A Hallelujah Celebration
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A Hallelujah Celebration
1. Praise God for His Just Judgment
We live in a culture that loves to celebrate. We celebrate weddings, anniversaries, graduations, work milestones, and birthdays. Sometimes we even celebrate half birthdays! We look for any excuse to celebrate, and perhaps that’s why people will get up early on a frosty February morning to watch a furry rodent predict the weather.
But today we’re focusing on a different kind of celebration—a heavenly celebration described in Revelation 19. This passage is a pivotal point in the book, which talks about last things. It is a vision given by Jesus to the Apostle John while he was on the island of Patmos.
Chapter one gives us a vision of the glorified Jesus. Chapters two and three include messages to the seven churches. Chapters four and five show us a glimpse into heaven. Chapters six through eighteen describe judgments on sin and evil, culminating in the destruction of Babylon—the ultimate symbol of everything that stands against God.
Now in chapter 19, we see heaven rejoicing over the final defeat of evil. This passage is filled with the word “Hallelujah,” which only appears four times in the New Testament—and all of them are here. Hallelujah means “Praise God,” combining the Hebrew words “halel” (praise) and “Yah” (God).
Verse one says, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just.” We praise God because His judgment is perfectly righteous. Evil may seem to win for a time because of God’s patience, but His judgment will come, and it will be complete and final. Evil will not come back to fight another day; it will be finished forever.
Verse three reinforces this, saying, “The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.” This is a permanent judgment, and the multitude in heaven recognizes it as deserved and just.
2. Praise God for His Broad Grace
Verses four and five describe the 24 elders and the four living creatures falling down to worship God, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” Then a voice from the throne calls on all God’s servants, “You who fear him, small and great,” to praise Him.
This shows us the broad reach of God’s grace. Status on earth means nothing in heaven. God’s grace extends to the rich and the poor, the powerful and the powerless. It’s not something we earn; it is a gift. Both small and great stand side by side praising God.
Revelation 7:9–10 describes a great multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language standing before the throne and the Lamb, crying out, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” This is a beautiful picture of the multicultural and universal scope of God’s grace. One day, all barriers and divisions will be removed, and we will worship God together in perfect unity.
3. Praise God for the Marriage of the Lamb
Verses six through nine describe the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and loud thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready.”
This Bride is the church—the people of God. The Bride is given fine linen, bright and pure, which represents the righteous deeds of the saints. But this righteousness is not earned; verse eight clarifies that it was “granted to her to clothe herself.” God initiates, and we respond.
This imagery connects with ancient Jewish wedding customs. The groom would pay a price to the bride’s family, return to prepare a place, and then come again unexpectedly to take his bride to his father’s house for a wedding feast. Jesus echoes this promise in John 14:1–3, saying He goes to prepare a place and will come again to bring us to Himself.
At the marriage supper of the Lamb, we are not merely guests; we are the Bride. We will be fully redeemed, clothed in white linen, and finally united with Christ forever. There will be no more need for faith or hope because everything will be fulfilled in His presence. Our faith will turn to sight, and we will be with Jesus face to face.
The Call to Worship
At the end, John is so overwhelmed that he falls to worship the angel, but the angel stops him, saying, “Worship God.” This reminds us that all glory belongs to God alone.
If you have put your faith in Jesus Christ, you are invited to this marriage supper as the Bride. If not, there is still an invitation extended to you today to put your trust in Him. The call is to worship God and join in this ultimate celebration—an Allelujah celebration that lasts forever.
SERMON DETAILS
Speaker: Jeff McNicol
Series: Revelation
Sermon Title: A Hallelujah Celebration
Date: Jul 21, 2024
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
Revelation 19:1-10
Revelation 7:9–10
Philippians 2:12–13
John 14:1–3
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