Revelation

 
THE BOOK OF
REVELATION
 
 
O U T L I N E
– The Things Which Thou Hast Seen Revelation 1
– Preface Revelation 1:1-3
– Greeting Revelation 1:4-6
– Purpose and Authentication Revelation 1:7-8
– John on Patmos Revelation 1:9-11
– The Vision of the Son of Man Revelation 1:12-20
– The Things Which Are: Church History Revelation 2 – 3
– Ephesus: The Church After the Apostles Revelation 2:1-7
– Smyrna: The Church Under Persecution Revelation 2:8-11
– Pergamos: The Church Settled Down in the World Revelation 2:12-17
– Thyatira: The Church Ruling the World Revelation 2:18-29
– Sardis: Dead Protestantism Revelation 3:1-6
– Philadelphia: The Recovery of the Truth Revelation 3:7-13
– Laodicea: The Church in a Lukewarm State Revelation 3:14-22
– The Things Which Shall Be Hereafter: Prophetic Events Revelation 4 – 22
– Prologue: Christ’s Rights to the Inheritance Revelation 4 – 5
– Christ’s Rights through Creation Revelation 4
– Christ’s Rights through Redemption Revelation 5
– The Beginning of Sorrows (Seal Judgments) Revelation 6 – 7
– 1st Seal: Conquest Through Diplomacy – White Horse Revelation 6:1-2
– 2nd Seal: War and Bloodshed – Red Horse Revelation 6:3-4
– 3rd Seal: Widespread Famine – Black Horse Revelation 6:5-6
– 4th Seal: Mass Death – Pale Horse Revelation 6:7-8
– 5th Seal: Middle of the Week – Jewish Witnesses Martyred Revelation 6:9-11
– 6th Seal: Governmental Upheaval – Hearts Fail Revelation 6:12-17
– {Two Companies Preserved: A Jewish and a Gentile} Revelation 7
– The Great Tribulation (Trumpet Judgments) Revelation 8 – 11
– 7th Seal: Leading into Trumpets Revelation 8:1-6
– 1st Trumpet: Prosperity Dries Up Revelation 8:7
– 2nd Trumpet: A Great Western Political Power Falls Revelation 8:8-9
– 3rd Trumpet: An Influential Western Person Falls Revelation 8:10-11
– 4th Trumpet: All Leadership in the West Falls Revelation 8:12-13
– 5th Trumpet: Antichrist Emerges, Deludes Apostate Israel Revelation 9:1-12
– 6th trumpet: Advance of the Eastern Arab Confederacy Revelation 9:13-21
– Parenthesis Part I: Christ Claims His Inheritance Revelation 10
– Parenthesis Part II: The Two Witnesses (Jewish Testimony) Revelation 11:1-14
– The 7th trumpet: The Appearing of Christ Revelation 11:15-18
– Added Details: The Judgment of Israel Revelation 12 – 14
– The Believing Jewish Remnant Under Satan’s Persecution Revelation 12
– The Two Beasts: A Political Beast and a Religious Beast Revelation 13
– A Seven-Fold Vision of God’s Intervention Revelation 14
– Added Details: The Judgment of the Gentiles (Bowl Judgments) Revelation 15 – 16
– The Gentile Martyrs, Preparation for Bowls Revelation 15
– 1st Bowl: Moral Pain on the Followers of the Beast Revelation 16:2
– 2nd Bowl: Apostasy of All Nations Who Reject the Gospel Revelation 16:3
– 3rd Bowl: Natural Sources of Joy Are Turned to Misery Revelation 16:4-7
– 4th Bowl: Governmental Apostasy Results in Oppression Revelation 16:8-9
– 5th Bowl: Deep Spiritual Darkness Covers the Empire Revelation 16:10-11
– 6th Bowl: The Kings of the East Invade the Beast’s Empire Revelation 16:12-16
– 7th Bowl: Appearing of Christ, the Fall of the Western Powers Revelation 16:17-21
– Added Details: The Judgment of Babylon Revelation 17:1 – 19:10
– The Great Harlot Revelation 17:1-6
– The Beast: The Revived Roman Empire Revelation 17:7-18
– Details of the Fall of Babylon as a City Revelation 18:1-20
– The Final Destruction of Babylon as a City Revelation 18:1-21-24
– Two Celebrations in Heaven Revelation 19:1-10
– The Appearing Through the Eternal State (8 Visions) Revelation 19:11 – 21:8
– 1st Vision: Christ the Victorious Conqueror Revelation 19:11-16
– 2nd Vision: Summoning the Ravenous Birds to the Supper Revelation 19:17-18
– 3rd Vision: The Judgment at Armageddon Revelation 19:19-21
– 4th Vision: Satan Bound for 1000 Years (Millennium) Revelation 20:1-3
– 5th Vision: Heavenly Saints Reign with Christ for 1000 Years Revelation 20:4-10
– 6th Vision: Great White Throne, Dissolution of Heavens & Earth Revelation 20:11
– 7th Vision: The Second Resurrection, and The Second Death Revelation 20:12-15
– 8th Vision: The Eternal State Revelation 21:1-8
– Appendix: The Church in the Administration of the Millennium Revelation 21:9 – 22:5
– Closing Exhortations Revelation 22:6-21
 
Overview of the Book. Revelation furnishes us with an outline of prophetic events. We might wonder why this book is necessary given that we have great books like Daniel and Isaiah in the Old Testament. There are a number of reasons that the Spirit of God may have had to include this New Testament prophetic book in the canon of scripture. It is well to remember that there is an aspect of prophecy that is peculiar to the revelation of Christ, and peculiar to that which is revealed in the New Testament. The church is revealed in the New Testament. The judgment of the false church, which Revelation speaks in depth about, is something not disclosed in the Old Testament because the church was not revealed at that time. Revelation is not addressed to any particular assembly or individual, but to believers as servants. It is not “the revelation of St. John”, rather it is “the revelation” (‘apokalupsis’ or, the appearing, unveiling) of Jesus Christ. The subject of the book therefore follows from its title; the official kingdom glories of the Lord Jesus Christ which will be manifested at His appearing, preceded by the judgments that prepare the earth and close out major prophetic subjects.
 
An Earthly Book. The Book of Revelation is prophetic, and it fits in with Old Testament prophecy. However, Revelation fills a needed role in prophecy in that it deals with the professing church, which is not found in Old Testament prophecy. Revelation is a book of judgment. It has to do primarily with the earth, although there are several scenes that take place in heaven. Having to do primarily with the earth, Revelation does not give us Church doctrine, although it is written to the Church. This is because the Church is a heavenly entity. The Church is mentioned, but in the context of the earth. In ch.1-3 the Church is on earth as a responsible witness. In ch.21-22 the Church is coming down out of heaven. Then, in the middle section of the book, which deals with judgments, the Church isn’t explicitly seen (no mention from ch.3 to ch.19) because she has been translated! However, Revelation is written to the Church (Rev. 1:11). In fact, it is the only book of prophecy that is written to the Church. We need to “hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies” in this book. 
  
A symbolic book. Revelation is a symbolic book, but it speaks of literal events. We don’t take the symbols literally, but we take the events literally. We see the same thing in the book of Daniel. The he-goat and the ram were symbols, but they represented literal things. The goat hitting the ram represented the literal defeat of Persia by Greece. As in Daniel, so in Revelation, there are some numbers (1260 days, etc.) that are clearly literal. In order to know if something is literal, we need the light of other scriptures to indicate. We should not make “private interpretations” (2 Pet. 1:20). Having read the whole bible (symbols from the Old Testament, etc.) we are able to understand these things. We interpret scripture in light of other scriptures.
 
A summarizing book. Revelation is the summing up of the ends of many prophetic subjects throughout the Word of God. If we don’t understand the Holy Spirit’s method of teaching prophecy we will run into trouble with Revelation. We learn these methods from reading Old Testament prophecy first; read Rev. 10, where the “little book” is figurative of Old Testament prophesies. One needs to have digested the Old Testament prophesies to understand what we have in Revelation. Among other things, one important thing we learn when reading Old Testament prophecy is what William Kelly called the “habit of prophecy”; the habit of going over a portion of the prophetic timeline in a series, then going back over the same ground again, and again. Often the student of prophecy can discern interruptions in that pattern, which are often parentheses within a series that provide valuable information helpful to understanding the rest of the series.
  
An outline. John is told to “Write the things which thou hast seen, the things that are, and the things which shall be hereafter” (Rev. 1:19). This furnishes us with an outline of the book in its three major divisions. The book is divided into three parts; “the things which thou hast seen” refers to the vision of the Son of man (Rev. 1), “the things that are”  refer to the letters to the seven assemblies (Rev. 2-3), and “the things which shall be hereafter” refer to future prophetic events (Rev. 4-22).
 
Written Within and on the Backside. In addition to the outline given in Rev. 1:19, a helpful continuation of that may be taken from Revelation 5:1; "And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals." When a sealed scroll is unsealed, it can be gradually unrolled. What you see first as the seals are removed is the writing on "within". Once unrolled, the scroll can be turned over to read what is written "on the backside". The Book of Revelation is like that. Chapters 6 - 11 give us a chronological sequence under seven seals and seven trumpets that run from the beginning of the prophetic week all the way the appearing and reign of Christ. This straightforward sequence is like what is written within the scroll. Then in chapters 12 - 22 we have added details about persons and events that fit within the previously described sequence of events. This second section is like what is written on the backside of the scroll. In fact, the chronological sequence of events can actually be shown to begin with chapter 1 (historical), followed by church history (ch.2-3), followed by a scene in heaven (ch.4-5), after which the seals commence.1
  
A Chronological Arrangement. It can be helpful to see the sections of Revelation arranged chronologically. The chart below attempts to show that. I highly recommend getting familiar with an outline of prophecy from the Old Testament before reading revelation. I suggest reading some helpful ministry on prophetic events
 
Will the Church go through the Tribulation? No. The Church will be taken out through the Rapture before the Tribulation begins. Here are three simple reasons why I believe the Church will not endure the Tribulation:
  1. The express statements of scripture. We read of the assembly in Philadelphia, “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee out of the hour of trial, which is about to come upon the whole habitable world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” Rev. 3:10. Surely, the "hour of trial" refers to the judgments of the Tribulation period. The Church will be kept out of it. Then in 2 Thess. 2:1-12 we find that the Day of the Lord (Appearing) cannot come until the great apostasy takes place, and the Antichrist is revealed, and that the Antichrist cannot be revealed until the Holy Spirit is removed from the earth! The Holy Spirit will not leave the earth until the Bride is raptured (Rev. 22:17). Therefore, the Church will not be on earth for the Tribulation! Finally, the we read in 1 Thess. 1:10 that Jesus has "delivered us from the wrath to come", referring to the Tribulation judgments, and in 1 Thess. 5:9 that "God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ".
  2. The absence of the Church in Tribulation Passages. The scriptures that deal with the Tribulation either state that the Church will be kept out of it (Rev. 3:10), or they connect the Tribulation with Israel (Jer. 30:4-7; Dan. 12:1), the Gentiles (Rev. 7:9), or the faithful Remnant of the Jews (Matt. 24:3-29). The book of Revelation is primarily a book of judgment which foretells the judgments that God will pour out upon the earth in the tribulation period. It is written to "the seven Churches of Asia", in order that they should know what was coming on this world, and that the light of prophecy would have a moral effect on their conduct. The book is divided into three parts; "the things which thou hast seen" (Rev. 1), "the things that are" (Rev. 2-3), and "the things which shall be hereafter" (Rev. 4-22). Rev. 1-3 directly apply to the "churches". Within the third section, the chapters that deal with judgment falling on the earth are ch.6-19... not once do we read of the Church on earth in those chapters! We see the same thing with Daniel's seventy weeks; the Church was not on earth during the first 69 weeks, and neither will she be during the 70th week. She is only on earth in a parenthesis between the 69th and 70th weeks!
  3. The heavenly calling and hope of the Church as distinct from Israel. Believing that the Church will endure the tribulation comes from a fundamental misunderstanding about the Church, and how the Church is distinct from Israel. Israel was an earthly people, with an earthly calling, earthly hopes, and earthly blessings. The Church has a heavenly calling (Heb. 3:1), heavenly hopes (1 Thess. 1:10), and heavenly blessings (Eph. 1:3). By mixing up the Church and Israel (a fundamental error of Covenant Theology), and by confusing verses that apply to Israel with the Church, many well-meaning believers have come to the erroneous conclusion that the Church will endure the Tribulation judgments. We must see from books like Ephesians and Colossians that the Church is the unique companion of Christ, His body and His bride, whom He will have by His side for all eternity. The Tribulation judgments are the wrath of God. A man might punish his disobedient child, but it would not be fitting for him to discipline his bride! It is a totally different relationship. Apostate Israel is like a disobedient child. Apostate Christendom is like a immoral woman making false claims of relationship with Christ. They will be judged in the Tribulation... not the true Church of God.
 
Three Great Apostasies. There are three great apostasies which come together in the Book of Revelation: the Jewish Apostasy, the Christian Apostasy, and the Apostasy of Government.
 
Seven blessings. Remarkably, while Revelation is a book of judgment, yet there are seven blessings recorded in its pages:
  1. Rev. 1:3 – a blessing for those that read, hear, and keep the words of the book of Revelation.
  2. Rev. 14:13 – A blessing for those who have died in faith.
  3. Rev. 16:15 – A blessing for those who walk carefully and separate from the world.
  4. Rev. 19:9 – A blessing for those invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.
  5. Rev. 20:6 – A blessing for the heavenly saints who will live and reign with Christ in the Millennium.
  6. Rev. 22:7 – A blessing for those who treasure the prophetic scriptures in light of the Lord’s coming.
  7. Rev. 22:14 – A blessing for those who put their trust in the blood of Jesus.
Translation of Revelation. The KJV is based on the Received Text of Erasmus (1516) who lacked the best manuscripts. In some cases, he used the Latin Vulgate to guide him in assembling his Greek Bible. The book of Revelation is unique in that there are few early copies. For this reason it is highly encouraged to use a critical translation when studying Revelation. For example, in the last six verses of this book, Erasmus re-translated from Latin back into Greek to complete the text. Therefore, in the KJV, the text of Rev. 22:16-21 has gone from Greek → Latin → Greek → English!
 

References:

  1. Scott, Walter. An Exposition of the Revelation of Jesus Christ and Prophetic Outlines. Pickering & Inglis.
  2. Darby, J. N. Synopsis of the Books of the Bible. G. Morrish, 1940.
  3. Anstey, B. Outline of the Book of Revelation. Christian Truth Publishing.
  4. Kelly, William. Lectures on the Book of Revelation. Williams and Norgate, 1861.
  5. Kelly, William. Exposition of Revelation. Bible Truth Publishers, 1932.
  6. Hole, Frank B. Hebrews to Revelation. Scripture Truth Publications, 2007.
  7. Grant, Leslie M. Exploring the Revelation. Believers Bookshelf, 1990.
  8. Smith, Hamilton. The Revelation. Central Bible Truth Depot, 1931.
  9. Darby, J. N. Notes on the Apocalypse, Gleaned at Lectures in 1842. Translated from the French. London, 1849.
  10. Stanley, Charles. The Revelation of Jesus Christ: a Brief Exposition. Pickering & Inglis, 1923.
  1. Address by Tim Ruga, Prophecy Part 3: Outline of Revelation, St. Thomas 2019

Revelation 1

 
The Things Which Thou Hast Seen
Revelation 1
 
Revelation 1. The first chapter of the Revelation serves as an introduction to the book. The character of the writer – as a servant rather than an apostle – properly sets the aspect in which the book is to be read. The book is addressed to the seven assemblies, but it is as servants – as individually responsible before God – that the substance of the book is to be absorbed. In this chapter we have the source of the book; God Himself in all three Persons of the Godhead. The first vision of the book opens to us, and we see the Son of man appear as a judge. Before He judges the world He must first judge that which professes His name. This introduces the letters to the seven churches which give us God’s moral judgment regarding the Church as a candlestick (testimony) here in this world.
 
 

Preface (1:1-3)

CHAPTER 1
Revelation of Jesus Christ, which (1) God gave to him, (2) to shew to his bondmen what must shortly take place; and (3) he signified it , sending by his angel, to his bondman John, 
 
v.1 Title, Subject, and Writer. The title of this book is not “the revelation of St. John”, rather it is “the revelation” (‘apokalupsis’ or, the appearing, unveiling) of Jesus Christ. The subject of the book therefore follows from its title. “Jesus Christ” is the true object of the book (see Eph. 1:10). The true subject of the book is “things which will shortly take place”; i.e. future events used to accomplish said purpose: to glorify Christ, which will be be brought about through judgments. There is something beautiful about the expression, “which God gave to him”. Though Christ is in glory, He still takes everything from the hand of God. The contents of Revelation are for “His servants”. Servanthood is not our closest relationship to God, but then relationship isn’t the subject in this book. Furthermore, while Revelation is certainly written to the Church (v.11), it will be applicable for readers during the great tribulation. This is the only New Testament book addressed specifically to servants. A right view of what is coming, especially the glory of Christ, will motivate us and guide us in service to God. These things “must” come to pass; the glory of Christ, the fulfillment of promises, and the apostasy of Christianity demands it. When it ways that Jesus Christ “signified it”, we are given a key to understanding Revelation. These are literal events, but delivered by symbolic signs. We don’t interpret symbols literally, but we don’t deny that the events alluded to are real. In 2 Peter 1:20 we find that we need the light of other scriptures to understand one particular verse (see Rev. 10:10; 1 Cor. 2:11).
 
2 who testified the word of God, and the testimony of Jesus Christ, all things that he saw. 
 
v.2 Reliability of Revelation. The origin of the book is explained: God gave it to Jesus, Jesus signified it to John via His angel, and John testified everything he saw. The chain of Divine knowledge was not broken by John. The Spirit here authenticates the entire book with the Word of God. This verse is not merely a list. The Word of God is the testimony of Jesus Christ is what John saw and testified. This book is remarkably different from the gospels and the epistles. Yet it is still “the testimony of Jesus Christ”, although it is written in the character of judgment, not the character of grace like the epistles. Most of what John writes is what the Lord Himself said to him; the testimony of Jesus Christ.
 
3 Blessed is (1) he that reads, and (2) they that hear the words of the prophecy, and (3) keep the things written in it; for the time is near. 
 
v.3 A Special Blessing for the Reader Notice the beautiful groups of three in this chapter. There are at least 17 groups of three! We need to follow through: (1) read, (2) hear or heed, and (3) keep the words of this prophecy. Perhaps the context in view is the public reading of the scriptures (1 Tim. 4:13) where one reads and others hear. To “keep” them is to treasure them in our hearts (Luke 2:19; 51). Another motivation is given; “the time is near”; i.e. the time of the fulfillment of prophecy. We are at the time of the end, and prophecy is an open book. True blessing comes from reading, hearing, and keeping the prophecy before it is fulfilled, when it is still “at hand”, not after it “has come.” Prophecy edifies those who believe God, not those who doubt Him (2 Peter 1:19; John 15:15). This is one of seven blessings recorded in this book of judgment. The whole book is referred to as prophecy, and this shows that even the letters to the seven churches have a prophetic character.
 

Greeting (1:4-6)

4a John to the seven assemblies which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is, and who was, and who is to come; 
 
v.4a To Seven Assemblies, from an Eternal God. The instrument God chose to write this book was “John”. The very one who lay on Jesus’ bosom, and whose ministry centered around grace and truth, was the vessel God would choose to use to reveal His judgments on the world. It was addressed to the seven assemblies of Asia Minor, which is in modern-day Turkey, the greatest of the spheres of Paul’s labors (2 Tim. 1:15). The number “seven” carries the thought of spiritual completeness. The seven assemblies (the number seven denoting completeness according to the mind of God) give us a complete picture of the Church’s history as a witness on earth. In fact, the number seven occurs more than thirty times in Revelation! In vv.4-5 we have the whole Godhead involved in the origin of the book. First, it is from God the Fatherin His eternal being; “him who is, and who was, and who is to come”. This is an expansion of the Hebrew title for Jehovah (“I AM”, the self-existing One) in a way the Gentile mind can apprehend. Clearly, the Father is Jehovah, but likewise the Son and Spirit are too. Here is is God the Father because of the three Persons identified with the conjunction “and”, but also because usually in Revelation it is God as Father sitting in heaven, as Son coming down in judgment, and as Spirit searching out evil on earth (Rev. 5:7; 5:13; 7:10; 19:4).
 
4b and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; 
 
v.4b From Seven Spirits. Secondly, the book with grace and peace is addressed from God the Holy Spirit. The “seven Spirits of God” is a reference, not to seven unique Spirits, but to God the Holy Spirit in diversity of character (Isa. 11:2), because there is only one Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:4). The seven Spirits are “before his throne” acting in the sphere of government. This is a very different activity of the Spirit of God compared with what we know presently, His work in uniting the body of Christ, indwelling believers, and occupying our hearts with Christ. Nevertheless, it is the same Holy Spirit; the intelligent power by which God acts, in creation, salvation, and government.
 
5a and from Jesus Christ, (1) the faithful witness, (2) the firstborn from the dead, and (3) the prince of the kings of the earth. 
 
v.5a From Jesus Christ. Finally, the book with grace and peace is addressed from God the Son in three ways. Past, He is (1) “the faithful witness” of everything that was in God’s heart toward man, which He fully declared when He was here below. Present, He is (2) “the first begotten of the dead”, the One who conquered death, and had become the “firstborn” (or first in rank) of those who possess resurrection life. Future, He is (3) “the prince of the kings of the earth”, which is what He will be in the Millennium, though we have assurance even now that He will reign. We are associated with Him in (2) resurrection, and in (3) as co-heirs, but the Church has failed to be a faithful witness (1). It is interesting that all three of these titles are connected with Christ on earth: in testimony, in resurrection, and official kingdom glory.
 
Three Utterances. From vv.5b-8 we have three utterances concerning the Person, work, vindication, and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. First, we have a song of praise from the redeemed, then a cry from the united hosts of heaven, and finally a statement from the Lord Himself.
 
5b “To him who (1) loves us, and (2) has washed us from our sins in his blood, 6 and (3) made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father: to him be the glory and the might to the ages of ages. Amen.” 
 
vv.5b-6 A Song of Praise from the Redeemed: 1st Utterance. A doxology of praise from the redeemed follows. Notice what it follows? As soon as the name of Christ is mentioned, the Christian’s heart pours out in doxology! This will always be the case. Compare this with the other worship “triggers” in Revelation (see Rev. 4:9; 5:8; 11:16; 19:4). The theme of this praise is thanksgiving for three things:
  1. The Love of Christ. The Lord Jesus is identified here as “him who loves us”. What a simple, yet magnificent phrase! The scriptures are abundant with mentions of the Father’s love for us, whereas references to Christ’s love are less common, making them even more profoundly precious (Rom. 8:35; 2 Cor. 5:14; Eph. 3:19; Gal. 2:20). 
  2. The Blood of Christ. Never far from the thoughts of the redeemed is the price of our redemption; Christ has “washed us from our sins in his blood”. The blood of Christ is the foundation of every blessing.
  3. The Place of Christ. Not only did He love us and shed His blood for us, but He has brought is into association with Himself as the King and Priest; “made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father”. The thought is not so much nearness, but dignity and office. The reference is to Exodus 19:6, where Jehovah stated His intention for the nation of Israel to make them a kingdom of priests, which could be realized if they would obey His voice and keep His law. The thought of a kingdom of priests was that Israel would represent and pattern the character of Jehovah to teach the other nations His ways, and then as the nations came up to worship Jehovah, Israel would conduct the worship of the nations. Israel never achieved this, because they put themselves on the ground of the law. Christ Himself is the true King and Priest after the order of Melchisedec, and we find here that the redeemed share His place, and become a “kingdom of priests” on the basis of the blood of Christ, in total contrast with the works of the law! 
This song of praise culminates in a doxology that really puts into words the desire of every redeemed soul with regard to the Lord Jesus; “to him be the glory, etc.”.  Contrast this song of the redeemed with the cry in v.7. We have two aspects of the cross; Christ’s death as atonement for sin (vv.5b-6), and Christ’s death as a martyr at the hands of men (v.7). 
 
Let one in his innocence glory,
Another in works he has done:
Thy blood is my claim and my title,
Beside it, O Lord, I have none.2
 

Purpose and Authentication (1:7-8)

¶ 7 “Behold, he comes with the clouds, and (1) every eye shall see him, and (2) they which have pierced him, and (3) all the tribes of the land shall wail because of him. Yea. Amen.” 
 
v.7 A Judicial Cry from the Hosts of Heaven: 2nd Utterance. Now we get a judicial cry, apparently from the united hosts of heaven. It is a timely solemn warning to others, following the outburst of praise in vv.5b-6. In fact, communion with God (the song of praise) is often linked with responsibilities toward others (the judicial cry). The order is important for us to observe. When He returns, Christ will come with “clouds”, symbols of His majesty (Song. 3:6). It is possible also that clouds are a figure of His saints coming with Him (see. Rev. 19:14, Heb. 12:1, Dan. 7:13). At the rapture only the saints see Him, but at the appearing “every eye” will see Him. How is this possible? “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matt 24:27). In a sense, this verse gives us an outline of prophecy: (1) “every eye” – the whole world – will be judged at His appearing, in a succession of battles, then (2) the Jews “which have pierced Him” (Zech. 12:10; John 19:37) will see Him first, and (3) the whole twelve tribes of Israel, “all the tribes of the land” will wail because of Him (Zech. 12:10, 12; Matt. 24:30). While all the tribes of the land includes the ten tribes who mourn in repentance, the expression could have a wider meaning. All the peoples of the earth will not only see Him, but wail in despair because of Him!34
 
8 “I am (1) the Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord God, he (2) who is, and who was, and who is to come, (3) the Almighty.” 
 
v.8 A Divine Statement from the Son: 3rd Utterance. Finally, we are given a divine statement from “the Lord God” that seals these things. He gives three of His divine titles: (1) as “the Alpha and the Omega” He is the source and goal of everything; (2) as “he who is, and who was, and who is to come” He is the ever existing one, the “I AM” (c.p. with v.4 where it was God the Father, here it is the Son! Both are ever-existing, see John 1:1), and (3) as “the Almighty” He is the One who holds sway over all things.
 

John on Patmos (1:9-11)

9 I John, your brother and fellow-partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and patience, in Jesus, was in the island called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus. 
 
v.9 John on Patmos. Now John personally introduces himself to the reader. The inspired writer did not hold himself aloof from those he wrote to. He writes, not as an apostle, but as their brother; part of the family of God. He writes as a saint in the kingdom. He was a fellow-partaker in three things:
  1. Tribulation. This refers to persecution, which is the common portion of all God’s servants. John himself was exiled for the truth’s sake, etc.
  2. Kingdom. This refers to the kingdom of God, which is the sphere of those who own the authority of Christ in this world. The kingdom is distinct from the world, who rejected Christ and cast Him out.
  3. Patience. This refers to the hope of every believer, the expectation of the coming manifestation of Christ, which we are waiting for (c.p. 1 Thess. 2:12).
John is writing more as a prophet than as an apostle in the book of Revelation. He “came to be there not by the emperor’s will, but by God’s will, and for a specific purpose. Secular history says that the Romans unsuccessfully tried to kill John by immersing him in boiling oil. Afterwards he was exiled to Patmos “on account of” his faithfulness to the Word of God. Exiled by a Roman Emperor, God used John to prophesy of the downfall of Rome in its final form. It is significant that John received such a magnificent vision in a time of great isolation and trial. Sometimes, times of social isolation become times of spiritual illumination. Patmos is roughly the center of the prophetic earth. If one stands on the island looking north, he would face the land of Gog and Magog. If one looked west, he would face Rome. If one looked east, he would face Palestine and the lands of the “kings from the east”. In one looked south, he would face Egypt, the king of the south.
 
10 I became in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet, 
 
v.10 The Voice. John came under the power of the Spirit in the special capacity of inspiration. This took place on “the Lord’s Day”, which is the characteristic day of the Christian, the same day our Lord Jesus rose from the dead, and the day the disciples gathered together to break bread (Acts 20). We may not be used as a vessel of inspiration, but we can maintain ourselves in a state in which the Spirit of God is at liberty to occupy us with whatever He will. Perhaps John was going about his normal routine. We ought to not neglect our daily devotions (Luke 1; 2 Sam. 7). The voice was like a “trumpet”, which is used to demand attention. This “voice” continues until the end of ch. 3. The same voice is heard in ch. 4, but from a different direction. Prophesy, like John, looks “forward”, but this voice was “behind” him. What lesson can we learn from this? Before John can be shown the way God will bring about the revelation of Jesus Christ (ch. 4-22) there must be a retrospective look at the Lord’s thoughts about the history of the Church as a witness in the world (ch. 1-3). This is a general principle: we must have God’s thoughts about the past before He will give us His thoughts about the future.
 
11 saying, What thou seest write in a book, and send to the seven assemblies: to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamos, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Loadicea. 
 
v.11 The Intended Recipients. Who is it addressed to? The seven assemblies of Asia Minor. While believers in the tribulation may read and understand the revelation, it is primarily for the Church. It concerns the failure of the Church which ought to humble us, the glory of Christ which ought to purify us (1 John 3:3), and the accomplishment of God’s purpose which ought to encourage us.
 

The Vision of the Son of Man (1:12-16)

¶ 12 And I turned back to see the voice which spoke with me; and having turned, I saw seven golden lamps, 
 
v.12 Seven Golden Lamps. John has to turn (be reoriented) to see the Lord Jesus in a different way, just as he had previously seen the Spirit in a different way (v.4). Upon turning, the first thing John sees is the golden candlesticks. The Church is here to represent Christ: a light-bearing testimony. There are “seven”, just as the Church is complete and perfect in the mind of God as to its public position as established by Him. The candlesticks are “golden”, just as the saints are viewed in a righteous standing before God. But, though their standing is secure, they are now being judged as to their ways. The figure of “lampstands” is used to represent the fact that the Church is on earth as the responsible light-bearer (see 1 Tim. 3:15). It is a question of corporate testimony. The Lord is walking in the midst of the candlesticks with His all-piercing eyes, and demanding from the Church; “give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward (Luke 16:2). The seven addresses are the Lord’s assessment, as Son over His own house, of the Church’s conduct here in this world.
 
13a and in the midst of the seven lamps one like the Son of man,
 
v.13 The Son of Man. The identity of the judge is made plain: it is “one son-of-man like”. Notice that the definite article isn’t there; it is what John sees at a glance. He is usually called Son of God when acting in grace, but called Son of Man when acting in judgment. Christ adopted the title “Son of man” after His rejection. See John 5:25, 27 for the use of the two titles. 
 
