Revelation 19:4
And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fall down before God seated on the throne and answer His praise with Amen and Alleluia. Their worship rejoices that His judgments are true and righteous and that He reigns omnipotent, triumphing in judging Babylon that corrupted the earth, avenging the blood of His servants, and declaring salvation and glory and power to belong to Him. Their Amen affirms His justice when the wicked who rejected salvation are consumed and return to dust and do not suffer forever, and all heaven adores Him as justice is satisfied with mercy and compassion. The truths of chapters 18 and 19 are testing truths for this time and the last call of mercy to be given more fully while God holds back His judgments until all have been warned. The events of chapter 19 will surely be fulfilled in preparing a people to stand in the day of the Lord, and all who enforce the worship of the beast must read them with fear.
Heaven's Worship Described
The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fall down before God seated on the throne in worship, answering with Amen and Alleluia. Their falling down is worship directed to God on the throne, and their Amen and Alleluia affirm the praise sounding in heaven around them. That praise belongs to heaven's rejoicing over God's righteous judgments and the reign of the Lord.
Their worship rejoices because His judgments are true and righteous. It affirms His triumph in judging those who oppose His law. It affirms His judging of Babylon, the great whore that corrupted the earth, and His avenging of the blood of His servants, whose smoke rises up forever and ever.
Their Amen and Alleluia joins the great heavenly praise declaring salvation and glory and honor and power to the Lord God. It joins the voice calling all servants to praise God, the proclamation that the Lord God omnipotent reigns, and the announcement that the marriage of the Lamb is come. The chapter pictures the beast and the false prophet taken and cast into the lake of fire. In sequence that follows, the dragon is bound for a thousand years, then come the resurrection and final destruction of the wicked, and Christ's final triumph and reign on earth.
Prophetic Warning Given
The truths found in Revelation 18 and 19, including the worship of the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures, are testing truths for this time that all must read and understand. They form the last call of mercy, to be given to the world more fully while God in mercy and long forbearance holds back His judgments until the message of warning has been sounded to all. The events foretold in chapter 19 will surely be fulfilled.
Heaven's answering Amen and Alleluia before the throne belongs to events connected with preparing a people to stand in the day of the Lord. That same chapter is one that all who insult God by enforcing upon men the worship of the beast must read with fear.
Final Judgment Applied
The Amen answers the destruction of the wicked who rejected salvation, affirming that God is just when they are consumed and return to dust and do not suffer eternally, and His satisfied justice with mercy and compassion moves the heavenly host to adore Him. After that destruction all the heavenly host will say Amen. The surrounding shouts of triumph celebrate the end of the devil's tempting and the deliverance of the inhabitants of other worlds from his presence. The song of praise in heaven is out of harmony with the tastes of the unsanctified, so the wicked could not enjoy heaven's worship and companionship.
The redeemed echo that heavenly praise as they travel toward the New Jerusalem. The call to honor and glorify the Savior means that being on Christ's side makes people co-laborers with Him. God's judging of Babylon and avenging of the blood of His servants is to be met with hope in harmony with heaven's praise, not with gloom and sadness.