And {1} after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, {a} {2} Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:

(1) This chapter has in summary two parts, one transitory or of passage to the things that follow, to the tenth verse, Re 19:2-10, another historical of the victory of Christ over both the beasts, to the end of the chapter Re 19:11-21, which I said was the second history of this argument, Re 17:1. The transition has two places, one of praising God for the overthrow done to Babylon in Re 19:4: and another likewise of praise and prophecy, for the coming of Christ to his kingdom, and his most royal marriage with his Church, thence to the tenth verse Re 19:5-10. The former praise has three parts, distinguished after the ancient manner of those that sing: an invitation in Re 19:1,2, a response or answer in Re 19:3, and a close or joining together in harmony in Re 19:4, all which I thought good of purpose to distinguish in this place, lest any man should with Porphyrius, or other like dogs, object to John, or the heavenly Church, a childish and idle repetition of speech.

(a) Praise the Lord.

(2) The proposition of praise with exhortation in this verse, and the cause of it in Re 19:2.

People's New Testament

19:1 The Marriage Supper of the Lamb

SUMMARY OF REVELATION 19:

Rejoicing in Heaven. The Bride Preparing the Bridegroom. The White Horse and the Word of God. Conquering the World for Christ. The Great Battle. The Beast and False Prophet Taken. Cast into the Lake of Fire.

And after these things. Following the preceding scenes.

I heard a great voice of much people in heaven. These songs of rejoicing and thanksgiving are seen in Revelation whenever any great triumph or blessing is about to come. See Re 5:13 7:12 11:15 12:10.

Wesley's Notes

19:1 I heard a loud voice of a great multitude - Whose blood the great whore had shed. Saying, Hallelujah - This Hebrew word signifies, Praise ye Jah, or Him that is. God named himself to Moses, EHEIEH, that is, I will be, Exod 3:14; and at the same time, Jehovah, that is, He that is, and was, and is to come: during the trumpet of the seventh angel, he is styled, He that is and was, Rev 16:5; and not He that is to come; because his long - expected coming is under this trumpet actually present. At length he is styled, Jah, He that is; the past together with the future being swallowed up in the present, the former things being no more mentioned, for the greatness of those that now are. This title is of all others the most peculiar to the everlasting God. The salvation - Is opposed to the destruction which the great whore had brought upon the earth. His power and glory - Appear from the judgment executed on her, and from the setting up his kingdom to endure through all ages.

Scofield Reference Notes

Margin Salvation

See Scofield Note: "Rom 1:16".

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

CHAPTER 19

Re 19:1-21. The Church's Thanksgiving in Heaven for the Judgment on the Harlot. The Marriage of the Lamb: The Supper: The Bride's Preparation: John Is Forbidden to Worship the Angel: The Lord and His Hosts Come Forth for War: The Beast and the False Prophet Cast into the Lake of Fire: The Kings and Their Followers Slain by the Sword Out of Christ's Mouth.

1. As in the case of the opening of the prophecy, Re 4:8; 5:9, &c.; so now, at one of the great closing events seen in vision, the judgment on the harlot (described in Re 18:1-24), there is a song of praise in heaven to God: compare Re 7:10, &c., toward the close of the seals, and Re 11:15-18, at the close of the trumpets: Re 15:3, at the saints' victory over the beast.

And-so Andreas. But A, B, C, Vulgate, Syriac, and Coptic omit.

a great voice-A, B, C, Vulgate, Coptic, and Andreas read, "as it were a great voice." What a contrast to the lamentations Re 18:1-24! Compare Jer 51:48. The great manifestation of God's power in destroying Babylon calls forth a great voice of praise in heaven.

people-Greek, "multitude."

Alleluia-Hebrew, "Praise ye Jah," or Jehovah: here first used in Revelation, whence Ellicott infers the Jews bear a prominent part in this thanksgiving. Jah is not a contraction of "Jehovah," as it sometimes occurs jointly with the latter. It means "He who Is": whereas Jehovah is "He who will be, is, and was." It implies God experienced as a PRESENT help; so that "Hallelujah," says Kimchi in Bengel, is found first in the Psalms on the destruction of the ungodly. "Hallelu-Jah" occurs four times in this passage. Compare Ps 149:4-9, which is plainly parallel, and indeed identical in many of the phrases, as well as the general idea. Israel, especially, will join in the Hallelujah, when "her warfare is accomplished" and her foe destroyed.

Salvation, &c.-Greek, "The salvation . the glory . the power."

and honour-so Coptic. But A, B, C, and Syriac omit.

unto the Lord our God-so Andreas. But A, B, C, and Coptic read, "(Is) of our God," that is, belongs to Him.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

19:1-10 Praising God for what we have, is praying for what is yet further to be done for us. There is harmony between the angels and the saints in this triumphant song. Christ is the Bridegroom of his ransomed church. This second union will be completed in heaven; but the beginning of the glorious millennium (by which is meant a reign of Christ, or a state of happiness, for a thousand years on earth) may be considered as the celebration of his espousals on earth. Then the church of Christ, being purified from errors, divisions, and corruptions, in doctrine, discipline, worship, and practice, will be made ready to be publicly owned by him as his delight and his beloved. The church appeared; not in the gay, gaudy dress of the mother of harlots, but in fine linen, clean and white. In the robes of Christ's righteousness, imputed for justification, and imparted for sanctification. The promises of the gospel, the true sayings of God, opened, applied, and sealed by the Spirit of God, in holy ordinances, are the marriage-feast. This seems to refer to the abundant grace and consolation Christians will receive in the happy days which are to come. The apostle offered honour to the angel. The angel refused it. He directed the apostle to the true and only object of religious worship; to worship God, and him alone. This plainly condemns the practice of those who worship the elements of bread and wine, and saints, and angels; and of those who do not believe that Christ is truly and by nature God, yet pay him a sort of worship. They stand convicted of idolatry by a messenger from heaven. These are the true sayings of God; of Him who is to be worshipped, as one with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Matthew Henry's Whole Bible Commentary

Chapter 19

In this chapter we have, I. A further account of the triumphant song of angels and saints for the fall of Babylon (v. 1-4). II. The marriage between Christ and the church proclaimed and perfected (v. 5-10). III. Another warlike expedition of the glorious head and husband of the church, with the success of it (v. 10, etc.).

Verses 1-4

The fall of Babylon being fixed, finished, and declared to be irrecoverable in the foregoing chapter, this begins with a holy triumph over her, in pursuance of the order given forth: Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, ch. 18:20. They now gladly answer the call; and here you have, 1. The form of their thanksgiving, in that heavenly and most comprehensive word, Alleluia, praise you the Lord: with this they begin, with this they go on, and with this they end (v. 4); their prayers are now turned into praises, their hosannas end in halleluias. 2. The matter of their thanksgiving: they praise him for the truth of his word, and the righteousness of his providential conduct, especially in this great event-the ruin of Babylon, which had been a mother, nurse, and nest of idolatry, lewdness, and cruelty (v. 2), for which signal example of divine justice they ascribe salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto our God. 3. The effect of these their praises: when the angels and saints cried Alleluia, her fire burned more fiercely and her smoke ascended for ever and ever, v. 3. The surest way to have our deliverances continued and completed is to give God the glory of what he has done for us. Praising God for what we have is praying in the most effectual manner for what is yet further to be done for us; the praises of the saints blow up the fire of God's wrath against the common enemy. 4. The blessed harmony between the angels and the saints in this triumphant song, v. 4. The churches and their ministers take the melodious sound from the angels, and repeat it; falling down, and worshipping God, they cry, Amen, Alleluia.