13b (1) clothed with a garment reaching to the feet, and (2) girt about at the breasts with a golden girdle: 14a (3) his head and hair white like white wool, as snow; 
 
vv.13b-14a Three Personal Glories The Lord is girded in this vision, a detail that suggests that His affections are guarded. He is viewed in the character of judge. This is consistent with how the Lord is viewed here, as Son of man; the Father has committed all judgment to the Son of man (John 5:27). This may seem a a strange view of Christ, but then we must understand that judgment is God’s strange/foreign work (Isaiah 28:21). He will also make it a short work (Roman 9:28) as His preference is for dispensing love, etc. These three articles (the garments, the girdle, and the hair) speak of three personal glories of Christ; His dignity, righteousness, and wisdom.
  1. The garments are present, not laid aside in priestly grace (John 13:4), not girded about His loins in service, but instead girded about the breasts in solemn dignity.
  2. The girdle is made of gold, which speaks of divine righteousness. This righteousness guards the affections (His strange work). As an application of this, those who are in a position of assembly oversight can learn from this; to wear the girdle to the care meeting, but loosen it at the Lord’s Supper.
  3. The hair represents fullness of divine wisdom in absolute purity (“white as snow”). He is Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:9) as well as Son of man.
14b and (1) his eyes as a flame of fire; 15 and (2) his feet like fine brass, as burning in a furnace; and (3) his voice as the voice of many waters; 
 
vv.14b-15 Three Relative Glories. These next three articles (the eyes, the feet, and the voice) speak of three relative glories of Christ; i.e. the way He will act as a judge; searching, unyielding, and unstoppable.
  1. The eyes are described in words that portray searching, penetrating, consuming judgment (read Amos 9:2-3).
  2. The feet are described in words that portray unyielding faithfulness to principles of divine righteousness. Metal shoes are inflexible; and so is the judgment of the Son of man. Brass is a symbol of God’s righteous requirements for man in responsibility (e.g. the brazen altar). The brass is “fine”, representing perfect consistency. The is no partiality with this Judge. The feet are “as glowing in a furnace”, which tells us that His judgment will be unsparing. 
  3. The voice is described in words that portray unstoppable power (Psa. 29, Ezek. 43:2). Think of the sound of a waterfall like the Niagara Falls; it is the sound of incredible power.
16 and (1) having in his right hand seven stars; and (2) out of his mouth a sharp two-edged sword going forth; and (3) his countenance as the sun shines in its power. 
 
v.16 Three Official Glories. These last three articles (the stars, the sword, and the shining) speak of three official glories of Christ; i.e. the unchanging characteristics of Divine judgment; who He will judge (the responsible ones), with what He will judge (the Word of God), and the way He will judge (in power).
  1. The stars in His right hand are subordinate powers (Gen. 1:16-18); in this context (v.20) they are the “angels” of the assemblies, which are the responsible element (the administration) in the assembly. There are seven in number, which indicated that the administration is set up by God.
  2. The sword coming from His mouth is the Word of God which judges with unerring decision. It is sharpened on both sides (Heb. 4:12).
  3. The shining of His countenance speaks of His supreme authority, power, and strength.

John’s Response (1:17-18)

¶ 17 And when I saw him I fell at his feet as dead; and he laid his right hand upon me, saying, Fear not; (1) “I” am the first and the last, 18 and (2) (A) the living one: and (B) I became dead, and behold, (C) I am living to the ages of ages, and (3) have the keys of death and of hades. 
 
vv.17-18 Fear and Confidence. John’s immediate reaction was to fall at the Lord’s feet. This is similar to others’ reactions; Ezek. 1:28, Isa. 6:5, Dan. 7:15; 10:8-10. If we compare the description of the Lord as a judge in Rev. 1 with the description of Him as our lover in Song. 5:9-16 we also might be surprised by this. The Lord says “fear not”, the same expression the He used so many times in the gospels. It is the same Jesus that John had known, although now in a different character! The Lord identifies Himself in a threefold way:
  1. The One Who is Above Time. He calls Himself the “first and the last”. His existence is outside the bounds of time! To know that such a One is acting on our behalf dispels all fear (1 John 4:18).
  2. The One Who has conquered Death.
    1. He is “the Living One”. This is not talking about the incarnation, rather it is a title, similar to “I AM” (see Luke 24:5). Throughout all time, the Son is the source of all physical and spiritual life; “in Him was life” (John 1:4).
    2. He “became dead”. This is the strongest way to put it. He laid down his life and entered the state of being dead. He had to go into death in order to defeat it.
    3. He is “living to the ages of ages”. Having gone into death, He is risen victorious, never to die again (Rom. 6:9)! The expression “the ages of ages” refers to the eternal state. What assurance this gives us! In fact, whenever the resurrection is brought in, the effect on the believer is peace; e.g. Matt. 28:5-6, Rom. 4:25 – 5:1.
  3. The One Who is in Full Control of the Believer’s Life. Our Lord Jesus holds “the keys” to death and hades (the intermediate state). Death is the state of the body without the soul and spirit. Hades is the state of the soul and spirit without the body. Christ has the keys (full control) over both aspects of separation. He is the custodian of (1) the body, and (2) the soul/spirit. This gives the believer tremendous comfort! For the believer who dies, scripture says they are “fallen asleep through Jesus” or “put to sleep by Jesus” (1 Thess. 4:14). Death and hades have become the valets of our risen Lord!
The posture in which we find John is very instructive. He is on his face before the Lord, with the Lord’s right hand upon him. It is with this twofold attitude that John is able to learn the truths contained in the Book of Revelation; reverential fear and unshakable confidence. We need to have both as we approach this book, and especially as we learn the history of the seven churches.
 

The Message (1:19-20)

19 Write therefore (1) what thou hast seen, and (2) the things that are, and (3) the things that are about to be after these. 
 
v.19 Introduction to the Book. The first instruction from the glorified Son of man provides us with an introduction to the Book of Revelation in its three major divisions. The book is divided into three parts; “the things which thou hast seen” (Rev. 1; the vision of the Son of man), “the things that are” (Rev. 2-3; the letters to the seven assemblies), and “the things which shall be hereafter” (Rev. 4-22; prophetic events). The Greek word for “the things that exist” (G1526) allows for a continuation of that state to some future point. This is important, because the seven letters describe a history that began in the first century but continues to the rapture. The “things that are” when John wrote are still in existence today, although we are living in a phase characterized by “Laodicea” while John lived just prior to that characterized by “Ephesus”.
 
20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou hast seen on my right hand, and the seven golden lamps. –The seven stars are angels of the seven assemblies; and the seven lamps are seven assemblies.
 
v.20 Key Terms Defined. Before proceeding to the letters to the seven assemblies, the Lord defines some key terms. The subject of the seven stars is “a mystery”, because there is something far deeper than just seven literal churches in Asia Minor. Notice that the stars are in the Lord’s “right hand”, which speaks of delegated authority, honor, and great responsibility. This teaches us that those in a place of responsibility in the local assembly should be those who can be depended on. The stars represent the angels of the seven assemblies. What is the meaning of angels? Angels are mentioned in three ways in scripture, but in this case the word is used for men set in a place of authority and responsibility on earth. Read more… It is clear that ‘angel’ in the context of Rev. 1-3 is employed in a representative sense: the element representing the assembly in administrative responsibility. There are “seven” assemblies addressed, which is significant because the number seven denotes completion; i.e. collectively, the seven assemblies give us a complete picture of the Church’s history on earth, from a testimonial standpoint. 
 
  1. Excerpt from “A New Song”, by Henry Suso
  2. I do not doubt that, while the words in Revelation repeat the very language of the older prophets, — for “kindreds” in the common version is literally “tribes,” and “earth” and “land” are, both in Hebrew and Greek, but the same word, — yet that in the passage before us a wider application is to be made than this. Not only shall they see who have pierced Him, but “every eye.” Naturally, therefore, not the tribes of the land only, but of the earth at large, shall wail on account of Him. The testimony is neither to nor of Israel only, though including these. And while the mourning in Zechariah is unto repentance, the word here is large enough to admit of the wail of despair as well as of repentance. – F.W. Grant. The Revelation of Christ.
  3. Not now chosen witnesses, but “every eye” shall see Him then, and especially the Jews, characterized as having pierced Him (compare Zech. 12:10 with John 19:37), and all the tribes of the earth shall wail because of Him. The words will equally bear the sense of “the land;” in which case the clause would take in not the Jews only but the whole δωδεκάφυλον or twelve-tribed nationality of Israel. Let the reader judge which best suits the context, as well as the enumeration of the verse. It is certainly not the twelve tribes in those who pierced Him, but of Israel distinguished from the more direct guilt of Judah, unless it be still wider. – W. Kelly, Lectures on Revelation.

Revelation 2 - 3

 
The Things Which Are: Church History
Revelation 2 – 3
 
The Seven Churches of Asia. There are a number of ways these seven letters can be applied:
  1. Historically: as seven literal churches in Asia Minor with their respective vices and virtues.
  2. Allegorically: as moral principles from each letter that can be applied to us at any time.
  3. Prophetically: as a concise yet complete history of the Church on earth from God’s viewpoint.
Church History. The Bible itself affords us a concise history of the Church. These seven churches are one of three great “sevens” in scripture. It has been said, that if you get a grasp of the seven feasts of Jehovah (Lev. 23), the seven parables of the kingdom (Matt. 13), and the seven letters to the assemblies of Asia (Rev. 2-3), you will have a solid outline of God’s ways with His people on earth. The Lord is walking in the midst of the candlesticks with His all-piercing eyes, and demanding from the Church; “give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward(Luke 16:2). The seven addresses are the Lord’s assessment, as Son over His own house, of the Church’s conduct here in this world. It is not all bad. In many of the churches there is something – or even much – to commend. However, the overall trend is toward failure. The first three churches represent successive periods in church history. In the first three letters, the call to repentance holds out the possibility for the whole Church to return. The last four Churches unfold successively, but each continues on from its beginning until the Lord’s coming. Each of the last four have some mention of the Lord’s coming, showing that each continues on until the end. Also, in the last four, God begins to work with only a remnant. We can see this in that with the first three churches the call to “hear what the Spirit saith” precedes the word to the overcomer, indicating that there is still hope for the whole. In the last four, the word to the overcomer precedes the call to hear, indicating that only the overcomers will hear; by that point the whole is beyond hope. Click here for video lectures on Church History.
 
General Failure. The details will be taken up in the commentary for each verse, but suffice it to say that the general trend is decline. The decline begins with leaving first love, and ends with complete indifference to Christ. Although there have been revivals along the way through the grace of God, the decline has been steady. As with all other dispensations, in the Church period, man once again has failed in his responsibility. If Christ does not retain the first place in the heart (Ephesus), eventually He will be left outside the door (Laodicea).
 
Historical Context. At this time Revelation was written (approx. 90 A.D.) all the apostles except John had passed off the scene and he alone was left to watch the decline. John was now on Patmos, watching over Asia, which was the dominant sphere of Paul’s labors, where he spend his greatest exertions to spread the gospel and the mystery. However, before he dies, Paul said that all in Asia Minor had turned away from him, and no doubt this would include his doctrine; i.e. the heavenly character of the Church. Now Paul was gone, and the decline would continue. In spite of this, there were overcomers among the churches, and John wrote to encourage them, and to warn those who walked carelessly. John tells the overcomers about certain rewards but does not tell them how to overcome. For that we have to go back to Paul’s doctrine.
 
 

Ephesus: The Church After the Apostles

Ephesus. This first great period of Church history (approx. 67 A.D. – 167 A.D.) was characterized by great faithfulness to the Lord, notwithstanding certain efforts to bring in the clergy, and yet a loss of first love. Overall, the Church was going on well, but there was a deeper heart-issue that the Lord was seeking to correct.
 
CHAPTER 2
To the angel of the assembly in Ephesus [‘desireable’] write: These things says he that holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lamps: 
 
v.1 Greeting and Presentation of Christ. The first assembly addressed is Ephesus. The word Ephesus means ‘desireable’. It represents the period when the Church was in its most desirable state; after the apostles had finished their labors, and the Church had been established in the freshness of divine revelation. This short letter can be thought of as the “second epistle to the Ephesians”, because the Paul had already written one to them. In Paul’s epistle to the believers in this capital of Asia, he unfolded the highest truth that God has in his heart; that of the mystery of Christ and His Church. The Lord presents Himself to each church in a different way, in keeping with their state. To Ephesus, the Lord is presented as the One who holds “the seven stars in his right hand” or holds the angels (oversight) responsible, but also “walks in the midst of the seven golden lamps” or is interested in testimony of the assemblies. All authority belongs to Him, which is especially important because some at that time falsely claimed to be apostles. These two characteristics are more general than those describing the Lord in the other six letters, perhaps because Ephesus is the church in its most comprehensive form, at the very start of the decline.
 
¶ 2 I know thy works and thy labour, and thine endurance, and that thou canst not bear evil men; and thou hast tried them who say that themselves are apostles and are not, and hast found them liars; 3 and endurest, and hast borne for my name’s sake, and hast not wearied: 
 
vv.2-3 Commendation. The Lord firstly commends what He can before He reproves the assembly in Ephesus. There was much to commend: mainly they were going on faithfully. They were active in service, patient in trials, ruthless against evil. We will find in v.4, that while they were continuing in all the “right” Christian activities, the proper spring was gone (compare with 1 Thess. 1:3). We understand this in a practical sense. We do not always walk in communion with the Lord, due to the weakness of the flesh, the temptations of the world, and the devices of Satan. Somehow, there is a separation between our hearts and the Lord. But after we lose our “first love”, we do not instantly fall into practical ruin. We still strive to maintain a clear conscience, so we persist for a time in faithfulness to the Lord’s name, doing what is right. That is what we have in vv.2-3. But it cannot last if first love is not recovered. In such a state we may become legal, or prone to legality. Note also that, as soon as the apostles began to pass off the scene, Satan was quick to raise up false apostolic successors. The Ephesian saints (the leaders particularly) were faithful in dealing with these false apostles. The force of the text is that these false apostles were “tried” or tested, branded “liars”, and overthrown. The Lord can say, with regard to this, “Good job!” The Ephesians had “endured”. They showed no sign of giving up in the conflict with evil. They were faithful! From the very start of the work of God in Ephesus, there was great opposition to the truth from both Jews and Gentiles, so much that Paul was forced to leave the city (Acts 19). This opposition came, Jesus tells them, “for my name’s sake”. Yet the brethren there had not wearied.
 
4 but I have against thee, that thou hast left thy first love. 
 
v.4 Rebuke. In the entirety of this short letter to Ephesus, this verse gives us the only symptom of a problem there, and it is a problem with the heart. What does is mean that “thou hast left thy first love”? To leave our first love is to let Christ slip in our heart from having the first or best place in our affections. The Lord considers them a “fallen” church (v.5). This departure in affection is the root of all failure. Declension did not begin with a lessening in activity or service, but with the lessening of affection for Christ (see Luke 10:42). Sometimes our “first love” is what we have when we are first saved, and it is chronologically first. But not always. The word “first” here is similar to ‘best’ as in the ‘best robe’ (Luke 15:22). Historically speaking, the “first love” is a place from which the Church has fallen, and to which she has never corporately recovered.
 
5 Remember therefore whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works: but if not, I am coming to thee, and I will remove thy lamp out of its place, except thou shalt repent. 
 
v.5 Exhortation. What was the assembly in Ephesus to do? How could they be recovered? Firstly, they must “remember from whence” they had fallen; i.e. recall the enjoyment of first love. Secondly, they were to “repent”; or have a change of both heart and mind about their course. Thirdly, they were to “do the first works”; works that characterize those to whom Christ means everything. Clearly, there was a possibility that the assembly would not remember, repent, and do. “But if not”, what would happen? The Lord would come and remove their candlestick. The removal of a candlestick occurs when the assembly forfeits its place as a public light bearer. At such a time the Lord Jesus would no longer be in the midst (v.1). There is a word that was inserted in the Authorized version that should not be there; the word “quickly”. Why is this important? The Lord does not come quickly to remove a candlestick – He suffers long, as with the Corinthians. He does come quickly for other things; such as to fight against corruption in the assembly (v.16) or to take the saints home to heaven (Rev. 22:7, 12, 20).
 
6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitanes, which “I” also hate. 
 
v.6 Second Commendation. The Lord gives a second commendation, and it is an important one. They hated the works of the Nicolaitanes. What were the Nicolaitanes? There is almost no reference to this early heresy in history. In Hippolytus on Heresies, the bishop says the leader of this sect was Nicolas, one of the seven deacons appointed in Acts 6, and that he taught indifference to conduct. However, W. Kelly points out that Hippolytus may have no more evidence than we have in Rev. 2, and therefore anything beyond that is speculation.5 Another theory sometimes put forward is taken from the meaning of the name, suggesting that the name means ‘to destroy/conquer’ (nico) ‘the people’ (laitanes), and that it could refer to the error of clericalism. However, one feels more comfortable drawing only a general conclusion from the context in which the Nicolaitanes are mentioned; namely that they practiced things God hates (Ephesus), and taught some kind of doctrine that excused or encouraged sin (Pergamos). W. Kelly speaks of this as antinomianism; practicing lawlessness under the banner of grace. Notice the progression with regard to the Nicolaitanes. Here in Ephesus they hated even the tiniest deed, but in v.15 there were some in the church of Pergamos that held the doctrines of the Nicolaitanes (see 1 Cor. 15:33).
 
¶ 7 He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To him that overcomes, I will give to him to eat of the tree of life which is in the paradise of God. 
 
v.7 A Message to the Overcomer. Those in Ephesus were called to listen to what the Spirit of God was saying to them. Who do we to listen to? Notice the following contradiction: in the papal system, people are taught to listen to what the church says to the people (they abuse Matt. 18:17), but in the Word of God, people are taught to listen to what the Spirit saith to the churches. If we compare with the gospels (Matt. 11:15) we find that there were “ears to hear” in the Lord’s day, but now there is only “an ear” in Rev. 2-3; only one ear is open! The promise to the overcomer in Ephesus is to eat of “the tree of life which is in the paradise of God”. This speaks of the enjoyment of a risen Christ (a source of resurrection life), as the Head of a new creation… a sphere where death can never come.
 

Smyrna: The Church Under Persecution

Smyrna. This second great period of Church history (167 A.D. – 313 A.D.) was characterized by deep suffering of the saints under persecution from Rome. Ten pagan persecutions unfolded, intermingled with brief periods of rest. The Lord has no rebuke for Smyrna, only commendation and comfort. In one sense, the persecution helped the church to prosper spiritually. Eventually this period came to an end when the Roman Empire became favorable toward Christianity around the time of Emperor Constantine.
 
¶ 8 And to the angel of the assembly in Smyrna [‘suffering’] write: These things says the first and the last, who became dead, and lived: 
 
v.8 Greeting and Presentation of Christ. The second assembly was Smyrna, which means ‘suffering’. It comes from the word “myrrh”, which was a fragrant herb whose odors are released with crushing force. As such, myrrh is often a type of suffering in scripture. The assembly is Smyrna suffered greatly under Roman persecution, and therefore to these suffering saints Christ is presented as: (1) “the first and the last”, the One who is unchangeably the same, and (2) the One who suffered ultimate apparent defeat and rose triumphant over the grave! If the saints in Smyrna were going to face martyrdom, they would have as a Leader One who suffered death Himself, and was victorious!
 
¶ 9 I know thy tribulation and thy poverty; but thou art rich; and the railing of those who say that they themselves are Jews, and are not, but a synagogue of Satan.
 
v.9 Commendation. The Lord has much to commend them for, because they were faithfully enduring extreme persecution. But there was more than persecution. Satan unleashed a double attack: from without (persecution) and from within (Judaizers). The external attack ultimately failed, and the internal attack succeeded. The “tribulation” spoken of here was sent by the Lord to bring the Church back to first love. Who is the “them” in this verse? It refers to the bane of Christianity, those who bring the Church and the believer down to earth. They were not really of Jewish descent, but those who mixed Christianity and Judaism together (Luke 5:36-39). Using their influence, many of the early Church fathers systematically Judaized the Church. These Judaizers “say they are Jews”; i.e. they claim to be exclusively the people of God, but the Lord says “and are not”! Rather, they are identified with Satan, because they are really doing his work. “Synagogues” in scripture are connected with teaching or doctrine (Matt. 4:23, Acts 6:9). We could summarize this attack as a concerted effort to Judaize the Church through false doctrine.
 
10 Fear nothing of what thou art about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give to thee the crown of life. 
 
v.10 Exhortation. The saints in Smyrna could expect great suffering, but the Lord tells them to “fear nothing of what thou art about to suffer”. The devil would “cast into prison” some of them; Satan would not do this personally, but rather he would stir up the Roman government to persecute Christians (compare Rev. 12:3). The persecution would last “ten days”, which implies a brief and limited time; see Gen. 24:55, Neh. 5:18, Jer. 42:7, Dan 1:12, and Acts 25:6. The Lord assures them the tribulation has a limited duration. Also, each day may represent one of the ten pagan persecutions, under: Nero (54), Domitian (81), Trajan (98), Adrian (117), Septimus Sevarus (193), Maximin (235), Decius (249), Valerian (254), Aurelian (270), and Diocletian (284). The “crown of life” is for the martyr who makes the ultimate sacrifice, but it is also for any believer who faithfully endures the trials of this life (James 1:12). 
 
¶ 11 He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. He that overcomes shall in no wise be injured of the second death. 
 
v.11 Message to the Overcomer. To the suffering saints in Smyrna, the reward held out to the overcomer is the enjoyment of eternal security. Persecutors may kill your body, but they can never kill your soul. The second death is eternal separation from God (Rev. 20:14). You might ask, doesn’t every believer have eternal security? How can this be a special reward? It is a special reward in the same way the overcomer in Sardis is promised that his name would not be blotted out of the book of life. It is the enjoyment of the fact in addition to the fact itself.
 

Pergamos: The Church Settled Down in the World

Pergamos. This third great period of Church history (313 A.D. – 580 A.D.) was characterized by increasing worldliness in the Church. Constantine became emperor of Rome in 306 A.D. partly through his popularity with the army. In 312 A.D. he united the eastern and western parts of the Roman Empire by putting down Maxentius’ rebellion, at the battle of the Milvian Bridge; where he became convinced of the value of Christianity (“in this sign conquer”). One year later, Constantine issued the Edict of Milan (Feb. 313 A.D.) which was the agreement to treat Christians benevolently within the Roman Empire. This changed the Roman Empire’s policy toward Christians. This was the great relief Christians had earnestly desired for decades in the Smyrna period. It was around ten years later, in 324 A.D., that Constantine forced Christianity on his empire through baptism. Roman persecution stopped, the ranks of Christians shot up, and empty pagan temples and feast days were offered to the Church. Outwardly, it was a great success. But inwardly, there was a deadly danger in all of this worldly favor. Satan had failed to undermine the Church through persecution, but now the avenue of prosperity was succeeding. Sadly, the Church succumbed to the dangers of prosperity. For the first time in Church history, we see a ruinous union between Church and state; a union which is obnoxious to God. Furthermore, Constantine became the head of the Christian church, yet never relinquished his place as head of the pagan church. Therefore, we see in the Pergamos period not only a union between the Church and state, but between Christianity and Paganism. This mixture, which publicly bears the name of Christ, is called Christendom.
 
¶ 12 And to the angel of the assembly in Pergamos [‘marriage’] write: These things says he that has the sharp two-edged sword: 
 
v.12 Greeting and Presentation of Christ. The third assembly addressed is Pergamos, which means ‘marriage’. Throughout this period of Church history, the church was drawn into an unholy union with the world; a place that was completely untenable with the heavenly calling and hopes of the Church. There was great outward growth, but much of it was not real. Accordingly, the Lord is presented as having “the sharp two-edged sword” (Heb. 4:12), because much of the “growth” was portentous and corrupt. The sword of the Spirit alone can discern where there is “truth in the inward parts” (Psalm 51:6).
 
¶ 13 I know where thou dwellest, where the throne of Satan is; and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in the days in which Antipas [‘against all’] my faithful witness was, who was slain among you, where Satan dwells. 
 
v.13 Commendation. In spite of everything, there was much that Pergamos could be commended for. Firstly, the Lord could say, “thou holdest fast my name”. Although they were in a compromised position, the Spirit saw to it that the doctrine of the Person of Christ and the Trinity were preserved and that the word of God was venerated (see “Canonization” below). “Satan’s throne” is the world’s system, and that is where Pergamos dwelt. It is a precarious place for a Christian to be, let alone dwell. We cannot forget that Satan is the god of this world religiously (2 Cor. 4:4), and the prince of this world politically (John 12:31). By getting entangled with this world, Christians fall into the domain of Satan. In the Pergamos period, for the first time, history witnessed a union between Church and State. Yet, in spite of all this mixture, there was “a faithful witness” (see Rev. 1:5). A faithful witness is what Christ was to God (Rev. 1:5; 3:14), and also what the Church should have been but failed to be. In those days, there was tremendous pressure to give up the fundamental tenets of Christian doctrine and plummet into heterodoxy. Antipas was totally alone; so faithful that he was murdered “among you”; in the presence of the angel of the church in Pergamos.
 
Arius and Athanasius. Throughout the Pergamos period, the Church of God was assaulted by repeated attacks against the Person of Christ. In the late third century, a storm was again brewing in the Church. Two schools had emerged, one centering in Antioch with a strong Judaizing focus, and the other in Alexandria with a strong Hellenistic focus. A young man named Arius arose as an instrument of Satan from the Jewish corridor, and God raised up Athanasius of Alexandria, another young man, to counter this attack.

Arius said, "If the Father begat the Son, he that was begotten had a beginning of existence: and from this it is evident, that there was a time when the Son was not. It therefore necessarily follows, that he had his substance from nothing"... thus denying the eternal existence of the Son of God, and the Trinity. It was based on a human, experiential view of the Father-Son relationship, rather than a scriptural view. Arius taught that the Father "begat" or gave being to another god, called God's Son, who in turn created everything else, including the Holy Spirit. Arianism spread quickly, and soon Christendom was divided.

The Emperor Constantine called the first ecumenical council in Nicaea in A.D. 325 to sort the matter out. The Emperor personally subscribed to Arianism, but really wanted to see the empire united. Athanasius was seen running from room to room over the month-long council, defending the eternal deity of Christ. After much bickering and long deliberations, the council produced the Nicene Creed which, for all its flaws, affirmed that Jesus Christ was homoousios (same substance) as the Father, and affirmed the Trinity as one God, with three co-eternal, co-equal Persons. It also anathematized Arius and his followers. Athanasius spent the rest of his life combating Arianism, and was exiled five times for his faithfulness. He is not the same person as Antipas who was martyred, but it is significant that Athanasius became known to history as Athanasius Contra Mundum, which is Latin for ‘Athanasius Against the World’. Perhaps Antipas was one of a similar character to Athanasius, but who was literally killed.
 
Canonization of the New Testament. While the Old Testament was canonized (accepted broadly as scripture) in the first century before Christ, the New Testament was left to languish for many years after the apostles had passed on. It was through the faithfulness of some in the Pergamos period, chiefly Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, that the canon was formally received. In his Easter letter of A.D. 367, Athanasius gave a list of exactly the same books that would formally become the New Testament canon. He even used the word “canonized” with regard to these books. However, it wasn’t until Pope Damasus commissioned the Latin Vulgate edition of the Bible in A.D. 383 that the canon was really “fixed” in the West. The first ecumenical council that accepted the canon was the Synod of Hippo Regius in North Africa in A.D. 393, twenty years after Athanasius’ death.
 
14 But I have a few things against thee: that thou hast there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a snare before the sons of Israel, to eat of idol sacrifices and commit fornication. 15 So thou also hast those who hold the doctrine of Nicolaitanes in like manner. 
 
vv.14-15 Rebuke. There are two doctrines that Pergamos is rebuked for: the doctrine of Balaam and the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes. Evil doctrines are like bananas… they come in bunches. When we give up one part of the truth of God, soon we will give up more. This is because the truth of God is interconnected. Read more… The doctrine of Balaam had two parts, which are listed in reverse order from the historical account in Num. 25. Here the more serious part (idolatry) is mentioned first. The second part of Balaam’s plan was to get the people identified with idols through rituals. This was made possible by the first part of Balaam’s plan, which was to get the people going after the lusts of the flesh (see v.20). A second brand of evil doctrine is “the doctrine of Nicolaitanes” (c.p. v.6). In Ephesus, the assembly hated the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, but in Pergamos it has been systematized into a doctrine held by some. Note that the angel didn’t hold this doctrine, but is rebuked for tolerating those who did. It may be impossible to know for certain what the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes is. However, it seems to be a doctrine that is parallel to that of Balaam, indicating it is a doctrine that makes sin acceptable (Jude 4). See note on Rev. 2:6.
 
16 Repent therefore: but if not, I come to thee quickly, and I will make war with them with the sword of my mouth. 
 
v.16 Exhortation. The exhortation is to repent, to change their thoughts, to turn away from the world to Christ. If they did not repent, the Lord warns that He would come to the angel (“thee” is singular), and “make war” with those who held and taught the evil doctrines (“them” is plural). This “coming” is not at the rapture or the appearing, but an immediate governmental dealing with these ones by the Lord.
 
¶ 17 He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To him that overcomes, to him will I give of the hidden manna; and I will give to him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, which no one knows but he that receives it
 
v.17 Message to the Overcomer. The overcomer is promised a portion of “the hidden manna”, which is a contrast with eating things offered to idols. Manna generally is a type of Christ, who said “I am the living bread which came down from heaven” (John 6:51). Jesus showed that, as a man on the earth, He was the antitype of the manna that fed Israel in the wilderness. We can and must feed on Christ in this way, occupying ourselves with Him in His humility and perfect grace. The manna ceased when Israel entered the land of Canaan. The hidden manna (Ex. 16:33) was a special sample of manna that was put into the ark of the covenant “before the Lord”, where it remained until the ark was taken away. It was reserved for heaven’s delight. How much of the life of Christ is recorded in the gospels? Very little (John 21:25). There was that in the pathway of Christ that was for the eye of His Father. The hidden manna therefore speaks of a future enjoyment of Christ in His pathway down here, which we will have in heaven after the struggles are over, when we will have the vantagepoint of heaven. We will have a greater appreciation of our Lord’s pathway in that day than we do now! The “white stone” is a figure taken from Roman culture. Stones were used in voting, etc., and a white stone symbolized approval or agreement. For the overcomer, a white stone with a secret name is the expression of Christ’s personal approval of our walk as overcomers; secretly between us and the Lord.
 

