in our ear and says, "If your God were so loving, or if your God cared, then why would this happen?"

Others raise the question of “Why would a loving God send x, y or z person to hell when they don’t deserve it...”

At one level, we can’t know for sure God’s reasons for allowing certain evils to take place on this world. But what we can know is that whatever those reasons are - they are right and true.

And on that day we will sing… “God I couldn’t see it then but I can see it now… I didn’t understand when it happened, I kicked, I screamed, I threw my fist in the air. But now… now that your kingdom has been established … now I see. Now I understand. You’re ways are not just higher than my ways… not just different. They are TRUE and they are RIGHT”

So when it comes to God’s judgment of sinners we can praise him because his judgments are RIGHTEOUS.

Retributive Judgment

But the song doesn’t stop there. It also sings praise to God because his judgment on sin is retributive. Raise a hallelujah because God’s judgment of sinners is righteous RETRIBUTION for their sin.

“He has judged the notorious prostitute who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality; and he has avenged the blood of his servants that was on her hands.”

Two things: he destroys Babylon and he avenges the saints. Why? Because that’s what she deserved.

She was the primary exporter of sin and idolatry. Like her OT predecessor Jezebel, she deceived people into doing the opposite of what God said and persecuted anybody who didn’t play along.

That persecution included the martyrdom of Christians. The blood of the saints has been a reoccurring theme as far back as Revelation 6:10. It’s not just that Christians died IN Babylon. They died at the HANDS of Babylon.

God is not mocked. Whatever a person sows, that is what he/she will reap.

Eternal Judgment

So we can praise God in his judgment on sin because His judgments will be RIGHTEOUS RETRIBUTION.

But the song doesn’t stop there. One more time it says raise a hallelujah because God’s righteous retribution of sin is ETERNAL. It’s an everlasting judgment.

“her smoke ascends forever and ever.” (Rev 19:3)

An everlasting judgment on sin means an everlasting righteousness in heaven. It’s a picture of God’s eternal and unchanging nature. A picture of his commitment to destroy the works of the devil.

It also satisfies our soul’s internal and inescapable desire to see justice served. Whether it’s the accountant of aushwitgz or the crooked politician we deeply desire for justice to flow in our world.

We can praise God because there’s coming a day when what’s crooked will be made strait again. Where what’s wrong will be made right. Where what’s sad will come untrue.

Righteous Retribution Forever.

All of Heaven & Earth Sings

In verses 4-5 we see the singers expand from the vast multitude to the 24 elders and the four living creatures.

Revelation 19:4 (CSB)

4 Then the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who is seated on the throne, saying,

Amen! Hallelujah!

This seems to be an amplification of the Hallelujah chorus in verse 2. This time sung by the 24 elders and the four living creatures.

We first met this group in Revelation 4-5. They are the host in heaven that surrounds the throne of God. Some think they are angelic. Some think they are human and represent all of God’s redeemed. (more likely).

The four living creatures are a way of capturing ALL of God’s creation.

And so the idea is that the song of redemption isn’t just sung by humans who’ve been redeemed but by the entire created order.

ALL OF CREATION has been liberated from the bondage of sin and delivered into something so much better.

In verse 5, ALL of the saints are invited to sing along, both small and great. Revelation 19:5

Revelation 19:5 (CSB)

5 A voice came from the throne, saying,

Praise our God,

all his servants, and the ones who fear him,

both small and great!

So all of God’s servants should praise Him. Why? Because his judgment liberates ALL of his creation from the brokenness of sin.

Praise him for the reach of His salvation. (only he can truly deliver)

Praise him for the rightness of his decisions. (his ways are right and true)

Praise him for the retribution of his judgment (final and just punishment on sin)

God’s Blessing Of the Saints

In verses 6-10 the focus changes from a worship of God because of his judgment on Babylon to a worship of God for his blessing of the saints.

The song still highlights the nature of God and particular actions that he will perform. But this time the focus is on what he will do with the saints.

Revelation 19:6–8

6 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,

reigns!

7 Let us be glad, rejoice, and give him glory,

because the marriage of the Lamb has come,

and his bride has prepared herself.

8 She was given fine linen to wear, bright and pure.

For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints.

In the first stanzas the praise of God was targeted around the justice that was given through his judgment.

The following stanzas praise of God for the blessedness and joy that is experienced in his Kingdom.

A Greater King

Verse six opens with the word “Hallelujah!” just like verse 1. Except the hallelujah of verse 1 was looking BACK to the destruction of Babylon. This hallelujah is looking FORWARD to the marriage supper of the Lamb.

