Revelation  ◦   Chapter 19

1After watching this, I heard the thundering roar of a great multitude of people in heaven, shouting: "Hallelujah! Healing and restoration, honor and power belong to our God,2for accurate and right are his diagnoses! He has diagnosed the great prostitute as terminal–the one who infected the world with her false beliefs about God and his methods. He has brought her to face the results of killing his spokespersons."

3And again the people shouted: "Hallelujah! The lessons of her actions and her destructive ways will be remembered forever and ever."

4The twenty-four elders and four living beings were overwhelmed with awe and admiration for God and fell down and worshiped him who was seated upon the throne. They cried: "Absolutely right, Hallelujah!"

5Then from the throne came a voice, saying: "Give praise to God, all you who spoke the truth about him, and all you who love and admire his character of love–whether small or great."

6Then I heard an even louder response from the multitude of people–louder than the roaring ocean or rumbling thunder. They shouted: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty–Mighty in goodness, Mighty in truth, Mighty in love, Mighty in righteousness and Mighty in freedom–reigns!7Let our joy and gladness be in him, and let our lives glorify him! For the wedding of the Lamb has come and his bride–the church–is ready,8cleansed in mind and heart from all deviation from God’s design. She has been given fine clothes to wear–bright, clean and without blemish–representing her perfect character of love she now possesses."

9Then the angel said to me, "Write this down: 'Happy are those who are invited to the wedding celebration of the Lamb!'" And then he added, "These words of God are true."

10I was so overwhelmed with awe that I fell down to honor him, but he said, "Don't honor me! I am a fellow worker on God's team with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony Jesus revealed about his Father. Give honor to God and worship him! For the testimony Jesus gave about his Father is the same as that which inspired the prophets."

11I looked and saw the heavens open, and before me was a white horse whose rider is called Faithful and True–which symbolizes that Christ makes war using the weapons of truth and righteousness, and diagnoses all things perfectly.12His eyes are like blazing fire, symbolic of the penetrating power of truth and love that burns within his heart and with which he sees all things. On his head are many crowns, symbolizing his rightful rule over all domains, spheres, orders, and territories. Upon him is a name that only he knows, for it represents the fullness of his infinite true self.13His clothes are dipped in blood, symbolic of self-sacrificing death by which he procured the Remedy. His name is the Word of God, for he is God's very thoughts made audible and visible.14The host of heaven followed him, also riding on white horses and dressed in pure linen–spotless white and clean–symbolic of the methods of truth, love and freedom with which they wage war.15He struck down the nations with a sharp sword that came out of his mouth, which symbolized the spoken words of truth that destroy everything built on the lies about God. "He will rule them with an unbreakable shepherd's rod." He crushes out all lies and selfishness in the winepress of the unrestrained burning rivers of truth and love flowing from God Almighty.16On his robe and on his thigh, this name is written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

17And I saw an angel standing in the sun–symbolic of a messenger coming from the brightness of the presence of Jesus. He called in a loud voice to all the carrion birds flying through the air, "Come! Gather together for the great supper of God,18and eat the corpses of the world leaders, generals, power brokers, warriors, people–whether rich or poor, slave or free–who rejected the Remedy." He said this as a warning to all who have rejected the Remedy–but they didn't listen.

19I saw the beastly power and the leaders of earth gather their armies together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army of light.20But the beastly power was caught in its own lies and in a web of intrigue, along with the false prophet who had performed miraculous signs on its behalf. It was with these signs that it had duped those who chose to mark themselves as loyal to the beastly power and model themselves after it. The two were thrown into the lake of unquenchable fire of truth and love emanating from the unveiled presence of God, which consumes all sin.21And all the followers of the beast were destroyed by the truth, which cut like a sword and came from the mouth of the rider on the white horse; and all the birds filled themselves with their corpses.