Thyatira: The Church Ruling the World

Thyatira. In this fourth great period in Church history (580 A.D. and forward) we see the lowest point in Church history. This is the longest letter of the seven, and it is primarily occupied with rebuke. The worldliness in Pergamos threw open the door for Satan to invade the professing Church. A false ecclesiastical system called Popery arose in the Thyatira period, which continues to this day. The clergy, whose beginnings were seen in the Ephesus period, now seized full control of the Church. In this system, the Church arrogated to herself political power and ruled the world from a position of power, in corruption and deceit. Subjects of this wicked system were forced to agree with the decrees of the papal authorities or face punishment, torture, and death. A vast system of commerce and taxation arose for the enrichment of those at the top of the hierarchy. Many of the elite had little care for the common man, and deep darkness covered the moral landscape. The doctrine of justification by grace through faith alone was almost completely lost. The authority of the Word of God was cast aside, and replaced by the teaching of the church, or Catechism. Islam was founded in 612 A.D. and rapidly began pushing into “Christian” territories through the use of violent force. Rather than turn to Christ in repentance, the Church undertook military campaigns against the Muslims which lasted for centuries. The Great Schism occurred in 1054 A.D. dividing the church in its outward testimony; the Western (Roman) Catholic Church was separated from the Eastern (Orthodox) Church. The eastern branch of the Church became very much frozen in time, though beaten down in many areas by Islamic forces, while great changes lay in store for the western church. In the West, the grip of the wicked Papal system stunted the entire development of the Western world; morally, academically, and technologically, resulting in what is called “the Dark Ages”. The western church launched a number of disastrous crusades to the Holy Land at the request of the Byzantine emperor for assistance in defending the east against Muslim invasions. In the later middle ages, Europe was wracked with political and social upheaval, and epidemic disease (the Black Death). The church remained in a very low condition until God, in His great mercy, gave a recovery beginning in the late 15th century and more fully in the 16th century called the Protestant Reformation.
 
¶ 18 And to the angel of the assembly in Thyatira [‘continual sacrifice’] write: These things says the Son of God, he that has his eyes as a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass: 
 
v.18 Greeting and Presentation of Christ. The name Thyatira means “continual sacrifice”, which may very well hint at the Catholic mass: a continual re-sacrificing of the Lord’s body and blood (read more…). The Lord presents Himself to Thyatira as “the Son of God”; which is His eternal, ontological, intra-Trinitarian identity. As Son of God, Christ is the true Rock on which the Church is built (Matt. 16:16-17). Notice that the Lord generally presents Himself to the churches in a character seen in the vision in ch.1, but “Son of God” is a distinct title not mentioned in the vision (contrast “Son of man”, Rev. 1:13). Why bring out His title in Divinity rather than manhood? The evil in the Church had risen to such a height in Thyatira that Christ was now retreating from His humanity into His deity. Such is the result of the evil man has brought into association with His Name. The description of His eyes and feet are taken directly from the vision in ch.1. His eyes are piercing, His feet are treading out judgment. What His eyes discover, His feet tread upon.
 
¶ 19 I know thy works, and love, and faith, and service, and thine endurance, and thy last works to be more than the first. 
 
v.19 Commendation. There is much to be commended in Thyatira, especially as it concerns their “works”. While some in this assembly were guilty of very serious evil, there were a great number that were going on well, in their works, love, faith (personal), service, and endurance (concerning trials). This commendation has especially to do with benevolent service; helping those in need. It is remarkable that the Catholic church, for all its wrongs, has often been a world-leader in charitable activity. The sense of “thy last works to be more than the first” is that as the day gets darker, the last or more recent works shine brighter.
 
20 But I have against thee that thou permittest the woman [‘thy wife’] Jezebel, she who calls herself prophetess, and she teaches and leads astray my servants to commit fornication and eat of idol sacrifices. 21 And I gave her time that she should repent, and she will not repent of her fornication. 
 
vv.20-21 Rebuke. The rebuke to Thyatira concerns their allowing a corrupt ecclesiastical order to arise and seize control of the assembly. This corrupt ecclesiastical system, which aligns the Church with the world and promotes idolatrous practices, is called “Jezebel”. It is a prophetic hint of the Catholic system. William Kelly says there is sufficient manuscript support to render v.20 “thy wife Jezebel”. The angel was married to this woman. Just as Ahab allowed himself to be controlled by his wife, yet was held responsible (1 Kings 21:25), so the angel of the assembly in Thyatira was responsible for “permitting” this false system to go on. She called herself “prophetess”; claiming that she was the mouthpiece of God. One cannot help but think of the dark ages where Catholicism tended to squash any ministry not sanctioned by the clergy. It says “she teaches”… teaching is a role she assumed for herself. Scripturally, the Church doesn’t teach, it is taught. What did Jezebel teach? She taught the assembly to “commit fornication” and “eat of idol sacrifices”. These are the same two elements of the doctrine of Balaam (v.14), held by some in Pergamos, now taught by the woman Jezebel in Thyatira. The order is reversed again (same as in Num. 25) because it is in practice; the people go after worldly pleasures, then get involved in idolatry. In v.21 we see that the Lord has been very patient with Thyatira; she has had 1400 years of “time that she should repent”. But Christ declares beforehand that there is no repentance or reformation of this awful system; “she will not repent”. Jezebel clings particularly to power, and the pleasures power affords; she will not repent of “her fornication”. Therefore, a remnant is distinguished in v.24. But before the remnant comes into view, the judgment of Jezebel must first be declared vv.22-23.
 
22 Behold, I cast her into a bed, and those that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, 23 and her children will I kill with death; and all the assemblies shall know that “I” am he that searches the reins and the hearts; and I will give to you each according to your works. 
 
vv-22-23 Warning. The full details of the judgment of Jezebel are given in Rev. 17-18. Notice that she is pictured as a mother. The true church is called the bride and the wife of Christ, but never a mother. Later we find that the false church is called “the mother of harlots”. Let us remember that the ecumenical movement is nothing less that the mother of harlots calling her daughters home. Three classes are judged:
  1. Jezebel herself, who represents the false system.
  2. Her lovers, who represent the businesses and organizations which profit from relations with the false church.
  3. Her children, who represent the souls that are ‘born’ of her false principles.
Note that Jezebel and her partners are said to be brought into “great tribulation”; i.e. they appear to be judged around the middle of the week. Meanwhile, some of her children may be judged at the appearing. The Lord says He would kill her children “with death”; i.e. total apostasy, leaving them to worship the beast. The last part of v.23 is interesting. When judgment befalls Jezebel and her associates during the great tribulation, all the churches will come to understand through experience what they should currently grasp through faith, that Christ searches (1) “the reins” – the controlling motives, and (2) “the hearts” – the affections and objects. “I will give to you each” shows that there is a coming day of examination and reward, be it good or evil.
 
24 But to you I say, the rest who are in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I do not cast upon you any other burden; 25 but what ye have hold fast till I shall come. 
 
vv.24-25 Exhortation. The Lord’s eye now turns to a remnant company. There were a few in Thyatira who stood aloof from the mother of harlots, and they suffered for it. A few examples we know of are the Albigenses and Waldenses. They would not receive “this doctrine”; i.e. Jezebel’s two-part doctrine (see v.20). Nor had they known “the depths of Satan”; perhaps a way of referring to the deepest, darkest evil that has ever existed in Christendom. The expression “as they speak” is one of Divine irony. Jezebel had falsely accused the overcomers in the Thyatira period of heresy, of being allies of Satan. The Lord turns the expression around to commend the remnant. He would lay on them “none other burden”. There was to be no fresh development of truth laid upon them (like Ephesus), but in v.25, a holding fast of the fundamentals. There are some too in the Catholic system who are real believers, but they are afraid to leave the system. He wasn’t going to put a burden on them that they couldn’t bear. They should hold fast what they have until the Lord comes to take them out of the system. In Ezekiel 9, a man with an ink horn was to go through Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who “sigh and that cry for all the abominations that are done in the midst thereof”. They hadn’t left the city, but they were marked by hopeless resignation. By God’s mercy, when the moment of judgment came, they were not judged with the city. However, this verse cannot be used to allow evil to go on in the assembly. The assembly is responsible to deal with evil. The Lord’s coming is presented to the last four churches because a representation of each will be on earth at the rapture. Total recovery is out of the question, but the Lord’s coming is not!
 
26 And he that overcomes, and he that keeps unto the end my works, to him will I give authority over the nations, 27 and “he shall shepherd them with an iron rod; as vessels of pottery are they broken in pieces,” [Psalm 2:9] as I also have received from my Father; 28 and I will give to him the morning star. 
 
vv.26-29 Message to the Overcomer. An overcomer in Thyatira is defined as one who keeps “my works” (compare with “your works” in v.23) to the end. The reward is “power”, not separate from Christ, but in partnership with Him. Thyatira is marked by her desire for power. To the despised overcomer in the time when the false church rules the world is promised the future portion of reigning with Christ over the nations! This reward is given to the Son as He has received from His Father (a direct allusion to, if not a quote from, Psa. 2:9), but it is then shared with us! Note: the fact that Christ speaking in Revelation 2:27 quotes Psalm 2 about Jehovah addressing His Son, and then states that it is a promise He has received from His Father, is a beautiful testimony to the Eternal Sonship and Deity of Christ! Psalm 2, likely written a thousand years before the incarnation, testifies of the Sonship of Christ, and the Father’s desire (though not yet revealed as Father until Christ came), to glorify His Son. “And I will give to him the morning star” is an enjoyment of Christ in connection with the hope of His coming. The “morning star” (probably Venus) precedes the coming of day and represents the expectation of Christ Himself as the believer’s hope; for it was Jesus who said “I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star” (Rev. 22:16). The promise of reigning with Christ when the Sun of Righteousness is risen (Mal. 4:2) is surpassed by another reward. It is not exactly an event that is the believer’s hope, but a Person. The believer anticipates the return of Christ, and therefore enters into the dawning of day and the morning star in his heart (2 Pet. 2:19). This anticipation will be rewarded at the rapture; “Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus“ (Rev. 22:20). Those in the remnant of Thyatira, who lived before the recovery of the truth, did not have “the morning star” in its detail; but they knew that they would be vindicated in a future day. A great example of this is John Huss.
 
¶ 29 He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. 
 
v.29 The Call to Hear. With the last four churches, the call to hear comes after the message to the overcomer, indicating that the mass will no longer hear. The only listening ears are among the remnant; the overcomers.
 

Sardis: Dead Protestantism

The Reformation. In the dark ages, two critical truths were lost that were subsequently recovered in the Protestant Reformation: (1) the authority of the scriptures, and (2) salvation by grace alone through faith alone. (Note that the full extent of “justification by faith” was not known until much later, because the reformers really didn’t understand justification in its full sense; i.e. our position ‘in Christ’.) Sardis is not properly the Reformation, but rather what the Reformation deteriorated into. The downfall of the Reformation occurred when the Protestant churches appealed to the national governments of Europe for protection from Rome. The move gradually descended into dead formalism. Many had come out of Catholicism, but Catholicism did not entirely come out of them. In a certain sense, this could be expected, because generally the reformation of a corrupt system is futile. Sardis is the form a branch of Christendom took when the life that genuine Reformation-faith had pumped into it was later drained out. It is like a dead body with a new face. God starts fresh with Philadelphia, where a specific characteristic was that of making no claims to spiritual greatness.
 
The Reformers. There is an Old Testament type of the Reformers in the person of Jehu. God used Jehu to break the power of Jezebel and her daughter Athaliah. Jehu was raised up by God to deal with the whole house of Ahab, including his wife and daughter. In a similar way, the Reformation began as a work of God. But Jehu used fleshly means to break that power, just as the Reformers later set up national churches to gain the protection of the secular powers from the persecution of Rome. This was the downfall of the Reformation, and it resulted in spiritual deadness.
 
CHAPTER 3
¶ 1 And to the angel of the assembly in Sardis [‘those escaping’] write: These things saith he that has the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars: 
 
v.1a Greeting and Presentation of Christ. The Lord presents Himself as the one who has the “seven spirits” of God. Someone might ask, does this contradict the Lord’s teaching in John that there was “another” (singular) Comforter, and Paul’s teaching that there is “one Spirit” (Eph. 4:4)? No. The “seven Spirits of God” is a reference, not to seven unique Spirits, but to God the Holy Spirit in diversity of character (Isa. 11:2), because there is only one Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:4). The Spirit of God is the power by which God accomplishes His purposes. It represents inward power in contrast to outward forms. The “seven stars” represent outward authority. Compare with the presentation of Christ to Ephesus. Here the emphasis is that Christ is the only one who holds the source of light and power for the soul (in contrast to the national governments). They are at His disposal to bless.
 
I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. 
 
v.1b Rebuke. The reformed churches had a name. They stood for reality, for separation from corrupt Rome, and for the Word of God. But inwardly they were dead.
 
2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things that remain, which are about to die, for I have not found thy works complete before my God. 3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and keep it and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come upon thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know at what hour I shall come upon thee. 
 
vv.2-3 Exhortation and Warning. The things that are “ready to die” refers to the godly exercises of the reformers. They read the scriptures, accepted them as the inspired Word of God, and applied it to themselves. It is an attitude of living reality in contrast to dead formalism. Sardis needed to “be watchful” concerning the disease of spiritual deadness. Their works were “not complete”, because the reformation failed to go all the way back to the apostles’ doctrine. The road to restoration was to “remember”, to “keep”, and to “repent”. It was a question of walking in the truth they had already received. If we walk in the light we have and God will show us more; e.g. Josiah’s life shows this (2 Kings 22-23). As with Thyatira, we have a warning for Sardis. Those who are not watching for the Lord’s coming (for His saints), they will be surprised as by “a thief” at the appearing (with His saints). All those of genuine faith will be raptured out, but these will be merely false professors. The Lord will come upon what remains of Sardis the same way He will come on the world; i.e. as a thief (1 Thess. 5:2-4).
 
4 But thou hast a few names in Sardis which have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with me in white, because they are worthy. 
 
v.4 Commendation of a Remnant. The defilement of garments here is not so much the defilement of the flesh (Jude 23), although it perhaps is included, but rather it is the defilement of death; i.e. an outward form with no inward reality. A present walk with the Lord Jesus in separation from evil makes us able to enjoy fellowship with the Lord even now. It seems that this verse speaks of our present privilege of walking with the Lord, then v.5 takes us into the future.
 
¶ 5 He that overcomes, “he” shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot his name out of the book of life, and will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. ¶ 6 He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. 
 
vv.5-6 Message to the Overcomer. The promised reward is threefold (all to be received in the future):
  1. White garments. A symbol of purity given as a public reward for walking through this earth in separation from evil.
  2. A name not blotted out. To be owned as the Lord’s. Many of the names of the faithful in Sardis were blotted out of church registers on account of their faithfulness. But they would never be blotted out of God’s book of life. Mere professors will be blotted out.
  3. A name confessed. Although their names might be despised name before men in their own lifetime (Luke 12:8), their names would be honored by the Father in heaven, before the whole heavenly host.
There may be a difference between the “Lamb’s Book of Life” and the “book of life”. The Lamb’s book of life has the names of all the elect written from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8). This book of life is the same book, but viewed in another aspect. The names of men are written there when they profess the name of Christ, but then they are consequently blotted out if they are without faith when the door of mercy closes.
 

Philadelphia: The Recovery of the Truth

No call to repent. There are two churches that the Lord finds no fault with, although certainly they were not perfect. Smyrna and Philadelphia are not told to repent. Perhaps in Smyrna it was because the persecution was so intense, but in Philadelphia it was because they had already repented of preceding evils. Concerning Sardis, they had repented from dead formalism, from making the king the head of the Church, and from appealing to governments for protection. Concerning Thyatira, they had separated from the wickedness of the Catholic system. Concerning Pergamos, they had separated from Pagan practices that had gotten mixed in. Concerning Smyrna, they had separated from the Judaistic practices that had gotten mixed in. Concerning Ephesus, they emphasized the importance of personal communion with the Lord.
 
¶ 7a And to the angel of the assembly in Philadelphia [‘brotherly love’] write: These things saith (1) the holy, the true; (2) he that has the key of David, (3) he who opens and no one shall shut, and shuts and no one shall open: 
 
v.7 Greeting and Presentation of Christ. Philadelphia is characterized by a practical expression of love and unity as the name suggests (see Eph. 4:2-3). A moral progression is seen with this company, reflected in the way Christ presents Himself to Philadelphia:
  1. “The holy, the true”. Their hearts were engaged with Christ, and they got a sense of who He is as the Holy one and true. This led them to separate from anything inconsistent with Christ (2 Tim 2:21). This was very painful (see reward, v.12).
  2. “He that has the key of David”. He gave them to see that the government of the world will be given to Christ in the Millennium (see Eph. 1:10)
  3. “He who opens, etc.” Understanding this key, God opened the door (v.8) of the treasure house of the scriptures for Philadelphia to enjoy and keep: first prophecy, then the identity and hopes of the Church, the rapture, the activity of the Spirit, the individual standing of the believer, assembly order, etc.
¶ 8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an opened door, which no one can shut, because thou hast a little power, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. 
 
v.8 Commendation. God’s sovereignty set before them an open door for worship and service; an open door to practice the recovered truth. But they were (and we are) responsible to use that door. Several important commendations are given to the Philadelphians:
  1. A little power. Philadelphia was marked by having power, but only in small proportion. It is actually the same word as “power” in Acts 4:33 at the beginning of the Church period, just a smaller scale (little vs. great). This is consistent with God’s ways. It is not His way to produce great power in a time of general ruin (Ezra 4:11-13). Likewise, it is not the church’s place to seek greatness in light of the collective failure that has come in. Nevertheless, they did have “a little strength”, and that strength was a result of communion (John 15:4-5). 
  2. Kept His Word. The second thing that marked this assembly was that they “kept” the Word of Christ. The idea of keeping the Word is to treasure it (Luke 2:19). They were not merely hearers of the Word, they were doers (Jam. 1:22, John 14:21-23). Notice that it is the ‘logos’ (word) here, as opposed to the ‘rhema’ (words). Read more… They kept the Word holistically. They did not selectively choose only certain parts to treasure and practice.
  3. Did not Deny His Name. A name has the thought of character. Philadelphia practically reflected the character of Christ to the world. It means honoring His name: in thought, in doctrine, in practice, in gathering, in discipline, etc.
There is a path without evil (Job 28:7), and the Philadelphians had found it. 
 
9 Behold, I make them of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews, and are not, but lie; behold, I will cause that they shall come and shall do homage before thy feet, and shall know that “I” have loved thee. 
 
v.9 The Opposition. The same evil that was introduced in Smyrna (Rev. 2:9) rears its head to try to ruin the Philadelphian church. The synagogue of Satan are those who systematically try to Judaize the church. It was a “synagogue” in that is was a form of Judaism pressed on the church, but it was “of Satan”  in that the Devil is behind it. They “say they are Jews” inasmuch as these claimed to be exclusively the people of God. The synagogue of Satan treated the Philadelphians as Nabal treated David (1 Sam. 25:10). The synagogue of Satan has always despised that which God recognizes on earth. The religious elite rejected the Lord to keep their place and nation (see John 11:48), and likewise they rejected the Philadelphians for similar reasons. As an encouragement, God will cause those who opposed the work in Philadelphia to recognize that they actually had God’s approval! It is not that the saints of God will be worshiped, but that the Lord will eventually compel recognition of His faithful witnesses who are presently rejected. He loves all His people, but will show it in a special way for these saints for the recognition of those who opposed them.
 
10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, “I” also will keep thee out of the hour of trial, which is about to come upon the whole habitable world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
 
v.10 Encouragement. Those who live in expectation of Christ’s coming have fellowship with Him in His “patience” (2 Thess. 3:5). They are encouraged that Christ would keep them from the “hour of trial”, which refers to the entire portfolio of judgment from the beginning of Daniel’s 70th week through the indignation. It is a judgment that will come on the “whole habitable world”. None will escape. The only way to be exempt from the judgment is to be “kept out of” it, like Enoch was kept out of the flood, by way of translation (the Lord’s coming for His saints). This is the first mention we have of “earth dwellers”; i.e. those who have rejected heaven and chosen earth. This moral class of people is mentioned ten times in the book of Revelation (Rev. 3:10, 6:10, 8:13, 11:10, 13:8, 13:12, 13:14, 14:6, 17:2, 17:8). They have “received not the love of the truth” (2 Thess. 2:8).
 
11 I come quickly: hold fast what thou hast, that no one take thy crown. 
 
v.11 Exhortation. The beautiful words “I come quickly” point to the immanency of the Lord’s return. He will come for His own with joy, not as a thief. The danger is to let slip on parts of the recovered truth; to not hold fast what we have. The crown is for those who do not give up that which God has committed to them, like those who carried the treasure safely across the wilderness (Ezra 8:24-34). Why would someone take our crown? Perhaps it is taking our crown in the sense they we won’t get it; i.e. those who oppose will try to prevent us from holding fast. Or perhaps, it could be the thoughts that if I am unfaithful, the Lord will raise up another to stand in my place, and in that sense another will take my crown. In either case, it is an exhortation for individual faithfulness.
 
¶ 12 He that overcomes, him will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more at all out; and I will write upon him (1) the name of my God, and (2) the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven, from my God, and (3) my new name. ¶ 13 He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. 
 
vv.12-13 Message to the Overcomer. Of all the rewards for overcomers, this is the highest! The first reward is to be made a “pillar”.  A pillar is a symbol of great strength in a future day, in contrast with “a little power” at the present time (see 1 Kings 7:21, “Jachin and Boaz”). Also, a pillar is the thought of testimony (1 Tim. 3:15). The pillar is in the temple of God. A “temple” is a place for the worship of God, perhaps in contrast with a synagogue of Satan. The second reward is that the overcomer will “go no more out”. It represents a fixed state of blessedness, of uninterrupted communion. Perhaps it is in contrast with the “going out” required when we separate from evil. The third part of the reward is described by three inscriptions on the pillar:
  1. “The name of my God”. A special enjoyment of fellowship with God.
  2. “The name of the city of God”. A special enjoyment of being part of the Church of God as the Bride of Christ (see the later definition of the city in Rev. 21:9-10). It is a similar thought to the “latter glory of this house” (see Hag. 2:9).
  3. “My new name”. A special enjoyment of relationship with Christ as a glorified man in the new creation (2 Cor. 5:16-17).

Laodicea: The Church in a Lukewarm State

Laodicea. The seventh church of Asia represents the church in a lukewarm state; in pride, self-sufficiency, and indifference to Christ. Some of the evil doctrines that came in historically that were suited to this deplorable state include: substituting super-humanity for Christ, denying the total depravity and ruin of man, denying eternal punishment and the necessity of atonement, denying the apostasy of the successive dispensations, etc. The Colossian epistle is a good remedy for what we find in Laodicea. In contrast with self-sufficiency in Laodicea, Colossians gives us the all-sufficiency of Christ!
 
¶ 14 And to the angel of the assembly in Laodicea [‘justice of the people’] write: These things says the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God: 
 
v.14 Greeting and Presentation of Christ. The word ‘Laodicea’ involves the “the people” and “formal justice”. It may very well refer to the idea of democratic fairness; ‘the people’s justice’. Laodicea as a prophetic application foreshadows the state of the church under the influence of democratic ideas. Laodicea may be what rises out of the rejection of, or contempt for, the truth that was recovered in the Philadelphian era. Christ presents Himself in three ways:
  1. “The Amen”. The one who will fulfill all the promises of God (2 Cor. 1:20).
  2. “The faithful and true witness”. The One whos faithfully said all God gave Him to speak, in contrast to the church’s utter failure as a candlestick.
  3. “The beginning of the creation of God”. Everything connected with the first man has failed, including the church which ends in Laodicea, but Christ in resurrection began a new creation, and it can never fail!
¶ 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot; I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 Thus because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spue thee out of my mouth. 
 
v.15 Rebuke. Lukewarmness is neutrality, or indifference to Christ. The Lord would prefer love (warmth), but would even rather have hatred (coldness) over indifference. It is on account of this repugnant indifference that, like eating a cherry and spewing out the pit, Laodicea will be formally disowned by Christ at the rapture; she will be left behind. However, there is a path for faith even in Laodicea. There are also many true believers that are influenced by her lukewarm spirit, and we all must avoid the insidious danger of having a Laodicean attitude!
 
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and am grown rich, and have need of nothing, and knowest not that “thou” art (1) the wretched and (2) the miserable, and (3) poor, and (4) blind, and (5) naked;  
 
v.17 Two assessments. First we have the Church’s assessment. Rather than receive a commendation from the Lord, Laodicea commends herself. Note that while Philadelphia doesn’t say anything, Laodicea boasts. The lukewarm church says “I am rich”. In fact, in an outward sense they are rich, with a great deal of gift and truth. But it is only a matter of intellect and of the outward appearance. She also says “I am grown rich”. Not only do they take credit for what they had, but also for how they got it. They conclude that the church “has need of nothing”; i.e. she is completely self-sufficient. But then we have the Lord’s assessment. The church in Laodicea was unaware of their true spiritual condition (Judges 16:20, Matt. 25:3). The Lord gives His fivefold assessment. The lukewarm church is: (1) “wretched”, or in an extremely sad outcome of events, (2)  “miserable” or pitiable, in such a bad condition that it draws pity or mercy from others, (3) “poor”, or possessing nothing of spiritual value, (4) “blind” to their state and the Lord’s glory, and (5) “naked”, with their condition exposed before the eye of God; destitute of divine and practical righteousness.
 
18 I counsel thee to buy of me (1) gold purified by fire, that thou mayest be rich; and (2) white garments, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness may not be made manifest; and (3) eye-salve to anoint thine eyes, that thou mayest see. 
 
v.18 Exhortation to Buy. The tone here is very tender. If they would take it, the Lord’s counsel would meet their needs. The exhortation is to “buy”. A solemn transaction between the soul and God must be made. They were to buy three things:
  1. “Gold purified by fire”. It speaks of Divine righteousness in Christ; the purest kind, for their eternal salvation.
  2. “White garments”. Practical righteousness displayed in the life (Rev. 19:8), which is produced by the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5).
  3. “Eye-salve to anoint thine eyes”. It speaks of the anointing of the Holy Ghost which gives us discernment in spiritual things, and causes us to value things as God does.
19 I rebuke and discipline as many as I love; be zealous therefore and repent. 
 
v.19 Exhortation to Repent. The exhortation continues, but the tone grows still more tender. The angel of the church in Laodicea, and the bulk of the assembly, were merely false professors, but in this verse the Lord speaks to those who are real believers but have a Laodicean spirit; “as many as I love”. The Lord’s love is always presented to His people in a day of ruin (Rev. 3:19, Jer. 31:3, Mal. 2:1, John 13:1). Why? Because the goodness of God leads man to repentance (Rom. 2:4). The motive for both “rebuke and chastening” is love. In this case, the Lord was rebuking and chastening verbally through this letter.
 
20 Behold, I stand at the door and am knocking; if any one hear my voice and open the door, I will come in unto him and sup with him, and he with me. 
 
v.20 Exhortation to Open. The tone of this exhortation grows even more tender. The Lord is outside the door of the assembly. They had shut out the Head of the Church. But how sweet; He does not walk away but begins to knock and speak softly. This knocking and speaking will continue to the rapture. If “any one hear my voice”; it is spoken to an individual. There is no call for collective restoration. The Lord will not force His way into our hearts, but He will stand at the door. The door has no handle on the outside: it must be opened from within. If we feel too poor to “buy” (v.18), or even too weak to “repent” (v.19), can we not begin with the first step, to “open” the door of our hearts to Him who died for us? The thought of “sup” is fellowship, usually over a meal. This is what God wants; He wants our fellowship. And so He awaits the response of the heart.
 
¶ 21 He that overcomes, to him will I give to sit with me in my throne; as “I” also have overcome, and have sat down with my Father in his throne. ¶ 22 He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. 
 
vv.21-22 Message to the Overcomer. The Laodiceans had dethroned Christ in their hearts. The overcomer (any saved person) will share Christ’s throne when He reigns in His kingdom. This is perhaps the lowest of all the rewards, because everyone that has part of the first resurrection will reign with Christ (Rev. 20:4), even Old Testament saints. Today, Christ is seated on His Father’s throne. One day He will take His own throne, but not until His Father gives the word. For those who are thinking “I don’t know if I can humble myself to repent”, just think about the Lord Jesus and what humility He must have had to overcome (Phil. 2:5-11).
 
Who at my door is standing,
Patiently drawing near,
Entrance within demanding?
Whose is the voice I hear?
 
    Sweetly the tones are falling;
    Open the door for Me!
    If thou wilt heed My calling,
    I will abide with thee.
 
Lonely without He’s staying;
Lonely within am I;
While I am still delaying,
Will He not pass me by?
 
All through the dark hours dreary,
Knocking again is He;
Jesus, art Thou not weary,
Waiting so long for me?
 
Door of my heart, I hasten!
Thee will I open wide.
Though He rebuke and chasten,
He shall with me abide.6
 
  1. There are, however, among the Gnostics diversities of opinion; but we have decided that it would not be worth while to enumerate the silly doctrines of these (heretics), inasmuch as they are (too) numerous and devoid of reason, and full of blasphemy. Now, even those (of the heretics) who are of a more serious turn in regard of the Divinity, and have derived their systems of speculation from the Greeks, must stand convicted (of these charges). But Nicolaus has been a cause of the wide-spread combination of these wicked men. He, as one of the seven (that were chosen) for the diaconate, was appointed by the Apostles. (But Nicolaus) departed from correct doctrine, and was in the habit of inculcating indifferency of both life and food. And when the disciples (of Nicolaus) continued to offer insult to the Holy Spirit, John reproved them in the Apocalypse as fornicators and eaters of things offered unto idols. – Hippolytus on Heresies, Book 7, Chapter 24
  2. Slade, Mary B. Who at my door is standing

Revelation 4 - 5

 
The Things Which Shall Be Hereafter: Prophetic Events
Revelation 4 – 22
 
O U T L I N E
 
Written Within and on the Backside. In addition to the outline given in Rev. 1:19, a helpful continuation of that may be taken from Revelation 5:1; "And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals." When a sealed scroll is unsealed, it can be gradually unrolled. What you see first as the seals are removed is the writing on "within". Once unrolled, the scroll can be turned over to read what is written "on the backside". The Book of Revelation is like that. Chapters 6 - 11 give us a chronological sequence under seven seals and seven trumpets that run from the beginning of the prophetic week all the way the appearing and reign of Christ. This straightforward sequence is like what is written within the scroll. Then in chapters 12 - 22 we have added details about persons and events that fit within the previously described sequence of events. This second section is like what is written on the backside of the scroll. In fact, the chronological sequence of events can actually be shown to begin with chapter 1 (historical), followed by church history (ch.2-3), followed by a scene in heaven (ch.4-5), after which the seals commence.1
 
Prologue: Christ’s Rights to the Inheritance
Revelation 4 – 5
 
Revelation 4 – 5. When the church’s door is closed to Christ on earth (Rev. 3:20), God opens a door in heaven (Rev. 4:1). The true church is taken to the Father’s house, and the judgments on the false church, unbelieving Israel, and the world are about to unfold. These two chapters are like a parenthesis, opening up to us a scene in heaven. If we were to skip these two chapters, prophetic events on the earth continue chronologically from ch. 3 to ch.6. However, we do not want to skip these chapters, because, as with all parenthetical sections of scripture, important principles are found therein which are vital to understand the surrounding subject matter. Chapters 4 – 5 come at an important juncture in the book of Revelation. The chronological sequence of judgments that runs through the end of ch.11 is about to begin. But there is a moral prerequisite to those judgments. Who has the right and the power to judge the earth? These chapters deal with that question: the authority of God and the worthiness of the Lamb. We will find a number of reasons why Christ has the right to judge the earth. First, because He is the Creator; “Thou art worthy, O Lord… for thou hast created all things” (Rev. 4:11). Second, because He is holy, and the earth has been corrupted by sin; “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty” (Rev. 4:8). Third, because He was given a shameful martyrdom death at the hands of man, and He must be vindicated; “a lamb, as it had been slain… Thou art worthy… for thou wast slain” (Rev. 5:6,9). Fourth, because He has paid the price of redemption; “Thou art worthy… for thou… hast redeemed to God by thy blood, etc.”.
 