This song of praise sings with eager anticipation for the climax of history and the full and final inauguration of God’s kingdom on the earth.

The song begins with a declaration that “Our Lord God, the Almighty, REIGNS!”

In one sense God is always sovereign whether in the past now or any other point in history. But what will happen in this season is that the entirety of the earth will execute the will of God just as quickly and joyfully as the angels do it in heaven.

Notice also how God is referred to as OUR LORD GOD THE ALMIGHTY.

At this time in Rome’s history Domitian had conferred upon himself the title of “Our Lord & God.” The word means “one who holds all things in his control.” (to give you a little insight into his personality!)

It’s no mistake that John then refers to the Lord God of heaven as the ONLY TRUE Lord God the Almighty.

Notice he also says he’s OUR Lord. The Roman emperor may claim we belong to him the only people we REALLY belong to is our Lord and God in heaven who will break the rule of human emperors and establish his kingdom on this earth when he comes in glory.

Sing hallelujah because our Lord and God is a King greater than any other king.

A Greater Kingdom

After a praising God for his reign he shifts into a series of commands for believers to rejoice, be glad and give God glory. Why? Because the marriage of the lamb has come. and His bride as prepared herself.”

The “bride” of the Lamb is placed here right after the fall of Babylon to contrast the eternal beauty of God’s kingdom from the ugly adultery of Harlot Babylon.

She’s a bride not a harlot.

She’s a suitable bride unlike the polluted prostitute Babylon.

Babylon belongs to the Beast. The Bride belongs to the LAMB.

Babylon clothed in sinful rebellion. The bride clothed in perfect righteousness (fine white linen.)

These fine linens represent the righteous lives of those who belong to Jesus. They are a strong contrast with the scarlet robes of sin that drape the Harlot Babylon.

Not only is our Lord and God a greater KING than any other king. We can sing hallelujah because our Lord and God has a greater KINGDOM than any other KINGDOM.

Justified and Sanctified

Certain translations of verse 8 says that the fine linens were “given to her.” (CSB, NIV) Other translations say “the right to wear the linens” was given.(ESV, KJV, NASB)

There’s an important difference between those two concepts. One is focused more on our justification the other on our sanctification. The ambiguity by John is probably intentional.

In John’s theology, these two concepts are two sides to a single coin.

In Rev 3:5 Jesus gives “white garments” to the ones who overcome.

We see the same thing with Christian martyrs in Rev 6:11.

In Revelation 7:14, however, the Christians who delivered out of the Great Tribulation “wash their robes white in the blood of the lamb.”

In other words, Revelation equates the whiteness of our robes with the righteous acts of the saints (sanctification) AND the blood of Jesus (justification).

Some try and make this an either or choice but it’s really not. The blood of Jesus ALONE has the power to wash away our sin. It is the Spirit of Christ ALONE that gives us the power to live a righteous life.

But the kind of life that we live matters in eternity. Our works follow us into the kingdom. They are proof and evidence that we have indeed been washed by the blood of the Lamb.

The Marriage Feast

In Verse 9 the analogy shifts. This time believers are not just presented as the bride of Christ. Now they are presented as those who’ve been invited to the marriage feast.

Those who’ve been invited are said to be “blessed.” It’s the fourth beatitude in the book of Revelation.

Revelation 19:9 (CSB)

9 Then he said to me, “Write: Blessed are those invited to the marriage feast of the Lamb!” He also said to me, “These words of God are true.”

These words seem to be targeted back to John’s original audience. People like you and me. We are called to persevere and overcome so that we too might be invited to this great feast.

The “marriage supper of the Lamb” will be the occasion that fulfills prophecies like Isaiah 25:6.

Isaiah 25:6 (CSB)

6 On this mountain, (Mount Zion) the Lord of Armies will prepare for all the peoples a feast of choice meat, a feast with aged wine, prime cuts of choice meat, fine vintage wine.

Isaiah doesn’t refer to this feast as a wedding feast but Jesus does. (Matt 22:1-13; 25:1-13)

He gives two parables about a king who throws a wedding feast for his son and one about 10 virgins who keep themselves ready for the great marriage feast to come.

In both parables Jesus presents himself as the bridegroom and says many will not be invited to or participate in the marriage supper because (1) they were unworthy or (2) they were unprepared. (Matt 22:8; 25:10)

It’s no surprise then that the only people invited to the marriage supper in Revelation 19 are those who are counted worthy and those who are prepared for the coming of Christ to the earth.

Three Stages

Those of you who read carefully will notice that there seems to be a difference in Revelation 19 between the “marriage” of the Lamb and the “marriage feast” of the Lamb.

