The final destruction of evil occurs, and the rewards and punishment follow. This chapter describes the fifth interlude celebrating the marriage supper of the Lamb.

This part of John’s revelation reports primarily things he hears, rather than things he sees. He hears “a great voice of much people in heaven” praising God for his righteous judgments against Babylon. He hears “the voice of a great multitude” praising God and rejoicing that “the marriage of the Lamb is come.” He hears an angel command him to write that those who “are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb” are “blessed.”

This section “skillfully weaves together three distinct strands from the Old Testament, all of which have been used before in the New Testament and related literature, but never together. The first is the depiction of the reign of God as a great feast (see Isaiah 25:6; cf. Mark 2:19; Matthew 22:1-14; 25:1; Luke 14:15-24). The second is the notion of Israel as the bride of Jehovah (see Hosea 2:5; Isaiah 1:21; Jeremiah 2:2; cf. Ephesians 5:32). The final is the use of clean garments as a symbol of sanctity (see Genesis 35:2; Isaiah 52:1; 61:10; Zechariah 3:4; cf. Revelation 3:4; 6:11; 7:14)” (Draper, Opening the Seven Seals, 208).

1 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:

verse 1 “a great voice of much people in heaven” The people in heaven are likely the “many angels round about the throne” mentioned in Revelation 5:11, “and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.” See also commentary on 7:9-10.

“saying, Alleluia” The millions of people in heaven are crying out praises to God. Alleluia, they cry, which is the Greek form of the Hebrew Hallelujah, meaning “Praise ye Jah!” or “Praise Jehovah!” The praises are specifically motivated by the judgment God has brought against the great whore, Babylon, the wicked world (Revelation 19:2).

“Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God” The inhabitants of heaven cry out praises to God, acknowledging that all honor and glory for the work of salvation in the earth go to him. The King James Version Salvation may more properly be rendered Victory (Greek Soteria) (Harrington, Revelations, 185). The expression Lord our God, indicates that the Lord is a personal God to us, one that we can claim as our own.

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.

verse 2 “For true and righteous are his judgments” As this verse tells us, the Lord has made a judgment against the great whore, which is correct and fair and right (see also commentary on Revelation 16:7). All of God’s judgments are true and righteous. If he were to judge otherwise, as Alma taught, he would “cease to be God” (Alma 42:13, 22).

“for he hath judged the great whore” The judgment of the whore is announced in Revelation 17:1; the actual judgments are detailed in chapters 6, 9, 11, and 16.

“did corrupt the earth with her fornication” See commentary on 17:2.

“hath avenged the blood of his [saints] at her hand” In Revelation 6:9-10, John “saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” That question is answered in the last days when the Lord exercises his many terrible judgments against the wicked. The events that bring the downfall of Babylon are the same as those that avenge the blood of the martyrs of the Lord.

“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 saints at her hand.”

3 And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.

verse 3 “And again they said, Alleluia” See commentary on Revelation 19:1.

“And her smoke rose up for ever and ever” The smoke of the destruction of Babylon (see Revelation 18:9,18) will rise up to the heavens forever as a testimony of her wickedness. When Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, Abraham “looked . . . toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace” (Genesis 19:28). When Isaiah made his prophecy against Idumea (which represents the world; see D&C 1:36), he saw that “the land thereof shall become burning pitch. It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste” (Isa. 34:9-10; Revelation 14:11). As the smoke of incense rises up to God as a prayer (Revelation 8:3-4), so will the smoke of the destroyed Babylon rise up as a reminder of the sin and just destruction of the wicked world.

4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.

verse 4 “And the four and twenty elders” See commentary on 4:4.

“the four beasts” See commentary on Revelation 4:6.

“fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne” See commentary on Revelation 4:10.

“saying, Amen; Alleluia” Those closest to the throne, the elders and the beasts, join in the chorus introduced in the previous verse, crying “Amen, Alleluia,” which means “Verily, praise the Lord Jehovah!” This expression echoes the cry of the people in Psalm 106:48: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the Lord.”

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.

verse 5 “And a voice came out of the throne” Because this voice comes from the throne of God, it may appear to be the voice of God himself. But the words spoken by the voice (“Praise our God”) imply that the voice is not that of God the Father. It could be the voice of Jesus, commanding the saints to praise the Father, though Jesus likely would have said “my God” (Revelation 3:12; John 20:17). The speaker may be one of those who surround the throne.