The Throne and the Book. Two primary symbols come before us in ch.4 and 5. Everything in ch.4 centers around the throne and the maintenance of its glory and holiness. Worship in ch.4 has to do with recognizing that God is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. In ch.5 the theme is the book, which I believe represents God’s counsels to bless the earth under the dominion of Christ, which will be accomplished through judgment. In ch.5, the Lord Jesus is clearly distinguished as a Divine Person, and worship by the elders rises above the subject of creation to include the theme of redemption.
 
 

Christ’s Rights Through Creation (Rev. 4)

Introduction (4:1)

CHAPTER 4
After these things I saw, and behold, a door opened in heaven, and the first voice which I heard as of a trumpet speaking with me, saying, Come up here, and I will shew thee the things which must take place after these things. 
 
v.1 Introduction. A door is now opened “in heaven”. In a certain sense, we need to approach the truth of prophecy through this door; i.e. from heaven’s viewpoint. John is called up to heaven by “the first voice”, the same voice as was speaking in chapters 1 – 3 (see Rev.1:10), although now it is speaking from a new direction. The scene has changed. The voice still is like a trumpet, but it is no longer on earth in the midst of the candlesticks. It now speaks from heaven. Why? The church period has prophetically closed at the transition between ch.3 and ch.4. We read no more of the church until ch.21. The voice tells John to “Come up here”. This is not the rapture specifically, but we can see an allusion to it. The voice tells John that he will be told the prophetic events which will take place “after these things”. After what things? After the period described by the seven churches; i.e. the church period (Rev. 1:19).

Description of the Throne, the One Sitting, the Elders, and the Living Creatures (4:2-8)

¶ 2 Immediately I became in the Spirit; and behold, a throne stood in the heaven, and upon the throne one sitting, 3 and he that was sitting like in appearance to a stone of jasper and a sardius, and a rainbow round the throne like in appearance to an emerald. 
 
vv.2-3 The Throne and the One Sitting. As he had in ch.1, John again becomes “in the Spirit” in the special capacity of inspiration. It was refreshed for the next vision. A throne stands in heaven. The throne is a symbol of authority. It is God’s throne. If Revelation tells us nothing else, it tells us that there is a throne in heaven, and that God rules in spite of all the evil that goes on down here. The One sitting on the throne is God in Godhead. He is in a seated position, which indicates stability. Though all on the earth is in turmoil, the throne of God in heaven is perfectly stable! The gems symbolize the glory of God. The “jasper” is a high-grade diamond, representing not His essential glory, but that which can be revealed and even conferred upon a creature (John 17:22-23), such as upon the church in the Millennium; e.g: her light (Rev. 21:11), her wall (Rev. 21:18), and her first foundation (Rev. 21:19). The “sardius” is a ruby, and it pictures God’s glory in justice and judgment. The “rainbow” speaks of blessing after judgment, because it typically appears after the storm. Here it precedes the storm, showing that, although God is about to judge, He has mercy in store from the outset (see the rainbow again in Rev. 10). This rainbow is not an arc, but an unbroken circle. The unbroken circle would remind us of eternity, and combined with the meaning of a rainbow shows us that God’s mercy is eternal (Psa. 136). The “emerald” is green and is the characteristic color of the earth as seen from heaven, and it speaks of the earth in lushness and prosperity. The result of God’s actions including His judgments will be the blessing of the earth, brought to fulfillment in the Millennium.
 
4 And round the throne twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones twenty-four elders sitting, clothed with white garments; and on their heads golden crowns. 
 
v.4 The Elders. Next we have a description of the heavenly company. These saints area called “elders” because of their maturity and wisdom (1 Cor. 13:9). They are the administrative representation of Old and New Testament saints; twelve for the Old Testament twelve for the New Testament makes twenty-four elders. They are arranged “around the throne”, occupying a place of intelligence and understanding, much like the counselors in the old times who would sit near the king’s throne. The elders themselves are “upon thrones”, showing that they are heavenly royalty! They are clothed in “white garments”, symbolic of priesthood (Ex. 28:42). The fact that there are twenty-four elders may be an allusion to the twenty-four courses of the priesthood that was established by David (1 Chron. 24). The earthly priesthood during the kingdom of David was divided into twenty-four courses, and over each was a chief priest, and over all was one high priest. These elders have a priestly character, and the High Priest is of course the Lord Himself. Together, their throne and their garments represent the elders’ twofold office as “kings and priests” before God (Rev. 1:5). They are “sitting”, which shows that the saints will be at perfect peace, even with lightning and thunders coming out of the throne! The elders are in possession of “crowns” which would indicate that the judgment seat of Christ has already taken place. Every saint in heaven has a crown, although the crowns are shortly cast before the throne.
 
Crowns as Rewards in Scripture. There are a number of metaphorical crowns is the New Testament: the "crown of life" for total self-sacrifice (Jam. 1:12; Rev. 2:10), the "crown of glory" for caring for the flock of God (1 Pet. 5:4), the "crown of righteousness" for faithfulness in service (2 Tim. 4:8), the "crown of rejoicing" for those who evangelize and edify souls (Phil. 4:1), the "crown of incorruptibility" for those who maintain self-control (1 Cor. 9:25), the Philadelphian "crown" for not giving up the truth (Rev. 3:11), and the "crown of gold" for every redeemed saint of God (Rev. 4:4). These crowns will be awarded to the believer at the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10).
 
5 And out of the throne go forth lightnings, and voices, and thunders; and seven lamps of fire, burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God; 6 and before the throne, as a glass sea, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, four living creatures, full of eyes, before and behind; 
 
vv.5-6 The Throne. Coming out of the throne were “lightnings, and voices, and thunders”, which are pictures of the terrors of God and the coming judgments. These judgments must flow from the throne before the stream of the water of life can flow (Rev. 22:1). Before the throne, most importantly are the “seven Spirits of God”, representing God’s various operations in judgment. The seven Spirits here are pictured as burning torches, searching out evil. In Rev. 5:6 we have them again pictured by the Lamb’s seven eyes, representing perfect discernment. Also before the throne is a “glass sea”, in contrast with the laver (Ex. 30:18-21) and molten sea (1 Kings 7:23-37) for the purification of the priest. In heaven, washing is no longer needed, so the sea is fixed. It is “before the throne” speaking of how the objective of the throne is a fixed state of purity for the whole creation. In and around the throne are “four living creatures”. I will attempt to show that these creatures represent the offices of those who administer God’s judgment. In this chapter, they are angels, but in the next chapter they are men. There are “four” creatures, and the number four represents universality in creation (Gen. 2:10). The judgment administered will have a universal effect. They are “full of eyes” showing superior discernment. Every angle of perception is covered. They can see “before” (future events) and “behind” (past events).
 
7 and the first living creature like a lion, and the second living creature like a calf, and the third living creature having the face as of a man, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle. 
 
v.7 The Likeness of the Four Living Creatures. The four living creatures have the likeness of the chief creatures of earth and air. Notice that creatures of the sea are not mentioned. The kinds of creatures saved in Noah’s Ark in the judgment of the old world are reflected in the characteristics of God’s ministers in His judgment of the present world. The first was like a “lion”, symbolizing power or strength. The second was like a “calf”, symbolizing patience or endurance. In Ezekiel it is an ox instead of a calf. A calf (younger) has more energy than an ox. The third was like a “face of a man”, symbolizing intelligence. The fourth was like a “flying eagle”, symbolizing speed or rapidity. Together, these are the features of God’s judgment. They combine the characteristics of both cherubim (executors of God’s judgment, Gen. 3:24, Ex. 25:18-22, Ezek. 1, 10:2) and seraphim (who bear witness to God’s holy nature, Isa. 6:3).7
 
8 And the four living creatures, each one of them having respectively six wings; round and within they are full of eyes; and they cease not day and night saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come. 
 
v.8 Description of the Creatures. The creatures had “six wings” for supernatural speed, although six is one short of perfection (seven). Contrast with four wings and wheels of Ezekiel 1. They were full of “eyes” around and within, for both external and internal perception, not of events, but of God’s purposes and motives. They bear witness without intermission to three things. First, to the holiness of a triune God, “Holy, holy, holy”. Second, to the power and absolute authority of God, “Lord God Almighty”. Third, to the eternal being of God, “who was, and who is, and who is to come”.
 
Thrice repetition. In the exclamation “Holy, holy, holy”, the thrice repetition of the word ‘holy’ (treishagion) is a Jewish literary device. In Hebrew, if you want to emphasize a word like you really mean it, you say a word and repeat it. e.g. “I love, love you” or “I love you, you”. But several times in the Old Testament a word is elevated by thrice repetition, to where it has no greater possible emphasis! Such is the case with Isa. 6:3, and again in Rev. 4:8.

The Worship of the Elders (4:9-11)

9 And when the living creatures shall give glory and honour and thanksgiving to him that sits upon the throne, who lives to the ages of ages, 
 
v.9 The Trigger for Worship. This verse gives us what the living creatures do, and this becomes the trigger for the worship of the elders. It is helpful to compare the response of the elders to that of the living creatures. The creatures (angels) celebrate, declare, and give thanks while the elders (redeemed men) worship with intelligence. The glorious truths as to the nature of God declared by the living creatures are a trigger that lead to a burst of praise and worship from the redeemed company. This will always be the case! It is another example of how the character and majesty of God draws forth praise from the hearts of redeemed men. Another example is in Rev. 1:5.
 
10 the twenty-four elders shall fall before him that sits upon the throne, and do homage to him that lives to the ages of ages; and shall cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 
 
v.10 The Worship of the Elders. In spite of their dignity and maturity, when the worship begins, the elders quickly leave their honored thrones to fall before the worthy One. Happily they part with their crowns of gold, and ascribe all glory to Him. We have in this verse and the following an example of worship:
  1. “The twenty-four elders shall fall before him that sits upon the throne”. The prerequisite: to get low; i.e. have no thoughts of self, and only thoughts of Him.
  2. “Do homage to him that lives to the ages of ages”. Worship itself: the overflow of the spirit in appreciation of the greatness of God the Father revealed in the divine Person of the Son.
  3. “And shall cast their crowns before the throne”. The response: to attribute every received glory and blessing to the proper Source, then express praise vocally (v.11).
11 Thou art worthy, O our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honour and power; for “thou” hast created all things, and for thy will they were, and they have been created. 
 
v.11 The Praise of the Elders. The creatures give glory, honor, and thanks while the elders ascribe to Him worthiness to receive glory, honor, and power. The elders enter into His personal worthiness. They say “thou”. It shows us that the redeemed saints are able to give a reason for their worship. Here the greatness of God in respect to His creatorial glories is the reason for worship. He created everything, and everything He created was for His own desire. We saints are part of that, forming a special place in His purpose: “called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28), created for “His praise” (Isaiah 43:21), and “created for His pleasure” (Rev. 4:11). See also Col. 1:16. While all three Persons of the Godhead were involved in creation, the Son is often accredited with the work of creation because He became a man. He is the benefactor and beneficiary, that means and the motive, the source and the sink, of the universal creation.
 

Christ’s Rights Through Redemption (Rev. 5)

A shift in administration. There is a change of administration when the Lamb takes the book. Notice there are no “angels” are specifically called out in Rev. 4, but the four living creatures have angelic qualities and appear less intelligent in their worship than the elders. We can conclude that the living creatures are angelic in ch.4. But in Rev. 5, angels are mentioned as a distinct class from the four living creatures, and the living creatures join the elders in the song of redemption: all pointing to the creatures being redeemed men in Rev. 5. How can they be angels in ch.4, and men in ch.5? We conclude that there has been a change in the administration from ch.4 to ch.5 that results in a change from angels to men in the office represented by the living creatures. This shift is connected with an event: when the Lamb takes the book from the had of God. It is an event that signals the Lamb taking up the title to His inheritance. When He does this, the saints in association with Christ replace the angels as administrative executors – a change fully developed in the Millennium (1 Cor. 6:3). “For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come” (Heb. 2:5). God has chosen to have a man set over this creation. Adam failed in his headship, but Christ will perfectly succeed. A transfer of administration is needed, because today the administration of the world is in the hands of angels, who do the Father’s bidding (Heb. 1:13). But before the Millennium begins, the whole host of elect angels will be subjected to the authority of the Son of man. This is comprehended in the prophecy; “when he brings in the firstborn into the habitable world, he says, And let all God’s angels worship him” (Heb. 1:7; Psa. 97:7). Of course the angels do worship Christ today, but when the Father brings the Firstborn in the world a second time, the angels will worship a Man on the earth! We will join the glorified Son of man as co-heirs and co-administrators of the Millennial earth; the “world to come”. In this way, we “the saints” will “judge angels”. Therefore, on account of this shift, we discern that the living creatures represent more of an office than specific persons. In ch.4 the living creatures are angels, in ch.5 they are the heavenly saints.
 

The Book and the Search for an Opener (5:1-5)

CHAPTER 5
And I saw on the right hand of him that sat upon the throne a book, written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 
 
v.1 The Book. John sees a book in the “right hand” of God. The right hand connects the book with the power and authority of God. We find the contents of the book in ch.6-11: the judgments of the earth. But the book stands for something more than mere judgement. The book contains the counsels of God – for the ultimate blessing of the earth – that will be brought about through judgment (see Isa. 26:9-10).8 It has also been called “the title deed to the inheritance”. Many men have tried to bring about the blessing of the earth, and many of them have tried to do it through judgment and bloodshed. But none who have attempted were successful, because they were not worthy to do it, and they did not have the power to accomplish their aim. God holds the title deed to the earth, and only One is worthy to take it from His hand. The book is “written”, showing God’s will is unalterably settled. The book is full, written “within and on the backside”; i.e. full of judgment. If it were only written on one side, more could be added, but nothing beyond can be added to this book. It is sealed with “seven seals”, the number of Divine perfection. The counsels God are perfectly hidden in the Divine Mind until the Lamb reveals it. Each seal closes a certain portion of the book, and the contents are successively revealed in order.
 
2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to break its seals? 3 And no one was able in the heaven, or upon the earth, or underneath the earth, to open the book, or to regard it. 
 
vv.2-3 None Worthy to Open the Book. Some angels are stronger than others: now John hears a “strong angel” ask a momentous question. This voice penetrates to the utmost bounds of the universe, searching three great sectors; heaven, earth, and under the earth. When it comes to opening the book, the primary question is of worthiness (v.2). But the response (v.3) adds another thought: ability. No one is found morally worthy or able to deal with the vast system of evil that plagues the world and bring in blessing. Many have tried (Napoleon, Hitler, etc.). The One mentioned in v.5 meets both of these requirements. As a “lion” He is able, and as the “Lamb” He is worthy. Worthiness has two parts: moral perfection and the right of redemption. Christ is worthy because of His spotless Person, and also because He purchased the inheritance with His own blood. In the search for an opener, “no one” is found worthy or able; no created being. The three sectors are mentioned. (1) Those “in the heaven” are the angels, the attendants of God’s throne. (2) Those “upon the earth” are men and animals. (3) Those “under the earth” are creatures that live under the surface of the earth.910 Well-intentioned men have been trying for 6000 years to eliminate the effects of sin and bring in blessing. All attempts have failed; none were able to open the book. Notice that opening the book and breaking the seals are separate events. Naturally, the order seems backwards. One must break the seals first in order to open the book. But there is a moral order to this: first the contents are unfolded, then the execution follows. 
 
4 And “I” wept much because no one had been found worthy to open the book nor to regard it. 5 And one of the elders says to me, Do not weep. Behold, the lion which is of the tribe of Juda, the root of David, has overcome so as to open the book, and its seven seals. 
 
vv.4-5 John’s Weeping, an Elder’s Response. Contrast John’s response with that of the intelligent elder who speaks to him. In the book of Revelation, John is more in the character of an Old Testament prophet than an apostle to the church. Thinking only of man’s inability and unworthiness, we would weep like John. How sad to hold a hopeless view of this earth; to think that the creation will never be brought into blessing. Is that really how it is all going to end? John adds that none were even able to “regard it”; i.e. even to contemplate it. The book represents something so weighty and momentous that neither man nor angel could examine it. John is informed by one of the elders that One has been found who can open the book! Who is this Person? As the lion He is able, as the Lamb He is worthy! He is the “Lion of the tribe of Judah”,  picturing irresistible power, majesty, and sovereignty to secure the blessing of Israel and the earth (see Gen. 49:8-10, Prov. 30:30). He is also the “root of David”, representing the royalty of the kingdom. More than being David’s son (offspring or branch, Rev. 22:16, Isa. 11) Christ is David’s Lord (Matt. 22:41-46) the root or source of all Davidic titles and promises. He has “overcome” every spiritual power by His death on the cross, and now He prevails to open the book.

The Lamb Takes the Book (5:6-7)

¶ 6 And I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a Lamb standing, as slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God which are sent into all the earth: 7 and it came and took it out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. 
 
vv.6-7 A Lamb as it had been Slain. John is told of the Lion of the tribe of Judah (v.5), but sees a Lamb instead of a Lion; i.e. seeming weakness instead of majesty. The word “Lamb” occurs 28 times in Revelation, and it is always in the diminutive form; i.e. “a little lamb” or “lamkin”. It brings before us not so much the pascal lamb aspect, but Christ as the victim of man’s hatred and rejection, now in a warrior character (Rev. 6:16; 17:14). The Lamb has several characteristics. First, “as slain”, it is a picture of holy suffering and rejection (Isa. 53:7). Christ was rejected and put to a violent death. He is glorified in heaven now, and Who but He who suffered so is worthy to take the book? Second, He has “seven horns”, representing complete power, or omnipotence. Third, He has “seven eyes”, representing complete discernment, or omniscience. The eyes are again the seven Spirits of God, which are sent into “all the earth”, showing His presence everywhere, or omnipresence. The Lamb takes the book from God upon the throne. It pictures Christ taking the reins of power into His own hands. The result is praise in heaven!

The Resulting Praise: Three Circles of Praisers (5:8-14)

8 And when it took the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell before the Lamb, having each a harp and golden bowls full of incenses, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sing a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open its seals; because thou hast been slain, and hast redeemed to God, by thy blood, out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, 10 and made them to our God kings and priests; and they shall reign over the earth. 
 
vv.8-10 Circle #1: Redeemed Men, and Their New Song. This stupendous moment, “when it [the Lamb] took the book”, which anticipates Christ having His rightful place over the inheritance, triggers the praise of the redeemed saints. This is the third “trigger” so far of the redeemed company’s worship (see Rev. 1:5; 4:9). The “harps” represent the heavenly saints’ praises, which are primarily for the Lamb’s goodness to His saints on earth (see v.9). The “bowls full of incenses” represent the prayers of the earthly saints below in their time of need being offered by the heavenly saints now functioning as priests. Prayer on earth is incense in heaven! They sing a “new song”. In their song, the heavenly Saints connect the worthiness of the Lamb with His suffering: (1) because He was slain, and suffered a violent death at man’s hand, therefore He must be vindicated, and (2) because He has accomplished redemption, and suffered the work of atonement to pay the price of redemption. The heavenly saints sing to Him, while the angels chant about Him (v.12). Redeemed men sing of glory brought to God through redemption: a redemption by blood (connect with Rev. 15:3). They sing of those redeemed from “every kindred”. There is no such thing as the redemption of a “race” (see Psalm 90:3). The saints sing, “thou hast redeemed them“. Unselfishly, the elders sing of the redemption of the earthly saints. Their thoughts are aligned with the thoughts of the Lamb. Only the redeemed can sing this song, but later it is taught to the Jewish remnant as well (Rev. 14:1-5). The earthly saints are eventually to “reign over the earth”. This expression always refers to the reign of the heavenly saints with Christ in the Millennium. How does that follow with v.9? Those spoken of are earthly saints shortly to be martyred in the first three and a half years (Rev. 6:7-11) and in the last three and a half years (Rev. 11; 14:3). They will partake in the first resurrection and join the heavenly saints with Christ reigning over the earth.
 
¶ 11 And I saw, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and their number was ten thousands of ten thousands and thousands of thousands; 12 saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that has been slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. 
 
vv.11-12 Circle #2: Redeemed Men and Angels. Now we get a second circle of praisers that opens up to include not only redeemed men, but also angels. “Singing” (circle #1) and “saying” (circle #2 and #3) will be going on in unison for all eternity. There is one theme, but different pitches or levels of intelligence. We are not told that the praise will ever cease. However we do read of a silence in heaven for half an hour before the first trumpet is sounded (ch.8). Notice that in ch.5 angels are mentioned as distinct from the living creatures (see note on transfer of administration). On earth our praise has but two notes (“glory and dominion”, Rev. 1:6), but many more in heaven, to bring the total to seven notes! The notes of praise are for “the Lamb that was slain”, and the subject is His worthiness to receive His kingdom glories. A beautiful contrast is seen in what Christ will have in His kingdom with what He had in this world at His first coming. Notably absent in this praise, in which the angels join, are notes about redemption. They cannot speak about what they cannot understand.
 
He will have He had in this world
Power Weakness 2 Cor. 13:4
Riches Became Poor 2 Cor. 8:9
Wisdom Foolishness 1 Cor. 1:24
Strength Humility Phil. 2:8
Honor Dishonor Psa. 69:19
Glory Shame Heb. 12:2
Blessing Made a Curse Gal. 3:13
 
13 And every creature which is in the heaven and upon the earth and under the earth, and those that are upon the sea, and all things in them, heard I saying, To him that sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb, blessing, and honour, and glory, and might, to the ages of ages. 14 And the four living creatures said, Amen; and the elders fell down and did homage. 
 
vv.13-14 Circle #3: Every Creature. In the third circle of praisers, every creature is included. Now instead of seven notes, this circle’s praise has four notes. Four is the number of universality in creation (Gen. 2:10). How does the creation praise? See Isaiah 11:6-9; 55:12; Rom. 8:19-21. The whole creation longs for this day, when Christ will have his rightful place. The creation is not intelligent, but it is nonetheless longing for that time and meanwhile groans under the effects of sin. In response to all three circles, the heavenly saints do two things. As the living creatures, in the aspect of administration, the saints say “Amen”. But as the elders, in the aspect of priesthood, the saints fall down and worship the Lamb! 
 
  1. Address by Tim Ruga, Prophecy Part 3: Outline of Revelation, St. Thomas 2019
  2. “For the “living creatures” in Rev. 4 and elsewhere have no real or intended relation to the four Gospels.” – Kelly, William. Exposition of the Gospel of John.
  3. Anstey, Bruce. Outline of Revelation.
  4. The apparently similar phrase in Revelation 5:13 is in reality quite different, and only includes animate things which live and move under the surface of the earth. This is the fulfilment of Psalm 150 — “Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord” — everything on earth, whereas the expression in Philippians comprises also infernal beings. – Dennet, Edward. The Glories of Christ as the Son of Man.
  5. Every creature “under the earth,” ὑποκάτω τῆς γῆς, must be carefully distinguished, notwithstanding Bengel, from the καταχθονίων in Phil. 2:10. The former, I suppose, means the things, animate or inanimate, beneath the earth’s surface which anticipate in the vision, their deliverance from corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. They cannot of course share the liberty of grace which we enjoy; but when we are in the glory, it will be the pledge of their glorious change speedily to follow. The latter in Philippians means the infernal beings, who must bow with every knee elsewhere at (or in) the name of Jesus. I am aware that Dean Alford, with Theodoret, etc., takes καταχ. as the dead; but this, though a classical usage of the word, seems to be far from the scope of the passage. – Kelly, William. Lectures on the Book of Revelation.

Revelation 6 - 7

 
The Beginning of Sorrows: The Seal Judgments
Revelation 6 – 7
 
Key terms in prophecy. Having now come to the great sequence of prophetic events than runs through ch.11, it is helpful for us to understand some key terms in prophecy.
  1. “The world” in prophecy refers to the planet earth, the whole globe. Read more…
  2. “The earth” refers to what students of prophecy have called “the prophetic earth”, which encompasses Europe, the Middle East, and Israel. It encompasses the nations we find in the Old Testament prophetic scriptures. Read more…
  3. “The third part of the earth” refers to a subset of the prophetic earth, and as we will later show, it likely refers to the area controlled by the old Roman Empire, including Israel. Read more…
  4. “The fourth part of the earth” is again a subset of the prophetic earth, and I take it to be within the bounds of the “third part”, possibly referring to Western Europe. Read more…
  5. “The land” in prophecy always refers to the land of Israel, in some cases including all that was promised to Abraham in Genesis 15, depending on the context. Read more…
  6. “The city” generally refers to earthly Jerusalem, which is the center of the prophetic earth (Ezek. 5:5, Deut. 32:8). When another city is intended (such as Rome, ch.17-18), or the church (ch.21), the city is explicitly distinguished.

The Beginning of Sorrows. The first 3 1/2 years of Daniel's seventieth week is called “The Beginning of Sorrows” (Matt. 24:8). During this period the first six seals of Revelation are unfolded. It begins when The Beast makes a covenant with Israel, and ends when "the abomination of desolations" is set up in the holy place. Passages that deal directly with the Beginning of Sorrows are Rev. 6, Matthew 24:4-14, and various places in the first book of the Psalms. Relatively little is written about the first three and a half years of Daniel's seventieth week, compared to the volumes that deal with the events that come later.

  
Arrangement of the Seals. When the first four seals are opened, a warhorse and rider come forth under each seal. Horses in scripture generally speak of power to subdue (Job 39:19-25, Rev. 19:11). By contrast, thrones speak of dominion after the victory has been won (Rev. 20:4). Often horses speak of a special kind of power; that of human agencies moved by Divine providence; in the Old Testament, the king was not to multiply horses (Deut. 17:16). The first four seals will be carried out providentially by God through human agencies. The last three seal-judgments are directly from God. Therefore, we have 4 (natural) + 3 (divine) = 7 (a complete series). The first four seals progress in a logical order that men might try to explain away. For example, they may blame the bloodshed of the second seal on the political changes of the first seal. Or the might blame the economic crash of the third seal on the wars of the second seal. But God will catch the wise in their own craftiness (Job 5:13, 1 Cor. 3:19). It is helpful to remember too that from Rev. 6:1 – 11:18 we have the judgment of the western nations. The seal judgments are followed by the trumpet judgments. The seal judgments are largely providential, while the trumpets are direct from God, and far more extreme.
 
 
 

1st Seal: Conquest Through Diplomacy – White Horse (6:1-2)

CHAPTER 6
And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying, as a voice of thunder, Come and see. 2 And I saw: and behold, a white horse, and he that sat upon it having a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went forth conquering and that he might conquer. 
 
vv.1-2 A White Horse. With each of the first four seals, a certain order is followed. First, the Lamb opens the seal. He alone is worthy, and He alone is able. Second, the living creatures call forth the judgments, because that is their role; to execute the judgment of God. The authorized version has “Come and see”, as if the creatures were calling John to witness something. But they are really speaking to the horses; “Come”. Third, the judgments are carried out by mounted horses, which represent human agencies. The first horse is “white”, a color in scripture that often speaks of purity. In this case it is likely an outward pretense of having pure motives. The rider of the white horse has “a bow” which is a weapon used in long-distance warfare. Yet there is no mention of an arrow. He has a “crown” which speaks of political authority, and he goes forth “conquering”. It speaks of a kind of conquering without physical violence or bloodshed. Many conquests have been made through treaties and negotiations. Daniel 9:27 is a good example of one of these treaties, which will take place at the beginning of the tribulation. Some have speculated that the rider of the white horse is the Antichrist. However, this could not be the case, because Antichrist doesn’t come into prominence until the middle of the week (Rev. 13). It is quite possible that the particular agency is papal Rome, who will be very instrumental in forming the ten-Nation Western Confederacy (we get this by comparing with Rev 17:15). What this rider does is similar to what the Catholic church does with the west in ch.17. This phase will continue at least until they get the Roman Empire up on its feet.
 

2nd Seal: War and Bloodshed – Red Horse (6:3-4)

¶ 3 And when it opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, Come and see4 And another, a red horse, went forth; and to him that sat upon it, to him it was given to take peace from the earth, and that they should slay one another; and there was given to him a great sword. 
 
vv.3-4 A Red Horse. With the second seal, and only with the second seal, the word “behold” is omitted and the word “another” is added. Perhaps this shows that there is a strong connection between the white and red horses. Perhaps both represent different aspects of the development of the revived Roman Empire. The second horse is “red”, which no doubt pictures blood and bloodshed. The rider of the red horse is given a divine mandate to “take peace from the earth”, which results in mass confusion, violence, and mutual slaughter. While certainly this would include conquest, it also seems to include the idea of civil war. Matt. 24 speaks of “nation against nation”, but this is more like town against town, or neighbor against neighbor. The violence may begin with a general anarchy, and then as the confederacies form, it may develop into larger battles. The rider holds “a great sword”. Compare this great sword with the “sharp sword” (Rev. 1:16). A great sword is used for broad, indiscriminate sweeping. A sharp sword is used for discriminant jabs and piercing. The change from white horse to the red horse is also instructive. Conquest through diplomacy will descend into conquest through bloodshed. We have seen examples of this progression in history; e.g. Hitler’s bloodless takeover of Austria in 1938, followed by his bloody conquest of Poland in 1939.
 

3rd Seal: Widespread Famine – Black Horse (6:5-6)

¶ 5 And when it opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, Come and see. And I saw: and behold, a black horse, and he that sat upon it having a balance in his hand. 6 And I heard as a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, A choenix of wheat for a denarius, and three choenixes of barley for a denarius: and do not injure the oil and the wine. 
 
vv.5-6 A Black Horse. The third seal involves a “black” horse. The rider holds a “balance in his hand”, which was a tool used in the marketplace to measure products and currency. The third seal represents economic failure and famine, mainly affecting the working class. We read in Lam. 5:10, “Our skin was black like an oven because of the terrible famine.” The 1929 Wall Street crash was called Black Tuesday. A voice comes from the middle of the four living creatures. If the beasts at this point are still around the throne, then this voice is either the voice of God or of the Lamb. The voice cries out the market prices for wheat and barley. The prices that are given are famine prices. A denarius was a soldier’s daily pay, and could normally purchase six choenixes of wheat. But here, one day’s work will only buy one day’s food. Families cannot survive in this economy. “Barley” was the poor man’s food. Yet the voice adds, “do not injure the oil and wine”. The oil and wine are the finer fares, things enjoyed by the rich. As bad as this famine is, the rich are yet unaffected (Prov. 21:17).
 

