Future Glory by Ed Hindson

Author:Ed Hindson
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780736983518
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
Published: 2021-05-26T00:00:00+00:00

1. “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God!” (v. 1).

2. “Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!” (v. 3).

3. They “worshiped God who sat on the throne saying, ‘Amen! Alleluia!’ ” (v. 4).

4. “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!” (v. 6).

This is the only place in the New Testament where alleluia (or hallelujah) occurs. It is a Hebrew word (“Praise Yah [Jehovah]”). It was transliterated from the Hebrew into Greek and passed on into English. The same thing occurred with amen, hosanna, and maranatha. The use of the four alleluias emphasizes the magnitude of this praise and worship.

Beasley-Murray observes that these alleluias are reminiscent of the Hallel Psalms (113–118), which were sung at the Jewish Passover meal.7 The first two (113–114) were sung before the meal and the last four after the meal. Just as Israel sang God’s praises for His deliverance in the Passover, so the church in heaven sings God’s praise for His deliverance from the Antichrist. The triumphal praise is very similar to that heard earlier in Revelation 11:15-19. But the triumph that is heralded is more than that over the downfall of “Babylon.” It is the marriage of the Lamb that takes center stage in this cantata of praise.

Marriage of the Lamb

The sense of movement that is always prevalent in the Apocalypse now reaches a climax. “The marriage of the Lamb has come” (Revelation 19:7). It is as though we have finally arrived at what we have been waiting for all along. The wedding is finally here. It is obvious that John the revelator views this as a future (not past) event. The final culmination of the spiritual union between the Lamb and His bride has finally arrived.

Beasley-Murray expresses it like this: “The perfection in glory of the Bride belongs to the eschatological future! Therefore, the now and the not yet of the New Testament doctrine of salvation in the kingdom of God is perfectly exemplified. The Church is the Bride of Christ now, but her marriage lies in the future.”8

This is exactly why we cannot say that the consummation of the marriage has already taken place. The apostle Paul says, “For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:2). He also adds that Christ “loved the church and gave Himself for her…that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:25-27).

Bruce Metzger comments, “The concept of the relationship between God and his people as a marriage goes back into the Old Testament. Again and again the prophets spoke of Israel as the chosen Bride of God (Is. 54:1-8; Ezek. 16:7,8; Hos. 2:19). In the New Testament the Church is represented as the Bride of Christ…In the words of a familiar hymn: ‘With his own blood he bought her, and for her life he died.

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