“Praise our God, all ye his [saints], and ye that fear him, both small and great” First the people in heaven cry out their praises (Revelation 19:1-3), and then those who are closest to the throne (Revelation 19:4). Now all saints, “small and great,” are asked to join in the praises.

“And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his saints, and ye that fear him, both small and great.”

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.

verse 6 “the voice of a great multitude” See commentary on Revelation 19:1.

“as the voice of many waters” The noisy sound of a huge rushing river or of the crashing breakers of the ocean is a very apt description of the sound of an immense crowd of people. See commentary on Revelation 1:15; 14:2.

“as the voice of mighty thunderings” Again, this is a very apt description of the sound of many people. See commentary on Revelation 14:2.

“saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth” To paraphrase this passage: “Praise Jehovah, for the Lord who has power over all reigns as king over all the earth” (see Mosiah 3:5; A of F 1:10). This is the fourth cry of “Alleluia” recorded in Revelation 19; unlike the others, which praised him for his judgments against Babylon, this cry praises God for coming to bless and reign over his saints. The establishment of Christ’s reign is the fulfillment of the request made in the Lord’s prayer: “Thy kingdom come” (Matthew 6:10).

7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

verse 7 “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him” We do indeed have cause to be glad, to rejoice, and to give honor to the Lord. He has offered the great mediating sacrifice for us, enabling us to repent and be cleansed from our sins and to draw near to him to be joined in an eternal, holy union with him (John 17:11, 19-23). The specific reason for this present rejoicing is that union, “the marriage of the Lamb.”

“for the marriage of the Lamb is come” The marriage of the Lamb, who is Christ (D&C 33:17-18) to his bride, who is the Church (D&C 109:73-74) as well as the New Jerusalem (21:2, 9-10), is a metaphor for the union between the Lord and his people, made possible through the atonement of Christ. In fact, the very name of Christ’s sacrifice (at-onement) suggests the purpose of that sacrifice: to make us one with both the Father and the Son (John 17:11, 19-23). To underscore the sweetness and blessing of that union, the Lord uses marriage as a symbol. There is no sweeter or more meaningful relationship on earth than that between a holy husband and a holy wife; that is the kind of relationship (in depth of feeling and completeness of union) that the Lord is inviting us to. That marriage is between Christ and the church – but the Church is not just an organization on the earth; it is also the individual souls who belong to that organization. Though we are to prepare for the marriage all our lives (Matthew 25:1-13; D&C 45:56-57), it will be brought to its culmination (with the body of the Church) when Christ returns in glory. Of course, as individuals, we are bound to Christ as soon as we are ready. (For other references to the marriage of the Lamb, see Isaiah 54:4-5; 62:5; Jeremiah 31:32; JST Matthew 22:1-14; Ephesians 5:23, 32; D&C 58:6-11; 65:3; 88:92; 133:10, 19.)

“his wife hath made herself ready” Through repentance, sanctification, and a heart that is fully turned to God, the wife of Christ, which is the Church, has prepared herself to be joined with him.

8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

verse 8 “to her was granted” It was granted to the bride to wear fine linen, which represents the righteousness of the saints. To her was granted is an interesting expression that reveals an important truth. Though we may labor hard to be righteous, in the final event even our righteousness is possible because of the grace and power and gifts of God (Deuteronomy 30:20; John 1:12; 2 Corinthians 4:7; Colossians 1:10-11).

“she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white” The great whore was arrayed in showy, expensive, worldly clothing (Revelation 17:4), but the bride of Christ is wearing simple clothing, which symbolizes “the righteousness of saints” (see also Revelation 15:6). The linen is white because it was “washed . . . in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:14), meaning that the saints are sanctified through the atonement of Christ.

9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

verse 9 “And he saith unto me, Write” An angel (identified as such in Revelation 19:10) tells John specific words to record.

“Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb” This passage is another of the beatitudes of the book of Revelation. Those who are invited guests at the Lamb’s celebratory marriage feast are blessed indeed. There are three persons or groups at the marriage supper: the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, who is the Lamb; the Bride, who is the Church (as an institution but also as a collection of many individuals); and the guests, who also are likely the individual members, those who have qualified by righteousness for the grace of Christ. It seems that the individual members appear twice in this image: once in their connection with the Church (the Bridegroom) and once in representing themselves (the guests) (See Draper, Opening the Seven Seals, 209-10).

Joseph Smith wrote of this feast and our attendance: “Those who keep the commandments of the Lord and walk in His statutes to the end, are the only individuals permitted to sit at this glorious feast. . . [Paul wrote:] ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.’ . . . His labors were unceasing to spread the glorious news: and like a faithful soldier, when called to give his life in the cause which he had espoused, he laid it down. . . Follow the labors of this apostle from the time of his conversion to the time of his death, and you will have a fair sample of industry and patience in promulgating the Gospel of Christ. Derided, whipped, and stoned, the moment he escaped the hands of his persecutors he as zealously as ever proclaimed the doctrine of the Savior. . . Reflect for a moment, brethren, and enquire, whether you would consider yourselves worthy a seat at the marriage feast with Paul and others like him, if you had been unfaithful? Had you not fought the good fight, and kept the faith, could you expect to receive?” (HC, 2:19-20).

This marriage supper is described in latter-day revelation, where the Lord speaks of “a feast of fat things . . . for the poor; yea, a feast of fat things, of wine on the lees well refined, that the earth may know that the mouths of the prophets shall not fail; yea, a supper of the house of the Lord, well prepared, unto which all nations shall be invited. First, the rich and the learned, the wise and the noble; and after that cometh the day of my power; then shall the poor, the lame, and the blind, and the deaf, come in unto the marriage of the Lamb, and partake of the supper of the Lord, prepared for the great day to come” (D&C 58:8-11; 65:3).

“he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God” The angel bears witness that these words, which he has instructed John to write, come from God himself.

10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

verse 10 “And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See [that] thou do it not” John has seen many angels in his vision and interacted with several of them, and he has not been inclined to worship any of them. Perhaps with praises going forth from “much people in heaven” (Revelation 19:1), those who surround the throne (Revelation 19:4), and a “great multitude” of the servants of God (Revelation 19:5-6), and with the angel’s promise of the sublime blessing of the marriage of the Bridegroom and the Bride, John is overcome and bows before the angel. Or perhaps, with the glory of the angel and the majesty and power of his words, John mistakes the messenger of the Lord for the Lord himself. In Revelation 1:10-18 John sees the Lord himself and appropriately bows before him, and the

Lord blesses him in his worship (Revelation 1:17). There the Lord says, “I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last” (Revelation 1:11). In Revelation 22:12- 13, a heavenly being says, “Behold, I come quickly . . . I am Alpha and Omega, . . . the first and the last.” The person speaking is an angel, speaking for the Lord. Immediately before these words (Revelation 22:8-9), John has sought again to fall before the angel in worship, and again John has been warned to worship only God. With an angel having authority to stand in the place of Christ, appearing in great glory and speaking the very words of Christ, it is understandable how John could mistake the identity of his visitor.

Worship of angels is never appropriate (as John, of course, knew) because they are our fellow servants but from another sphere (Hebrews 1:5-14). Instead, as the angel says here, we must “worship God” (see also Exodus 20:2-3).

“I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus” President Joseph F. Smith said, “We are told by the prophet Joseph Smith, that ‘there are no angels who minister to this earth but those who do belong or have belonged to it.’ Hence, when messengers are sent to minister to the inhabitants of this earth, they are not strangers, but from the ranks of our kindred, friends, and fellow-beings and fellow-servants (Gospel Doctrine, 435).

“worship God” God is the only being (or thing) we may appropriately worship; only worship of God brings eternal blessings. When Satan sought to entice Jesus to worship him, Jesus responded, “Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (Matthew 4:10).

Who is the God we worship? And how do we worship him appropriately? D&C 93 gives us some deep truths on the matter. There the Lord says that he has given us a revelation “that you may understand and know how to worship, and know what you worship” (verse 19).

