Revelation 19:3; And Her Smoke Rose Up

Revelation 19:3 (KJV)  And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. 

The eternal, ascending smoke testifies the doom of Babylon as being an everlasting witness to the righteous judgment of God poured out upon all fornication and upon the martyrdom of His people. The Greek word translated “rose up” in reference to the ascending smoke in verse 3 means “kept going up” and is somewhat different from the ascending incense of Revelation 8:4.

Revelation 8:4 (KJV)  And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. 

Briefly reviewing this “Alleluia” section that celebrates the utter and eternal ruin of Babylon, we note that the same destruction is viewed differently in heaven and on earth. On earth, a dirge of sorrow is heard, but in heaven, a paean of praise arises. That beautiful word “Alleluia” meaning “Praise Jehovah” rolls through the vault of heaven.

Note three divine possession:

Salvation – divine deliverance from judgment

Glory – divine moral glory in judgment

Honour – divine might displayed in judgment

The grounds of the triumph of the redeemed and heavenly hosts is that of divine truth and righteousness: “true and righteous are his judgments”. A fundamental principle is that all of God’s dealings with His creatures, whether in grace or in judgment, are essential attributes that are conspicuously displayed in these judgment chapters.

The opening phrase of Revelation, “And after these things,” describes a turn of events and is the climax of the previous chapters. Vengeance is, at last, enacted. The doom of Babylon indicated in Revelation 14:8 is now fully accomplished.

Revelation 14:8 (KJV)  And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. 

[Herbert Lockyer, Revelation – Drama of the Ages, Whitaker House, 1980, 290-291]