Introduction

Good day, everyone. We continue our study of Revelation, Chapter 19. The overarching theme of this chapter is: "Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God." I had previously considered an alternative theme, "The Almighty Reigns." However, on closer examination, that title falls short. This chapter deals profoundly with the fulfillment of salvation—specifically, the marriage supper of the Lamb.

The Almighty has, in truth, always reigned. Yet salvation is realized when the Almighty, our God, enters into perfect union with us, bringing His people into the state of the Lamb and the Bride. Therefore, the precise theme of this chapter must be: "Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God."

The Multitude in Heaven Praises God

After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God!" (Revelation 19:1)

Then a voice came from the throne, saying: "Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both great and small!" (Revelation 19:5)

These words carry tremendous weight. At that point, the present heaven and earth are no more; everything left on earth has collapsed into ruin. No matter how many academic credentials or earthly distinctions you possessed, in the end, that flesh becomes nothing more than a barbecue for the birds.

It is difficult to put into words what God's people will feel when they are raptured into heaven. But we can well imagine our past struggles on earth—witnessing God’s people oppressed, His servants slaughtered and their blood spilt, led like sheep to the slaughter. When we were in the thick of it, did we truly comprehend the reality of "salvation, glory, and power"?

In those dark moments, God seemed anything but all-powerful. We cried out, "God, why must this happen?" When we saw the prophets murdered throughout history, meeting brutal and unglamorous ends, how could we instinctively know that salvation, glory, and power belong to our God? The raw facts on the ground seemed to suggest otherwise.

One must take the long view. Look at the multitude caught up in the air—the people of God praising Him in heaven. From that vantage point, as they look back across history, Moses is there, Elijah is there, John the Baptist is there, the prophets and the Apostle John are there, and Jesus Christ is certainly there.

All the affliction endured on earth, all the desperate cries of "O God! O God!"—when you reach Revelation 19, you will breathe a profound sigh of relief and say: "Thank God we made the right choice." When we prayed on earth, "May salvation, glory, and power be unto our God," it turned out to be absolute reality.

In the past, when we concluded our prayers, there seemed to be little glory and little power. We grew slick with our words, reciting the Lord's Prayer mechanically without engaging our minds—pure conditioned reflex. The pastor would say, "Let us close in prayer," and we would rattle off, "Our Father who art in heaven..."

Did we truly understand it? Frankly, not quite. But by Revelation 19, understanding will no longer be optional; the reality will be undeniable. You look upon it and cry out, "Hallelujah!" I know this feeling well. Every time our church enters a new frontier, fighting a grueling campaign, we do not know at the outset whether God will move decisively. We operate on nothing more than faith the size of a mustard seed. It is hard, grinding work. But when victory comes, we shout, "Hallelujah!"

When we are wrestling through sickness and pain, our "Hallelujah" often trembles, weak like a dying battery. But here, the multitude in heaven—the people of God caught up into the air—stand in anticipation of the marriage supper of the Lamb, entering into perfect oneness with God. Every time we witness God’s raw power among us, it is awe-inspiring.

I was ministering late last night and again early this morning. The person being ministered to could not speak; after persistent prayer, their speech returned. Astonishing! Yet the war is far from over. Many brothers and sisters among us are right at this junction, on the verge of experiencing a profound deliverance and a massive breakthrough.

Before that victory arrives, our cries of Hallelujah may pale in comparison to the roar of the heavenly multitude in Revelation 19. What they longed for has finally materialized; the final outcome has arrived. All who fear God praise Him—this is salvation. The God we believe in is faithful and just. What could be better?

God causes the smoke from the burning prostitute to rise forever and ever, while the flesh of the wicked is fed to the birds of the air. You may have worked alongside a close friend in a corporation for years, drinking together, reminiscing, going on road trips, maintaining an excellent rapport.

Yet on this fundamental issue, your horizons were completely different. Perhaps he had a higher corporate title, drew a better salary, lived in a more expensive property, and accumulated more assets. But he placed all his chips on this earth, whereas you placed all your hope in heaven. At the time, you might have felt a twinge of resentment or discomfort—a sour-grapes sensation. But at this final juncture, the bitterness is gone; everything is sweet.