4th Seal: Mass Death – Pale Horse (6:7-8)

¶ 7 And when it opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, Come and see8 And I saw: and behold, a pale horse, and he that sat upon it, his name was Death, and hades followed with him; and authority was given to him over the fourth of the earth to slay with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and by the beasts of the earth. 
 
v.8 A Pale Horse. The fourth seal involves a “pale” horse, which is the color of death. The pale horse represents mass death; likely a pestilence, which is a fatal epidemic disease. Why do we think it involves disease? If we correlate the seal judgments with the judgments in Matthew 24 which occur at the same time, we will find that pestilences are mentioned in a parallel with the pale horse (Matt. 24:7). Furthermore, slaying with “death” is mentioned in addition to the sword and hunger, etc. What else would this be but disease? The rider is called Death” and he is followed by “hades”, almost like a cart following the horse. It speaks of complete separation from the land of the living. Death claims the body, and immediately, Hades claims the soul. Yet the reach of these judgments is still limited to a restricted part of the earth; the “fourth part” which I believer is Western Europe. Read more… Notice that the “sword” and “hunger” are included in this judgment. It shows that the second and third seals are wrapped up in the fourth. Even “the beasts of the earth” become a threat to people. The animal kingdom will begin to attack humans. In Genesis 9:2, God said to Noah, “And let the fear of you and the dread of you be upon every animal of the earth, and upon all fowl of the heavens: upon all that moveth on the ground; and upon all the fishes of the sea: into your hand are they delivered.” God’s intention was for man to be in close with the animals, as the head of creation. But sin degraded the relationship. It could be that, before the flood, animals were attacking humans (Gen. 6:12). To preserve man, after the flood God put a fear of man into the animals. Generally speaking, wild animals run away from people. This fear of man was necessary, now that sin had entered, for man to have dominion over the animals. But in the tribulation, the animals will begin to lose their fear of man.
 

5th Seal: Middle of the Week – Jewish Witnesses Martyred (6:9-11)

¶ 9 And when it opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of them that had been slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held; 
 
v.9 The Martyrs. The fifth seal does not involve a horse and rider, but rather the souls of martyrs that will be killed in the tribulation. The scope of the six seals is limited to the first half of the week, and therefore these martyrs would be those killed during the 3 1/2 years known as the “beginning of sorrows”. It is likely that the false church will be responsible for this persecution, as Rev. 17-18 shows that she will be a major influence at this time and will have blood on her hands: “in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth” (Rev. 18:24). These souls are the first group of martyrs (mainly Jewish), slain by those who dwell on the earth for their faithfulness. Their souls are seen separate from their bodies; i.e. they are seen in hades. Symbolically, they are viewed “under the altar”. They had just been on the altar, like an animal that is sacrificed (reference Lev. 4:7, the brazen altar). They are martyred for “the word of God” and “for the testimony which they held”. They will be preaching the Word of God. What was their testimony? “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Matt. 24:14). They will preach a gospel, but not exactly the same gospel that we preach today; the gospel of the grace of God. These ones will preach the gospel of the kingdom, the announcement of the return of the King, and the need for all to repent.
 
10 and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O sovereign Ruler, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell upon the earth? 
 
v.10 The Martyrs’ Prayer. The martyrs’ prayer is given to us. They do not address God as Father, but as “sovereign Ruler”. Their mode of addressing God and the substance of their prayers indicates these are not Christian prayers (Matt. 5:43-44). Rather, these are the imprecatory prayers of those with Israelitish hopes. We have similar prayers in the Psalms (e.g. Psalm 94). They pray for vengeance on their enemies, on those who took their lives. They invoke the very nature of God as “holy and true” to “judge and make war” to avenge their blood. This God will do, but in His own time. This shows us an important principle: what seems to us like God’s delaying to act is no detraction of His character (2 Pet. 3:9). We may not understand His timing, but that is not grounds to question His nature as holy and true. We find that a certain class of persons is responsible for the death of these martyrs. They are called “earth-dwellers” and are mentioned some ten times in the book of Revelation! Earth-dwellers are those who have been offered heaven, but have chosen earth instead (see Rev. 3:10).
 
11 And there was given to them, to each one a white robe; and it was said to them that they should rest yet a little while, until both their fellow-bondmen and their brethren, who were about to be killed as they, should be fulfilled. 
 
v.11 The Martyrs’ Rest. The martyrs are given “white robes”, which are symbols of the Lord’s special approval for their faithfulness (see Rev. 3:4-5). Their prayers cannot be fully answered at the time of the fifth seal, and so the martyrs must wait until the remainder of the martyrs are killed under more furious persecution at the hands of the beast (Rev. 11; 14:13). Iniquity must reach its height before the retribution falls. Perhaps the martyrs of the second half week are distinguished in v.11 as: (1) “fellow servants” or Gentile believers and (2) “their brethren” or Jewish believers. This is uncertain, but quite possible. All of the tribulation martyrs will be raised together prior to the appearing (see Rev. 11:11) and will reign with Christ (see Rev. 20:4).
 

6th Seal: Governmental Upheaval – Hearts Fail (6:10-17)

¶ 12 And I saw when it opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as hair sackcloth, and the whole moon became as blood, 13 and the stars of heaven fell upon the earth, as a fig tree, shaken by a great wind, casts its unseasonable figs. 
 
vv.12-13 The Lights Fall. There are no horses with the fifth and sixth seals. The sixth seal is more direct from God. The first thing is a great “earthquake”, which represents a shaking of great Western governments – establishments that have remained stable and settled for the several millennia (Heb. 12:26). What causes this upheaval? God causes it, but He uses specific instruments. The timing of the sixth seal corresponds to Satan’s being cast down from heaven at the middle of Daniel’s seventieth week (Rev. 12:9). At this same time, the false church will collapse and fall prey to the ten kingdoms she once controlled (Rev. 17:16). The judgment of the false church will cause great distress among the nations (Rev. 18). At the same time, a political leader (the first beast) will arise in Europe, subduing three of the kingdoms, which will then lead to all ten states of Europe giving him their power (Dan. 7:24; Rev. 17:13). Also at the same time, Antichrist (the second beast) will come forward (Rev. 9:1), instituting the worship of the beast (Rev. 13:11-12). All of this is connected with the great earthquake. Next we have the fall of the sun, moon, and stars to the earth. We must understand that these are symbols. If one star literally fell to the earth, before it ever reached earth, the earth would be sucked into its gravitational field and destroyed. Clearly, the language is symbolic. The heavenly bodies are sources of light that provide guidance to man; “the great light to rule the day, and the small light to rule the night” (Gen. 1:16-17). The “sun” or supreme governing authorities (Gen. 37:9), the “moon” or those all authorities whose power is derived from the supreme authority, and the “stars” or lesser authorities (perhaps governments of less important countries), will fall also from their place as beacons to mankind. They will apostatize under Satan’s darkening power. There will be a shower of these authorities that descend into upheaval, pictured by fruit falling from a tree when the wind blows. These are “unseasonable” figs that are concealed under the leaves and never ripen. They are cast off by the wintry wind of God’s wrath. The mention of “figs” here is interesting. Perhaps there is an allusion to Israel’s national apostasy when Antichrist comes forward at the middle of the week? Every authority that previously posed as a moral beacon to mankind in the West now apostatizes, and this makes way for the Beast and False Prophet to step forward.
 
14 And the heaven was removed as a book rolled up, and every mountain and island were removed out of their places. 
 
v.14 Reference Points are Removed. It speaks of the “heaven” or sky being “rolled up”. It gives us mental picture of the sky, the backdrop of everything, being removed. In the tribulation, the framework of society will dissolve; e.g. manners, honesty, civility, etc. “Mountains” would be long established governments like the U.S.A. and England (see Dan. 2:35). “Islands” may represent great sources of wealth or great financial institutions; e.g. Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, AIG, etc. (see Ezek. 27:3-15). It isn’t yet the total destruction of these institutions, but the moving them out of place, resulting in confusion and despair.
 
15 And the kings of the earth, and the great, and the chiliarchs, and the rich, and the strong, and every bondman and freeman, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains; 16 and they say to the mountains and to the rocks, Fall on us, and have us hidden from (1) the face of him that sits upon the throne, and from (2) the wrath of the Lamb; 17 because the great day of his wrath is come, and who is able to stand? 
 
vv.15-17 Fear Takes Hold Everywhere. Every class of persons that gave Western civilization a sense of stability will be struck with terror. Kings, chilarchs (meaning “commander of a thousand”, which is a military rank, Mark 6:1), the rich and strong, all the way down to the citizen and the slave, all will wish to be hidden from this judgment. They will beg for anything stable (rocks and mountains), the last vestiges of civilized government, even if oppressive, to hide them from God and His discipline. It seems that they call for the rocks etc. to hide them, not to kill them. Later men will seek death (moral, conscience death, Rev. 9:6) but will not find it. There is no repentance or cry for mercy, just pure terror. They will think at that time that it is “the wrath of the Lamb”. These people know Who is behind these judgments. They are in the part of the world that has had the light of the gospel, but rejected it. They think it is the end, but their terror is premature. This is only the middle of the week. It will get far worse in the last half of the week. Compare the earthquake in v.12 with the earthquake in Rev. 16:18.
 

{Two Companies Preserved: A Jewish and a Gentile} (Rev. 7)

Revelation 7. There is a parenthesis between the sixth and seventh seal, the sixth and seventh trumpet, and the sixth and seventh bowl. In each case we get added details that help us understand the seventh seal, trumpet, or bowl. Revelation 7 is the parenthesis in the seal-series of judgments. This chapter is for the hearts of the tribulation saints, and perhaps for our hearts as well. After seeing the first six seals we might wonder if any will survive the prophetic week. This chapter shows us that God has a remnant of Jews and Gentiles which will be preserved and brought into the millennium. It is a little bit like flipping to the end of a book to be assured about the outcome. Three companies are distinguished in this chapter: the Jew (v.4), the Gentile (v.9), and Church of God (v.12) although stated as such. Only Jew and Gentile are on earth during the tribulation.
 
Noah, a type of the preserved remnant. The difference between ‘saved through’ the tribulation (Rev. 7) and ‘saved out of’ the tribulation (Rev. 3:10) is seen typically in the Old Testament account of the flood. Enoch represents the church as taken by God without dying, and not on earth during the flood. Noah and his family represent the preserved remnant, as they were ‘saved through water’ (1 Pet. 3:20). The water lifted the ark above it, and thus the eight souls on board, with the animals, were sheltered by God. Another Old Testament picture of the preserved remnant is Daniel’s three friends, who were preserved in the midst of Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace.

Introduction (vv.1-3)

CHAPTER 7
And after this I saw four angels standing upon the four corners of the earth, holding fast the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow upon the earth, nor upon the sea, nor upon any tree. 
 
v.1 Four Angels. The parenthesis opens with four angels. These angels have universal power over creation, demonstrated by their standing on the four corners of the earth (symbolic). It is helpful to realize that the numeral four in scripture speaks of universality in creation. The “four winds” are the disturbing influences throughout the world that God can, at His will, let loose in judgment. Perhaps demonic forces are included (Eph. 2:2). Three entities are destined for judgment: “the earth” which represents the nations in the state of stability (Matt. 13:38), “the sea” which represents the nations in a state of turmoil (Rev. 13:1, Matt. 13:1,47), and “the trees” which represent the great men of this world (Dan. 4:20-22).
 
2 And I saw another angel ascending from the sunrising, having the seal of the living God; and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it had been given to hurt the earth and the sea, 3 saying, Hurt not the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, until we shall have sealed the bondmen of our God upon their foreheads. 
 
vv.2-3 The Forehead Seal Introduced. Another angel comes onto the scene from the east, the rising of the sun. Sometimes in the book of Revelation the Lord Himself is described as an angel, but I don’t believe that is true in this case. It isn’t until the trumpet series that the Lord assumes the angelic form and title. In the seal-judgment series He is the Lamb.1112 The seal marks them for preservation from being martyred during the intense persecution. Before the seventh seal is opened, we are assured that a great company will be preserved. An example of this sealing or marking is Joshua 2:18, and Ezek. 9:4-6. Perhaps as a contrast to this seal or mark of God’s preservation, those who dwell on the earth receive the mark of the Beast in their foreheads!

The Jewish Company Sealed (vv.4-7)

4 And I heard the number of the sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the sons of Israel: 5 out of the tribe of Juda, twelve thousand sealed; out of the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Gad, twelve thousand; 6 out of the tribe of Aser, twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Nepthalim, twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Manasseh, twelve thousand; 7 out of the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Issachar, twelve thousand; 8 out of the tribe of Zabulun, twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand sealed. 
 
vv.4-8 A Jewish Company. The total number of those sealed or marked for preservation is 144,000. This is a symbolic number. The 144,000 equals 12 x 12 x 1,000. Twelve is the number of the dealings of God with man by means of human administration (Rev. 21:12). The multiplier of 1000 refers to the millennium. There are 12,000 sealed from each tribe, showing that “all Israel shall be saved” (Rom. 11:26). The nation of Israel in a remnant character will be preserved to enter the Millennium in administrative perfection. This remnant will form the nucleus of the nation, through which Messiah will govern the other nations. Only two tribes will be in the land when Messiah comes, but all twelve tribes are mentioned here because the ten tribes will be brought back home to enter the kingdom (Ezek. 20:33-44, Jer. 30:3). The tribe of Dan isn’t mentioned; instead Levi takes his place. Why is Dan excluded? One suggestion is that Dan was the tribe that introduced idolatry to Israel (see Judges 18). However, some of the tribe of Dan will survive the tribulation because they will have a portion in the land (Ezekiel 48:1). Ephraim’s name also isn’t mentioned. However, the tribe of Ephraim is included here under the name ‘Joseph’. Ephraim, as the leader of the northern kingdom, led Israel into idolatry (Hosea 4:17).
 
Remnant of… Gentiles Two Tribes Ten Tribes
Preserved Rev. 7:9-12 Rev. 7:4-7; 14:1 Rev. 7:4-7
Martyred 1st Half Included in Rev. 5:9-10; 6:9-11? Rev. 6:9-11; 12:11; 14:2-3; Included in Rev. 5:9-10? Included in Rev. 5:9-10?
Martyred 2nd Half Rev. 15:2-4; Included in Rev. 5:9-10? Rev. 11:1-14; 12:17; 14:2-3; Included in Rev. 5:9-10? Included in Rev. 5:9-10?
Raised Rev. 20:4 Rev. 20:4, 14:13 Rev. 20:4

Gentle Company Added: Worship Breaks Forth (vv.9-15)

¶ 9 After these things I saw, and lo, a great crowd, which no one could number, out of every nation and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cry with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb. 
 
vv.9-10 A Gentile Company. Another company comes into view on earth. They are “out of every nation and tribes and peoples and tongues”, meaning that they are Gentiles. They are so numerous that they could “not be numbered”. There are no multiples of twelve in this case, because Gentiles won’t be in earthly administration in the Millennium. The company stands “before the throne, and before the Lamb”. The Lord’s throne will be in heaven in the Millennium (Psa. 103:19), but there will be an earthly extension of it on earth (Ezek. 43:7). Contrast these preserved Gentiles who are “before the throne” in that they have access to it (Heb. 4:16), with the elders who are “around the throne” as to their location (Rev. 4 – 5). Although they are before the throne, these Gentile saints are still on earth, still in the scene where they have been preserved, although the tribulation is over. Additional proofs that they are on earth are in v.15. These ones are wearing “white robes”, showing that they are morally suitable as far as practical holiness is concerned. In v.15 the question of their standing is addressed, and there the blood is mentioned. They are holding “palms”, which are emblems of joy resulting from a victorious deliverance. Are the 144,000 Jewish saints a part of this multitude? I don’t know. The white-robed crowd cries out to God in praise. The sense of their cry is: “all praise and credit for our salvation be to God… etc.”. They cry (not sing) of an earthly deliverance through the tribulation from physical and moral damage.
 
Earth, Heaven, Earth. We have had a scene on earth (vv.9-10), and now a scene in heaven (vv.11-12). This is followed by a scene on earth again (vv.15-17).
 
11 And all the angels stood around the throne, and the elders, and the four living creatures, and fell before the throne upon their faces, and worshipped God, 12 saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and strength, to our God, to the ages of ages. Amen. 
 
vv.11-12 The Chant in Heaven. I am not quite sure how to read v.11. It could be that the angels, elders, and living creatures all fall and worship together. But it could also be that the elders and living creatures are inside the circle of angels. In this case the elders and living creatures would not fall and worship alongside the angels (as in Rev. 5:11-12). If this is the case, it could be so because the elders are heavenly saints, and earthly deliverance through the tribulation isn’t something they can appropriately praise for. The angels on the other hand “minister for them who shall be a salvation” (Heb. 1:14), even for saints in the tribulation! Their chant seven notes. Compare with Rev. 5:12.
 
  Rev. 5:12 Rev. 7:12
Who? Elders and Angels Elders and Angels
Theme The worthiness of the Lamb that was slain to open the book God’s purpose to preserve a remnant through the tribulation
Order of the notes Begins with power, ends with blessing. Begins with blessing, ends with power.
Differences in notes Riches vs thanksgiving Thanksgiving vs riches
Addressed to the Lamb God
 
¶ 13 And one of the elders answered, saying to me, These who are clothed with white robes, who are they, and whence came they? 14 And I said to him, My lord, “thou” knowest. And he said to me, These are they who come out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and have made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 
 
vv.13-14 A Special Class Identified. The elder, who is characterized by intelligence, ask John two questions – not because he doesn’t know – but because he is teaching John. This is a nice illustration of teaching through asking questions! The answer to “whence came they?” is that they have come out of the Great Tribulation, preserved miraculously from the power of the Beast and Antichrist. “The Great Tribulation” is a term referring to the second half of Daniel’s 70th week. See Dan. 9:27, Matt. 24:21. The answer to “who are these?” is that their standing before God is on the same basis as every saint in every dispensation: redemption through the blood of Jesus. These one ones who heard and believed what John calls “the everlasting gospel” – another aspect of the same gospel called “the gospel of the kingdom” in Matthew. This is a special portion of the Gentiles who will enter the Millennial kingdom. The “blessed of the nations” in Matt. 25:34-40 are blessed because they did were kind to the messengers of the kingdom, but really have no prior knowledge of the Lamb. This company will have some knowledge of the Lord, and of the virtue of His blood.1314
 
15 Therefore are they (1) before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple, and (2) he that sits upon the throne shall spread his tabernacle over them. 16 (3) They shall not hunger any more, neither shall they thirst any more, (4) nor shall the sun at all fall on them, nor any burning heat; 17 (5) because the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall shepherd them, and shall lead them to fountains of waters of life, (6) and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes.
 
vv.15-17 Blessings of this Gentile Remnant. There is a six-fold reward for this faithful Gentile remnant that forms a special class. First, they will have a priestly function in the millennial temple in Jerusalem. Note that this must be on earth because there will be no temple or day and night in the heavenly temple (Rev. 21). Second, they will come under Jehovah’s glory and defense (Isa. 4:5-6) as an overspreading tent. Note that in the eternal state, God will be tabernacling with men (Rev. 21:3), not over it. Third, their every need will be satisfied; and not just physical needs, but spiritual needs as well (Matt. 5:6). Fourth, they will never again experience any suffering or pain, physical or otherwise (Jam. 1:11, Song. 1:6). Fifth, they will come under the personal shepherding care of the Lamb for a thousand years! Finally, they will be given everlasting consolation. God Himself will remove every sorrow and every occasion for sorrow. See note on Rev. 21:4.
 
  1. The Lamb only is concerned in the seals. The angelic power is connected with the trumpets. We shall see this more particularly; but I remark only, the Lamb is always in a higher or lower place (this latter, by grace), not exercising intermediate providences; in the throne, suffering, or judging. – Darby, J.N. Notes on Revelation.
  2. Some have conceived that the sealing angel is Christ, partly because it is assumed that the work done is communicating the Holy Spirit of promise, the seal of redemption. To me all this is more than doubtful. It is not till we reach the trumpet series that our Lord ever assumes the angelic form and title. Whether we look at the seals, or at the parenthesis between the two last, He is invariably, where the reference is certain, spoken of as the Lamb. Again, this angel rises up from the sun-rising. I can readily apply such a movement to angels subject to the Son of man, ascending and descending to do His pleasure. But when the Lord appears in angelic garb, He either ministers as High Priest with the golden censer, or He comes down with unmistakable tokens and proclamation of His dominion and power. – Kelly, William. Lectures on Revelation.
  3. They will be highly favoured in nearness to God, but on earth, though distinct from the millennial nations, as being in relation with God and the Lamb before that day. Compare the blessed of the nations in Matt. 25:34-40. – Kelly, W. Exposition of Revelation.
  4. They were not millennial saints, that is, born in that time, and subject by birth to the responsibility of that condition (which grace had to meet). They were cleansed and owned to be so, having the consciousness of it and victory when the others began; so that they, as already cleansed and owned, are always before the throne a special class, and serve Him day and night in His temple. … They are not only as Israel in the courts, or the nations in the world: they have a priest’s place in the world’s temple. The millennial multitudes are worshippers; these priests. As Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, ever in the temple itself, they have always access to the throne. … They are thus a class apart, distinct from the elders or heavenly saints, and distinct from millennial-saints who will never see tribulation, having a known position fixed in grace before God. It is a new revelation as to those passing through the great tribulation. The 144,000 of Revelation 14 are a similar class from among the Jews, coming out of their special tribulation. – Darby, J.N. Synopsis of the Books of the Bible.

Revelation 8

 
The Great Tribulation: The Trumpet Judgments
Revelation 8 – 11
 
Timing of the trumpet series. When do the trumpet-judgments occur? If you look at Matt. 24:6-8 you see events that correspond to the seal judgments, and they are called “beginning of sorrows”. Then the abomination of desolation is set up, which Rev. 13 tells us will take place at the middle of the week. Therefore, the first six seals are up to the middle of the week, and the trumpets follow after, covering the “great tribulation”, which is the last half of the week. The trumpets may be less extensive in their range than the seals (third part of the earth vs. the earth), but they are more intensely judicial than the seals. The first four trumpets are primarily to do with the apostatizing of the western nations, preparing them to receive Antichrist. Therefore, it seems the first four will happen in rapid succession at the middle of the week. The fifth trumpet corresponds to Antichrist coming forward, and the delusion of apostate Israel, also at the middle of the week, but spanning a longer duration (“five months”). The sixth trumpet is at 1260 days (nearly the end), and the seventh trumpet is at the appearing, the end of the week.
 
The third part and the fourth part of the earth. The terms “third part” and “fourth part” are not merely fractions. In keeping with the symbolic nature of Revelation, these terms refer to specific parts of the earth. How are we to understand these terms? First, start by understanding the numerals three and four. The numeral three in scripture is completeness is testimony. Four is universality in creation. Both fractions represent limited portions of the earth, but in different aspects. The third part is a division of the prophetic earth that forms a completion in the mind of God; e.g. the isles of the Gentiles (Gen. 10:5), the sphere of the old Roman Empire including Israel. How do we come to this conclusion?

If we look at Revelation 12:3-4 we see that the dragon (Satan) drew with his tail the "third part" of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the ground, then stood before the pregnant woman (Israel) ready to devour her child (Christ). This speaks of the time when Herod the Great, the instrument of Rome, was seeking to kill the Lord Jesus as a young boy. If we are familiar with the symbology of Revelation we will know that stars represent those who are set in a position of authority. The dragon's tail drawing the third part of the stars corresponds to his efforts to bring the leaders of a great political power (fill in the blank) under demonic control. His purpose was to mobilize them to kill the man-child and thus thwart God’s purpose (Matt. 2). What political power was behind Herod? Rome. This passage gives us the key that “the third part” refers to the Roman earth.

Read more… Although we cannot be exactly sure of the meaning of “the fourth part”, it would seem to be a division of the earth according to the lines of creation. The fourth part is a division according to physical creation (natural boundaries) and within but less than the third part.

In what way has God divided the earth according to creation? A few possibilities are; geologically the earth is divided into continents, or linguistically the earth is divided into languages. With confessedly little evidence to support my view, it could be that the "fourth part of the earth" is contained within one continent. If that is so, I suggest that this refers to the continent of Europe. This is based on the role of the seal-judgments leading to the rise of “the Beast”. Presumably the conditions created by the seal-judgments open the way for the Personal Beast to take control, it would follow that the epicenter of the fourth seal might be in Europe.

Read more…

The First Four Trumpets
Revelation 8
 
 

7th Seal: Leading into Trumpets (8:1-6)

CHAPTER 8
And when it opened the seventh seal, there was silence in the heaven about half an hour. 
 
v.1 Silence in Heaven. The silence for “half an hour” expresses the solemnity of the crisis about to fall. Also, it may be a suspension in judgement so that the remnant can flee to the mountains (Matt. 24:15-20) to take cover. I don’t think the half hour is necessarily literal. If an ‘hour’ is a full period, this is something less. It is a meaningful calm before the storm.
 
2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 
 
v.2 Seven Trumpets. Here we have a special group of seven angels, different from those in Rev. 15:1. These angels are given seven trumpets, which are symbolic of the next series of judgments. A trumpet symbolizes a warning or announcement. When you hear a trumpet you are getting a message (1 Cor. 14:8). The seal-judgments were more providential (especially the first four seals), but these trumpet-judgments are direct.
 
3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, that he might give efficacy to the prayers of all saints at the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense went up with the prayers of the saints, out of the hand of the angel before God. 
 
vv.3-4 Christ gives Efficacy to the Prayers of Saints. It would seem that the angel-priest is Christ in angelic form as in the Old Testament (Josh. 5:13). Often in Revelation when you get the expression “another angel” it is referring to Christ himself acting behind the scenes (Rev. 8:3, 10:1, 18:1). Christ is not found as the Lamb in the trumpet series. He is retreating from His manhood and His character as a holy sufferer. He is still a man, but His power is more in view. The “golden censer” (Heb. 9:4) was used on the Day of Atonement to carry the ever-burning fire from the brazen altar (the work of Christ) to the altar of Incense (the Person of Christ). It takes the full Person and Work of Christ to make the prayers efficacious. Is it correct to say that “the prayers” here are the imprecatory prayers of the tribulation saints who are suffering on earth? It probably includes their prayers. Note that it says of “all saints”, which would include the heavenly saints also. In a sense, the prayers of all saints from all dispensations for evil to be put down and Christ to have His rightful place will begin to be answered with the trumpet-judgments. Also, note that there are two different altars. “The altar” always refers to the brazen altar. The “golden altar” which was “before the throne” refers to the altar of incense. This ‘angel’ must be Christ, because no mere angel could function as a priest (see Heb. 2:16-17). In ch.5 the prayers ARE the incense, here incense is ADDED to the prayers. Our prayers have efficacy before the throne of God because of the value of the Person and work of Christ, which are added to our prayers. Through the priesthood of Christ, the prayers are brought up before God.
 
5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it from the fire of the altar, and cast it on the earth: and there were (1) voices, and (2) thunders and (3) lightnings, and (4) an earthquake. 
 
v.5 Response to the Prayers. In response to these prayers, the angel goes back to the brazen altar and refills the censer with fire and casts it on the earth. This is a type of the wrath of God against sin being directed down on the prophetic earth. The prayers are answered. What proceeds are four harbingers of the coming wrath. A four-part formula of universal catastrophe on the earth. (See Rev. 4:5; Rev. 8:5; Rev. 11:19; Rev. 16:18.)
 
¶ 6 And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves that they might sound with their trumpets. 
 
v.6 Preparation for judgment. Special time taken to prepare for the trumpets to sound. This shows that the trumpet-judgments are ordered and deliberate. It indicates great seriousness.
 
A Pattern. With the first three trumpets, a repeating pattern can be seen. First the judgment is described in symbolic terms. Then three results are given, also in symbolic terms. With the last three trumpets, the judgment is expanded on greatly, and they are referred to as three woes.
 

1st Trumpet: Prosperity Dries Up (8:7)

¶ 7 And the first sounded his trumpet: and there was hail and fire, mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth; and (1) the third part of the earth was burnt up, and (2) the third part of the trees was burnt up, and (3) all green grass was burnt up. 
 
v.7 The 1st Trumpet. In the first trumpet, all the comforts that men enjoy will be taken away. “Hail” represents rapid, sudden judgment from above. “Fire” speaks of the wrath of God against sin. “Blood” represents moral and physical death. These things fall on the “the earth”, which includes a broad sphere. However, the results have their primary effect on “the third part of the earth”. The results are three-fold. The first result is that “the third part of the earth was burnt up”, figuring the complete devastation of western Europe. Second, “the third part of the trees was burnt up”, representing all the great men in the West being cut down. For the use of trees as a symbol of great men, see Isa. 2:13 and Dan. 4:20-22. Third, “all green grass was burnt up”. If green grass pictures prosperity, then this means that all human prosperity will be dried up, not just in the West, but everywhere.

2nd Trumpet: A Great Western Political Power Falls (8:8-9)

¶ 8 And the second angel sounded his trumpet: and as a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea, and (1) the third part of the sea became blood; 9 and (2) the third part of the creatures which were in the sea which had life died; and (3) the third part of the ships were destroyed. 
 
vv.8-9 The 2nd Trumpet. The second trumpet is described symbolically by a volcano, which explodes from within. Mountains in scripture often represent long established political powers (Dan. 2:35). The picture of an exploding mountain on fire symbolizes a great political power (likely in the West) which, having formally given up the knowledge of God, becomes afflicted terribly with the judgment of God, and is violently removed from its place as a leader. Where does the mountain go when it topples over? Its place of impact is the sea; a picture of the Gentile nations in a state of turmoil. We are not told which great established power will fall. Some feel that it could be the United States of America. This is possible, because the mountain appears to be a great Western nation, but not one of the ten nations composing the political beast. The second trumpet may be what God uses to take the last great political impediment out of the way for the Personal Beast to take control in the West. We can see how the USA would be a political impediment for a world leader to rise out of Europe. The results again are three-fold. First, “the third part of the sea became blood”, representing the moral and physical death that will engulf the tumultuous Western nations. Second, “the third part of the creatures which were in the sea which had life died”, which perhaps indicates that any person that was a moral light (“had life”) to the masses in the West will apostatize and give up what moral light they had. Third, “the third part of the ships were destroyed”, representing the destruction of commerce, and the collapse of the Western economy, as a result of the upheaval and corruption that preceded.
 

