This chapter shows temporal reversal.  First we see (Revelation 19:1-8) the rejoicing in Heaven after the defeat of the United States and its allies, and then we see the defeat itself (Revelation 19:10-20). The reversal indicates that it is certain, even before the event, that the Kingdom of God will defeat the United States and its allies. The finality of the defeat is indicated by "And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone" (Revelation 19:20) and  "her smoke rose up for ever and ever" (Revelation 19:2). There is no hope for them to recover or to be re-instituted.

We are given some details about the course of the battle. The hosts of Heaven will wage war on the United States and its allies. Their weapons shall not be guns and bombs, but their presence and their words, "out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword" (Revelation 19:15). The word of God has the power to create "God said, 'Let there be light!' and it lit up" (Genesis 1:3), it also has the power to destroy. God knows the true workings behind all this. We see the effect. If God says to you, "Die!" You will fall dead.
If God says to your gun, "Misfire!" It will misfire. If God says, "Rebel!" You will fight your country and allies. In such a circumstance, no Earthly power has any chance, unless God wills it.

We are also told about the secrecy about the identity of God, "he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself" (Revelation 19:12). Part of this indicates that the nature of God is beyond human comprehension. Another part is the inadequacy of any name to encompass the nature of God.  Yet another meaning is that while some names of God are known (Yahweh, Imanuel), only God knows the true siginificance of those names.

As becomes clear in Revelation 21, "the marriage of the Lamb" (Revelation 19:2) refers to the Kingdom of God being housed in the new Jerusalem. Christ is meant by "the Lamb" and Jerusalem is meant by "his wife". Thus "And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints" (Revelation 19:8) is a metaphor for the beauty and pureness of the new Jerusalem.

At the transition point between the two episodes, St. John falls to worship the angel, and the angel rebukes him, "And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, 'See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.'" (Revelation 19:8). A similar episode occurs at Revelation 22:8-9, "And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things. Then saith he unto me, 'See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God!'" This tells us something important about the Kingdom of God. God will not tolerate those who worship other gods, or who worship other persons as if they were gods, or who worship plants, animals or any thing other than God himself (wealth, fame, sex, food, himself, etc.). Nor will he tolerate those who would have others worship them. Outward signs of loyalty, subservience, devotion (such as bowing, kneeling, kissing rings, removing hats, etc.) are to be given only to God. And similarly, inward feelings of loyalty, subservience and devotion are to be directed first and foremost to God. Kings to whom their subjects bowed and scraped here on this Earth will not enjoy the same privilege in Heaven. Anyone who worships something other than God will be severely punished. Anyone who sets himself up to be worshipped will be utterly destroyed: "You shall not have other gods besides me. You shall not carve idols for yourselves in the shape of anything in the sky above or on the Earth below or in the waters beneath the Earth; you shall not bow down before them or worship them, for I , the Lord, your God, am a jealous God" (Exodus 20:3-5).

Why is this? Because no man is significantly superior to another, but all men are inferior to God. If we are going to bow before our fellow man, how shall we express out debt to God? The debt we owe to God is not simply one of a greater degree, and so can not be signified by a deeper bow or a more reverent or more solemn observance than we give to a fellow man. No. The debt we owe to God is infinitely greater, and so the way to signify this is to give no sign of subservience to any man, but to reserve all such signs for God.

This is not to say that there will not be superior and inferior persons in Heaven. There will be; and the inferior will be expected to obey and respect the superior, but there is a difference between obedience and respect on the one hand and worship.

What is the debt we owe to God? Our life. Given to us not once, but twice. First through the creation of man and our participation in that through our birth. Secondly, through the resurrection. Even those who survive the plagues of the last days and live to see the resurrection (and so who may argue that they owe only a single and not a double debt to God) owe a double debt, because not a sole would have survived the plagues of the last days without God's intervention, "For in those days will be tribulations, such as have not been from the beginning of the creation which God created until now, nor will be.  And unless the Lord had shortened the days, no living creature would be saved. But for the sake of the elect whom He has chosen, He has shortened the days" (Mark 13:19-20). Anyone who boasts to have survived on his own power will be utterly destroyed.

Since we owe our lives to God, and can do nothing without life, He must be the ultimate source of all our thoughts and deeds, and so if we love ourselves, how much more should we love Him who enables us to enjoy ourselves? "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and will all your soul, and with all your strength" (Deuteronomy 6:5).

One may wonder, "How can God, who gave life, destroy it?" One may as well ask, "How can a potter, destroy a vessel that does not meet his standards?" or "How can a fisherman throw back a fish that is too small or inedible?" or "How can a farmer throw away rotten fruit." The Lord God has used this Earth as a proving ground and has set Christ up as a judge (because Christ himself has seen and felt the working of human justice, and so has a right to judge). Those who meet Christ's approval will share in the resurrection and eternal life. Those who do not, will not. This is not to say that all of those who are resurrected will be judged to have been perfect. No, sharing in the resurrection means that you are salvageable, not that you are acceptable as you are. For those who are perfect, or rather ready (since perfection is too high of a standard) upon resurrection, additional responsibilities remain. These are those who participate in the first resurrection spoken of in Revelation 20:4-6.