Heaven's Hallelujah Chorus

"And after these things I heard a great voice of a great multitude in the heaven, saying, `Alleluia! the salvation, and the glory, and the honour, and the power, [is] to the Lord our God; because true and righteous [are] His judgments, because He did judge the great whore who did corrupt the earth in her whoredom, and He did avenge the blood of His servants at her hand;' and a second time they said, `Alleluia;' and her smoke doth come up -- to the ages of the ages!" (Revelation 19:1-3 - Young's Literal Translation)

This passage is the only place in the King James Version where the word Alleluia or Hallelujah appears. In the Old Testament, it is always translated: Praise ye the Lord. It is not found anywhere else in the New Testament.

This Hallelujah chorus in heaven is before the return of Christ for the Battle of Armageddon. The forces of the Anti-Christ prepare for the battles with curses and blasphemy. Heaven's army prepares with worship and praise.

The Apostle John hears a great crowd in heaven. He does not tell us who make up this crowd. It may include angels and saved human beings.

They praise God. They declare him to be the source of salvation, of glory, or honor and of power. They give both a general and specific reason for their praise.

The general reason is that God's judgments are true and righteous. The word true carries with it the thought of being ideal. Righteous has a similar idea. God's judgments are just. The punishment fits the crime.

The specific reason for the praise of this crowd is that God has judged the great prostitute. This refers to both Religious Babylon of chapter seventeen and Commercial Babylon of chapter eighteen. Both will draw people away from God. Both will kill those who do not submit to their authority. Both will make war on God's children. Their destruction as described in Revelation fits their awful deeds.