The End Times as God Reveals Them Pt 58 Heaven's Praises Ring as the Lord God Almighty Reigns!

I hope your Christmas is a blessed time for you and your families. You can find some Christmas devotions to share with your family in the December 2019 archives (December 16-21). The title is "The True Story of Christmas" and I hope they will be a blessing to you and your loved ones.

Revelation 4 through 18 focuses primarily on the events of the Great tribulation but things are going to change quickly. Revelation 19 is going to introduce a glorious climax to all of the final judgment of the End Times. We are going to see the risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ assume His role as King of kings and Lord of lords. 

John begins Revelation 19 with four simple words "An after these things" and we need to remember what the things are that John is referring to. First, these things include the last bowl of God's wrath being poured out. Second, it includes the full judgment and destruction of the Babylonian mystery religion that dominated the world after all other religion was banned. Last, it includes the complete and utter destruction of the political and economic systems constructed by the Antichrist. 

There are also four "Alleluias" in this chapter. These words of great praise connect to the Old Testament word "hallelujah" which is praise to Jehovah. Remember that the name Jesus means "Jehovah saves." Thus, this is heaven's hallelujah chorus unfolding in the first part of this chapter. 

After These Things...

Revelation 19:1-2  And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: 2) For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. 

John begins by telling us about the great rejoicing that will explode throughout heaven when all God's judgment is finished. Praise opens up with an exclamation of "alleluia" which means praise to Jehovah. Jehovah is the promise keeping, God who inhabits eternity but will dwell with those who have humble hearts and contrite spirits. He is the unchanging God who will always do what He says he will do. 

Praise is focused upon the salvation of God through Jesus Christ. Salvation is a word that means to be delivered from sin, to be preserved in safety, to be saved from the impact of sin. Salvation has a past tense in that there was a date when we confessed our sin and turned to God in repentance, and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation has a present tense in that we are being saved each moment by the power of God and it has a future sense of being saved eternally. 

Because of the power of salvation God is praised and given all glory, honor and power. Glory is the magnificence, splendor and brightness that is God's alone. Honor is that reverential fear of God, it is deference, reverence and respect for God. Power is the power of God to do that which is miraculous, the power of moral excellence and the power to subdue all things to His will according to His plan. 

The righteous and true judgments of God are praised. Utter destruction of religious Babylon and political Babylon is praised and holy, righteous God avenged the blood of all His children slain by wicked men. 

Heavenly Praises Ring Out!

Revelation 19:3-5  And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. 4) And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. 5) And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.   

Heaven will resound with two more full throated "Alleluias" as the smoke from Babylon's destruction rises up in the air. The twenty four elders and the four beasts will fall down in worship before the throne. They will shout "Amen, Alleluia" and a voice from the throne will cry out that all Jehovah's servants great or small, will praise God. 

The Glorious Divine Name Praised!

Revelation 19:6  And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 

John hears a multitude of voices that sound like mighty ocean waves and he heard more thundering in heaven. A joyous proclamation is going to be made. Judgment is over and Christ is almost ready to come and conquer all His foes in an instant of time. The joyous expressions are not because of judgment but because of a wedding that will take place. 

The last "Alleluia" flows from the fact that the Lord God omnipotent reigns in heaven. The word translated "omnipotent" is translated "almighty" in ten other places in the New Testament. In fact, ten of the eleven times that this particular word is used are in the book of Revelation. 

The Lord God Almighty is Holy!

Revelation 4:8  And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

John used this divine name 6 times in the book of Revelation. In all but one instance it is translated "Lord God Almighty" and once as "Lord God Omnipotent." The first time we find this name in Revelation is connected with the pure holiness and righteousness of God with exuberant worship taking place at His throne.

The Lord God Almighty is King of kings!

Revelation 11:17  Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.

The second time we find this name is right after the 7th trumpet sounded. This would place it at the conclusion of the 14th of 21 judgments from God. It is connected with the imminent overthrow of Satan's kingdom and the establishment of God's kingdom on earth as well as heaven.

The Lord God Almighty is the Lamb of God!

Revelation 15:3  And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.

The third time we find this name is right before the final seven judgments begin where John saw a vision of the tribulation saints and the singing of the songs of Moses and of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. Thus, worship and praise and impending judgment are in view.

The Lord God Almighty is True!

Revelation 16:7  And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.

The fourth time we find this name is after the first three vials of the seven final judgments are poured out and the angel praised God for His true and righteous judgments. 

The sixth time we find this name is in our text (Revelation 19:6) in a chapter connected with the completion of all 21 judgments and this is followed by all of heaven praising the Godhead for His salvation, righteousness, holiness, truth and judgment. It precedes the marriage of the Lamb of God to His bride.

The Lord God Almighty invites all to come.

Revelation 21:22  And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

The final time we see this divine name in the New Testament is in the closing chapter of the book. The new heaven and new Jerusalem are described for us. Words of invitation to all mankind are given and we learn that the Godhead will be the temple in that new city. 

The divine name "Lord God Almighty" is only found in the Book of Revelation. so we know that this is another wonderful name that communicates the character of God to us. 

The Greek word "pantokrator" refers to God who holds sway over all things and who rules over all things. It means that God alone possesses all power and all dominion, in the absolute sense. This name refers to omnipotent power that has no limitations at all.

It is a fitting name of God as John uses it because the book of Revelation is showing us the omnipotent or almighty power of God on display for all to see. It is the power to create or to crush, to save or to destroy, to exalt or to punish, to love perfectly or to hate perfectly. It is the power to grant eternal life to believers and eternal condemnation to unbelievers. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

Since Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, until this very moment today, the almighty power of God has been tempered with the love of God for all mankind as the gospel is preached in the world. The enmity has been removed and Jesus Christ bridged the gap between sinful man on earth and holy God in heaven. 

However, when the rapture of the church occurs and Christ takes His bride home to heaven, God's final judgments upon a Christ rejecting world will begin to be measured out. Those who reject the Son of God are trampling the blood of the cross under their feet. The Father will not let man get away with dismissing the mighty redemption accomplished by Jesus Christ. 

The Lord God Almighty overrules the plans of the nations and the devil. He controls the sun, the moon, the stars and the elements of nature and they obey His commands. All of His judgments are right and based upon His truth. He is Lord God Almighty.  

He will be enthroned as King of kings, Lord of lords, the Only Wise God and Savior of mankind. All believers will willingly bow down in praise and adoration. All unbelievers will bow down before Christ and confess that He is Lord, to the glory of the Father, before they enter eternal condemnation. Which group will you be a part of?

I pray that we all respond to the love of God in Christ Jesus by confessing our sins and turning to Jesus in repentant faith to be born again. For the believers I pray that we will renew our devotion and ask for strength to live our lives for the glory of God until He calls us home.

Bob