The Great Tribulation is Over

Recently I wrote about a mighty angel throwing the great city of Babylon into the sea like a millstone.  In Revelation 19, John tells of the aftermath of the fall of Babylon.  People in heaven are cheering loudly.  God has judged "the great whore" and avenged the blood of His servants at her hand.  "And her smoke rose up forever and ever."  It's interesting that John sees people in heaven, and doesn't mention the angels.  And what about the saints on the earth?  Wouldn't they also rejoice?  This raises the question of whether all the saints are in heaven at this point.  The twenty four elders and the four beasts are also mentioned in the celebration. 

When the great city of Babylon falls, not only a city has fallen.  Babylon is the seat of the beast's empire.  The whole empire has collapsed.  

It is now time for the Lamb, Jesus Christ, to marry his bride, the church, who is dressed in a wedding gown of white linen.  All of heaven is excited about it, and an angel tells John to write, "Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb." 

 John sees heaven open, and Christ sitting on a white horse, and goes on to describe how glorious He is.  He is called Faithful and True, The Word of God, and King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 

His eyes are like a flame of fire and He is wearing many crowns. His clothing is dipped in blood, signifying His death as the perfect sacrifice to God to pay for the sin of man.  

He has several names - one known only to him, also Faithful and True, The Word of God, and then on his clothing and on his thigh the name: King of kings, and Lord of lords.  The armies of heaven are with him riding white horses, and wearing white linen. 

Then John saw an angel standing in the sun, calling to the birds that fly "in the midst of heaven," to come and gather themselves to the supper of the great God. 
They will be eating the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both small and great.

The beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gather to make war against Christ and his army. 

The beast and the false prophet, are taken in this silly war. They are thrown alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.  They will be there a long time - eternally.  The interesting thing about their being cast alive into the lake of fire is that they are the first to go there in all time, and they haven't been to the Great White Judgment, where people's lives are examined.  Everyone else will be judged at this judgment.  

Also, notice that the Harlot of Babylon isn't being cast into the lake of fire.  Why? Because she is a personification of a city, not a person.  

Jesus and the saints win the war, and the great tribulation is over.