We know that God’s wrath is both just and glorious, but hell remains less than a cheerful thought. Now as the heavenly choir sings “Hallelujah,” we find more positive reasons to rejoice in God’s final judgment. The overthrow of the ungodly is a means to the glorious, universal, and unimpeded reign of Jesus Christ over all things. “Hallelujah!” heaven sings, “For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns” (v. 6).

The title “Lord our God the Almighty” emphasizes the sovereignty and omnipotence of God. In an important sense, there has never been a moment when God has not been reigning. God’s plan for history merely permitted sin so that in the end His Son, Jesus Christ, would reign in grace with a people purchased by His blood. When this victory is achieved, when the opposition of Satan, sin, and death is conquered and put away, leaving nothing to hinder the blessed kingdom of Christ in all creation, no wonder that heaven rejoices.

When believers seek to understand the blessings that await us in glory, the Bible provides a variety of images. What Christian has not reveled in blessed anticipation of Psalm 23’s final verse? Revelation 19:7 adds a glorious vision of a wedding banquet after Christ has taken His bride. The choir sings: “Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready.” All throughout the Bible, salvation is presented as a love relationship between God and His people.

So how can sinners from this world, who have ourselves betrayed God in sin and idolatry, ever qualify to be Christ’s spotless and radiant bride? The answer is given in verse 8: “It was granted her to clothe herself with fine lines, bright and pure.” This sums up the Bible’s gospel teaching, that God so loved the world, and Christ so loves His bride that He came to cleanse His chosen people from sin by dying on the cross. Jesus further achieved a perfect righteousness on our behalf by means of His own spotless life. Sinners are justified by means of the imputed righteousness that Jesus gives, so that through faith alone we receive the spotless garment of the righteousness of Christ (see Rom. 4:4-6; 2 Cor. 5:21).

Our covenant relationship with Jesus Christ equally involves His righteous work for us to justify us from sin and His sanctifying work in us, in which we participate to present ourselves beautifully to Him. In the language of our passage, a spotless wedding garment is “granted” by God to every sinner who believes. Henceforth, we are to put it on and wear it – that is, we are to live accordance with the righteous standing we have received through faith in Christ (Eph. 4:21-24). Having been saved by the blood of Christ from the judgment of the harlot world to which we formerly belonged, we are by grace alone granted a spotless wedding garment of righteousness, and henceforth we are to live as His holy people.

Revelation 19 doesn’t show the actual marital bliss that Christ and His bride will enjoy in eternity: that description comes in chapters 21 and 22. But the angel did point out a particular blessing that belongs to the people of Christ even now: “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb” (v. 9). This is the fourth beatitude of the book of Revelation. So far, blessing has been pronounced on those who read and hear the message of this book (1:3), on “the dead who die in the Lord,” who “rest from their labors” (14:13), and on those who keep their garments on, remaining ready for the return of Christ (16:15). Now Christians are described not only as the bride of Christ but also as the wedding guests who are invited to attend the feast. We are blessed in looking forward to the wedding and the feast, both of which will continue forever.

Even though the wedding between Christ and His church is yet to come, believers are blessed now because through faith in Jesus they possess the invitation needed to reserve a seat at that feast. This makes the vital point that our present salvation through faith in Jesus renders our future salvation in the wedding feast to come absolutely secure. We know this because of the inviolable authority of God’s Word. John adds in verse 9: “And he said to me, ‘These are the true words of God.’” Everyone who believes in Jesus now and lives as His disciple has “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:4-5).

Knowing this, Christians do not need to wait for the wedding feast before we join the heavenly choir of praise. We may worship just as fervently now, with a present assurance of salvation in Christ. Now we await the sudden appearing of our Lord. But our invitation to His feast is certified by the Word of God and secured by the sealing ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Verse 10 adds a surprising episode that highlights how glorious it is to anticipate our future union with Christ. Having heard God’s blessing on those invited to the wedding feast, John “fell down” at the feet of the angel “to worship him.” The angel stopped John, crying in alarm: “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus.” This verse reminds us that however glorious any person or angel may appear to be, we must never grant worship to anyone but God. Moreover, this verse states that having been redeemed by Christ’s blood, Christians are now “fellow servants” with the angels in proclaiming the gospel and bringing praise to God’s throne.

This kind of keen anticipation will make the rigors of the present Christian life seem as nothing compared to the glories ahead. As we grow in Christian faith, that future should loom ever clearer in our minds, so that the glory and love awaiting us become more real to our hearts than the poisoned delights of a harlot world that desires to lead us astray.

Finally, while we celebrate the coming day when “the Lord our God the Almighty” will reign (v. 6), let us never forget that Jesus reigns now through the ministry of His Word. The angel concludes: “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (v. 10). This statement can be taken in two equally valid ways. It may mean that wherever the testimony of Jesus’ love is given, there is the true spirit of prophecy. Alternatively, it may state that those who believe in the gospel testimony receive the spirit of prophecy to tell others about the saving grace of Christ.

Both as the gospel comes to us and as we bring it to others, Christ reigns in our present world, bringing sinners to Himself through faith, and securing for everyone who believes a place in the wedding feast that will resound in joy and praise forever. How exciting it is to be a Christian, even as we wait in this darkened world for the glorious light of Jesus’ soon appearing” “Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory” (v. 7).

What higher love can you ever discover than the redeeming love of Jesus Christ? If you respond to His call, offering your faith and love to Him, then Jesus will take you to Himself for eternity. He will be your beloved Savior and glorious Lord, and by His grace at work in you, you will respond in faithful covenant love and worship back to Him. Every believer of the gospel will be blessed together with the Son of God, along with the entire glorious host of His blessed church, so long as you both eternally live.

Revelation 19:6-10 Study Questions:

The marriage of the Lamb and His bride is to be the focal point of the marriage of heaven and earth themselves. Who is the “bride” of the Lamb (vv. 7-8)?

John himself is so excited by all this that he begins to worship the angel who is revealing it all to him. Why is this a big mistake (v. 10)?

How are we sometimes tempted to make the same mistake John made?