Praise God! Our hope is anchored in eternity, and our destiny is secured in eternity. We shall be united with God forever and ever, reigning alongside the Lord Jesus. "Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God" is no empty slogan. It is a battle cry torn from the very depths of our souls. All the past suffering and hardship will prove entirely worth it.

John Sees the Smoke of the Great Prostitute Rising

Many made vast fortunes and amassed empires through Babylon the Great. But now, the smoke from that burning city billows upward relentlessly. Will some behave like Lot’s wife, looking back only to be turned into a pillar of salt? At this stage, one does not even get to become a pillar of salt; one simply goes up in smoke along with the city of Babylon.

God's judgments were inscribed in the Scriptures long ago. When you follow the Lord, you must never look back. Look back, and you are finished. It is like driving a vehicle: keep your eyes fixed straight ahead, or you will cause a fatal crash. The smoke of that great city of Babylon rises because she is a prostitute.

Why is she called a prostitute? The logic is simple; we addressed it in the previous chapter. There are essentially three ways to make money in this world. The first is as an entrepreneur. An entrepreneur builds an enterprise, hires a workforce, manages manufacturing, and invests in research and development. It is hard, demanding work. You must genuinely love and commit to the enterprise to make it work.

The second is as a mercenary capitalist: you invest solely where the quick cash is. The capitalist plays the financial markets with cold detachment. There is an investment theory that says, "If you want to be a capitalist, you cannot fall in love with the company; the moment you do, and the stock collapses, your capital is wiped out." The logic of the ruthless capitalist is like a client with a prostitute: extract what you want and leave immediately once the profit is banked.

When you pursue money in the metropolis with that mentality, sentimentality will destroy you. You take your profit and run. Whether the underlying enterprise lives or dies is of zero concern to you. That is precisely the operating logic of this great prostitute.

God's judgment is true and just. When we look at worldly affairs today, it is easy to become disoriented and frustrated, tempted to cry out, "God, curse them!" You do not need to fret. God knows everything down to the smallest detail.

"For true and just are his judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants." (Revelation 19:2)

God's judgment is true and just. It has not yet been executed in full, but when Revelation 19 arrives, it will be executed definitively. History has seen dress rehearsals of this before. In Lot’s day, Sodom and Gomorrah were consumed by extreme depravity and met sudden ruin.

God’s verdicts stand forever. Do not think that a divine judgment pronounced thousands of years ago has expired; its validity is eternal. God will demand an accounting from this prostitute for the blood of His servants and execute vengeance on their behalf. The Scripture states plainly:

And again they shouted: "Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever." (Revelation 19:3)

They all shout Hallelujah! The smoke billows upward—burning fiercely without end. God says: You chose to play the harlot; you chose to worship money. Now watch your money turn into smoke. In our part of the world, during the Hungry Ghost Festival, people burn paper money everywhere. But at that final hour, the smoke from the burning prostitute will dwarf anything seen during such festivals.

The Singapore Government is practical and orderly; they provide designated metal burners so you burn within boundaries. But on that day, the fire will burn out in the open, uncontained. God will avenge the blood of His servants. Do you know what crucified Jesus Christ? It was the cold, ruthless logic of this fallen world system.

Do not presume upon pedigree. You may be a physical descendant of Abraham, but if your mind is saturated with demonic schemes and demonic instincts run through your veins, it counts for nothing. That is why Jesus said, "You do not belong to Abraham; your father is the devil." Why? Because Babylon the Great possesses immense seductive power and has taken multitudes captive.

Even today, people foolishly think Lot made a shrewd decision by moving toward Sodom and Gomorrah to strike it rich. Brothers and sisters, ten years ago many envied corporate tycoons; ten years later, haven't those same tycoons received life sentences in prison? The problem is a lack of foresight. If you stand on higher ground and look far enough ahead, would you still envy them?

If you were naming a child today, you certainly would not name him "Jiayin" after Hui Ka Yan, would you? It carries the stench of ruin. Ten years ago, blinded by worldly success, someone might have named their child "Jiayin"—dreaming of printing money at home. Today, you cannot print money; try it, and you will be arrested.

We must understand that God's judgments often take a long time to materialize. Why the delay? Similarly, His blessings can also take a long time to unfold, baffling the casual observer. Why does God wait? Because when judgment is deferred for ten, twenty, or thirty years, the bitter melon produced is concentrated, fully ripened, and extraordinarily bitter.