3rd Trumpet: An Influential Western Person Falls

¶ 10 And the third angel sounded his trumpet: and there fell out of the heaven a great star, burning as a torch, and (1) it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters. 11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood [‘bitterness’]; and (2) the third part of the waters became wormwood, and (3) many of the men died of the waters because they were made bitter. 
 
vv.10-11 The 3rd Trumpet. The third trumpet is described symbolically by a falling star or an asteroid striking earth. Stars in scripture often speak of individuals in a place of authority. The heavenly bodies are said in Gen. 1:16-18 to “rule” the day and night. The stars are employed in Rev. 1:20 to picture the responsible element in the local assembly. A “great star” here is a person of great moral leadership in the West, who “falls” in a moral sense, “burning as a torch”, or afflicted by the judgment of God, from his place in the heavens as a light. I think the third trumpet is a great example to show that the language used in Revelation must be symbolic, although they do represent literal events. If a star literally fell to earth, earth would be sucked into its gravity and burned up. Once again, the results are three-fold. First, the star “fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters.” When this person falls, it poisons the system of the world’s refreshment; e.g. entertainment and media. “Rivers” represent the daily course of this world. “Fountains” are the sources of refreshment for the natural man. The star is called “Wormwood”, which means “bitterness”. Although do not know the identity of this individual today, perhaps this word will be a clue to the faithful remnant who will no doubt read the prophecies of Revelation. This one appears to be distinct from Antichrist, who is also pictured as star, though already fallen (Rev. 9:1). And yet, the name has a moral significance. It speaks of the bitterness of apostasy. Often when people reject the light they once professed to love, they descend to hating it! The second result is that “the third part of the waters became wormwood”. The effect of the falling star has its effect on the daily course of life in the West; it becomes morally corrupt. Contrast the effect of this falling star with the tree cast into the waters of Marah, which were made sweet (Ex. 15)! Third, “many of the men died of the waters because they were made bitter”. When the sources of entertainment and information become corrupt, it results in the moral death of the general populous in the West.
 

4th Trumpet: All Leadership in the West Falls

¶ 12 And the fourth angel sounded his trumpet: and (1)the third part of the sun was smitten, and (2)the third part of the moon, and (3)the third part of the stars; so that the third part of them should be darkened, and that the day should not appear for the third part of it, and the night the same.
 
v.12 The 4th Trumpet. The fourth trumpet is described symbolically by the darkening of the heavenly bodies. As we already showed, the heavenly bodies represent entities in authority. The sun, moon, and stars are the whole governing body in the West (the “third part”) — a complete system of government in all its parts. This system is plunged into moral darkness. Note that under the sixth seal (Rev. 6:12, 13) the same symbols are used, but restricted to the fourth part of the earth, and the heavenly bodies are merely “shaken”. Here it is the third part (an enlarged sphere), and they are morally darkened. The result is that day and night become indiscernible; predicting a time when the West becomes unable to discern moral light from moral darkness.

¶ 13 And I saw, and I heard an eagle flying in mid-heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to them that dwell upon the earth, for the remaining voices of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound. 
 
v.13 Three Woe-trumpets Introduced. The fifth trumpet is preceded by a dark warning to the earth-dwellers, stating that the last three woe-trumpets will be especially bad. The voice is from a flying eagle; a symbol of swiftness and sureness of victory. The first four trumpets are really preparatory. In the fifth trumpet, Antichrist comes forward. It has been noted that the three woe-trumpers are connected with three great armies:
  1. Fifth trumpet – an army of demons (that delude apostate Israel)
  2. Sixth trumpet – an army of men (the Arab confederacy)
  3. Seventh trumpet – the armies of Christ (at His appearing)
 

Revelation 9

 
The Fifth and Sixth Trumpets
Revelation 9
 
 

5th Trumpet: Antichrist Emerges, Deludes Apostate Israel (9:1-12)

The fifth Trumpet symbolizes how the man of sin will delude the earth-dwellers in Israel (Rev.9:4). He does the same to the Gentiles in the fifth bowl (Rev. 16:10, 2 Thess. 2:11-12). This delusion is presented as a judgment from God, not so much as an activity of Satan (although it is that also). The poison that results from this delusion will produce a miserable state. We find this in the Old Testament as well. In Isaiah 8 we have the condition of the unsealed mass of the Jews just prior to the attack of the king of the North, who are vainly trusting in Antichrist for protection. Isa 8:21-22 shows the utter despair of the apostate Jews under Antichrist’s leadership.

Antichrist Emerges (v.1)

CHAPTER 9
And the fifth angel sounded his trumpet: and I saw a star out of the heaven fallen to the earth; and there was given to it the key of the pit of the abyss. 
 
v.1 A Fallen Star. The fifth trumpet involves a person, pictured by a fallen star. It cannot be a literal star because a star is not a moral agent, which is implied by this agent receiving the key to the abyss. Note that it is a “fallen” star, not a “falling” star. This verse is not describing the apostasy of the Antichrist, but the time when he comes forward to make history. Antichrist is only given this key temporarily. Later we see an angel using the same key to lock Satan up for 1000 years (Rev. 20:1).

The Origin and General Character of the Demonic Army (vv.2-3)

2 And it opened the pit of the abyss; and there went up smoke out of the pit as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke of the pit. 
 
v.2 The Smoke. The fallen star, or Antichrist, the man of sin, will release the satanic influences out of the abyss. The chained angels (Jude 1:6) do not escape the abyss. They will not get out until the “great day” when they will be judged, but their influence, their machinations, rise up like smoke. The result of this is that the “sun is darkened”, meaning that any remaining moral light is blocked out, and “the air darkened”, meaning that the moral atmosphere people will breathe is full of satanic delusions. People will not be able to trust their own senses, nor will they be able to look to others for a compass.
 
3 And out of the smoke came forth locusts on the earth, and power was given to them as the scorpions of the earth have power; 
 
v.3 The Locusts. Here we have the agents of the fifth trumpet; demons pictured by locusts. Locusts are characterized by being extremely thorough in their actions. When a swarm of locusts passes through an area, nothing living is left uneaten. However, as we find in v.4, God will allow escapees in this case; those who have faith. We get certain high-level details about the locusts. As to their origin, the demons came “out of the smoke“; they originate from a satanic purpose, intending to blind the eyes of men. As to their format, they are called locusts“; demons in the format of an unstoppable army (Joel 1:4-6). Locusts are know march and act in strict military formation. As to their ability, the demons had “power as scorpions“; power to inflict men with moral pain.

Their Mode of Operation (vv.4-6)

4 and it was said to them, that they should not injure the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but the men who have not the seal of God on their foreheads:
 
v.4 Their Target. The food of these agents is not the normal food of locusts; i.e. trees, grasses, etc. This help us to understand that these aren’t literal insects. These agents will attack men; but will injure “no green thing”; i.e. no person with divine life will be hurt. Specifically, in contrast with the sealed 144,000 who are protected at the middle of the week, these demons will target the unsealed “apostate” part of the nation of Israel.
 
5 and it was given to them that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months; and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. 6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall in no way find it; and shall desire to die, and death flees from them.
 
vv.5-6 Their Effect on Apostate Israel. The locusts are prohibited from killing men. The target’s lives will be prolonged while they suffer. The five months (also the natural lifespan of locusts) signifies a limited period of affliction. The effect of the army on the apostate Jews is a sudden, transfixing, paralyzing pain; “as the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man”. This is pain is in a moral sense; probably a pain in the conscience which Satan can inflict (he is “the accuser”). Men will seek death; an avenue to separation from God. They will be looking for any solution to the pain. Sadly, death will escape them.

The Detailed Description of the Locusts (vv.7-10)

7 And (1) the likenesses of the locusts were like to horses prepared for war; and (2) upon their heads as crowns like gold, and (3) their faces as faces of men; 8 and (4) they had hair as women’s hair, and (5) their teeth were as of lions, 9 and (6) they had breastplates as breastplates of iron, and (7) the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to war; 10 and (8) they have tails like scorpions, and stings; and their power was in their tails to hurt men five months.
 
vv.7-10 Description of the Army. Next we are given eight attributes of the army of demons:
  1. Like war horses… they have a warlike energy.
  2. Crowns like gold… they boast a righteous commission from God.
  3. Faces like men… they appear outwardly to be independently intelligent, but…
  4. Hair as women’s hair… in reality they are subject to Satan.
  5. The teeth of lions… vicious and cruel.
  6. Iron breastplates… hearts are a hard as iron.
  7. Sound of wings… gives the victim the sense of being rapidly overwhelmed (Joel 2:5-6).
  8. Stings in their tails… these can poison the mind and soul the way a scorpion poisons the body. Power in the tail speaks of power to deceive (Isa. 9:15). The venom is falsehood, born in the abyss. The duration of the torment is “five months” which is the natural lifespan of locust. Five is the number of human weakness under responsibility. Men are nothing in comparison with the power of Satan, and he will abuse them at his own discretion to the full extent that God will allow and that their bodies will tolerate.

The Commander and Chief of the Demonic Army (v.11)

11 They have a king over them, the angel of the abyss: his name in Hebrew, Abaddon, and in Greek he has for name Apollyon. 
 
v.11 Apollyon. Now we have another individual who is ultimately controlling this army of demons. This is not Antichrist. Antichrist turns the key allow the demonic influences out of the abyss (v.1), but he, as a mere man, doesn’t lead demons. “Abaddon” is Hebrew for ‘destruction’, and “Apollyon” is Greek for ‘destroyer’. This would seem to confirm the king’s identity as Satan himself. The names mean “Destroyer” in the languages of Old and New Testaments. Some have suggested that it could be another chief angel of his. In either case, Satan himself or his chief angel controls the army of demons. Make no mistake about the source of this evil.

¶ 12 The first woe has passed. Behold, there come yet two woes after these things.
 
v.12 Two more woes. A warning is given that there are still two more woes ahead. Some will vainly hope that things cannot get worse than they are in the world, but the worst is still to come.
 

6th Trumpet: Advance of the Eastern Arab Confederacy (9:13-21)

The sixth trumpet describes the invasion of a huge army from the east into the Beast’s empire. The sixth bowl (ch.16) gives the “drying of the Euphrates”, the opening of the way for this army to invade. From elsewhere in scripture (e.g. Daniel 11:40, Isaiah 28:15) we know there will be an invasion into the land of the Israel by the Assyrian (the King of the North and his Arab Confederacy) just prior to the coming of the Lord that will sweep down through the land into Egypt. This will be a humiliating defeat for the Beast and False Prophet, and it will result in the death of two thirds of all Jews in the land (the apostate mass). This correlates with the sixth trumpet, although Revelation is more concerned with the spiritual effect on the Roman empire. the difference is: the 6th trumpet is a broad look at the net effect of the Assyrian’s inroads, concentrated more with the spiritual side.15 The 6th bowl gives more the precise moment of the attack; i.e. when the Arab armies break through the Roman border at the Euphrates.
 
The sixth trumpet is the beginning of “the indignation”. The indignation is a 75-day period that will occur at the end of Daniel’s seventieth week. It is a technical term in the prophetic scriptures that refers to a series of judgments. A number of references will make clear that this period is when God will vent His indignation on the earth for their wickedness and, above all, rejecting His Son. Read more… It would appear that Antichrist will flee from Palestine when this army invades, leaving the apostate Jews defenseless (Zech. 11:17). Dan. 11:36 says that Antichrist will prosper “until the indignation”. The King of the north will sweep through the land, “desolating” it, then continue down into Egypt. This is called the first attack of the Assyrian. Read more…
 
The Arab confederacy, also known as “the king of the north” in Daniel, “the Assyrian” in Isaiah, and “the kings of the east” in Revelation, is a confederacy of ten nations outlined in Psalm 83. The confederacy is formed of the Muslim nations that surround Israel to the north and east, including Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan (Moab and Ammon – Jordan may break up into two), and the  v. Iran (Persia) will come in the first and second attack (Ezek. 38:5). If China militarizes, it will be confederate with Gog and Magog (Russia). There is a loose alliance in prophecy between the Arab Confederacy and the Russian Confederacy. From Daniel 8 we can conclude that Gog and Magog, although not explicitly named, will be supporting the Arab confederacy (“but not by his own power”).

The Great Eastern Army (vv.13-16)

¶ 13 And the sixth angel sounded his trumpet: and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel that had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound at the great river Euphrates. 
 
vv.13-14 The River Euphrates. The sixth trumpet describes the invasion of a huge army from the east. Although it involves a great movement of men, and also demonic forces at work, yet all the events are under the control of God. After the trumpet sounds, “a voice” is heard. It would seem that this is the voice of God. The voice comes “from the four horns”; which speaks of universal power, combining the numeral four with the symbol of a horn. The horns belong to the “golden altar”, connecting this judgment with God’s answer to the prayers of Rev. 8:3-4. We read of four angels that are “bound at the great river Euphrates”. We know that behind the movements of empires are angels and demons, such as “the prince of Greece”, “the prince of Persia”, and “Michael your prince” (Dan. 10:20). These four are fallen angels (contrast the four angels in Rev. 7:1). The river Euphrates is very significant in world history and in Bible prophecy. The Euphrates, often called simply “the great river”, was the division between East and West, and was the eastern border of the old Roman Empire (just east of Israel). This is the border that the Arab invasion will cross to invade the Beast’s empire. The attack will not penetrate all the way to Western Europe. Instead it will be concentrated in the Middle East (Israel, Egypt, etc.).
 
15 And the four angels were loosed, who are prepared for the hour and day and month and year, that they might slay the third part of men; 
 
v.15 The Effect of the Attack. The moment that these angels are loosed is a specific moment in the mind of God; “who are prepared for the hour and day and month and year”. Although the attack will be concentrated in Israel, the strike will cause the Roman empire (the third part”) to collapse. It will be the judgement on the West for their wickedness, rejecting the truth, and also for interfering in the discipline of God on Israel (Isa. 18; 28:15). The attack which the Jews so greatly fear will not come until the appointed time, but when it comes it will be swift and certain, as it will be an instrument in the hand of God for judgment (Isa. 5:27-30; Joel 2:1-11).
 
16 and the number of the hosts of horse was twice ten thousand times ten thousand. I heard their number. 
 
v.16 Size of the Army. The number of this army is 2 x 10,000 x 10,000 = 200,000,000. It is not entirely clear if this number is literal, but one is inclined to take it literally, as John emphasizes; “I heard their number”. If it is indeed a literal figure, this is the largest army the world has ever seen (c.p. Joel 2:2). Note: prophetic students have calculated that the populations of these countries today could allow for a literal 200,000,000. It speaks of horses being used, and like the use of horses in Rev. 6, this may be symbolic of human agencies (Joel 2:4).

A Detailed Description of the Army (vv.17-19)

¶ 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and those that sat upon them, having breastplates of fire and jacinth and brimstone; and the heads of the horses were as heads of lions, and out of their mouths goes out fire and smoke and brimstone.
 
v.17 Weapons. They wear “breastplates of fire and jacinth and brimstone” which are defensive weapons. It describes what their hearts are like: possessed by satanic influences, driven by hatred, but appointed by God. “Fire” because this army is the instrument of God’s righteous judgement (Isa. 10:5, Joel 2:11). “Jacinth” (a reddish orange stone, similar to the color of flame) because of the severity of the judgment. “Brimstone” or burning sulfur, because this a foreshadow of eternal judgement. They have “heads of lions”, which might describe their state of mind (heads); it is one of terrible majesty, fearlessness, boldness (Isa. 5:26-30, Joel 2:1-11). Offensive weapons are now described; “fire” from the mouth speaks of a sudden infliction of judgment, “smoke” is the resulting confusion and blindness, and “brimstone” pictures a long-lasting, smoldering effect.
 
 18 By these three plagues were the third part of men killed, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which goes out of their mouths. 
 
v.18 Their Target. Again we have this expression: the third part. It refers to the Roman earth, and to the people living there. This invading army from the east will devastate the Beast’s empire, although the geographical point of the attack is in the middle east. In many ways Israel will become the center of the world stage and a vital part of the Western political confederacy, as the center of the imperial religion. No doubt economically Israel will be vital to the empire as well. Further, the attack causes Antichrist, Israel’s supposed protector, to flee. This attack will be a devastating blow to “the third part”, to the revived Roman empire.
 
19 For the power of the horses is in their mouth and in their tails: for their tails are like serpents, having heads, and with them they injure. 
 
v.19 Their Power. The power behind these horses (human agencies) is: “their mouth” (what you see), Satan’s open power, and “their tails” (what you don’t see), Satan’s secret power. Contrast “scorpion-like tails and stings” (first woe, designed to blind and delude) with “serpent-like tails and heads” (second woe, desired to injure and kill). These agents have “heads”; meaning that they are intelligent and calculating, and their blow to the empire is intentionally placed and timed.

The Hardening Effect on those who are Not Killed (vv.20-21)

20 And the rest of men who were not killed with these plagues repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and the golden and silver and brazen and stone and wooden idols, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. 21 And they repented not of their murders, nor of their witchcrafts, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts. 
 
vv.20-21 Those not killed. The surviving citizens of the Beast’s empire (likely the great Western portion, away from Euphrates) will harden their hearts, and will continue the idolatrous worship of the Beast. The result of this hardening is that the empire goes on unrepentantly in these four forms of evil: “murders” (extreme violence), “witchcrafts” (Satan worship), “fornication” (gross immorality), and “thefts” (lawlessness), by which means the very fabric of society will begin to disintegrate.
 
  1. I’ve wondered if perhaps the sixth trumpet will begin earlier than 1260 days from the middle of the week, perhaps with threats and hateful speech from the Arab confederacy toward Israel?

Revelation 10

 
The Mighty Angel: Christ Claims His Inheritance
Revelation 10
 
A Parenthesis. The next section of Revelation spanning from Rev. 10:1 through Rev. 11:14 is a parenthesis between the sixth and seventh trumpets. There is a parenthesis between the sixth and seventh seals, trumpets, and bowls. These parentheses are given to provide important details and themes before we get the final judgment in each series. This parenthesis comes right before the seventh trumpet, which is the appearing of Christ. In the parenthesis before us, we have two reasons why Christ will return:
  • The earth is His rightful inheritance, and He will take what belongs to Him (Rev. 10)
  • He has a faithful witness here on earth, and He will come to intervene on behalf of His suffering people (Rev. 11:1-14)
 

Christ Asserts His Claim Over the Whole Earth (10:1-4)

CHAPTER 10
And I saw another strong angel coming down out of the heaven, clothed with a cloud, and the rainbow upon his head, and his countenance as the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire, 
 
v.1 A Strong Angel. This angel is Christ Himself, not as a priest (as the “another angel” in ch.8), but now as a king claiming what belongs to Him. Whenever the Son takes on angelic garb He is retreating from what professes His name, and falling back on what He is as a Divine Person. He is clothed with a cloud, which points to the Shakina glory cloud; i.e. the manifest presence of Jehovah, that which can be seen with the eye. The rainbow upon his head” shows that the end result of the divine mind will be blessing for the whole world. His “countenance as the sun” pictures His supreme glory in government (see Matt. 17:2, Rev. 1:16). However, His feet as pillars of fire” speak of the manner of His appearing; that He will come treading the path of holy judgment. The figure of a “pillar” is combined with “fire”; showing the ideas of solidity or stability combined with thorough, final judgment.
 
2a and having in his hand a little opened book. 
 
v.2a A Little Opened Book. What is the “little open book”? First of all, it is open” (not sealed) because its contents have been previously available. We find this in Daniel 12 where the prophet was told “do not seal the book”. The open book is in contrast to the seven-sealed book of judgment that is found in Revelation. It would seem then that the opened book is Old Testament prophecy! It has been opened for many years, but now it is about to be fulfilled. It is little in view of the magnitude of its accomplishment.
 
2b And he set his right foot on the sea, and the left upon the earth, 
 
v.2b His Feet. The angel plants his feet on the inheritance. Revelation assumes we’ve read the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, the place where one stands is often connected with a claim of ownership, see Joshua 1:3. This is why, when the nearer kinsman could not redeem the land, Boaz drew off his shoe to give to the nearer kinsman, confirming the transaction, and showing that Boaz now owned the land. Tradition says that the kinsman would have thrown Boaz’s shoe over the field to signify this change of ownership (see Ruth 4:7-8). See also, Psalm 6:6-8, where the Lord says he will “cast out His shoe” over Edom, showing that Israel under Christ will own the land of Edom in the Millennium. The placement of His feet speak of the Lord’s universal claim over men, over the world.
  1. His claim over the nations in turmoil (right foot in the sea).
  2. His claim over the organized nations (left foot on the land).
3 and cried with a loud voice as a lion roars. And when he cried, the seven thunders uttered their own voices. 
 
v.3 His Voice. This “loud voice” is the voice of Christ (Psa. 68:33); a voice of majesty and power that demands a response! Just as a lion is known to “roar” over his prey once it is under his feet (Amos 3:4), so Christ is seen with the land and sea under His feet, uttering this territorial cry to claim His possession. If we read Psalm 2, we find that Christ will ask Jehovah to give Him the nations for His inheritance. The judgments up until the appearing are the “wrath of God”, not the “wrath of the Lamb”. God will pummel the earth with judgments to bring about the proper alignment of things when Christ appears. In this chapter we are getting a beautiful picture of Jehovah’s Son about to take His inheritance! His cry is answered by the heavens. The seven thunders is the full response of united heaven to the cry of the rightful king. It is the seven-fold voice of God’s intervention in judgment; heaven responds “Amen!”
 
4 And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write: and I heard a voice out of the heaven saying, Seal the things which the seven thunders have spoken, and write them not. 
 
v.4 Seven Thunders. The words of the seven thunders are sealed up. Their contents are about to be unfolded shortly. The thunders are heaven’s response to its Beloved One (John 12:27-28). It is God’s special yet formal affirmation to His Son that He will indeed rule over all. This cannot be described in human words.
 

Christ Will Accomplish the Mystery of God (10:5-7)

¶ 5 And the angel whom I saw stand on the sea and on the earth lifted up his right hand to the heaven, 
 
v.5 His Right Hand. The angel lifts up his hand to heaven as a sign of two things; (1) heaven’s full authority is about to be invoked (Ex. 9:22), and (2) the angel will receive His solemn commission as a dependent servant (Gen 14:22). Though a mighty king, He remains a dependent man! Yet dependence and confidence are linked together. A servant of God can speak with perfect authority on God’s behalf when he is walking in dependence on God. We see this beautifully in Christ. Christ has been seated at His Father’s right hand for two-thousand years, patiently waiting until His enemies are made His footstool (Psa. 110:1). He remains perfectly the dependent man, not knowing the day nor the hour when His time of manifestation will arrive (Matt. 24:36). But now the time has come! He rises, as it were, from the throne, and lifts up His hand to receive the commission. The time has come for Him to bring about the accomplishment of the mystery of God.
 
6 and swore by him that lives to the ages of ages, who created the heaven and the things that are in it, and the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be no longer delay; 
 
v.6 No more delay. We have had Christ as the dependent Servant (v.5) lifting up His hand to heaven, and now we have His as the Accomplisher of the purpose of God. Christ makes a promise by God in two aspects: (1) as the Eternal God, and (2) as the Creator, the One who brought this whole “theater” into existence in the first place. The promise is this: “I am going to finish this, and I will do it quickly.” The expression that there will be delay no longer doesn’t mean that clocks will stop, but rather, that there will be no more delay in the complete fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.
 
7 but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound the trumpet, the mystery of God also shall be completed, as he has made known the glad tidings to his own bondmen the prophets. 
 
v.7 The Mystery of God. The “mystery of God” refers to the secret of why God has not publicly intervened in the affairs of men, why He has allowed the righteous to suffer, etc.; the mystery of the silent heavens. Mysteries in scripture are truths that were previously unknown, but now made plain through the complete fulfillment of prophecy. It will be completed with the seventh trumpet; i.e. the appearing of Christ. But it is very specific; “when he is about to sound”. It could be that it refers to an event just moments prior to the appearing; perhaps the display of “the sign of the Son of Man” (Matt. 24:30)? The accomplishment of this “mystery of God” is something that God made known to the prophets, although its completion then was very distant (Dan. 12:8-9). But even then, the thought of Christ having His rightful place was “glad tidings” to the prophets, as it is to every heart that hungers and thirsts after righteousness. But the accomplishment is now very near (Rev. 22:10)!
 

A Key to Progress in Prophetic Matters (10:8-11)

¶ 8 And the voice which I heard out of the heaven was again speaking with me, and saying, Go, take the little book which is opened in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the earth. 
 
v.8 Take the book. The scene now changes from an objective view of this angel, to a personal interaction with John. We are about to learn some very important lessons for the student of prophecy. God tells John to take the little book from the hand of the angel, who is the Lord Himself. The student of prophecy must take prophetic scriptures in this way; as from the hand of the Lord. The spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus (Rev. 19:10). It is not just a series of events; it is all about Christ! The angel is still standing on the inheritance, with one foot on the land and the other on the sea. When we study prophetic events, we must understand that these events are the steps God will take to give Christ His rightful place.
 
9 And I went to the angel, saying to him to give me the little book. And he says to me, Take and eat it up: and it shall make thy belly bitter, but in thy mouth it shall be sweet as honey. 10 And I took the little book out of the hand of the angel, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth as honey, sweet; and when I had eaten it my belly was made bitter. 
 
vv.9-10 Eat the Book. John wanted the Angel to just give it to him. The angel doesn’t just give it to John, but he says take it, and eat it up”. It will require energy on our part to take it (get a hold of it intellectually) and also to eat it up (digest or meditate on it so as to understand it, and make it good to our soul). We must “eat the little book” in order to have an understanding of why God is doing what He is doing. Two lessons I take from this. First, the Book of Revelation is NOT enough to get a hold of prophecy. Revelation is confluence (tying together) of the Old Testament prophecies, as well as showing us the end of false Christianity. Many have tried to progress beyond this chapter (to the events surrounding the appearing) without eating the little book; but the result is not good. That is where many speculative interpretations have come from. Second, we cannot make progress in prophetic subjects – or any subject for that matter – if we are unwilling to eat the book (Jeremiah 15:16). We have to let the moral import of God’s word sink into our hearts and consciences. Then God can give us more light, and we will be useful servants to communicate that truth to others (v.11). When we eat the little book there are two results:
  1. Sweet in the mouth. When we think about the Lord having his rightful place and blessing the world, it produces joy in our hearts. This is the immediate response, and the taste lingers!
  2. The belly bitter. When we understand how the Lord is going to do it (through judgment) it will produce sobriety. Our conscience will be affected! It will cause us to pass judgement on everything to do with the flesh. We shouldn’t treat prophecy like chewing gum. Prophesy is in some ways painful to read, but good for us in the end. We need to go on eating.
11 And it was said to me, Thou must prophesy again as to peoples and nations and tongues and many kings. 
 
v.11 Next Steps. John yet had much more to do for the Lord. If we let the moral import of prophecy effect our hearts and consciences, it will prepare us not only for further light, but to be effective servants in communicating the truth we have.
 

Revelation 11

 
The Two Witnesses and the Seventh Trumpet
Revelation 11
 
Revelation 11. This chapter picks up in the middle of a parenthesis between the sixth and seventh trumpets. The parenthesis has two parts. In ch.10 we saw that the earth is Christ’s rightful inheritance, and He will take what belongs to Him. Now in ch.11 we get the second part: that Christ will have a faithful witness here on earth, and He will come to intervene on behalf of His suffering people. From v.15 to the end of the chapter we have the seventh trumpet: the actual appearing of Christ!
 
 

Parenthesis Part II: The Two Witnesses (11:1-14)

The Remnant Distinguished from the Mass (vv.1-2)

CHAPTER 11
And there was given to me a reed like a staff, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship in it. 
 
v.1 The Temple. Next John is told to measure the temple, the altar, and its occupants. These are all symbolic objects, although there will be a temple rebuilt in the future, where Antichrist will sit. Those who worship in the temple symbolize those in Israel who are real; the remnant in a priestly character. In scripture, to measure something is to show ownership of it. When God measures something, he is about to take it up for blessing (Zech. 2:2, Ezek. 40-45). Here it shows God’s special recognition of those who are faithful to Him. John, a Jew, is told “Rise, and measure”; now he will take an active role. 
 
Tribulation temple. The temple and court in Revelation 11 is mentioned in a figurative way. However, there will be a temple built in the future, probably before the seventieth week of Daniel begins, but definitely before the middle of the week. The Jews will be in the land, although many will be there in unbelief, and will be helped by the “land shadowing with wings, which art beyond the rivers of cush” (Isa.18). Through a covenant of protection with the Revived Roman Empire (Dan. 9:27), they will resume their Jewish sacrifices. Some of them will be faithful to God, and here are identified with this temple. When Antichrist comes forward, at the middle of the week, he will sit in this temple; “so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (2 Thess. 2:4). At this time, the Jewish sacrifices will be made to cease, and Antichrist will institute a new religion – the worship of the beast – using an image that he sets up in the temple. We sometimes call this “Antichrist’s temple” to distinguish it from the other temples, but in the sense that there are those who seek to worship God in it, it is called “the temple of God”. There are five material temples referred to in the Word of God:
  • Solomon’s (1 Kings 7) destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, 588 B.C.
  • Zerubbabel’s (Ezra. 3, 6) pillaged and dedicated to the heathen god Jupiter by Antiochus Epiphanes, 168 and 170 B.C.
  • Herod’s (John 2:20), reconstructed and enhanced, commenced in 17 B.C. destroyed by Titus the Roman in 70 A.D.
  • Antichrist’s (2 Thess. 2:4), to be built by returned Jews, annexed by Antichrist, destroyed by the King of the North.
  • Christ’s millennial temple (Ezek. 40), entirely new, grand and spacious.
2 And the court which is without the temple cast out, and measure it not; because it has been given up to the nations, and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty-two months. 
 
v.2 The Court. The “court” of the temple represents the part of the nation of Israel that is apostate; not owned of God. The apostate nation of Israel will be “trampled under foot” (Dan. 7:25, Isa. 18:6) by the Roman Gentile Beast for 42 months (42 / 12 = 3.5 years). This refers to the last 3 and 1/2 years of the seventieth week, after the Beast causes the Jewish sacrifices to cease (Daniel 9:27). We need to understand from Daniel 12:11 that all these durations (1260 days, 42 months, etc.) are measured from the middle of the week when the abomination of desolation is set up. “The holy city” refers to historical Jerusalem; see v.8 where, in connection with the rejection of Christ, Jerusalem is “spiritually” called Sodom and Egypt.