We worship a being who is “the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world,” who is one with the Father, and who has received of the fulness of the Father (verses 2-3). He is “the light and the Redeemer of the world;” “in him was the life of men and the light of men;” and he is the creator of “all things” (verse 10). He is “full of grace and truth” (verse 11); “he received a fulness of the glory of the Father” (verse 16); “he received all power, both in heaven and on earth, and the glory of the Father was with him, for he dwelt in him” (verse 17); and “he received a fulness of truth, yea, even of all truth” (verse 26). The Father, whom we worship, is the source of the glory and power held by the Son.

How we worship is learned from the pattern shown in that same section. True worship is to follow the Son, to receive all that the Father will grant us, to obey the Lord in all things. True worship, then, is not a practice or attitude found only on the Sabbath, or in the temple, or in prayer, but in our very attitude of life.

D&C 93 gives us the following clues to this divine pattern: Christ “received of [his] Father” (verse 5), and so must we, partaking of his blessings and receiving his presence through his Spirit, and likewise receiving of (and doing) his will. Christ “received not of the fulness at the first, but received grace for grace” (verse 12), and so must we, worshipping God by receiving all that he gives us, and by giving forth gifts and blessings to others. Christ received of the Holy Ghost (verse 15), and so must we. Christ was fully obedient to the Father in all things; and we must be obedient to him through the Son, keeping his commandments – which is a key to receiving “grace for grace” (verse 20). As Christ is the Firstborn of the Father, so must we be begotten through Christ, that we may be “partakers of the glory” of God (verses 21-22). It appears that all of this is part of true worship of God (See McConkie, Doctrines of the Restoration, ed. McConkie, 369-86).

“for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” Those who have received the spiritual witness (or testimony) that Jesus is the Christ have received a vital spiritual communication from on high. The spirit of prophecy is but another manifestation of that same Spirit. Thus, those who have a deep and true testimony of Christ have already experienced the spirit of prophecy. As President John Taylor taught, “The testimony of Jesus was the very principle, essence, and power of the spirit of prophecy whereby the ancient prophets were inspired” (Taylor, Gospel Kingdom, 120).

Some of our latter-day leaders have taught that the Holy Ghost and the spirit of prophecy are virtually equivalent. President Wilford Woodruff wrote that “it is the privilege of every man and woman in this kingdom to enjoy the spirit of prophecy, which is the Spirit of God.” (Durham, Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, 61.) Elder Delbert L. Stapley stated that “the Holy Ghost is the spirit of prophecy” (Stapley, Conference Report, October 1966, 112). Another way to put it is that those who live righteously have claim to the Holy Spirit of God, which gives them, as one of its gifts, the spirit of prophecy.

The formula for receiving the spirit of prophecy is given in Alma 17:2-3. The key requirements appear to be diligent scriptural search, much fasting, and much prayer: “Now these sons of Mosiah . . . had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God. But this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation.”

The phrase in the Greek text adds another dimension to our understanding. In essence, it says that the testimony about Jesus forms the common element in all prophecy. Taken together, all prophecy comes down to a witness of Christ, his work, his atonement, and his triumph.

“And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See that thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

verses 11-18 In these verses the bridegroom (Jesus Christ) returns to the earth for the bride (the Church and kingdom of God on the earth). The great marriage supper of the lamb shall then be celebrated.

This section of John’s revelation prophesies the actual second coming of the Lord in great power and judgment, accompanied by the armies of heaven. His appearance will be that of a mighty warrior-king, with “eyes . . . as a flame of fire,” and “many crowns” on his head, and wearing a blood-red vesture (Revelation 19:12, 13). He is identified as “Faithful and True,” “The Word of God,” “King of kings,” and “Lord of lords.” He will “make war” and lead “armies” and will ride a “white horse,” as will his armies.

Paul spoke a similar prophecy to that found here: “The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).

Some of the earlier sections of Revelation paralleled the plagues the Lord sent on Egypt in the time of Moses (see, for example, the plagues in chapters 8 and 16). In some ways the coming of the Lord, at which time the wicked are destroyed, parallels the tenth plague in Egypt, in which the first-born of Pharaoh’s people (and all others who refused the passover covenant with the Lord) were destroyed (Exodus 12:23-29). In fact, the destruction was so great that “there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead” (Exodus 12:30).

