Tuesday, October 13, 2020

2020.10.13 Hopewell @Home ▫ Revelation 19:1–9

Read Revelation 19:1–9

Questions from the Scripture text: Whose voice did the apostle hear in Revelation 19:1? What were they saying? What four things did they attribute to the Lord our God? For what specifically (Revelation 19:2) were they praising her? What had she done to the earth? What had she done to His servants? What do they praise the Lord for in Revelation 19:3? Who, specifically, fall down in Revelation 19:4? From where does the voice come in Revelation 19:5? What does He say to do? With what words does He further describe “His servants”? Which ones are to participate in this praise? What is the response to this command in Revelation 19:6? What does their combined voice sound like? For what characteristic of God are they praising Him? What do they urge one another to feel in Revelation 19:7? What do they urge one another to give to God? On what occasion—what has come? Who has made herself ready? How had she done this—what had been granted to her (Revelation 19:8)? What is the “fine linen” here? To whom does the angel in Revelation 19:9 speak? What does he tell him to do? Who are blessed? What does the angel say about this statement?

Next week’s Call to Worship, Prayer for Help, Song of Adoration, and Prayer of Confession all come from Revelation 19:1–9, so that we will see that we are singing God’s thoughts after Him with Shout, for the Blessed Jesus Reigns.

The reign of king Jesus is glorious and certain. He sits on the throne already, and He has told us in advance about the defeat of those who oppose Him and His saints. 

But Jesus doesn’t just defeat the wicked who hate Him and His church. He judges them “with righteous judgments.” 

Revelation 19:2 is part of joyous worship and celebration, but it is a sobering reminder of the realities through which the Lord is bringing us in our lifetime. For the Lord Jesus to judge the kingdom of Satan, the harlot, for corrupting the earth, there must be a time in which the earth is corrupted. For the Lord Jesus to avenge upon the harlot the blood of the saints, there must be a time during which they are murdered by the harlot.

So, in passages like this one, the Lord reminds us that He is already sitting on the throne. The Judge who inflicts the final punishment and vengeance is the Lord who rules and overrules even now. But He is not a passive heavenly Spectator.

There’s a first person possessive pronoun in Revelation 19:5 that should thrill us: “praise our God, all you His servants.” The worship of heaven is being led not by someone from the multitude around the throne, but by Someone who sits upon the throne.

When we come to public worship services that we have learned (from places like Psalm 22, Hebrews 2, Hebrews 12, etc.) are personally led by Jesus from glory, part of what we are doing is entering into His holy triumph. Even in the age of a corrupted earth and the slaughter of saints, Jesus already reigns. And He reigns in the same wisdom and love and power that we will be praising when He judges the great harlot.

So, when we come to the public worship on the coming Lord’s Day, let us “shout, for the blessed Jesus reigns”!

Where do you see the corruption of the earth. How are believers being attacked, or even killed? What is Jesus doing right now, while that happens? What will He ultimately do about it in the end?

Suggested songs: ARP72B “Nomads Will Bow” or TPH411 “Shout, for the Blessed Jesus Reigns”


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