The Victory of Heaven This chapter announces the victory of heaven: 1- The four Alleluias (1-10). 2- Christ the Victorious (11-16). 3- The death of the Antichrist and his followers (17-21). 1. THE FOUR ALLELUIAS The book of Revelation declares the fall of Babylon, and those who fell with her, and through her, and their burning in the eternal fire. Then the Apostle shifts to the talk about the heavenly hosts who are delighted at the win of the victorious humanity through Christ Jesus. So far as the inhabitants of the eternal fire are known for their division, we find the main feature of heaven is unity. As he says, “After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia!” First: The heavenly hosts represent one troop chanting with a spiritually inspired melody, saying, “Alleluia,” i.e. “Give thanks to the Lord,” or “We thank You Lord.” Gladness or “Alleluia,” is the hymn of this great multitude, the song of praise of the twenty-four presbyters and the four living creatures [4], and the hymn of all the heavenly [6]. This is the hymn that the Church sings, particularly during the Eucharist, and towards its end. Also the congregation repeats this hymn during feasts, saying,” Amen! Alleluia! “Salvation and glory and honor and power to the Lord our God! for true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her”[1-2]. The mystery of heaven’s joy is primarily that God declares His justice, as He condemns Babylon, the great adulteress. This doesn’t mean the heavenly rejoice over the wicked, but rather they show happiness for the evil is taken away. This painful picture of evil that caused the saints to grieve. Second: This troop repeats with joy their hymn, as “Again they said, ‘Alleluia! And her smoke rises up forever and ever!’” [3]. The rise of the smoke assures heaven that they will never come out of the lake inflamed with fire. Thus they will no more cause danger to the victorious Church. Simultaneously this Church is granted her everlasting eternity. The rise of the smoke also indicates that its flame is never extinguished. And those therein are burning, as a fuel that is not consumed, but remains thus smoking! The heavenly will behold two simultaneous scenes: a) Taking away evil and its condemnation forever, in the lake inflamed with fire eternally! b) Honoring goodness, and crowning the saints in the eternal wedding without turning back! Third: The presbyters and the four living creatures will join up with the heavenly hosts in joy, as the Apostle says, “And the twenty-four presbyters and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God who sat on the throne, saying, ‘Amen! 6 Alleluia!’” [4]. Happiness here is not expressed only by words of hymns, but by falling down and worshipping God... Through this attitude, the heavenly reveal to us that they join up with us in kneeling and worshipping, out of joy and happiness, as well as we practice it for repentance and submission. St. Isaac the Syrian presses on the connection between kneeling and happiness: [Persistence in watchfulness, together with kneeling at times, will readily give the striving worshipper the joy of prayer. Devote yourself to prayer, and you will obtain the pleasure of kneeling, and persist joyfully in it.] Fourth: Or the fourth “Alleluia.” “Then a voice came from the throne, saying, ‘praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!’ And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, ‘Alleluia! for the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!’” [5-6]. The order came out from the throne, to praise. As if all the heavenly praise is inspired by the One who sits on the throne. The Holy Spirit who sanctified the bride and made her ready, asks the heavenly to receive the bride joyfully. Indeed, they shouted loudly, “As the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings.” As if he says, there are multiple voices belonging to numerous heavenly hosts, but they cry as one unit: “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready” [7]. This is the second cause for their gladness, that the saints came to the wedding, and were crowned with the Lord their Bridegroom. Now their salvation is eternally complete. Thus the heavenly rejoice, as friends of the Groom and the bride. This wedding is a genuine unity of the Lamb and His bride in its integrity. The Old Testament has foretold such a wedding, by the Lord Himself, some prophets, and apostles. 1. The Psalmist said in Ps. 45: “The royal daughter is all glorious within the palace.” 2. Prophets as Isaiah said: “For your Maker is your Husband, the Lord of hosts is His name” [Isa.54:5]. Prophet Ezekiel enumerated, giving full details of, the blessings the Lord has bestowed on the believers, as His bride (16:7-14). Prophet Hosea says: “‘And it shall be, in that day,’ says the Lord, ‘that you will call Me my Husband’” (2:16). 3. Lord Jesus Christ Himself mentioned it in His parables (Matt. 9:15, 22:2-10, 25:1-10). 4. John the Baptist says, “He who has the bride is the Bridegroom” (John 3:29). 5. The Apostles, as St. Paul who says: “For I have betrothed you to one Husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” (2Cor.11:2). Also, “ This is a great mystery (matrimony), but I speak concerning Christ and the Church” (Eph.5:32). This reveals to us our real position in eternity. We are not merely invited to the banquet, nor visitors to heaven, but rather we enter our Lord’s wedding as the bride of the wonderful and glorious Groom. It is worthy to note, that the Apostle calls her, “His wife,” and not “His bride,” for the wedding has already taken place, and the union is accomplished. However, it never 7 ages nor ends, therefore the Church is then called “bride,” as well as “wife,” for she is in the bosom of her eternal Groom whom she will never forsake! How does heaven accepts us as a bride of such splendor? The Book of Revelation says: “And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints” [8]. She made herself ready, but in spite of her perseverance and strive, besides relating the act of getting ready to her, still her beauty is not out of her, for she takes from Christ and adorns herself. She adorns herself with all her Groom’s virtues, having His glory and light (Rev.21:11). As the Bible says: “Your fame went out among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through My splendor which I had bestowed on you,’ says the Lord God” (Ezek.16-14). We go back to the friends of the Groom and His bride, they say: “Alleluia! for the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!” [6]. Relating what the bride enjoys, to God, as He reigns entirely over His Church, for she is His, and He reflects His glory and splendor on her. Therefore, when the presbyter also enters into the altar, wearing the white linen robe to celebrate the Eucharist, he remembers the entry of the whole Church into heaven, as an adorned bride. Consequently he sings the psalm, “The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble!”