The description of that tenth plague recorded in the apocryphal Book of Wisdom has some interesting parallels with this section of Revelation: “While gentle silence enveloped all things, and night in its swift course was now half gone, thy all-powerful word leaped down from heaven, from the royal throne, into the midst of the land that was doomed, a stern warrior carrying the sharp sword of thy authentic command, and stood and filled all things with death, and touched heaven while standing on the earth” (Book of Wisdom 18:14-16).

11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

verse 11 “And I saw heaven opened” This expression seems to be another way of saying, “I had a vision from heaven,” or “I had a vision of things in heaven.” For example, when Peter had his vision that taught him that the gospel should be taken to the Gentiles, he “saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth” (Acts 10:11). We read in latter-day revelation that “the power and authority of the higher, or Melchizedek Priesthood, is to hold the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the church – to have the privilege of receiving the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, to have the heavens opened unto them” (D&C 107:18- 19).

“a white horse” To ride a horse into battle is to go forth in strength and power. The color white is often a symbol of victory (Harrington, Revelation, 190; Dummelow, One- Volume Bible Dictionary, 1076). See commentary on Revelation 6:2.

“and he that sat upon him [is] called Faithful and True” These two titles of Christ give two of his primary characteristics. Christ is called faithful in Revelation 1:5 and true in Revelation 3:7. Here the characteristics are combined. He is faithful in that he holds steadfastly to the right and keeps all his promises. He is true in that he acts always in accordance with true and righteous principles.

“in righteousness he doth judge” The Father has given the right and responsibility of judging the world (and all the individuals in the world) to his Son (John 5:22). As God, our Savior is not capable of rendering unrighteous or unfair judgment (Psalm 19:9; Isaiah 11:4; 2 Nephi 9:46). This judgment will vindicate the righteous and punish the wicked.

“and make war” The Lord is a God of mercy, blessing his children with his loving kindness, but he is also a God of justice, rendering judgment to all the people on the earth. He is “the Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6), but he is also “a man of war” (Exodus 15:3), “mighty in battle” (Psalm 24:8). His title “Lord of hosts” suggests that he is the commander of the angelic hosts of heaven as they go forth to war against the wicked (1 Chronicles 17:24; Psalm 24:10; Isaiah 6:5; Zechariah 14:16-17). The Hebrew word sabaoth, which here is translated hosts, may also be translated armies, according to all lexicons.

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.”

12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

verse 12 “His eyes . . . as a flame of fire” See commentary on Revelation 1:14. “[he had] on his head . . . many crowns” The many crowns on the head of Christ represent the truth proclaimed in Revelation 11:15: “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” Contrast the many crowns of Christ with the seven worn by Satan, the dragon (Revelation 12:3) and the ten worn by the beast (Revelation 13:1). The crowns worn by the Lord are not specified in number; he has more than all other kings combined. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16), “far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come” (Ephesians 1:21; Colossians 1:16; 2:10).

“a name written, that no man knew, but . . . himself” In the book of Revelation, a name on the forehead seems to identify the person who bears it. In Revelation 17:5 the whore had a name on her forehead that identified her as “Babylon the Great, the Mother of . . . Abominations. . .” In Revelation 14:1 the 144,000 had the Father’s name written in their foreheads, suggesting that they belong to him. Here the Lord has a name written on his forehead, but it is not to identify him to others, because only he himself knows it.

“As with all glorified beings, our Lord has a new name in celestial exaltation, a name known to and comprehended by those only who know God in the sense that they have become as he is and have eternal life. See Revelation 2:12-17. Thus, Christ’s ‘new name’ shall be written upon all those who are joint-heirs with him (Revelation 3:12), and shall signify that they have become even as he is and he is even as the Father (3 Nephi 28:10)” (McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:567).

“His eyes as a flame of fire, and he had on his head many crowns; and a name written, that no man knew, but himself.”

13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

verse 13 “And he [is] clothed with a vesture dipped in blood” When Christ returns, his garments will be red, as we read in both ancient and modern revelation:

And it shall be said: Who is this that cometh down from God in heaven with dyed garments; yea, from the regions which are not known, clothed in his glorious apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength? And he shall say: I am he who spake in righteousness, mighty to save. And the Lord shall be red in his apparel, and his garments like him that treadeth in the wine-vat. And so great shall be the glory of his presence that the sun shall hide his face in shame, and the moon shall withhold its light, and the stars shall be hurled from their places.

