Revelation Ch 19 (Thursday of the Third Week of Advent; December 19)

After this I heard what sounded like a huge crowd in heaven. They said,

“Hallelujah! The salvation and glory and power of our God!
His judgments are true and just,
    because he judged the great prostitute,
        who ruined the earth by her whoring,
    and he exacted the penalty for the blood of his servants
        from her hand.”

Then they said a second time,

“Hallelujah! Smoke goes up from her forever and always.”

The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God, who is seated on the throne, and they said, “Amen. Hallelujah!”

Then a voice went out from the throne and said,

“Praise our God, all you his servants,
        and you who fear him, both small and great.”

And I heard something that sounded like a huge crowd, like rushing water and powerful thunder. They said,

“Hallelujah! The Lord our God, the Almighty,
        exercised his royal power!
Let us rejoice and celebrate, and give him the glory,
    for the wedding day of the Lamb has come,
        and his bride has made herself ready.
She was given fine, pure white linen to wear,
    for the fine linen is the saints’ acts of justice.”

Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Favored are those who have been invited to the wedding banquet of the Lamb.” He said to me, “These are the true words of God.” Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said, “Don’t do that! I’m a servant just like you and your brothers and sisters who hold firmly to the witness of Jesus. Worship God! The witness of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy!”

Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse. Its rider was called Faithful and True, and he judges and makes war justly. His eyes were like a fiery flame, and on his head were many royal crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He wore a robe dyed with blood, and his name was called the Word of God. Heaven’s armies, wearing fine linen that was white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword that he will use to strike down the nations. He is the one who will rule them with an iron rod. And he is the one who will trample the winepress of the Almighty God’s passionate anger. He has a name written on his robe and on his thigh: King of kings and Lord of lords.

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he called out with a loud voice and said to all the birds flying high overhead, “Come and gather for God’s great supper. Come and eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of generals, the flesh of the powerful, and the flesh of horses and their riders. Come and eat the flesh of all, both free and slave, both small and great.” Then I saw that the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies had gathered to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. But the beast was seized, along with the false prophet who had done signs in the beast’s presence. (He had used the signs to deceive people into receiving the beast’s mark and into worshipping the beast’s image.) The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake that burns with sulfur. The rest were killed by the sword that comes from the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds ate their fill of their flesh.

Commentary

The vision begins with the appearance in the opened heaven of the One sitting upon a white horse, followed by armies of heaven also upon white horses. This is followed by a description of the battle with the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, evidently on earth. The mysterious meaning of this image does not yield to direct interpretation, but it is indisputable that this appearance corresponds to some earthly event, that it takes place not only in heaven but also in history. An analysis of the eschatological texts convinces us that they are marked by a certain obscurity as far as Christ's Second Coming, the parousia, is concerned. Specifically, it is unclear if the parousia is already the end, or only one of the concluding events within the limits of history.  History does not yet provide data that would enable us to concretely grasp and understand this prophecy, which contains the indubitable promise that, on the pathways of Christ's enthronement in history, there will be an entire epoch when Christ's presence on earth will be expressly tangible for the elect, and He will personally participate in the historical accomplishment. (Lamb of God)

What must our religious and practical attitude to this chapter be, which begins in heaven with a joyous and triumphal hymn of salvation achieved and with the coming of the marriage of the Lamb, and in the second part continues with the heralding of warfare between the One sitting on the horse and hostile forces, and His victory over them? It can least of all be perplexity and panic. On the contrary, it must be full of valiant hope. In the face of the terrible tragedy that has befallen the earth, there must be along with Christian valor and the will for spiritual victory a fearlessness before the antichrists, whatever various forms they may take.  In the description of the destiny of the beast and the false prophet, we are likewise dealing with pure allegories and symbols, which absolutely cannot be explained literally. The general meaning is that all Christ's opponents will be rendered powerless in their opposition, broken and to that extent destroyed. And so this is not yet the last and final judgment, but merely the result of the last combat of the beast and the false prophet with Christ's forces, who overcome their enemies, render them powerless and eliminate them. The Gospel conquers. This results in spiritual healing for all, the liberation of the whole atmosphere of life from those venoms and miasmas which polluted it. In this way the world becomes ready to enter upon the last act of its history. What is happening now is the epilogue of history, as well as the prologue of the age to come, it's threshold. (Apocalypse)

God for ever and ever.  Amen.