Did you notice? Verse 7 talks about being glad and rejoicing because the marriage of the Lamb has come” whereas verse 9 talks about the blessedness of being invited to the “marriage feast” of the Lamb.

The fact that we didn’t grow up in Jewish culture causes many of us to miss this.

Every Jewish wedding (at least in the ancient world) had three stages.

CONTRACT/BETROTHAL: the period of time between negotiation and consumption. (Father paid a dowery/price for the Bride. Pride and groom become legally married and keep themselves pure until the night of consummation)

CONSUMMATION: this was the day that the groom would go over to the home of the bride and take her to be with him (whether in HIS house or his FATHER’S house).

CELEBRATION: The final stage was a celebration feast that took place after the marriage was consummated that would typically last for seven days and included all sorts of feasting and celebration.

Remember in Ephesians 5 that Paul says God created this whole idea of marriage to display the relationship between Christ and the Church. So you can see, in Revelation, all three stages.

CONTRACT/BETROTHAL: God the Father paid the ultimate price in sending his one and only Son to die on the cross for our sins. The death of Jesus on the cross has purchased us. We are bought with a price, we are not our own. We are called to live faithful and pure lives until he comes.

CONSUMMATION: The consummation is the day of Jesus’ return (some suggest the rapture/others our death) Jesus takes us to His Father’s house. We are given white robes. We experience the blessing of full union with Christ in Heaven. (some suggest this takes place at the rapture)

CELEBRATION: Finally there is the celebration of feasting and rejoicing when the marriage supper comes. Some think this will take place in heaven. Others say this takes place in the New Heavens and the New Earth that is spelled out in Revelation 20-22.

The point of Revelation 19 is that such a blessed gift is worthy of raising a hallelujah. We will raise a hallelujah at each and every stage!.

Praise God that He is faithful to His promise.

Praise God that he has paid the price.

Praise God that Jesus will come and take us to be with Him where he Is.

Praise God that there’s coming a day where we will feast and celebrate and have those tears of tribulation wiped from our eye.

Praise him! Praise Him! Praise Him! In every season God should be praised!

Personal Testimony

I know not everybody in this room has been married or is currently married but as someone who was only married a little over a decade ago I can still remember the details.

I can remember those days between our engagement and marriage day. I can remember how excited I was. How impatient I was becoming. We had originally planned an October wedding but I certainly wasn’t complaining when we changed our minds and decided to move it up!

I remember the tears coming to my eyes and the pit in my stomach when I saw my bride coming down the isle. She was stunningly beautiful. She was crying. I was crying. (Not sure about my Father and law.... wasn’t really looking at him but I image he was too).

I remember being absolutely enthralled looking into the eyes of my bride. Making my vows. Publicly proclaiming my eternal and undying love for her.

Then afterwards we had a party like it was 1999. Starbucks baristas and EVERYTHING. (No dancing because it was in a baptist church but I certainly would have if I could!)

Don’t you see that’s why we wait? That’s why we endure. That’s why we prepare ourselves. That’s why we live righteous and holy lives. Because He is worthy. Because when that day comes the joy of that day will swallow up whatever hardships we ensure in this period of time.

Conclusion

Our passage closes with John’s response to these things. Revelation 19:10

Revelation 19:10 (CSB)

10 Then I fell at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers and sisters who hold firmly to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God, because the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

It’s not surprising to see that John get so caught up in the glory of this unimaginable glory and finds himself bowing down to this angel who delivers the vision.

The response of the angel is instructive. “Don’t worship me. I’m a fellow servant like you and other people who hold the testimony about Jesus.”

The person to worship is the TRIUNE GOD. Worship Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Why?

Because the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

There’s all kinds of disagreement on the particular of what that means but it seems pretty simple to me.

All prophecy points to Jesus. He is the center of it all.

Some think of prophecy as fore-telling. Telling what will happen in the future. Jesus is end and center of all human history past present and future.

Some think of prophecy as forth-telling. Speaking the truth of God and bringing application to certain people, places and things.

Jesus is the end and center of all that truth. Truth is a person and that person is Jesus.

Every message from every prophet, every announcement from every angel, every event that has ever transpired has been building towards the return of our King. Jesus is the center.

God’s judgment of sinners and destruction of Babylon happens through the person of Jesus Christ.

God’s blessing of the saints through marriage and the marriage feast happens through the person of Jesus Christ.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus sweetest name I know. King and Kingdoms will all pass away but there’s something about that name!

So let us raise our hallelujah! Let our lives be marked by gratitude, awe and trust in the goodness of our Great God. Father son and Holy Spirit.