And his voice shall be heard: I have trodden the wine-press alone, and have brought judgment upon all people; and none were with me; and I have trampled them in my fury, and I did tread upon them in mine anger, and their blood have I sprinkled upon my garments, and stained all my raiment; for this was the day of vengeance which was in my heart (D&C 133:46-51; Isaiah 63:1- 3).

The blood on Christ’s clothing symbolizes at least three things: the blood Christ shed in performing the Atonement (Luke 22:44; D&C 19:18) the blood, or sins, of the wicked that he took upon himself (blood and sins are equated in Jacob 1:19; see also 1 Peter 3:18; Alma 33:22; 3 Nephi 11:11), and the blood of the unrepentant wicked he will slay in his wrath (Isaiah 63:3; Lamentations 1:15; D&C 133:48, 50-51).

“his name is called The Word of God” In three verses we have learned of three names of Christ: Faithful and True, a name that no one knows, and The Word of God. John had earlier used this present name: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.” (John 1:1-2). (JST Revelation 19:13 used Word here to refer to the gospel. But in JST John 1:14 and 16, Christ himself is called the Word.)

God executes his commands through his word, as do his servants (1 Nephi 17:29-31, 46; Alma 5:5; 7:8; 3 Nephi 28:20; Mormon 8:24; 9:17; Moses 7:13). This occurs in at least two ways – when God speaks, his servants obey and carry out his will, and when God speaks, even nature obeys, bringing to pass his will through what we call miracles. Perhaps Christ is called the Word himself because he is the one who most thoroughly carries out the will of God, being the very embodiment of that will (JST Revelation 19:15).

“And he is clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.”

14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

verse 14 “the armies which were in heaven followed him” One of the Lord’s titles is Lord of hosts – the word hosts is used to translate the Hebrew tsebaah, which generally means armies. The expression Lord of hosts or Lord God of hosts is used 341 times in the scriptures. The expression Lord of Sabaoth, which means the same thing, occurs six times. Sabaoth is a transliteration of the Hebrew tsebaah but in plural form. It occurs twice in the New Testament and four times in the Doctrine and Covenants. Christ is the Lord of the armies of heaven. Those armies include the “mighty angels” that Paul explained would return with Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:7) and may also include the “latter-day Church (D&C 5:14; 105:26, 30-31; 109:73) [and] the departed faithful (Daniel 4:35; Revelation 19:14; D&C 88:112)” (McConkie and Parry, Guide to Scriptural Symbols, 16). Those with the Lamb in war are those who are “called, and chosen, and faithful” (Revelation 17:14); the 144,000 “follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth” (Revelation 14:4). Perhaps these righteous ones of the earth join the armies of heaven after death or, perhaps, after their resurrection. Those who follow Christ here will follow him in the life to come.

“upon white horses” The armies of heaven, following Christ, have white horses like their master. See commentary on Revelation 19:11.

“clothed in fine linen, white and clean” The armies of heaven are arrayed in fine white linen as the Bride of Christ is; or perhaps they are so arrayed because they are the Bride. See commentary on Revelation 19:8.

15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

verse 15 “out of his mouth [proceedeth the word of God, and] with it he [will] smite the nations” Paul taught that “the sword of the Spirit . . . is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). Elsewhere he wrote, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow” (Hebrews 4:12). The returning Christ will use the word of God as a powerful weapon; and with the power of those words he will smite the wicked and destroy the nations of the earth (Isaiah 11:4; 49:2). See also commentary on Revelation 2:16 and 19:13.

“he [will] rule them with [the word of his mouth]” The power of God is often found in his word; not only will he smite the nations with his word but he will also rule them with that word. See commentary on Revelation 12:3.

“he treadeth the winepress [in] the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God” See commentary on Revelation 14:19.

“And out of his mouth proceedeth the word of God, and with it he will smite the nations; and he will rule them with the word of his mouth; and he treadeth the winepress in the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.”

