The saints glorify God for his judgments on the great harlot. Christ's
victory over the beast and the kings of the earth.
19:1. After these things, I heard as it were the voice of much people
in heaven, saying: Alleluia. Salvation and glory and power is to our
God.
19:2. For true and just are his judgments, who hath judged the great
harlot which corrupted the earth with her fornication and hath revenged
the blood of his servants, at her hands.
19:3. And again they said: Alleluia. And her smoke ascendeth for ever
and ever.
19:4. And the four and twenty ancients and the four living creatures
fell down and adored God that sitteth upon the throne, saying: Amen.
Alleluia.
19:5. And a voice came out from the throne, saying: Give praise to our
God, all ye his servants: and you that fear him, little and great.
19:6. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the
voice of many waters, and as the voice of great thunders, saying:
Alleluia: for the Lord our God, the Almighty, hath reigned.
19:7. Let us be glad and rejoice and give glory to him. For the
marriage of the Lamb is come: and his wife hath prepared herself.
19:8. And it is granted to her that she should clothe herself with fine
linen, glittering and white. For the fine linen are the justifications
of saints.
19:9. And he said to me: Write: Blessed are they that are called to the
marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith to me: These words of God are
true.
19:10. And I fell down before his feet, to adore him. And he saith to
me: See thou do it not. I am thy fellow servant and of thy brethren who
have the testimony of Jesus. Adore God. For the testimony of Jesus is
the spirit of prophecy.
I fell down before, etc. . .St. Augustine (lib. 20, contra Faust, c. 21)
is of opinion, that this angel appeared in so glorious a manner, that
St. John took him to be God; and therefore would have given him divine
honour had not the angel stopped him, by telling him he was but his
fellow servant. St. Gregory (Hom. 8, in Evang.) rather thinks that the
veneration offered by St. John, was not divine honour, or indeed any
other than what might lawfully be given; but was nevertheless refused
by the angel, in consideration of the dignity to which our human nature
had been raised, by the incarnation of the Son of God, and the dignity
of St. John, an apostle, prophet, and martyr.
19:11. And I saw heaven opened: and behold a white horse. And he that
sat upon him was called faithful and true: and with justice doth he
judge and fight.
19:12. And his eyes were as a flame of fire: and on his head were many
diadems. And he had a name written, which no man knoweth but himself.
19:13. And he was clothed with a garment sprinkled with blood. And his
name is called: THE WORD OF GOD.
19:14. And the armies that are in heaven followed him on white horses,
clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
19:15. And out of his mouth proceedeth a sharp two-edged sword, that
with it he may strike the nations. And he shall rule them with a rod of
iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of
God the Almighty.
19:16. And he hath on his garment and on his thigh written: KING OF
KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
19:17. And I saw an angel standing in the sun: and he cried with a loud
voice, saying to all the birds that did fly through the midst of
heaven: Come, gather yourselves together to the great supper of God:
19:18. That you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of tribunes
and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of them that
sit on them: and the flesh of all freemen and bondmen and of little and
of great.
19:19. And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies,
gathered together to make war with him that sat upon the horse and with
his army.
19:20. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet who
wrought signs before him, wherewith he seduced them who received the
character of the beast and who adored his image. These two were cast
alive into the pool of fire burning with brimstone.
19:21. And the rest were slain by the sword of him that sitteth upon
the horse, which proceedeth out of his mouth: and all the birds were
filled with their flesh.