Consider agriculture: in Northeast China, rice is harvested only once a year. Down south, you get two harvests; further south, three. But the single-harvest rice from the Northeast is undeniably superior—fragrant, plump, and resilient. The more frequent the harvests, the lower the quality.

A delayed curse works on the same principle: it is lethal. Look at the curse on Babylon the Great—it has been fermenting for six thousand years, from Genesis to Revelation 19. Over those six millennia, people envied the descendants of Cain as the masters of industry, culture, and power. But what did those six thousand years produce? A bitter melon of monumental proportions. The final judgment will be devastating—unbearably bitter.

The smoke rises as it burns. Do you see the reality now? That is why you must shout: "Hallelujah!" When we witness this, we realize how fortunate we were not to board the same sinking ship. Hallelujah! How wonderful that we were not entangled with them. Aren't you relieved you didn't name your child Jiayin? I suspect my words hit close to home for some of you.

The Lord Our God, the Almighty, Reigns

Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns." (Revelation 19:6)

Has not our God always been King? Why does Scripture state that He reigns only here in Revelation 19? The reason is this: God has no interest in reigning in isolation. What brings Him delight is bringing us into Himself, so that we may reign alongside Him. Later we will discuss the King of kings and Lord of lords. We are appointed as kings, and He is the King of kings! Crucially, His reign marks the consummation of a magnificent salvation.

This great salvation incorporates all of God's people. His reigning is the ultimate manifestation of His salvation, glory, and power. "The Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns!" Who proclaimed this? A voice like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters, like loud peals of thunder. Across the heavenly realm, all creation roars in unison: we have finally fought our way through to Revelation 19!

This declaration is the most profound of all: "The Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns!" From this point forward, the Almighty leads us to reign with Him. It is earth-shaking, echoing like mighty thunder and crashing waters. Why? Because what the Apostle John saw in this vision is a fixed point in our future. Over what does our Lord Jesus reign? He reigns as King over the earth, and the entire earth shall be brought under the absolute authority of Jesus Christ!

The King of Kings and Lord of Lords

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. (Revelation 19:11-13)

"The armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: 'KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.'" (Revelation 19:14–16)

He rides a white horse. What does a white horse represent? It represents victory. This is our Lord Jesus. And behind Him follows a vast host—the armies of heaven, riding white horses, dressed in fine linen, pure and white, following Him.

You must understand that this fine linen represents the righteous deeds of the saints. Some may argue: "Are we not justified by faith alone? Why talk about righteous deeds?" True righteousness means acting strictly in accordance with God’s Word. Good heavens, I want to be among that number!

Studying Revelation 19 stirs up a profound and unshakeable hope within me. To prepare for that day, following behind the Lord of lords and King of kings, our Jesus Christ—it matters not which rank I fall into.

Riding a white horse means subduing the sin within. It means translating faith into decisive action, executing God’s Word with strict discipline and zero compromise. The battle is far from over; brothers, we must press on with relentless effort. The King of kings and Lord of lords—you are called to be there too.

Imagine looking around then: "Look, isn’t that our sister so-and-so, or brother so-and-so? Splendid! You made it, and so did I." How does that feel? Absolutely tremendous. While still in this world, we have already learned to hold the petty affairs of human existence in contempt. Not only do we look down on mere matters of life and death, but we have also pinned down all worldly desires and the demonic forces of the flesh firmly to the ground.

Only then can you master this horse. It is a matter of hard logic: if you do not master the horse, you cannot ride it; and if you do not control it, it will master you. The moment you attempt to mount it without discipline, it will resist and kick you ten meters away.

A white horse is the fiercest of steeds, conquering and to conquer. Only an overcomer qualifies to ride a white horse. Therefore, brothers and sisters, our Lord Jesus is to be King of kings and Lord of lords. We must emulate Him, carry forward His legacy, and overcome all things. By the grace of Jesus Christ, putting to death the sin within us while on earth—that is an extraordinary grace.