.... Finally the angel accompanying the Apostle rejoices as well, saying, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ And he said to me, ‘Those are the true sayings of God’” [9]. The guests to the marriage supper of the Lamb are blessed. What about the bride herself to whom the whole heavens was shaken joyfully?!! Perhaps the Apostle called it “supper,” to signify that the day of temporal life draws to its end, while supper with the Lord remains forever, after a long tiresome day. We find that the virgins, in the parable of the foolish virgins, and the wise ones, each had a lamp. For they were invited to an evening wedding... The Apostle couldn’t stand the tender love, the angel showed, so he said: “And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, ‘See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy’” [10]. Pope Athanasius, the apostolic, says, [The Apostle thought the angel to be Christ, therefore he wanted to worship him as a God. For the angel showed splendor, honor and power1.] The Bible orders us not to worship but God. However it presents to us kneelings to reasons other than worship. As when Jacob fell down at his feet seven times before Esau, to dismiss the spirit of anger (Gen.33). Also the kneelings of Jacob’s sons before Joseph, as a sign of their loyalty to Him. Moreover, we see Abraham, the Patriarch, kneeling before the sons of Heth, as a sign of his love to them, and his giving them thanks for their favor (Gen.23). Thus the angel refused the Apostle’s kneeling before him, declaring that he is his fellow servant, and of his brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. 1 Against Arianism, 3. 8 This testimony of Jesus, that He came incarnated, died and was risen, and will come to judge the living and the dead, is the spirit of prophesy, its purpose and its core. 2. THE VICTORIOUS CHRIST The announcement of the heavenly wedding and the everlasting banquet, were accompanied by two main things: First: The talk about the Person of Christ. Second: The talk about the defeat of the Antichrist and his followers. For we can never mention the heavenly wedding without referring to the victorious Groom and His deeds on behalf of His bride, on her wedding day. Therefore the Apostle says: “Then I saw heaven opened behold a white horse. And He who sat on it was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself” [11-12]. The mystery of the eternal marriage is what he had previously announced in the first seal. That is, revealing Him as a worrier against Satan and all his tricks, on behalf of His bride. He sat on a white horse, fighting with the sword of His mouth, “the word of peace1.” His eyes neither slumber nor sleep, He who keeps His bride2. Faithful and True, His promise to humanity. He comes as the King of kings, and on His head were many crowns. And His name that no one knew means that no one can conceive His essence, neither angels nor humans, for no one knows God but the Spirit of God. “He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood.” The robe refers to the glorious body of the Lord who carries the traces of the cross. The signs of divine love, declaring that He offers the price of the wedding: His precious Blood. Also the robe signifies the Church which is purified by the Groom’s Blood. “And His name is called The Word of God” [13], or the “Logos,” or the “Divine Utterance.” The secret of thus mentioning His name here, is to encourage His Church to be steadfast to the Word, and meditate on the words of His Scripture. “And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses” [14]. The armies in heaven follow the Word, and do His will. “Follow Him,” meaning that they do nothing apart or away from Him. As for their riding white horses, this shows that their love to Him is not fruitless. As they pray on our behalf (Zech.1:12), they walk to and fro throughout the earth to serve us (Zech.1:11). Besides they fight against Satan, our enemy (Rev.12:7). “Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God” [15]. We have previously seen that the sword is the word of God, He had sent to the nations, thus evil was crushed, and the Gentiles became His fellows, and living members in His body, that is the Church, His bride. 1 cf. interpretation of Rev. 1:16. 2 cf. interpretation of Rev. 1:14. 9 And He treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of God, for He alone is the Almighty God who can bear the wage of sin in His body. Thus He dies on our behalf, and He lifts us up, out of our death. On the cross, He carried our sins that makes the Father hid His face from us, for He can’t bear them. Through His resurrection we are victoriously risen, for He conquered on our behalf, thus the Apostle says: “And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: “King of kings, and Lord of lords’” [16]. Now through His resurrection, His Church has the right to carry the name of her Savior on her, “King of kings...,” as for His thigh it signifies His human nature that is united with His divine nature. 3. THE DEATH OF THE ANTICHRIST AND HIS FOLLOWERS “Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, ‘Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great” [17-18]. Corresponding to the banquet of eternal marriage is the supper of the great God. The supper of predatory defiled eternal birds, that enclose all mysteries. This metaphoric picture reveals the fierceness of their destruction. There is a similar scene in the Old Testament (Ezek. 39: 17,18). It started by destroying the proud great men. “And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh” [19-21]. After he spoke of the fearful Judgment day, once more he speaks of the judgment of the beast (the Antichrist), and the false prophet. Those two who will terrify the Church when they appear, but God will give them time, then finally He will destroy them. I have discussed this matter in more details in chapters [12-14].
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