16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

verse 16 “And he hath on [a] vesture, and on his thigh a name written” The vesture is probably that which is “dipped in blood” (Revelation 19:13). But the name is different from the name mentioned in Revelation 19:12, which “no man knew.” The name here is “King of kings, and Lord of lords.” It is uncertain why the name is written on his thigh, but the outer thigh would be prominently visible on a horseman. Some interpret this phrase to mean that the name was actually written on the garment that covered his thigh; others believe that the name was written on the sword at his side, resting on or next to his thigh (Mounce, Book of Revelation, 356; Harrington, Revelation, 191; note d to Revelation 19:16 in Jerusalem Bible). Of course, the purpose of this symbolic picture is to emphasize the supremacy of the Lord.

“KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” This name is probably written in all capital letters to emphasize that it was presented like a sign on the thigh of the Lord. This is the fourth of the name-titles of Christ given in this chapter (Revelation 19:11-13). Because Christ is the Lord over all, he has power to smite the nations and rule them “with the word of his mouth” (JST Revelation 19:15). For a discussion of what this title means, see the commentary on Revelation 17:14.

“And he hath on a vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

verses 17-21 In the previous section, we read that Christ will “smite the nations,” treading “the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God” (Revelation 19:15). His “vesture dipped in blood” (Revelation 19:13) is symbolic, in part, of the righteous slaughter of the wicked.

The destruction of the wicked is a theme of much of Revelation; the judgments against the wicked in the earlier chapters are part of the process of cleansing the earth and bringing justice on those who have followed the whore and the beast. But as events draw to their bloody conclusion, “the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies” will gather together “to make war against” Christ and his followers. In those battles, the beast will be conquered and thrown into the lake of fire, and the armies will be slain by the Lord. These events seem to be among those that occur at the Lord’s second coming.

The slain will be so many that the fowls of the air will be invited to come and feast on the corpses. This is called “the supper of the great God” (Revelation 19:17).

17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;

verse 17 “And I saw an angel standing in the sun” This passage describes “a position of splendor appropriate to a herald of victory. From this vantage point he will be able to deliver effectively his message to the birds that circle in mid-heaven” (Mounce, Book of Revelation, 357).

“he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven” The angel calls out to the carrion birds that are flying above the earth, awaiting the bloody battles between the beast and his armies and the heavenly hosts led by the Lamb.

“Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God” This supper stands in great contrast to the wedding supper that occurs at the union of the Bride and the Bridegroom (Revelation 19:9). Here, the bodies of the wicked are the fare at the supper. At the wedding feast, the righteous are blessed to partake of things “well refined” (D&C 58:8).

Those with refined senses find it difficult to conceive of the desolation, destruction, and death that will prevail during the final great battles ushering in Christ’s reign of peace. So great shall be the slaughter and mass murder, the carnage and gore, the butchery and violent death of warring men, that their decaying bodies “shall stop the noses of the passengers,” and it shall be a task of mammoth proportions merely to dispose of them. Then shall Ezekiel’s prophecy be fulfilled that every feathered fowl and every beast of the field shall assemble to “eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth” (Ezekiel 39).

That all this is an actual, literal supper, an horrible but real event yet to be, has been specifically confirmed in latter-day revelation (D&C 29:18-21) (McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:569).

18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

verse 18 “That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses” For a time the kings and captains and mighty men rule on the earth. But in the end, even they will fall before the power of the Lord, and they will become nothing more than flesh for the birds to feed on. Their war horses will suffer the same fate.

Ezekiel received a revelation similar to this part of John’s: “Thus saith the Lord God; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood. Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan. And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you. Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord God. And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them. So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day and forward” (Ezekiel 39:17-22).

“the flesh of all [who fight against the Lamb, both bond and free], both small and great” This inclusive statement (all, bond and free, small and great) tells us that there will be no exceptions: everyone who fights against the Lamb will be destroyed.

“That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all who fight against the Lamb, both bond and free, both small and great.”

19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.

verse 19 “the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies . . . make war against him that sat on the horse” John again sees the beast he first saw in chapter 13. The continuing battle of wicked kingdoms and philosophies against the Lamb was first begun in the war in heaven (JST Revelation 12:6), continued when the beast rose to power on the earth (Revelation 13:7), and will reach its culmination at Armageddon (Revelation 16:13-14, 16). Of course, the battles between Satan and Jesus Christ do not always involve armies and bloodshed (in fact, such battles may be the exception rather than the rule); often Satan engages in a war of words, of ideas, seeking to win hearts and souls. In all cases the eventual outcome is assured: “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them” (Revelation 17:14). Old Testament prophecies of this conflict are recorded in Psalm 2:2; Zechariah 12; 14; and Joel 3.