If Cain exists as a conscious entity in the spiritual realm today, he would look upon us with intense envy. Why? Because back then, God said to Cain:

"If you do well, will not your face be cheerful? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it." (Genesis 4:7)

In eternity, Cain might lament: "God, You set me an impossible task! Without You, how could I ever master sin?" Let me be plain with you: across generations, very few have truly subdued that wild beast within. Every human being has an untamed horse inside—that thing is called sin. Do you grasp this?

When the Apostle Paul wrote his New Testament epistles, he rarely focused on demons; he focused consistently on sin, the flesh, and the body. Through earnest prayer, I received a sharp and definitive revelation: sin is fundamentally a spiritual reality.

What is this sin? It is an evil spiritual force that attached itself to you from birth, dwelling within your flesh. That is why every person is born with an inherent bent toward wickedness. But once you become a Christian, through Jesus Christ, you have the power to put this thing to death and bring it under total control. What Cain failed to achieve, we can more than conquer through the love of Jesus Christ! That is salvation.

Riding a white horse means you have executed sin and brought it under strict subjection. Sin becomes like that white horse under your command—thoroughly obedient. What many do not realize is this: when you master the flesh, even worldly wealth will serve you. Do you believe that?

The moment money is mentioned, people’s eyes light up. You might protest: "No, I am not that greedy." Well, praise the Lord! But if your eyes did light up, listen carefully: if you master the flesh, the world will serve you; if you fail to master it, it will destroy you. Let there be no ambiguity about this.

Therefore, to reign with Jesus Christ, we must resolve to put the sin within us to death at all costs. Only truth can set us free. Truth is the Word of God; that is the bedrock of our faith. You cannot master this spiritual reality with human rhetoric. When the devil approached Jesus and said, "If You are hungry, command these stones to become bread," had Jesus replied, "I don't want to, I don't feel like it," it would have achieved nothing. That is no solution. The Lord Jesus declared:

"It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.'" (Luke 4:4)

We must possess the truth. Without truth, defeating the flesh is impossible. The Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth. This Sunday, I will address the "Spirit of Truth." What a comprehensive salvation this is! It is a complete, fully integrated system. Just as you assess the entire surrounding infrastructure when buying property, salvation provides a complete package of divine support.

When you are weak, the Holy Spirit assists you; when you lack understanding, the Holy Spirit guides you into truth. When you cannot put your internal sin to death on your own, the Holy Spirit empowers you to execute it. Cain, looking across the great abyss in eternity, salivates with envy and admits: "They have chosen the superior path; I made a fatal miscalculation."

This is the King of kings and Lord of lords. He governs this world with an iron rod. Do not make the foolish mistake of imagining Jesus Christ as a benevolent Santa Claus. Jesus Christ is the Sovereign who rules the nations with an iron rod, showing zero tolerance for rebellion. You have no standing to question: "God, why must You be so severe?" You simply have no locus standi. Even if you ask, He will not entertain you. Why? Because He has declared: "I rule this world with an iron rod."

His name is "The Word of God." God possesses many names, each representing His divine attributes. No man knows them except Himself, unless He chooses to reveal them. Is this not the very path we have traversed?

The Marriage of the Lamb Has Come, and His Bride Has Made Herself Ready

Why did God create this world? Why did He place the tree of the knowledge of good and evil within it?

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end." (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

This is God’s deliberate design: to test and filter out the overcomers. The overcomers will constitute the Bride of Christ and enter into absolute, perfect union with God. What we are speaking of is a strategic plan preordained by God in eternity.

Unlike those arrogant individuals who pass judgment on God based on their narrow notions of good and evil—there are far too many who dissent from God’s methods! Is it difficult to accept? If you cannot accept it, that is your own misfortune. As for me, I submit to it unconditionally.

When the Israelites departed from Egypt, God commanded the total destruction of the Canaanites. By conventional human standards, does that make sense? Look at the news today regarding what Israel is doing in Gaza. Can you fathom it? We cannot, nor is it our business to do so.

Our lack of comprehension does not exempt us from faith. He is God! Whatever He decrees, He requires no permit from us. He requires no permit from the Singapore Government, nor does He need one from the Chinese Government. He purposed this from eternity past; we simply lack the capacity to grasp it. The reality is, there is an enormous amount we do not understand.

