Page 1334 - The MacArthur Daily Bible
P. 1334
TN_12_MacArthur_Bible_Dec.qxd 8/8/03 17:34 Page 1315
DECEMBER 29
11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a
white horse. And He who sat on him was
called Faithful and True, and in righteousness
12
He judges and makes war. His eyes were like 19:20 beast was captured, and…the false
a flame of fire, and on His head were many prophet. In an instant, the world’s armies are
crowns. He had a name written that no one without their leaders. The beast is Antichrist
knew except Himself. He was clothed with a (13:1–4); the false prophet is his religious
13
robe dipped in blood, and His name is called cohort (13:11–17). cast alive. The bodies of
The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, the beast and the false prophet will be trans-
14
clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed formed, and they will be banished directly to
Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth the lake of fire (Dan. 7:11)—the first of count-
15
goes a sharp sword, that with it He should less millions of unregenerate men (20:15) and
strike the nations. And He Himself will rule fallen angels (Matt. 25:41) to arrive in that
dreadful place. That these two still appear
them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the there 1,000 years later (20:10) refutes the false
winepress of the fierceness and wrath of doctrine of annihilationism. lake of fire. The
16
Almighty God. And He has on His robe and final hell, the place of eternal punishment for
on His thigh a name written: all unrepentant rebels, angelic or human
(20:10,15).
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; war against Him who sat on the horse and
20
and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the against His army. Then the beast was cap-
birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come tured, and with him the false prophet who
and gather together for the supper of the great worked signs in his presence, by which he
18
God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the deceived those who received the mark of the
flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the beast and those who worshiped his image.
flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, These two were cast alive into the lake of fire
21
and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both burning with brimstone. And the rest were
small and great.” killed with the sword which proceeded from
19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And
and their armies, gathered together to make all the birds were filled with their flesh.
DAY 29:What is the “marriage of the Lamb”in Revelation 19:7–9 about?
Hebrew weddings consisted of 3 phases: 1) betrothal (often when the couple were children);
2) presentation (the festivities, often lasting several days, that preceded the ceremony); and 3) the
ceremony (the exchanging of vows).The church was betrothed to Christ by His sovereign choice in
eternity past (Eph.1:4;Heb.13:20) and will be presented to Him at the Rapture (John 14:1–3;1 Thess.
4:13–18).The final supper will signify the end of the ceremony.This symbolic meal will take place at
the establishment of the millennial kingdom and last throughout that 1,000-year period (21:2).
While the term “bride”often refers to the church, and does so here (2 Cor.11:2; Eph.5:22–24), it ulti-
mately expands to include all the redeemed of all ages.
“And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen,…the righteous acts of the saints”(v. 8).
Not Christ’s imputed righteousness granted to believers at salvation,but the practical results of that
righteousness in believers’lives, i.e., the outward manifestation of inward virtue.
“‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!” (v. 9). This is not the
bride (the church) but the guests. The bride doesn’t get invited; she invites. These are those saved
before Pentecost,all the faithful believers saved by grace through faith up to the birth of the church
(Acts 2:1ff.).Though they are not the bride,they still are glorified and reign with Christ in the millen-
nial kingdom. It is really differing imagery rather than differing reality. The guests also will include
tribulation saints and believers alive in earthly bodies in the kingdom.The church is the bride, pure
and faithful—never a harlot, like Israel was (see Hos. 2). So the church is the bride during the pres-
entation feast in heaven, then comes to earth for the celebration of the final meal (the Millennium).
After that event, the new order comes and the marriage is consummated (21:1,2).
1315