19:1 Alleluia. The great cry, “Alleluia,” sounds out four times from the great assembly in heaven (Revelation 19:1, 3, 4, 6), and these are the only occurrences of the word in the New Testament. Meaning, “Praise the Lord!” it is the same as “Hallelujah,” and occurs in the Hebrew in the first and last verses of each of the last five psalms of the book of Psalms. These final “Hallelujah Psalms” thus may well represent the praise songs of all the redeemed as they gather in preparation for the great marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9).

19:3 for ever and ever. The smoke plumes from the burning of Mystery Babylon (Revelation 17:16) as well as that from the restored city of Babylon itself (Revelation 18:8-9,18), whatever may have been their respective proximate causes, will continue ascending forever into space even after the fires themselves have ceased, obeying God’s eternal law of mass conservation and bearing mute testimony to the eternal suffering of those who will shortly be dispatched to the lake of fire (Revelation 14:11).

19:9 marriage supper. Though all the different groups of saints throughout the history of the world will no doubt retain their distinct identities in the ages to come, they will all be at the great marriage supper, for all will be in the presence of the Lord forever. In fact, the ultimate eternal home of the saints, the New Jerusalem, is even called “the Bride, the Lamb’s wife” (Revelation 21:9-10). She is inscribed with both the names of the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles of the Lamb (Revelation 21:12,14), indicating that both the pre-Calvary saints in Israel and the post-Calvary saints of the Gentile age will be a part of the Bride, dwelling in the Holy City. The only requirements for being at the great supper are: (1) responding to His invitation and donning the garments of salvation (Matthew 22:1-14), and (2) assuming the right attitude of heart and life toward the Bridegroom and His revealed will (Matthew 25:1-13).