In any case, God is righteous, and I place my total trust in Him. People ask me: "Why do you believe in Him?" I reply: "If not Him, whom else should I believe?" To each his own: you pursue the world; I pursue God. Pursuing God yields tangible, superior dividends. Why? Because I harbor zero illusions about this earthly system.

This world is rife with injustice and corruption; abandon any hope of finding absolute righteousness on this earth. My sole objective is to be perfectly united with the Lord in eternity, and while on earth, to manifest His glorious likeness and execute holiness and righteousness.

By God’s grace, clothed in fine linen, we stand as living witnesses for Jesus Christ. If you ask me to engage in abstract academic debates, I have no interest. But if you ask me to produce concrete testimonies, I am formidable—I have an abundance of real-life evidence. I minister daily, and every day yields definitive results.

Just recently, a sister had been living away from her own home for months, paralyzed by fear, without informing me. Previously, she had struggled with fear, and I resolved it through prayer. But over time, she regressed; the spirit of fear returned, and she dared not step foot into her own apartment. She drifted from place to place, depending on others for shelter, seized with panic whenever she approached her home.

Praise God, after I led her in prayer that day, she resolved to return home that very night and take ground. I assured her that God would grant her decisive victory. And the issue was completely resolved! How was it resolved? Purely by the power of God. Is that not extraordinary? She is blessed; she is preparing for the marriage feast of the Lamb.

The Church is the Bride of Christ. Why the Church? The answer is straightforward: the Church is the centerpiece of God’s eternal purpose. Therefore, understand it if you can; if you cannot, accept it by faith. In any case, we have no lasting stake in this world. After several tens of thousands of days, a man dies.

Take myself: almost imperceptibly, I have reached my sixties. Before long, eighty will arrive, and shortly after that, one turns to dust! And then, we step into the company of the Bride. Someone might object: "Aren't you a man?" Make no mistake: the Church collectively is the Bride of Christ. The empirical evidence is overwhelming! Riding white horses, subduing our sin, governing the nations alongside Jesus with an iron rod, clothed in fine linen, executing the righteousness of God.

Time passes in the flash of a moment, and we cross into eternity. Without this hope, wouldn't a person live in perpetual dread of death? But because we anchor ourselves in this eternal hope, we fear no death. Everywhere there is salvation, glory, and power! We declare with absolute conviction: Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God! This is not an empty slogan; it is an undeniable reality demonstrated in our daily lives.

We rely on His grace and conquer through Him. What Cain failed to execute, we execute! The sin Cain could not subdue, we master through the mighty power of God! This is salvation—a complete, closed-loop system. What God has spoken, He will bring to pass. And because we believe, we see the tangible results.

The Destiny of the Beast, the Kings, the Generals, the Mighty Men, and All Peoples

"Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in mid-heaven: 'Come, assemble for the great feast of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of commanders, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, both free and slaves, and small and great.' And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army." (Revelation 19:17–19)

"And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh." (Revelation 19:20–21)

This is the ultimate end of those who live solely for this temporal world. Hallelujah! Those whom worldly men once envied have met their catastrophic end. In Revelation 19, God executes total judgment upon them. The carcasses are so vast that a multitude of scavengers is summoned. What creatures consume dead flesh? Innumerable vultures and ravens, descending to devour them.

They have no entry into eternity; God assigns them a sky burial. And even that sky burial returns to the dirt—the vultures consume the flesh, and what is excreted drops back to the earth. Their final destination is the lake of burning sulfur, an eternal furnace.

This is what the Apostle John saw. You might ask me: "Have you been there?" I say: "I have not been there, but that does not alter the facts one bit." You ask: "How can you be so certain? How can you believe this?" Because daily, I experience the empirical evidence of Jesus Christ’s power.

I require His salvation; I desire His glory; I demand the tangible manifestation of His power. I have zero interest in the lake of fire; nor do I desire sky burials, earth burials, or any form of worldly disposal. My singular ambition is to be united with our God in the heavenly realm!

In the days ahead, the Lord Jesus will return with us to this earth, and together we shall reign here for a thousand years. These are two distinct destinies: the harlot meets absolute destruction, while the people of God inherit glorious dominion. Having heard this, let it ignite in you a relentless drive to manifest the very image of God on this earth. That is the essence of being an overcomer.

Amen! May God bless you all!

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