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Revelation 19

1After these things I heard what sounded like the loud voice of a great crowd in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, 2because his judgments are true and righteous, because he judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality, and he avenged the blood of his slaves at her hand.” 3A second time they said, “Hallelujah! Her smoke rises forever and ever.” 4The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God seated on the throne, saying, “Amen! Hallelujah!” 5A voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all his slaves and those who fear him, the small and the great.”

6I heard what sounded like the voice of a great crowd, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord God, the Almighty, has begun to reign. 7Let us rejoice and be glad, and we will give him glory, because the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready. 8She was granted the right to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean.” For the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the holy ones.

9He says to me, “Write: Blessed are those invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb.” He says to me, “These are the true words of God.” 10I fell before his feet to worship him. He says to me, “Do not do that! I am a fellow slave of yours and of your brothers who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

11I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse. Its rider is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and wages war. 12His eyes are a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems. He has a name written that no one knows except himself. 13He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. 14The armies in heaven followed him on white horses, dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15A sharp sword comes from his mouth, so that with it he may strike the nations. He himself will shepherd them with an iron rod, and he himself treads the winepress of the wine of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written: “King of kings and Lord of lords.”

17I saw an angel standing in the sun. He cried with a loud voice to all the birds flying in midheaven, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, 18so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of military commanders and the flesh of the powerful and the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all, free and slaves, small and great.” 19I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered to wage war against the rider on the horse and against his army. 20The beast was seized, and with it the false prophet, who had performed the signs in its presence by which he misled those who received the beast's mark and those who worshiped its image. The two were thrown alive into the lake of fire burning with sulfur. 21The rest were killed by the sword of the rider on the horse, the sword that came from his mouth, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.

Translation notes 4

19:1–8 — Hallelujah and wedding. Hallelujah means “Praise the Lord.” The wedding gives the faithful community a feminine identity as the Lamb's wife. “We will give” follows the base's future verb in verse 7; other Greek readings continue “let us give.” The linen is both granted to her and identified with the holy ones' righteous deeds; neither side is removed to settle a theological debate.

19:9–10 — Testimony and prophecy. The speaker is understood as the angelic guide, though verse 9 does not supply the noun. “Testimony of Jesus” can be testimony given by Jesus or testimony about him. The final sentence may be the angel's explanation, as printed here, or John's comment. “Spirit of prophecy” may mean the inspiration that produces prophecy or the divine Spirit active in it.

19:12–16 — Blood and names. The source says the eyes are a flame, rather than adding “like” as in some editions. The robe is already bloodied before the described battle; the blood may evoke his sacrifice or the judgment imagery of Isaiah 63. The text does not name its owner. “Dipped” has the textual alternative “sprinkled.” The name on the robe and thigh is retained without supplying a tattoo or another physical mechanism.

19:17–21 — Supper and lake of fire. The birds' feast forms a grim counterpart to the wedding supper. “Flesh” is repeated as in Greek. The lake of fire is the stated punishment of the beast and false prophet here; it is not translated Hades or Gehenna. Its relationship to the second death is made explicit in 20:14 and 21:8.