Following his triumph over the Ottoman invaders, the Polish King John III was given an audience before Pope Innocent XI who congratulated him on the victory. King John’s reply was, “I came, I saw, God conquered.” This is what happens in Chapter 19. The Church comes from heaven with Christ, sees his earthly enemies, then watches as he conquers them.

The marriage supper of the Lamb (19:5-10) is contrasted with God’s great feast (19:17). The marriage supper of the Lamb is the supper of the saints. God’s great feast is the supper of the sinners. The one is a celebration of joy and life in Christ, the other concerns the judgment and death of those who opposed Christ.

Five significant events take place in this chapter: Satan is seized and sealed in the Abyss for a thousand years, Christ and the saints rule on earth for a thousand years, Satan is released at the end of the Millennium and makes a final attempt to overthrow Christ, then the dramatic conclusion with Satan’s end, the scrolls opened, and all sinners cast into the lake of fire.

There’s a brand new world coming! The earth, its atmosphere, our galaxy and solar system – all will be destroyed and replaced. God is “making everything new” (v 5). Creation as we know it will be replaced with a new heaven (v 1), new earth (v 1), new Jerusalem (v 2), new world order (v 5), new temple (v 22), new light (v 23) and new paradise (Rev. 22:1-5).

In Genesis 1-2 paradise is revealed. In Revelation 21-22 paradise is restored. The “tree of life” is once again accessible. And because sin has been defeated, Jesus is once again at the centre. In dramatic fashion the whole story has been leading up to this climax when the Creator’s original intention for his creation is finally realized.

The epilogue contains four final assurances and four final appeals:

Assurances – An angel gives the first assurance concerning the truth and validity of the words of Revelation (v 6). Jesus gives the second assurance that he is “coming soon!” The word “soon”  means quickly or suddenly.