The Testimony of the Jewish Remnant (vv.3-6)

3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. 
 
v.3 Two Witnesses. Why two witnesses? Two represents an adequate testimony for God and His claims (John 8:17). The term of their witness is 1260 days (1260/30/12 = 3.5 years). This is the same period as v.2, but now God is noticing every day of their testimony, showing His care over them. The witnesses are “clothed in sackcloth”, suited to the sorrowful nature of their work, and to their sorrow over Israel’s condition, as well as their rejection by their brethren (e.g. Psa. 11, 12). We see “twos” in the Gospel of Matthew: two demoniacs (Matt. 8), two blind men (Matt. 9), etc., because it is a question of sufficient testimony to Israel. William Kelly said “it might be two or two hundred”; the number is representative. For example, Jeremiah and Baruch (Jer. 36:26) are like the remnant in Jerusalem, which God hid in the city.
 
4 These are the two olive trees and the two lamps which stand before the Lord of the earth;
 
v.4 Olive Trees and Lamps. The two witnesses are pictured as two things, and both are alluding to Zechariah 4. First, they are “olive trees”, because they testify in the power of the Holy Spirit (Zech. 4:6). They bear witness to the blessing of Israel under Messiah, defying the false claims of Antichrist. In Zechariah, the two olive trees were Joshua (high priestly role) and Zerubbabel (kingly role), though both were looking on prophetically to Christ in the Millennium. In Rev. 11, these answer to (1) those in the temple, and (2) those in the city. The Antichrist is a king (Dan. 11:36) and a priest (Rev. 13:12), at this time imitating the Messiah (he has “two horns, like a lamb”). The witnesses are in Jerusalem for the entire time of the Antichrist’s reign. Second, they are referred to as “candlesticks”, because their testimony is divine light amidst darkness. There are two candlesticks in Rev. 11, but one candlestick in Zech. 4. In Zechariah it was the Person of Christ Himself (singular), here it is the Jewish witnesses pointing to Christ (plural). They stand “before the Lord of the earth”, for the subject of their testimony is the claims of the coming Messiah as the rightful Lord of the earth. Perhaps the Beast wouldn’t have minded if they stood before “the Lord of heaven” (v.13), but to stand before the Lord of the earth invokes the rightful claims of God here where man is asserting his will.
 
5 and if any one wills to injure them, fire goes out of their mouth, and devours their enemies. And if any one wills to injure them, thus must he be killed. 
 
v.5 Invincibility. In the will of God, nothing can touch these two witnesses. “If any one wills to injure them, fire goes out of their mouth, and devours their enemies”. As Christians we are told to turn the other cheek if our enemy hurts us. The disciples did not understand their place in history (Luke 9:54). These witnesses will have a different ministry than we do as Christians.
 
6 These have power to shut the heaven that no rain may fall during the days of their prophecy; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to smite the earth as often as they will with every plague.
 
v.6 The Character of Moses and Elijah. The ministry and miracles of these two witnesses have the same character as Moses and Elias: two Old Testament prophets. Elijah had power to “shut the heaven that no rain may fall”, and Moses had “power over the waters to turn them into blood” as well as “every plague”. The condition of Israel in the tribulation will be similar to that in the days of Moses and Elijah: slavery and apostasy. These witnesses are not Moses and Elijah personally, but they come in the spirit and power of the Moses and Elijah. The spirit and power of Elijah as was true also of John the Baptist (Luke 1:17, Matt. 11:14). Not coincidentally, “the days of their prophecy” are 3 and 1/2 years, the same as Elijah’s drought (James 5:17)!

The Martyrdom of the Jewish Witness by the Beast (vv.7-8)

7 And when they shall have completed their testimony, the beast who comes up out of the abyss shall make war with them, and shall conquer them, and shall kill them: 
 
v.7 Martyred by the Beast. The two witnesses are invincible until they complete their testimony. Then the Beast – of whom we will read much more later – will persecute and kill them. This is the first mention of the Beast in Revelation. The Beast is the revived Roman Empire under the immediate power of Satan. Men, for all their attempts, will never re-organize the Roman Empire until God allows Satan to do it. The faithful witness are killed, and this brings the mystery of iniquity to new heights. We shouldn’t get the idea that the witnesses “ultimately lose”. They win all the way through. Their death and resurrection is their final victory.
 
Origins. Note the following distinctions:
  • From the tumultuous convulsions of the middle of the week – “out of the sea” (Rev. 13:1).
  • From its true Satanic origins – “out of the abyss” (Rev. 17:8).
  • Antichrist, religious leader of revived Rome –“out of the earth” (Rev. 13:11).
  • But Jesus – comes “out of heaven” (Rev. 19:11).
8 and their body shall be on the street of the great city, which is called spiritually Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. 
 
v.8 The City. The bodies will lay on the street of “the great city”, which is Jerusalem, identified by this statement: “where also their Lord was crucified”. This is a testimony to the guilt of the Beast and the apostate Jews who have taken his mark. The street of the city whose name means “new peace” is littered with the evidence of brutal murder. Jerusalem now joins the ranks of the Old Testament types of Satan’s world – Sodom and Egypt (Luke 17:28-30). Egypt is independence from God. Sodom is moral corruption. These witnesses share a certain fellowship with Jesus in their manner and place of death, as well as in their resurrection and ascension. Note that it says “body” not “bodies”, perhaps because of their unified testimony.

Scornful Treatment of the Slain Witnesses (vv.9-10)

9 And men of the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations see their body three days and a half, and they do not suffer their bodies to be put into a sepulchre. 
 
v.9 A Spectacle. As a spectacle of their short-lived triumph, the people, not of Jerusalem only, but “men of the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations” will not allow the bodies to be buried. As a show of scorn for these witnesses, their bodies will remain on the street for “three days and a half”. As with the other numbers in this chapter, we take these 3 1/2 days as literal days. The spectacle will continue one day for every year of the witnesses’ testimony. One consequence of this shameful treatment of the bodies is that all the world will see their resurrection as a public display of God’s power! Thus God will turn the tables on the forces of evil.
 
10 And they that dwell upon the earth rejoice over them, and are full of delight, and shall send gifts one to another, because these, the two prophets, tormented them that dwell upon the earth. 
 
v.10 Rejoicing. The earth-dwellers (a special moral class mentioned in Revelation) are so relieved from the pain of conscience, that they will feast their eyes on the corpses, “full of delight”. It will be a cause of celebration and gift-giving, because the witnesses have been silenced… or so they think!

God’s Public Vindication of the Slain Witnesses (vv.11-14)

11 And after the three days and a half the spirit of life from God came into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon those beholding them. 
 
v.11 Raising of the Tribulation Martyrs. While all the world is watching and rejoicing over the slain bodies of the witnesses, the “spirit of life from God came into them, and they stood upon their feet”. What a shock! Men of the earth cannot conceive of the power of resurrection. A God who can raise the dead is a God whose power knows no end. This seems to be a deliberate and public manifestation. The second installment of the first resurrection is “in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Cor. 15:52), but this third installment will be seen by the eyes of men. These witnesses will be seen briefly by earth-dwellers before being caught up to heaven. Connecting this with Rev. 14:13, it seems that this is the third installment, the moment (just before the Son of Man appears) in which all martyred saints are raised (although the emphasis here is on the Jewish witnesses), bodily ascend, so Christ can come with ALL his saints (1 Thess. 3:13) at His appearing, and are seen together in Rev. 20:4 reigning with Christ in the millennium. Read more…
 
12 And I heard a great voice out of the heaven saying to them, Come up here; and they went up to the heaven in the cloud, and their enemies beheld them. 
 
v.12 Catching up. Once the witnesses are raised, and all the world can see them, the are called up to heaven by “a great voice”. No doubt it is the voice of their Lord and Master. They are caught up in a cloud, the same cloud which encircled the mighty angel; i.e. they are received into the presence of the Lord Jesus. These ones were faithful in their lifetime, and yet they were mocked and rejected by the world. But, beautiful to see, heaven welcomes them home! These are ones “of whom the world was not worthy” (Heb. 11:38).
 
13 And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and the tenth of the city fell, and seven thousand names of men were slain in the earthquake. And the remnant were filled with fear, and gave glory to the God of the heaven. 
 
v.13 Aftermath. Immediately (“in that hour”) after the witnesses are taken up, a great shaking occurs. This will take place just prior to the appearing of the Lord. One tenth of Jerusalem crumbles; a tenth is a division according to human responsibility. Seven-thousand men, perhaps a religious sector of Jerusalem (cp. 1 Kings 19:18), are killed. The expression “names of men” may indicate that these are men of great importance. Perhaps the most responsible earth-dwellers in Jerusalem will be instantly killed. Those who are not killed are “filled with fear”. The are forced to recognize that the testimony of the witnesses was true, and that God is real. In this sense they “gave glory to the God of the heaven”. But this is no evidence of faith; even the demons believe and tremble (Jam. 2:19). This men never bow to the Lord of the earth. Acted upon by transient terror, alarmed by what is near, the worldly man thinks of God afar from himself. But there was no reception of the testimony in faith, and no conversion.

¶ 14 The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe comes quickly.
 
v.14 Warning. A warning is then given that the third woe – the worst of them all – is coming quickly.
 

The 7th Trumpet: The Appearing of Christ (11:15-18)

Seventh trumpet. With the seventh trumpet, no immediate judgment is announced, similar to seventh seal, but it is a summary of the victorious appearing of Christ. This trumpet is the fulfillment of Psalm 2; please read it. The rightful King taking His place, His inheritance, by instantly taking the reigns of government in the earth. In a sense, the undisputed reign of Christ begins at this time; at the appearing of Christ. In another sense, some time will pass (two to three months or so) before the kingdom is fully established. See also Daniel 2:44, 7:13-14, 22.

United Heaven Announces the Appearing of Christ (v.15)

¶ 15 And the seventh angel sounded his trumpet: and there were great voices in the heaven, saying, The kingdom (1) of the world (2) of our Lord and (3) of his Christ is come, and he shall reign to the ages of ages.
 
v.15 The Kingdom of Christ. The voices of united heaven are heard announcing and celebrating the kingdom of Christ. It is called “the kingdom of the world“; the only “one-world government” ever. This is the only time this expression occurs in scripture. It is called “the kingdom of … our Lord; the One whom we own now as having authority in our lives. It is called “the kingdom of … His Christ; the promised Messiah according to the fulfillment of prophecy. Note that it is “His Christ”; in contrasted with Antichrist. How long will the kingdom of Christ last? He will reign “to the ages of ages”; that is to the eternal state, where there will be no need for government. In this sense the kingdom will never end. It will be instead “delivered up” to God (1 Cor. 15:24).

Doxology of the Elders: Psalm 2 (vv.16-18)

16 And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, 
 
v.16 The Elders. This is the first time we have heard of the elders since ch.7. The elders are the heavenly saints. They fell and worshipped at the beginning of the tribulation (Rev. 4 and 5) and now at the close. This is one of the worship “triggers” in Revelation; see Rev. 1:5; 4:9; 5:8; 19:4. Now the twenty-four elders go even lower; “on their faces” compared with “falling down” earlier. Appreciation of Christ will deepen as time rolls on into eternity. Notice that the elders are “on thrones” reigning with Christ; a place of honor, dignity, and co-heirship. Wonderful to realize that in Ephesians, we are said to be already seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus! The elders are found “worshipping God”. Certainly worship will be our eternal occupation!
 
17 saying, We give thee thanks, Lord God Almighty, He who is, and who was, that (1) thou hast taken thy great power and hast reigned. 18 And (2) the nations have been full of wrath, and thy wrath is come, and (3) the time of the dead to be judged, and (4) to give the recompense to (a) thy servants the prophets, and to (b) the saints, and to (c) those who fear thy name, small and great; and (5) to destroy those that destroy the earth. 
 
vv.17-18 Their Thanksgiving. The elders’ thanks is directed to God in two aspects. As “Lord God Almighty”, the One who has all divine power and authority, and as “He who is, and who was”, who alone existed from a past eternity. “Lord God Almighty” is a name of God that is unique to Revelation, but is similar to how He was known in the Old Testament to the patriarchs, as El Shaddai (Gen. 17:1). The elders offer a five-fold subject of thanks. These are five long-awaited events (not chronological) that have finally arrived. There is a connection to Psalm 2, where He that sits in the heavens shall laugh, thwarting the anger of the gathered enemies of Jehovah’s Son, who, in spite of all man’s enmity is given the heathen for His inheritance, and He breaks them with a rod of iron. It is a comprehensive overview of what will begin at the appearing:16
  1. God has personally intervened in power, and imposed His sovereignty, and thus the reign of Christ begins; “thou hast taken thy great power and hast reigned”.
  2. The nations’ wrath having become full, God’s wrath finally comes; “the nations have been full of wrath, and thy wrath is come”.
  3. Judgment of the dead at the end of the millennium (see Rev. 20:12); “the time of the dead to be judged”.
  4. Rewards given by varying degree of responsibility in the kingdom (Matt. 25:14-30); “to give the recompense to…”
    1. “thy servants the prophets”; Old Testament saints, especially those who were faithful in a dark day.
    2. “the saints”; the separated people of God, through all ages.
    3. “those who fear thy name, small and great”; every true believer, no matter how weak.
  5. Eternal destruction of the damned (in the lake of fire), see Rev. 19:20 and Rev. 20:15; “to destroy those that destroy the earth”. This specifically refers to the Beast, the Antichrist, and their followers who have corrupted the prophetic earth. Isa. 14:20 identifies the Beast as one who has caused the death of his own people, and the destruction of his own western territory.
  1. It is a sort of comprehensive view of what would take place from the beginning of the kingdom, when the various corruptions should be judged, and during the millennium up to “the end,” when all judgment closes. – W. Kelly, Lectures on Revelation

Revelation 12

 
Added Details: The Judgment of Israel
Revelation 12 – 14
 
Order of Revelation. Up to the end of ch.11, the events have been laid out chronologically, culminating with the appearing of Christ. The Spirit of prophecy now goes back over some of that period three more times, each time backing up to a different point, but always culminating at the appearing of Christ. The diagram below illustrates how there are four occasions in the book of Revelation where we approach the appearing of Christ (ch.11, ch.14, ch.16, ch.19). Each time there is a different focus. In ch.12-14 the focus is on Israel. The chronological events resume with Revelation 19:11.
 
 
God’s Future Dealings with Israel. God will resume His dealings with Israel in order to bring them into blessing, and thereby fulfill the ancient promises to Abraham, David, etc. However, God has a controversy with Israel, which centers around the rejection of the Messiah. Before He can bring them into blessing in the Millennium, God must take up that controversy. This will involve judgment on the nation through the seven years of Daniel’s prophetic week. First will come the “beginning of sorrows”, then the “time of Jacob’s trouble”, and this will be brought to a close by a period of intense judgment called “the Indignation”, during which the Lord will appear. How will God carry out His righteous government in judgment on Israel and yet still be faithful to His promises to bring Israel into blessing? This will be accomplished by handling Israel, if we may so speak, in two distinct parts. On one hand we have the apostate nation of Israel, which includes the mass of the people returned to the land in unbelief. But on the other hand we have the faithful remnant of Israel, those whose hearts God will touch. The remnant will be persecuted terribly by their own nation on account of their faithfulness, but they are not the objects of God’s judgment. God will judge the apostate nation – including those of the two tribes (Jews) and the ten tribes (Israel). He will preserve many among the faithful remnant, who will be brought into the Millennium and become the nucleus of the restored nation of Israel. It will be all God’s work to restore and bless them! “And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob” (Rom. 11:26). Revelation 12-14 go back over the events already covered in Rev. 6-11, but now from a different angle. These chapters examine God’s dealings with Israel in light of prophecy.
  
False Triad of Evil. Satan is involved in a false triad, described in Rev. 12 and 13. In some ways this false triad is opposed to the Trinity in its three Persons.
  • The Great Red Dragon (Satan). Satan seeks to destroy the man-child (Christ) who is caught up to God and to His throne. He then persecutes the seed of the woman (remnant). Satan is in contrast to the Spirit of God who seeks to glorify Christ.
  • The Beast from the Sea (Beast). The personal beast is under the control of Satan, and seeks to subject the world under his dominion. The Beast is in contrast to the Father.
  • The Beast from the Earth (False Prophet). The False Prophet or Antichrist leads the Roman earth into an idolatrous worship of the personal Beast. He imitates the Lamb, but is opposite from Christ in his moral character. Antichrist is in contrast to the Son.

The Believing Jewish Remnant Under Satan’s Persecution
Revelation 12
 
Revelation 12. As previously mentioned, Revelation 12 to 14 take up God’s dealings with Israel in prophecy. In chapter 12 we find that there is an evil force behind the persecution of Israel both in the past and in the future. It is another side of history. The Devil, the Great Red Dragon, mobilizes the Gentile powers to destroy Israel because she is the mother of the man-child, the promised Seed that would crush his head. The warfare of the Dragon is divided into three parts in this chapter. We have the historical warfare against Israel and the attempted destruction of the man-child in vv.1-5. When the man-child is caught up to God, we have the ensuing war in heaven, and its result in vv.6-12. Finally, we have the twice-thwarted Dragon retuning back to the earthly front to vent his wrath on the faithful remnant of the Jews in vv.13-17. This chapter lifts the curtain on the grand theater of events, allowing us to glimpse the activity of God’s great enemy as the energizing force behind all opposition to God and His Christ, whether directly or by attacking a people in association with Him.
 
 
¶ 19 And the temple of God in the heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen in his temple: and there were (1) lightnings, and (2) voices, and (3) thunders, and (4) an earthquake, and (5) great hail. 
 
v.19 The Temple Opened. All expositors agree that v.19 belongs with ch.12. The “temple of God in the heaven” being opened marks a division in the book. Revelation 6-11 are judgments from the throne connected with creation, and Revelation 12-16 are from the temple connected with the holy character of God. The “ark” is the divine link with God’s ancient people Israel, now being resumed again, on the basis of God’s faithfulness. Then proceed five symbols of judgment that prepare us to receive greater details than we have had before (see Rev. 4:5, Rev. 8:5); “lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and an earthquake, and great hail”.
 

Historical: Satan’s Personal War Against Christ (12:1-5)

CHAPTER 12
And a great sign was seen in the heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars; 
 
v.1 The Woman. The mention of signs (v.3) tells us we are on Jewish ground (Matt. 16:1). The “woman clothed with the sun” is the nation of Israel (Genesis 37:9-11) in the purpose of God as a supreme governing authority; i.e. what she will be under Messiah (Isa. 60:1-3; e.g. Num. 23:25). The “moon” or subordinate powers (the nations) under her feet. The crown of twelve stars speak of all twelve tribes, seen together, a picture of completeness of administration. Note: there are two types of crowns in Revelation: “crowns” speak of honor, and “diadems” which speak of victory. The “remnant of her seed” in v.17 refers to the faithful Jewish remnant.
 
2 and being with child she cried, being in travail, and in pain to bring forth. 
 
v.2 Ready to Deliver. The woman is pictured as pregnant, and entering labor. The child in her womb is the Messiah. The birth pangs represent Israel’s low moral condition, and their suffering under Roman rule at the time of Christ’s birth. An example of the woman crying is in Matt. 2:18. Meanwhile the remnant were waiting for Christ’s advent, because they had intelligence in the prophecy of Daniel’s seventy weeks.
 
¶ 3 And another sign was seen in the heaven: and behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems; 
 
v.3 The Great Red Dragon. Another sign is introduced: a great red dragon. The dragon is Satan acting in a political capacity. He is only called “great” in this chapter while he is in heaven. When he is cast down, “great” is no longer used. “Red” is the color of bloodshed, but it is also the color of earthly rule (scarlet is rule, but purple is royalty). The description of “Dragon” represents Satan’s character in exertion of his power. The characteristics given are anticipative of Satan’s role in prophecy. The number “seven” represent spiritual completeness, and so the seven heads, as well as being the successive forms of government of the Roman Empire, from first to last, represent a completeness of evil. Satan made use of the Roman government in all its forms to work his nefarious agenda. The number “ten” represents incompleteness in administration. The ten horns are the ten kingdoms of the Roman Empire (Dan. 7:7). The “seven diadems” represent the fact that the heads (forms of government) are crowned, showing the Dragon’s involvement with the government of that empire through its history. The ten horns (kingdoms) are crowned in ch.13, when the government takes on a diabolical form
 
Things with ten horns:
  • the Old Roman Empire (Dan. 7:7)
  • the Revived Roman Empire (Rev. 17:7)
  • the Now Satanic Revived Roman Empire (Rev. 13:1)
  • the Dragon, power behind Roman Empire (Rev. 12:3)
Whenever you get 7 heads and 10 horns combined it is connected with the revived Roman Empire.
 
4 and his tail draws the third part of the stars of the heaven; and he cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bring forth, in order that when she brought forth he might devour her child. 
 
v.4 The Dragon’s Efforts. The dragon is pictured first of all as drawing “the third part of the stars of the heaven”, and casting them “to the earth”. These stars represent the leaders of the Roman Empire, which were brought under Satan’s control; apostatized, and mobilized to thwart God’s purpose in the coming of Christ. The dragon stands before the woman, ready to devour her child. This was historically fulfilled when Satan, using Herod the Great, tried to kill the Lord (Matt. 2). This verse exposes that Satan’s controversy is really with Christ. He wages a proxy war with the saints, but his animosity is really against the woman’s Seed.
 
5 And she brought forth a male son, who shall shepherd all the nations with an iron rod; and her child was caught up to God and to his throne. 
 
v.5 The Man-Child caught up. The woman gave birth to the child, representing how Christ came to Israel (Rom. 9:5). A statement is made of His dominion, which will go far beyond Israel, including “all nations”. He will “shepherd” them (Psa. 72:11, Matt.25:32), exerting His authority. But contrast “iron rod” with “iron teeth” (Dan. 7:19). The account jumps from Christ’s birth to His ascension. This word “caught up” is only elsewhere used for the Church, and for Paul caught up to the third heaven. This verses may include the rapture of the Church, because in prophecy the church is not distinguished from Christ, as the two are united in the purpose of God.17 Christ is still seated on His Father’s throne. Soon He will take His own throne, but that will be in the Millennium (distinguished in Rev. 3:19). This corresponds to Daniel 9:26; “And after the sixty-two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, and shall have nothing”. In heaven He got everything, but as regards the kingdom on earth, He got nothing. In heaven Christ waits for the kingdom-glory.
 

In Heaven: A Mid-tribulation War and its Results (12:6-12)

6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has there a place prepared of God, that they should nourish her there a thousand two hundred and sixty days. 
 
v.6 The Remnant Sheltered. The narrative now jumps forward over two thousand years, plus three and a half years, because the Church period is a parenthesis in God’s dealings with Israel. This is the same event as v.14; the remnant fleeing from Judea to escape the storm of judgment. But between v.6 and v.14 is the reason why she fled. The majority of the faithful remnant flee Judea at the Lord’s direction (Matt. 24:15) to the mountains, and stay until the Lord appears and reveals Himself to them (Zech. 14), and the she will come up “out of the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved” (Song. 8:5). Some of the surrounding nations will shelter the fleeing Jews (Isa. 16:4, Ezek. 11:16). The “they” who nourish the woman might include the Maskilim, who teach the remnant and ‘feed’ them (Dan. 12:3). The duration of her time in hiding is 1260 days, which is the last three and a half years, although every day of their care noticed (Matt. 25:34-40).
 
¶ 7 And there was war in the heaven: Michael and his angels went to war with the dragon. And the dragon fought, and his angels; 8 and he prevailed not, nor was their place found any more in the heaven. 9 And the great dragon was cast out, the ancient serpent, he who is called Devil and Satan, he who deceives the whole habitable world, he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
 
vv.7-9 War in Heaven. God must cleanse the heavens first, then the earth (Job 15:15, Heb. 9:23). Michael is the only archangel ever mentioned, always connected with Israel (Dan. 10:21). This time (v.7) corresponds to when Michael “stands up” (Dan. 12:1). Micheal and Satan have had one controversy in the past, “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee” (Jude 1:9). Satan outranks Michael in status, although Michael is elect. Therefore, Michael did not dare to accuse Satan, because he had respect for authority. But in the middle of the prophetic week, God will instruct Michael to stand up, and the two armies of angels – on elect, the other fallen – will join in battle. Satan will be vanquished in the heavenly places, and cast down to earth. Satan’s influence will be restricted to earth (Job 1:6). This wonderful defeat was foreseen by the Lord on earth, when the victory was foreshadowed by the disciples’ power over demons (Luke 10:18). In v.9 we have four names of Satan. First, “Dragon”, symbolizing cruel power (Rev. 12:3) and marked by persecution (Rev. 12:4). Second, “Serpent”, symbolizing the deceiver (Gen. 3:1), deceiving or beguiling the woman. Third, “Devil”, symbolizing the slanderer or tempter (Luke 4), as in the three temptations. Fourth, “Satan”, which means the adversary or opposer (Zech. 3:1,  1 Chron. 21:1), and this is same word as “Abaddon” or “Apollyon” (Rev. 9:11). This is the last time in scripture that the Dragon is called ‘great’. After v.9 he is simply ‘the dragon’. The demons also will be restricted to earth.
 
Satan's Downward Progression. It is striking that we always see Satan moving down, down, down...
  1. Iniquity was found in him; "I will cast thee to the ground" (Ezek. 28:14-16)
  2. Cursed in the garden; "upon thy belly shalt thou go" (Genesis 3:14-15)
----- 4000 Years ------
  1. Bound in the wilderness; "first bind the strong man, and then spoil his house" (Matt. 12:29; Luke 4:13)
  2. Defeated at the cross; "through death he might annul him who has the power of death... the devil" (Heb. 2:14)
----- 2000 Years ------
  1. Cast down to the earth; "he was cast out into the earth" (Rev. 12:9)
  2. Cast into the abyss; "and cast him into the abyss, and shut it" (Rev. 20:3)
----- 1000 Years ------
  1. Cast into the lake of fire; "was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone" (Rev. 20:10)
 
¶ 10 And I heard a great voice in the heaven saying, Now is come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ; for the accuser of our brethren has been cast out, who accused them before our God day and night: 11 and “they” have overcome him by reason of the blood of the Lamb, and by reason of the word of their testimony, and have not loved their life even unto death.
 
vv.10-11 Rejoicing in Heaven. A voice is heard in heaven, and it is a united voice of the heavenly saints. Heaven has witnessed the opening motion (“kickoff”) of the Lord’s work to set up His kingdom, and so an anticipative statement is made; “Now is come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ”. The power which Christ will exert in establishing the kingdom will first be put forth to cast Satan out; “the accuser of our brethren has been cast out, who accused them before our God day and night”. This helps us to understand the activity of Satan, who always accuses the object of God’s delight (e.g. Job), or Christians today, and in context “our brethren” would be the faithful remnant. This also dovetails with 1 John 2 where we learn that Jesus is our Advocate with the Father. Satan accuses, our Advocate answers! The praise is twofold: (1) because Satan is cast down, and (2) because the saints on earth have overcome Satan “by reason of the blood of the Lamb, and by reason of the word of their testimony”. This must be talking about the martyred portion of the faithful Jewish remnant, because it says “to the death”. However, we can apply it to ourselves. We can overcome Satan, who wants to control us by accusations, because the blood has given us a purged conscience (Heb. 10:2).
 
12 Therefore be full of delight, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the earth and to the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great rage, knowing he has a short time. 
 
v.12 Heaven and Earth. The heaven is told to rejoice, and the earth is told to watch out. In contrast to earth-dwellers, there are heaven-dwellers, who can rejoice because God is in the final stages of victory. But woe to everything below; stable (earth) or unstable (sea). It doesn’t matter where people are on earth, the Devil is going into overdrive; “the devil has come down to you, having great rage”. The devil knows that he has “a short time”, which would be three and a half years (Job 20:5).
 

War on Earth: Persecution of the Remnant (12:13-17)

¶ 13 And when the dragon saw that he had been cast out into the earth, he persecuted the woman which bore the male child. 14 And there were given to the woman the two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the desert into her place, where she is nourished there a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. 
 
vv.13-14 Persecution and Deliverance of the Remnant. Satan’s fall will spark intense persecution of “the woman”, who pictures those of faith who stand in the place of Israel (although not all twelve tribes will be there). The “two wings of the great eagle” represent providential help (rapid motion and guaranteed protection) from God (see Ex. 19:4). In v.6 the sheep-gentiles of Matt. 25 are in view under the pronoun “they”, and so there each day (1260) of their kindness is noticed. In v.14 God’s protection is in view, and “a time, and times, and half a time” (three and a half years, see Dan. 7:25) are mentioned.
 
15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth behind the woman water as a river, that he might make her be as one carried away by a river. 16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth. 
 
vv.15-16 Phase 1: Corruption. Satan unleashes a “river”, the movements of people under the influence of special motive and guidance, to overwhelm the woman and bring her under Satan’s power. This river of apostasy will be escaped by those who flee to mountains (Matt. 24:21-26). The “earth”, the organised system in which men live, providentially absorbs the attack and it fizzles out. “The forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured” (2 Sam. 18:8).
 
17 And the dragon was angry with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus.
 
v.17 Phase 2: Violence. Satan unleashes a “war” of intense physical persecution, to be endured by those who remain. There is no providential help for these; they are martyred or hurt badly. These ones have the “testimony of Jesus”, His personal testimony. They also are those who “keep the commandments of God”, which implies faithfulness and obedience to the Word of God.
 
Events that take place in the Middle of the Week. The middle of Daniel's seventieth week is an important milestone in prophecy. It is referred to as "the midst of the week" in Daniel 9:27. 
  1. War in heaven, and Satan cast down to the earth (Rev. 12:9)
  2. False Church demolished by Roman Empire (Rev. 17:16)
  3. Transfer of Roman government to the Beast (Rev. 13:3)
    • Tremendous upheaval in the West (Rev. 6:12-17)
    • He will subdue three of the horns (Dan. 7:8, 20, 24-25)
    • Then the others will capitulate (Rev. 17:13)
  4. The Antichrist is revealed (Rev. 13:11; 2 Thess. 2:3; Rev. 9:1)
  5. Jewish sacrifices forced to stop (Dan. 9:27)
  6. Abomination of desolation set up (Dan. 12:11; Matt. 24:15)
  7. Part of the faithful remnant flees to the mountains (Matt. 24:16)
  8. Intense persecution begins (Matt. 24:21)
  9. Two witnesses begin to prophesy (Rev. 11:3-6)
  10. Half hour silence, then first trumpet blown (Rev. 8)
  1. I cannot but consider that the rapture of the man-child to God and His throne involves the rapture of the church in itself. The explanation why it is thus introduced here depends on the truth that Christ and the church are one, and have a common destiny. Inasmuch as He went up to heaven, so also the church is to be caught up. “So also is Christ,” says the apostle Paul, when speaking of the church; for we must naturally suppose the allusion is to the body rather than to the head. – Kelly, W. Lectures Introductory to Revelation.

