Revelation 19 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
~AD 95, near the end of the emperor Domitian's reign
Location
Written from Patmos to churches in the Roman province of Asia, with the vision set in heaven and then over the battlefield
Audience
Seven Christian congregations in western Asia Minor
Situation
A great crowd in heaven celebrates the fall of the corrupt city and announces the wedding feast of the Lamb. Then heaven opens and a rider on a white horse called Faithful and True comes out to defeat the beast and the kings gathered with it.
Key Background
The Greek word translated hallelujah is a Hebrew phrase meaning praise the Lord, borrowed from the psalms sung at Passover, and this is the only place in the New Testament where it appears. Bright clean linen was the dress of priests and of guests at an honoured wedding, and marriage imagery for the bond between God and his people runs back through Hosea and Isaiah. Roman emperors celebrated victories with a triumph, a parade on a white horse through the city, so a returning rider on a white horse deliberately borrows and outranks the imperial picture of conquest.
After this I heard what sounded like the roaring voice of an enormous crowd in heaven, shouting: and and power belong to our God,
because his are real and fair. He has condemned the who was poisoning the whole earth with her and he has brought justice for the blood of those who served him that she spilled."
And a second time they shouted: "Hallelujah! The from her destruction rises and
Then the and the fell facedown and worshipped God, who sits on the throne, crying out: Hallelujah!"
Then a voice came from the throne, saying: "Praise our God, all you who him -- everyone who in of him, from the least to the greatest!"
Then I heard what sounded like the roar of an enormous crowd, like the thundering of massive waterfalls, like powerful peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! Because the Lord our God -- the who all -- has
Let's celebrate and be overjoyed and give him honor, because the of the has come, and his has gotten herself ready."
She was given brilliant, clean to wear." (The represents the just and of
Then the angel said to me, "Write this down: is for those who are invited to the of the Lamb." And he added, "These are the of
I fell at his feet to worship him, but he told me, "Don't do that! I'm a just like you and your brothers and sisters who hold to the of Worship God!" (Because the of is the very that all
Then I saw heaven standing wide open, and there was a The one sitting on it is called and and he and wages war with perfect justice.
His eyes and on his head were many He had a on that no except himself.
He wore a in and his name is called The of
The of followed him on white horses, wearing brilliant, clean linen.
A out of so that he can strike down the nations with it. He will rule them with an And he is the one who the of the fierce fury of God, the One who holds all power.
And on his robe and on his he has a name written: of and of
Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he shouted in a loud voice to all the birds flying high overhead: "Come! Gather together for the of
so that you can eat the of kings, the of generals, the of powerful warriors, the of horses and their riders -- the of everyone, free and enslaved, from the least to the greatest."
Then I saw the and the of the with their armies, assembled to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army.
But the beast was captured, along with the who had performed signs on the behalf -- the signs by which he had deceived those who received the and who worshipped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the of
The rest were killed by the that out of the and all the birds on their flesh.