Revelation Chapter 19

UNIVERSAL REJOICING (Rev 19:1-10)

VERSE 4 “And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!”

AND THE TWENTY-FOUR ELDERS: — all of the testimony of God’s pre-written plans

AND THE FOUR LIVING ONES: — the personifications of God’s own attributes

FELL DOWN: — the visible action representing total respect, dedication, and worship

AND WORSHIPPED GOD: — by having been fulfilled and understood

SAYING, AMEN. HALLELUJAH! — This is the third and fourth Hallelujahs (two because two entities are saying it.) These hallelujahs are impersonal; but ideas and inanimate things can also praise Him. It is notable that this hallelujah is preceded by AMEN — “Thus it is,” or “Truly.” This word is very appropriate for these inanimate witnesses. THEIR praise comes BECAUSE their predictions and characteristics are seen to be FULFILLED; therefore: “Thus it is!”.

Brother Shallieu’s thoughts on Verse 4 “And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.”

In connection with the judgment that has just taken place, the twenty-four elders and the four living ones are pacified and thankful that soon the reign of sin, death, and terror will be ended. As explained under earlier verses, the “four and twenty elders” represent the Old Testament. The “four beasts,” more accurately described as the “four living ones,” represent the four cardinal attributes of God’s character that control the divine government itself.

To the world God’s attributes seem to be nonoperative. For example, people ask,

“If there is a God, why doesn’t He do something? Innocent people are dying and being persecuted; justice is often perverted; everything is upside down.”

From their standpoint the Creator is doing nothing. Based upon the observation that these evils have been going on for thousands of years, the conclusion is that God is not interested in the fate of mankind. However, when the judgments on Babylon are fulfilled, God’s Justice will be vindicated upon her, and his other attributes will be made manifest shortly thereafter.

At the present time, with the operation of all of God’s attributes—Justice, Love, Power, and Wisdom—being obscured by the permission of evil, some conclude there is a God of Intelligence but do not consider Him to be a God of Revelation. As infidels, they think the earth and its inhabitants are so little and insignificant that God ignores their existence. For the most part, God’s attributes have assumed a low-key profile down through the ages lest the period of faith testing and the experience of the temporary permission of evil as a taskmaster and as a school instructor and disciplinarian be disrupted before the due time.

Although God’s attributes have wanted to openly vindicate His character, they have had to hold themselves in check. If, as a human, one boils when seeing an infraction of justice, how must God feel?

Some think, “If only something could be done . . .,” but the Creator refrains from expunging the evil and from destroying the human race. His attributes—namely, the living ones—would like to disclose that God does have a plan, that He intends to take care of mankind in due time, that He is interested in their welfare, and so forth. When the appointed time does come for God to reveal Himself, His attributes and His Word will begin to speak and to praise His holy name.

To get the Holy Spirit’s power of the vision, notice that the twenty-four elders and the four living ones fall down and worship God. The four attributes have been longing for freedom of expression, poetically speaking.

They have been fettered just like the two cherubim fashioned on the Mercy Seat. Looking intently inward and down upon the seat of atonement while they wait for the blood of the bullock and the Lord’s goat to be sprinkled thereon, the two cherubim have urgently desired to fly on their errands of mercy and relief to mankind. But not until the completion of the symbolic Temple (the True Church, Head and body) will they be released with their wings stretched out wide (1 Kings 6:27; Rev. 15:8).

God’s Love (Mercy) and Power are interestedly staring at the propitiatory lid of the Ark of the Covenant, waiting for Justice to be fully satisfied. Then the living ones will fall down, with the twenty-four elders, and worship God. What a superlative and highly figurative portrayal!

VERSE 5 “Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!”

AND A VOICE CAME FROM THE THRONE: This is clearly not God because it praises God. It is the one ALSO on the throne — Jesus, or Jesus and his Church. Rev. 3:21

SAYING: This voice is not specifically praising God, but INSTRUCTING OTHERS to do so. Is this not the work of the Great Mediator?

GIVE PRAISE TO OUR GOD: This is the “hidden” (Hallelujah) in the form of instruction to others. Hallelujah means PRAISE GOD. This, therefore, is Hallelujah in GREEK rather than in Hebrew — a hint that the one speaking is a product of the Christian Age rather than of the age of the prophets.

ALL YOU HIS BOND-SERVANTS: This MAY refer to the Ancient Worthies. It may refer to all the world as they become bond-servants in the Millennium as was the Church in the Gospel Age.

YOU WHO FEAR HIM: This will be the beginning lesson of the New Age — even as it has always been the beginning lesson. See Prov. 1:7.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

THE SMALL AND THE GREAT: — from the Ancient Worthies on down.

VERSE 6 “And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thundering’s, saying, “Alleluia! For the[d] Lord God Omnipotent reigns!”

AND I HEARD: Here is another minor re-focus from John. What he hears coming from earth is the RESPONSE to the voice from the throne (Verse 5).

AS THE SOUND OF A GREAT MULTITUDE: It is difficult to interpret the details of this verse. It is POSSIBLE that only ONE GROUP is meant with a three-fold description. However, the layout of the language seems to imply three groups. Having three groups also makes a total of seven Hallelujahs — although four may be all that is intended. This verse seems to show all on earth responding to the voice from the throne and doing as he requested. The CUMULATIVE effect of multitude, waters, and thundering’s is that this is a wonderfully large and enthusiastic response! However, it is needful to TRY to separate the three “sounds” — the three groups responding.

The following is quite speculative:

The GREAT MULTITUDE (NOT the group we traditionally call the Great Company) is possibly that group formerly known as “those who dwell on earth.” They are finally ready to plant their roots in the New Earth.

AS THE SOUND OF MANY WATERS: — the group formerly known as “every tribe and tongue and people and nation” — the sea class of humanity, (the unrestrained masses) Now they have the prospect of stability so that “there will be no more sea” (No more restlessness, turmoil, commotion, and etc., the sea tossing and turning.) Rev 21:1

AS THE SOUND OF MIGHTY PEALS OF THUNDER: This is possibly the Ancient Worthies. (The thought has also been interestingly offered that it is the repentant fallen angels.) Thunder, of course, has symbolized controversy. The Ancient Worthies were controversial in their lifetimes even as the saints have been in theirs. Since the Worthies will be princes in the earth (Psa. 45:16), they will be the arbiters of all controversy. This concept is strengthened by Job 39:25 which refers to the thunder from captains — those who issue orders which the troops may not initially understand and which, therefore, may be controversial. Also (Mark 3:17) Jesus named two disciples SONS OF THUNDER presumably because of their willingness to stand out front and be heard though their positions might be controversial — as the Ancient Worthies must also do.

SAYING, HALLELUJAH! Since three classes are represented in this verse, seven hallelujahs have been issued — from heaven and earth. If we prefer, FOUR have been issued representing UNIVERSAL PRAISE.

FOR THE LORD OUR GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, REIGNS: While this particular message will mean much in heaven, its meaning to those on earth will be incalculable. Free at last! The prayer of ages is finally visibly answered. This message (of the reign) was given MANY years previously (as foretold in prophecy and through the teachings of the Seventh messenger, Rev 11:15-17), but was then only understood by a few. Here ALL know it!

“Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: “We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.”

We will take a look at Brother Shallieu’s thoughts on Verses 5 and 6 in our next post.