There is a great break in the book here, Christ coming forth as Man—King of kings, and Lord of lords.
There is equivocal connection of believers with Christ, During the judgments going on in the earth we have not seen the saints; but here, when Christ comes forth, the saints come with Him. It is that which characterizes the position of saints here identified with Him.
During the preparatory ordering for the great day, providential judgments, &c., we have nothing of the saints composing the church. The saints are in heaven; but the moment you get Christ on the scene, the saints are with Him. If it is blessing or judgment, it is with Him: they are arrayed in fine linen, white and clean, on high or on horses symbolically.
Verse 1. It is not said the Lamb had judged the whore, but God Almighty. He might use any agency of old, for example, Cyrus to destroy Babylon.
On the other hand you never have the bride, as such, in Revelation till this chapter. “Much people,” Verse 1, are not only the church. Verse 7. But is this not the earthly bride; for she is connected with the Lamb, not the King.
The corrupt thing is removed before the holy bride has her consummation of joy.
What is the difference between the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures? Elders refer to the twenty-four courses of priests in David's time—they were worshipping kings and priests. Living creatures are the four heads of creation—judicial government executed by them. They are nearer God, like the cherubim or judicial powers of the throne of God; so when it is a question of judicial dealing, not of grace and intelligence, which the elders represent: cherubim in the garden of Eden, and in the temple. So here, when He comes to judge, we find them in His throne. He may use the church for that, as well as others; but it is not as the church that they have this character: when we reign, it will be in a definite character. The living creatures represent God's acting according to the counsel of His own will.
All life is individual; we shall be raised individually, not as a body. Then, when all the individual work in raising, &c., has its place, Babylon is put out of the way—the marriage of the Lamb takes place. There is the manifestation of the position Christ has taken her for on high.
Verse 7 is spoken of as the bride's own act—she “made herself ready;” and so all through the book, because it is a book of judgment, not of grace.
Verse 11 is Christ triumphant, or victorious; the beast is to be destroyed: Babylon had fallen, but the power that governed is not destroyed till now.
Verse 15. The nations at first and all through. There is the winepress, and not the beast only, but Gog in the land of Magog. (Ezek. 38; 39)
There is not one thing that Christ as a glorified Man has, that we have not. Gift produces responsibility from, but it is different responsibility. Anything that gives credit to self man likes: he may be the vilest thief in the country; but he is satisfied if he is only the greatest.
Verses 12, 18, are connected with the divinity of Christ's person. He is the word of God in judgment as in grace.