“his army” See commentary on Revelation 19:14.

20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

verse 20 “the beast was taken” John knew in advance (as can we, by a witness from the Spirit) that the terrible beast, which had such power, will be conquered by the omnipotence of Christ, the Lord over all (Revelation 17:14).

“with him the false prophet that wrought miracles” See commentary on Revelation 13:14.

“These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone” “I beheld even till the beast was slain,” Daniel said, “and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame” (Daniel 7:11). The worst of all fates awaits the beast and the false prophet, which conspired together as an anti-Christ to thwart the work of the Lord through deception and bloodshed. They will not be slain; in the sense that the beast and false prophet are individual beings, this may be because a spirit cannot be killed; in the sense that the beast and false prophet are philosophies and ideologies, this may be because such can never be destroyed but only removed from a given place and time. Rather, they will be thrown alive into the worst place imaginable – a burning lake of fire. See also commentary on Revelation 14:10.

Although the actual word Gehenna is not used in Revelation, this is what John refers to as the fiery lake of burning sulfur. Gehenna (an abbreviation for “valley of the son of Hinnom”) was the name given to the valley lying to the south and west of Jerusalem (the modern Wadi er Rababi). As the site of a cultic shrine where human sacrifices were offered (2 Kings 16:3; 23:10; Jeremiah 7:31), it acquired an unholy reputation. Because of prophetic denunciation of this place of terrible wickedness (Jeremiah 7:32; 19:6), it came to be equated with the hell of final judgment. . . In [New Testament] times Gehenna was a place of fire and the abode of the wicked dead (Matthew 5:22; Mark 9:43).

In our passage the fiery lake is said to burn with sulfur, a yellow substance that burns readily in air. . . A lake of burning sulfur would not only be intensely hot, but malodorous and fetid as well. It is an appropriate place for all that is sinful and wicked in the world. The Antichrist and the false prophet are its first inhabitants. Later the devil (Revelation 20:10), Death and Hades (Revelation 20:14), and all evil people (Revelation 21:8) will join them in this place of ceaseless torment (Mounce, Book of Revelation, 359).

Joseph Smith taught of this terrible punishment: “A man is his own tormentor and his own condemner. Hence the saying, They shall go into the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. The torment of disappointment in the mind of man is as exquisite as a lake burning with fire and brimstone. I say, so is the torment of man” (HC, 6:314).

21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

verse 21 “the remnant were slain with the [word] of him that sat upon the horse” After the beast and the false prophet are cast into the fiery lake, the Lord slays their followers by the power of his word. Interestingly, although we know the Lord brings his armies with him to face the armies of evil, we have no details of the battle. In fact, from this verse, it appears that the Lord himself simply vanquishes the enemy through his power. But it could well be that the Lord also commands his followers to engage in the battle in the strength of his power.

Latter-day Saint scholar Richard Draper observes concerning the power of the word, “The only weapon the prophets need to defeat the enemy hosts and to establish peace upon the earth is the proclamation of the gospel.” (Opening the Seven Seals, 213.)

“all the fowls were filled with their flesh” The fowls were earlier invited to come forth and be filled with the flesh of the wicked. Here they respond and are filled indeed. See commentary on Revelation 19:17-18.

“And the remnant were slain with the word of him that sat upon the horse, which word proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.”

Chapter nineteen depicts two feasts. One is the feast of the justified, the other the feast of the condemned. The Lord will set both tables. The feast for the birds is called “the supper of the great God” (verse 17). Thus, the Lord stands as host as he does at the wedding. For the obedient the banquet will consist of “fat things, of wine on the lees well refined, . . . a supper of the house of the Lord, well prepared, unto which all nations shall be invited” (D&C 58:8-9). Those who refuse to come to it may well be the fare of the second meal, for it will consist of “the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great’ (Revelation 19:18). What determines to which feast a person will go? It is clearly a matter of worship. Those whom God calls to the wedding supper worship him, those who come to the death feast worship the beast and its image. Blessedness awaits the first gathering, destruction the second.