Revelation 19
by Philip Layton
Jesus Christ defeats the forces of evil at the battle of Armageddon
Click here to read Revelation 19
Discussion Questions
- Who is the bride of the Lamb (v 7)?
- If the Church is the bride (see Ephesians 5:32), then who are the guests being invited to the wedding supper (v 9)?
- What does verse 10 tell us about the deity of Jesus?
- Is the beast described as a person (vv 19, 20)?
- Does the beast appear to have a significant influence?
- How effective is his battle against the King of kings and Lord of lords?
Share your thoughts below, or tweet about it with the #boundlessbible hashtag. Don't forget this week's Children's Challenge!
Going Deeper From 'Words of Life'
In the Book of Revelation we have a picture of the Lamb of God, sitting upon the throne. On his head are many crowns. The Lamb is to be worshipped by all people – and we are to crown him as the ultimate King of kings, for he is worthy. Today, we consider the hymn which begins:
Crown him with many crowns, The Lamb upon his throne;
Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns All music but its own.
(SASB 156 [2015, 358])
In the 1800s, tension existed between the Catholic and Anglican Churches. Matthew Bridges, who later in life converted to Catholicism, wrote six stanzas of this hymn. He wanted Catholic theology to stand firm, and to be infiltrated even into Protestant congregations. Godfrey Thring, a devout Anglican clergyman, feared Protestants singing Catholic theology; so, he decided to write six new verses. Most hymnals today embrace verses from both men. Verse 2, penned by Thring, opens as follows:
Crown him the Lord of life,
Who triumphed o’er the grave,
And rose victorious in the strife
For those he came to save.
It’s beautiful to see how differences can come together in Christ. No matter our background, if we’re totally devoted to the Lord, we’re able to crown, praise and hail him together – now, and throughout eternity.
Bridges closes this great and majestic hymn for us. Let’s sing it as our affirmation and declaration today:
All hail, redeemer hail!
For thou hast died for me;
Thy praise and glory shall not fail
Throughout eternity
Beverly Ivany
The January 2016 edition of Words of Life is available now.