Revelation 13

 
The Two Beasts: A Political Beast and a Religious Beast
Revelation 13
 
Revelation 13. The subject of ch.13 is the two chief instruments Satan will use to carry out his purpose to expunge the faithful from the earth and cause the apostasy of the Christianized world. We have already had the dragon introduced in ch.12, and now we get his co-conspirators, who are really his instruments. This fits into the broader context of God’s dealings with Israel in that the two agents will be involves in a campaign of persecution against the faithful remnant of Israel, called “the saints” (v.7). Further, the apostate nation of Israel with the rest of the earth-dwellers will embrace antichrist and the worship of the beast, sealing their doom (vv.9-10, 16). God has His Lamb, and Satan has his two beasts. The first is a civil authority, and the second is a religious authority.
 
 

The Satanic Revival of the Roman Empire (13:1-3)

CHAPTER 13
And I stood upon the sand of the sea; and I saw a beast rising out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and upon its horns ten diadems, and upon its heads names of blasphemy. 
 
v.1 His Origin. John was “standing on the sand of the sea”, which was a new orientation. The student of prophecy needs to be reoriented to see the troubled state of the Gentile world. A beast is seen “rising out of the sea”. “beast” has no God-conscious intelligence, and it is an illusion to the beasts of Daniel which represent Gentile political powers. This beast arises from the sea, which pictures the origin of an empire – the revived Roman Empire – from the tumultuous convulsions of the middle of the week, connected with the expulsion of Satan from heaven. For the meaning of the heads and horns, see notes on Rev. 17:9-11. The horns aren’t crowned in the first half of the week (Dan. 7:7) while the woman rides the beast (Rev. 17:7). The beast will get a special power at the middle of the week when it takes on it’s diabolical form. This is when the seventh head becomes the eighth in ch.17. As to this change, the beast is viewed as ascending “out of the bottomless pit,”. It is a Satanic revival. Revelation 13:1 tells of the origin (from the sea), but ch.7 of the power (from the abyss), when the horns are crowned. The “names of blasphemy” show us that the Beast will be set in direct opposition to God and that which represents Him.
 
2 And the beast which I saw was like to a leopardess, and its feet as of a bear, and its mouth as a lion’s mouth; and the dragon gave to it his power, and his throne, and great authority; 
 
v.2 His Character. This monster will embody the leading characteristics of the empires that have run before it (Dan 7:4-6): swiftness of Greece (leopard), power of Persia (bear), boldness of Babylon (lion). The Beast will derive all His power from the Dragon, or Satan. The Dragon gives three things to the beast: “his power”, death, physical and moral (Heb. 2:14), “his throne”, the kingdoms of the world (Rev. 2:13, John 12:31, Matt. 4:8), “great authority”, the power of darkness (Eph. 2:2).
 
3 and one of his heads was as slain to death, and his wound of death had been healed: and the whole earth wondered after the beast. 
 
v.3 A Shift in Power. Now we are given an important detail concerning something past. One of the seven heads had been wounded to death, but the wound had been healed (past tense). Students of prophecy are somewhat divided on what this wound and healing refers to. Mr. Kelly believes it is the demise of the Roman Empire, and its revival during Daniel 70th week, specifically at the middle of the week.18 There will be a tremendous shift in the government of the revived Roman empire. Instead of seeing the wounded “seventh head” as the historical, imperial form of the empire, some see it as specifically the government of the revived Roman empire in first three and a half years, which is “slain”. In either case, the healed seventh head would correspond with “the eighth” of Rev. 17:11, a diabolical form under a the personal Beast, which rises to power. The response is that “the earth wondered”, amazed that the entire Roman empire is so firmly controlled by this one man. The earth wonders after the beast in ch.17, but there it is also amazement over the historical revival; i.e. people are amazed that the Roman empire is back again after 1600 years. See entry for more details on the personal Beast.
 

The Character and Career of the Personal Beast (13:4-8)

4 And they did homage to the dragon, because he gave the authority to the beast; and they did homage to the beast, saying, Who is like to the beast? and who can make war with it? 
 
v.4 Worship of the Dragon and the Beast. In glorying in the power of Rome, people will actually be worshiping Satan; “they did homage to the dragon”. Man needs an object to worship, and Satan will give them one. Antichrist will enforce this worship (v.12). Ironically, there is an answer to the question: “who can make war with the beast? The King of kings and Lord of lords can and will make war with the beast.
 
5 And there was given to it a mouth, speaking great things and blasphemies; and there was given to it authority to pursue its career forty-two months. 6 And it opened its mouth for blasphemies against God, to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle, and those who have their tabernacle in the heaven.
 
vv.5-6 Blasphemous Speech. The first character of the beast is his foul and preposterous language (see also Daniel 7:8, “a mouth speaking great things”). Contrast the “great words” of the beast with the “gracious words” of our Lord Jesus (Luke 4:22). The beast continues from the middle of the week on to the end. Blasphemies are words of spiritual injury (Dan 7:25). He speaks: (1) “against God” Himself, (2) against “his name and his tabernacle”, or that which is identified with God and enjoys His protection on earth, i.e. the remnant, and (3) against “those who have their tabernacle in the heaven”, who are beyond the reach of this diabolical man.
 
7 And there was given to it to make war with the saints, and to overcome them; and there was given to it authority over every tribe, and people, and tongue, and nation; 
 
v.7 Persecution of the faithful. The beast will “overcome” the saints in a certain sense by martyring some of them. You can see this same thing in Daniel 7:21. The beast has authority over every tribe, etc. within his domain, which is the western world. It will be a unified government, but only in the west. Some have taken this verse to mean that there will be a one-world government, however, we must see that the context of the beast’s kingdom is the west. There are other enemies in prophecy that are clearly not part of the beast’s kingdom.
 
8 and all that dwell on the earth shall do it homage, every one whose name had not been written from the founding of the world in the book of life of the slain Lamb. 
 
v.8 Self-exaltation. The earth-dwellers without exception succumb to worship of the beast, who glorifies himself as Nebuchadnezzar did years ago (Dan. 3:7). Some of the expositors (Darby & Kelly) disagree on earth-dwellers being a moral class in this verse. Notice that those who are written in the book of life are the only ones who refuse to worship the beast. Sovereign election is the only reason why any saint, in any dispensation, can persevere in the face of apostasy. These ones are said to have their names written in the book of life “from the founding of the world”. When speaking of the church, it says we were “chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4), which is the farthest back in the purposes of God, though last to be revealed in time. 
 

A Special Word for the Remnant to Hear (13:9-10)

9 If any one has an ear, let him hear. 10 If any one leads into captivity, he goes into captivity. If any one shall kill with the sword, he must with the sword be killed. Here is the endurance and the faith of the saints. 
 
vv.9-10 Two Principles for the Remnant. Next we have a call to the remnant to “listen up”. Contrast “let him hear” with “let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches” as in Rev. 2:7. The church is gone! Two principles that the remnant must take heed to:
  1. “If any one leads into captivity, he goes into captivity.” Evil will not go unpunished. Divine judgement will fall on the beast (see Psalm 137:8). The beast is arresting the remnant now, but Christ will arrest the beast at His coming.
  2. “If any one shall kill with the sword, he must with the sword be killed.” Don’t try to avenge yourself with the sword. Meekly endure the fiery trial, leave it in the Lord’s hands (Romans 12:19).
These principles, if laid hold of in the heart, will result in preservation during times of trial or persecution. These principles are good for Christians too. Zwingli killed with the sword, and he perished on the battlefield (see Matt. 26:52). By these two principles the remnant will make it through the great tribulation with God’s approval.
 

The Character of the Second Beast, or Antichrist (13:11)

¶ 11 And I saw another beast rising out of the earth; and it had two horns like to a lamb, and spake as a dragon; 
 
v.11 The Second Beast. The second beast of Revelation 13 it the same person later referred to at the “false prophet”. Many dispensationalists confuse the roles of the first and second beast. By carefully studying the details of this chapter, as well as the details about the “little horn” of Daniel 7, and the “man of sin” of 2 Thessalonians 2, and Antichrist of John’s epistles, we conclude that Antichrist is this second beast, not the first beast. One reason for this is that he has a highly religious office, while the first beast is highly political. The second beast rises from the earth, which represents the stable nations. The most stable and wealthy of all the nations will be Israel, until the middle of the week. The second beast has “two horns like a lamb”, which insinuates a pretense of being the true Messiah. However, his words betray him (Matt. 12:34); “spake as a dragon”. He is really a mouthpiece for the Devil. The two horns are a pretension of power. Compare with Rev. 5:6 where the True Lamb has seven horns, or perfection of power. Antichrist is both king and prophet/priest. These two offices of antichrist are pictured in the Old Testament types of Absalom & Ahithophel, and Ahaz & Urijah. In opposition to him will be the Lord’s two witnesses of Rev. 11. After antichrist flees from the king of the north, he loses the kingly office as the false king of the Jews (compare Dan. 11:36; John 10:13; Zech. 11:17; Isa. 22: 19-21). We might say he loses one of his horns, so to speak. Thereafter simply called, the “false prophet”. See entry for more details on Antichrist.
 

Antichrist’s Deception and Forced Worship of the Image (13:12-15)

12 and it exercises all the authority of the first beast before it, and causes the earth and those that dwell in it to do homage to the first beast, whose wound of death was healed. 
 
v.12 Connection with the First Beast. The Antichrist has the Beast’s power at his disposal, carte blanche. The primary role of the Antichrist will be to direct the religious affairs in the empire (Dan. 11:38); or “causes the earth and those that dwell in it to do homage to the first beast”. Rationalists and ritualists alike will be swept up; “the earth and those that dwell in it”.
 
13 And it works great signs, that it should cause even fire to come down from heaven to the earth before men. 
 
v.13 Power to Do Signs. To encourage the people of the earth to worship the beast, Antichrist will give them signs. The Jews desire to see signs (1 Cor. 1:22), and so this will appeal to them. Antichrist will appear to even have heaven’s approval; “cause even fire to come down from heaven to the earth before men” (as in 1 Kings 18:38). Given permission, Satan has the power to do these signs (Job 1:16). Here Antichrist, under the power of Satan, does the same miracle as Elijah. However, Elijah’s miracle had the effect of turning the people’s hearts to the Lord, but Antichrist turns the people’s hearts in the opposite direction (1 Kings 18:37).
 
14 And it deceives those that dwell upon the earth by reason of the signs which it was given to it to work before the beast, saying to those that dwell upon the earth to make an image to the beast, which has the wound of the sword, and lived. 
 
v.14 A Deception and the Image. As a symbol of the beast-idolatry, Antichrist will deceive the earth-dwellers to make an image, representing the first beast. This “image” is very likely what Daniel and Jesus spoken of as “the abomination that makes desolate” (Matt. 24:15, Dan. 12:11) foreshadowed by Nebuchadnezzar’s image in Dan. 3, and Antiochus Epiphanes’ wicked deed in the temple. The delusion (2 Thess. 2:11) is so strong that that the earth-dwellers themselves willingly make the image! The Gentile powers have had a history of forcing religion on their subjects, for so Dan. 3 and Dan. 6 give us the principle. The last form of Babylon will be no different. The image is “to the beast” not “of the beast”, that is, it is for his glory. This particularly awful form of idolatry, which will consume the majority of the civilized world, is perhaps the moment when the “mystery of iniquity” becomes full (2 Thess. 2:7).
 
15 And it was given to it to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should also speak, and should cause that as many as should not do homage to the image of the beast should be killed. 
 
v.15 Power to Deceive and to Punish Insubordinates. The second beast has the power to give “breath”, not “life”, to the image. It is only the appearance of life. Antichrist (or even Satan) cannot give life. How will this work? Perhaps robotics or artificial intelligence combined with Satanic power? It appears to be Satanic possession of an inanimate object. This is something unprecedented, as far as we read in scripture.
 

The Forced Implementation of the Mark of the Beast (13:16-18)

16 And it causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bondmen, that they should give them a mark upon their right hand or upon their forehead; 
 
v.16 The Mark of the Beast. Antichrist will be the financial leader of the empire as well as religious leader. The mark is a personal token or pass required to buy groceries, get gasoline, or do any type of business – with no exceptions. But there is a deeper sense to it, see “name” in v.17. The Antichrist will put intense pressure on the remnant to give in and take the mark. Compare with other marks; Rev. 22:4 and Gal. 6:17. There are two places for the mark: (1) the “right hand” denotes action or service, as this mark will identify the agents of the Beast, and (2) the “forehead” denotes public identification, marking these individuals as his public supporters. Perhaps in a deeper application, once a person takes the mark, all actions (right hand) and thoughts (forehead) are under his control. This is a clear contrast to the Old Testament command to place the words of God on oneself; “And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes” (Deut. 6:8).
 
17 and that no one should be able to buy or sell save he that had the mark, the name of the beast, or the number of its name. 
 
v.17 Control. Attached to the mark of the beast, which gives access to the economy, are one of two things: (1) the “name of the beast” which is a sign of ownership or slavery, or (2) “the number of its name” which is 666, a thrice-repetition of the number of humanity, falling short of seven; a complete departure from what is divine.
 
18 Here is wisdom. He that has understanding let him count the number of the beast: for it is a man’s number; and its number is six hundred and sixty-six. 
 
v.18 The Number of the Beast. There will be those (the Maskilim, or instructed ones) that will see the application of this prophecy to a particular man. Perhaps this number will help them identify an individual. But, the number is also representative: three (a full manifestation) sixes (man in the flesh fallen short of God’s glory). The remnant will NOT be sucked in but the antics of the beast or his false prophet. Perhaps the number is a comfort to them, to realize that after all, the beast is just a man; “a man’s number”.
 
  1. But though that wound seemed to be unto death, it was healed notwithstanding. “I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed.” That is, at the period of which the vision speaks, the Roman power is to be consolidated afresh: not as formerly, with God’s good hand over it and controlling all, whatever might have been the ways of individual emperors; but all is abandoned to the will of the beast as the immediate instrument of Satan. – W. Kelly. Lectures on Revelation.

Revelation 14

 
A Sevenfold Vision of God’s Intervention
Revelation 14
 
Revelation 14. In ch. 12 we saw Satan’s purpose was to destroy faith from the earth (Luke 18:8). In ch. 13 we saw the two human instruments that Satan will raise up to accomplish that purpose; i.e. the beast and antichrist. But in ch. 14 we see God’s intervention in the progress of evil.
 
 

(#1) The Jewish Remnant Preserved (14:1-5)

CHAPTER 14
And I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing upon mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand, having his name and the name of his Father written upon their foreheads. 
 
v.1 Preserved: on Earth. Note that vv.1-5 are an anticipatory vision, looking on to the end. The Lamb is seen standing on Mt. Zion symbolically, not literally. His literal coming is in v.14. Zion speaks of God’s movements toward the city in grace (e.g. Ps. 48:2). The 144,000 are “with Him” in the sense of identification. Although it may be difficult at first to see why, this 144,000 is not the same as in Rev. 7. The reason is that these 144,000 are connected with those who have already died, which are from the Jewish remnant; i.e. 144,000 from the tribe of Judah only, whereas in ch.7 there were 12,000 from the tribe of Judah. The numeral 144,000 (administrative perfection) is used because these form the nucleus of the nation in the Millennium. Like the woman at the well, the Jewish remnant will come to the realization that Jesus is Messiah, but this will likely occur in steps. Some more intelligent (the Maskilim) will have an advanced knowledge. The “name in their foreheads” is in contrast with the mark of the beast. The western earth will become divided into two companies: followers of the Beast, and followers of the Lamb. These faithful followers are seen on the other side of the fiery trial (Zech. 13:8, 9). It is the name of “His Father” instead of “their Father” because these are not Christians, but believing Jews. They do not know the privilege, as Christians do, of crying “Abba Father”.
 
2 And I heard a voice out of the heaven as a voice of many waters, and as a voice of great thunder. And the voice which I heard was as of harp-singers harping with their harps; 3 and they sing a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures and the elders. And no one could learn that song save the hundred and forty-four thousand who were bought from the earth. 
 
vv.2-3 Martyred: in Heaven. Now we have a different company from v.1. Those in v.1 were on earth are “listening in” to the praises of those in vv.2-3 who have already been martyred and are in heaven (same group as Rev. 15:2). Those on earth are in fellowship with these ones in heaven because they are passing through the same persecution that the martyrs have passed through. “Harps” have to do with a state of worship (Psa. 43:4). The theme of the “new song” is redemption (Rev. 5:9), as compared with creation. The martyred remnant in heaven is teaching the preserved remnant on earth the new song. This verse shows that only the redeemed can sing of redemption. Here the emphasis is on practical redemption from the evil world.
 
4 These are they who have not been defiled with women, for they are virgins: these are they who follow the Lamb wheresoever it goes. These have been bought from men as first-fruits to God and to the Lamb: 5 and in their mouths was no lie found; for they are blameless. 
 
vv.4-5 Preserved: on Earth. The scene changes again, and we are back on earth, with the preserved remnant. These ones were preserved from the corruptions that surrounded them; “who have not been defiled with women”. They were preserved from moral and spiritual defilement (e.g. the worship of the beast). “They are virgins” is perhaps not literal virginity because some of the remnant may be married. These saints are attached to the Lamb; a result produced by wooing and weening (process traced in the Song of Solomon). This remnant are the “first-fruits to God and to the Lamb”; a sample of the Lord’s earthly people in the Millennium! A devoted, undefiled, but yet earthly people – in fellowship with heaven – as a testimony for Jehovah. It would seem that the “lie” in v.5 has to do with not believing and spreading the lie of the Antichrist. The term “blameless” is used here in the same sense as Heb. 9:14 and 1 Peter 1:19, though it could only be said perfectly of the Lamb Himself.
 

(#2) The Everlasting Gospel is Preached (14:6-7)

¶ 6 And I saw another angel flying in mid-heaven, having the everlasting glad tidings to announce to those settled on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God and give him glory, for the hour of his judgment has come; and do homage to him who has made the heaven and the earth and the sea and fountains of waters. 
 
v.6-7 The Everlasting Gospel. Another thing that will happen during the great tribulation is that the gospel will spread over the whole earth, to “every nation and tribe and tongue and people”. “Those settled on the earth” are not only the earth-dwellers, but men everywhere. But this “gospel” isn’t exactly the same gospel that Christian evangelists preach today. The “everlasting gospel” doesn’t speak of redemption, but rather testifies to the majesty of God as Creator (see Psa. 19:1-3, Psa. 96, Rom. 1:19-20). The everlasting gospel is seen in Gen. 3:15; the promised seed would someday intervene in judgment. Noah and Enoch preached it as well. The scope of this “everlasting gospel” is very broad (see Acts 10:34-35). The “him” in v.7 is in contrast with the beast.
 
Three Gospels. There are three gospels in scripture:
  1. The Everlasting Gospel.

    The "everlasting gospel" (Rev. 14:6-7) warns of coming judgment based on God’s power and majesty as Creator, and therefore man's responsibility to Him as Judge (Psa. 19:1-3, Psa. 96, Rom. 1:19-20). God will at last intervene to deliver a world fallen into Satan’s hands through man's sin. It demands that men recognize and glorify God as Creator. It is called "everlasting" because it is a gospel that transcends dispensations. The witness of God's deity and power in creation has been witnessed from the beginning of man's time on earth, but there will be a special emphasis or broadcast of this gospel before the Lord appears. It could be that the reason God will allow this is because of the vast confederacies of men from many places including heathen lands that will join themselves together in the battles of the indignation, and the mass death that will follow.19

    Read more…
  2. The Kingdom Gospel.

    The "gospel of the kingdom" is the presentation of good news based on Christ’s glory as king (Matt. 4:23; 9:35; 24:14). It is connected with earthly hopes and deliverance rather than heavenly hopes. It announces the coming of the kingdom of Christ, and demands that men repent because the Messiah is coming. Everyone is to get ready; i.e. "prepare the way before him". This gospel began to be preached in the days of John the Baptist, and will go out in great power during the prophetic week, preached up to the establishment of the kingdom of Christ in manifest power (Psa. 95-96). This gospel will be especially carried through evangelists of the Jewish remnant. We find in Mark 16:15 that this gospel will be preached “to every creature” in “all the world.” We know that multitudes will be saved in that time, both of Jews and Gentiles - a mass conversion such as the world has never seen (Rev. 7)!

    Read more…
  3. The Christian Gospel.

    The gospel that Christians preach, "the gospel of the grace of God" and "the gospel of the glory of God", is based on the death and resurrection of Christ, His exaltation at God's right hand, and God’s heart of love flowing out to sinners in need of salvation. Believing this gospel brings you into relationship with God as Father. It rises far higher than the other gospels because it presents the Person of Christ, as a glorified man in heaven, as the object for faith.

    Read more…

(#3) The Fall of Religious Babylon (14:8)

¶ 8 And another, a second, angel followed, saying, Great Babylon has fallen, has fallen, which of the wine of the fury of her fornication has made all nations drink. 
 
v.8 The Fall of Religious Babylon. Another angel appears, presumably also flying in heaven. This angel has a message of doom for “Great Babylon”, who has not yet been formally introduced to us, but of whom we will read much in ch.17-18. Great Babylon, sometimes called religious Babylon, is the false church, which will maintain control of the beast for the first half of the prophetic week. The false church is judged (falls, loses control) in the middle of the week when she is cast off by the beast (Rev. 17:15-18), and torn to pieces and burned by the horns. This verse shows that the fall of religious Babylon will precede the three and a half years of beast-worship. However, there is another aspect of Babylon that continues to the end of the week (Rev. 16:15-21, Rev. 18:21-24), and we call this Political Babylon, which is what remains; i.e. the political side of this great Roman power-structure. This other aspect of Babylon is destroyed by the Lord at His appearing. This verse speaks of “the wine of the fury of her fornication” which refers to the unholy alliances made between corporations, governments, and this false church (see Rev. 17:2 and Rev. 18:3). The kings and merchants who are associated with the false church are unaware that they have drunk a fatal dose, and will perish with final Babylon at the appearing (see notes on Rev. 19:19). 
 

(#4) Final Warning Concerning the Followers of the Beast (14:9-12)

¶ 9 And another, a third, angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any one do homage to the beast and its image, and receive a mark upon his forehead or upon his hand, 10 he also shall drink of the wine of the fury of God prepared unmixed in the cup of his wrath, and he shall be tormented in fire and brimstone before the holy angels and before the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment goes up to ages of ages, and they have no respite day and night who do homage to the beast and to its image, and if any one receive the mark of its name.
 
vv.9-10 Warning Concerning Followers of the Beast. A third angel now appears, again flying in heaven, and proclaiming the destruction at the end of the path for those who follow and worship the beast; they are destined for eternal punishment in the lake of fire.
  • “He also shall drink of the wine of the fury of God prepared unmixed in the cup of his wrath”. There are no palliative ingredients (Ps. 75:8) in this judgment; it will be direct from God. The greatest judgement God has is in store for those who have had and rejected the greatest light.
  • “He shall be tormented in fire and brimstone before the holy angels and before the Lamb.” The punishment for those who align themselves with the beast and against the Lamb is terrible, and unmistakably individual. This will take place “Before the Lamb” who will be like a judge witnessing the sentence be carried out.
  • “And the smoke of their torment goes up to ages of ages”. The “smoke of their torment” refers to the cautionary witness that the torment of the beast-followers will be to the earth. This witness will continue through the Millennium. The “ages of ages” refers to a future eternity. The torment will never end, however the smoke will not be allowed to cloud the air of the new creation (eternal state). Note that it says “to it”, not “into it”.
  • “and they have no respite day and night”. There will be no cessation, no alleviation, from the punishment of these ones will endure. “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:44).
12 Here is the endurance of the saints, who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. 
 
v.12 Encouragement to Followers of Jesus. The Spirit of God then has a word to the remnant, “the saints, who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus”. Hearing this warning of the final punishment of the beast-followers is an encouragement to the faithful to press on. The patience of the saints is to endure persecution and wait for the Lord to judge the persecutors (2 Thess. 1:4-8). It is far better to be killed by the Beast than to be tormented with the Beast (Luke 12:4-5). The remnant is encouraged that things will be set right very shortly. This will help them endure the trial. We get an additional principle in Rev. 13:10.
 

(#5) Tribulation Martyrs About to be Raised (14:13)

¶ 13 And I heard a voice out of the heaven saying, Write, Blessed the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth. Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; for their works follow with them. 
 
v.13 The Blessed Portion of Faithful Martyrs. After the three angels fly by, and give their messages, a voice is now heard coming out of heaven. This is a beautiful point: concerning those who have died “in the Lord”. The message is not committed to an angel, but a voice comes out of heaven, perhaps the Lord’s own voice? The sentence “Blessed the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth” is not easy to follow is many translations. Expositor and translator William Kelly says it means: (1) from this time nobody that belongs to the Lord is going to die and (2) all those who have died in the Lord are about to be blessed; i.e. in the first resurrection. The key to understanding this verse is to see that a comma could be placed before the word “from”. Then in plain English it would read “Blessed from henceforth are the dead who die in the Lord”. This wonderful promise is given to those are suffering persecution, and about to be martyred. It is the assurance of the final phase of the first resurrection! We will read more on this in ch.20. Their works follow: God will not forget what they have done (Heb. 6:10).
 

(#6) The Harvest, or Discriminate, Judgment (14:14-16)

The Harvest & Vintage are "the judgment of the quick" (Acts 10:42; 2 Tim. 4:1; 1 Peter 4:5) or living, which is when the Lord will deal with the living persons on earth, at the START of the Millennium. The judgment of the quick also includes the sessional judgment (Matt. 25:31-46). It is in contrast to the "judgment of the dead" which occurs at the END of the Millennium (Rev. 20: 11-15), when those who have died without faith will be raised to stand before the great white throne, and then be cast into the lake of fire (read more...). Two great differences between the harvest and vintage are: (1) the harvest is discriminating while the vintage is indiscriminate, and (2) the harvest immediately follows the appearing while the vintage takes place after Israel is restored in their land.
 

The Harvest Judgment (Rev. 14:14-16; Isaiah 21 – 24). At the time of the appearing, the angels will go forth over the Beast's empire and “reap” those who have refused the gospel of the kingdom. This is called the harvest judgment. The Harvest Judgment is a discriminating judgment, pictured in Matt. 13 by the harvestmen removing the tares from the field.

 

The Lord will send out His angels into “the whole world” to cleanse “the kingdom of the Son of man”, which is the prophetic earth (Matt. 13:37-42). It is discriminating because only the impostors (who have made a false profession of Christianity) will be taken by the angels. Those taken will be cast directly into the lake of fire. The Lord was marked out as the One who would baptize with fire (Matt. 3:11). This is what Christ as the "Son of man sitting on the cloud" will do with the Christian testimony at the harvest judgment. The harvest judgment will take place between the appearing of Christ and 1290 days measured from the middle of Daniel’s seventieth week. It will only involve the prophetic earth (Israel and Europe). If it was the entire world then Gog and Magog wouldn’t be able to come down against them after the harvest.

read more…
 
¶ 14 And I saw, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud one sitting like the Son of man, having upon his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. 
 
v.14 The Son of Man About to Reap. The next thing John sees is “a white cloud”, which represents the presence of the Lord in judicial purity. The “Son of man” is the Lord’s title upon rejection (Dan. 7:13, John 5:27). What we have here is the conclusion of what was introduced in ch.12; the man child caught up to His father’s throne now returns in judgment. The Son of man is sitting “on the clouds” (Matt. 24:30), which speaks of a publicly display. The “coming of the son of man” in scripture is always the appearing. He wears “a golden crown”, representing His royal dignity and also of the glory of His divine righteousness. He holds “a sharp sickle”, showing that judgment is the purpose of His coming.
 
15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Send thy sickle and reap; for the hour of reaping is come, for the harvest of the earth is dried. 16 And he that sat on the cloud put his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped. 
 
vv.15-16 The Harvest Judgment. As with the vintage judgement (v.18), so with the harvest judgment, an angelic messenger is the trigger. Here the voice comes out of the temple, the direct presence of God, showing that this judgment is required because of a direct insult to His name (Jer. 7:14). The harvest is a discriminating judgment (winnowing), separating, taking the wicked and leaving the just (Matt. 24:38-43). No doubt there is a connection here with the parable of the tares, where v.16 is the completion of the age. The vintage judgment by contrast is indiscriminate. The Lord will “put his sickle on the earth” by sending out His holy angels (Matt. 13:41). The earth will be “reaped” by the wicked being “taken” out for judgment and cast into the “furnace”, or the Lake of fire. It is the judgement of the apostatized western world (Luke 23:31).
 

(#7) The Vintage, or Indiscriminate, Judgment (14:17-20)

¶ 17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in the heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 
 
v.17 About to Gather. Another angels is seen, and this angel also is the Lord Jesus, who will tread the wine-press alone (Isa. 63:1-6). Why is the Lord pictured as an angel? Perhaps it is because this is something the Lord does personally, so He appears as a warrior angel because judgment is His “strange work” (Isa. 28:21). The angel comes out of “the temple which is in heaven” because this judgment arises from the glory of God’s presence. This angel has “a sharp sickle”, just like with the harvest judgment, because both events are judgment, although they have a different character.
 
18 And another angel came out of the altar, having power over fire, and called with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Send thy sharp sickle, and gather the bunches of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripened. 
 
v.18 The Vintage Called For. A second angel appears, this time coming out of the altar. This is the brazen altar, and it speaks of judgment against sin. This second angel has “power over fire”; he is an executor of God’s judgment. This angel cries to the other with the sickle, calling for him to gather the ripe grapes. The second angel represents the moral basis for the vintage judgment; God’s holiness in judgment against sin. The first angel represents God’s power in judgment; the agent being none other than the Lord Himself; “And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me” (Isa. 63:5). The bunches of grapes grow on the “vine of the earth”, which is in contrast with “the true vine” of John 15. This vine of the earth represents apostate religion; the corruption of what should have been fruit-bearing. If we keep in mind that Revelation 12 – 14 are looking primarily at the judgment of Israel, then the vine is specifically apostate Israel. We read in Ezekiel 20 that the Lord will “purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD” (Ezek. 20:38). As the returning tribes enter the land, those in unbelief will be entrapped on the border; the vine of the earth, fully ripened, ready for judgment. But though apostate Israel is at the center, Gentiles are mixed in, though not the focus here. The wine-press is the unmingled fury of God poured out on those who have rebelled against Him. There are three steps in this judgment:
  1. “gather the vine” – speaks of the return of the ten tribes (Dan. 12:1-2)
  2. “cast it into the winepress” – rebels of the ten tribes get sifted at border
  3. “tread the winepress” – actual judgment by the Lord personally.
19 And the angel put his sickle to the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast the bunches into the great wine-press of the fury of God; 20 and the wine-press was trodden without the city, and blood went out of the wine-press to the bits of the horses for a thousand six hundred stadia. 
 
vv.19-20 The Vintage (Winepress) Judgment.

The winepress judgment, also known as the vintage, will take place at 1335 days measured from the middle of Daniel's seventieth week (Rev. 14:17-20; Isaiah 26:20 - 27:5; Isaiah 63:1-6). Those destroyed are Russia (Ezek. 38-39), many confederate nations (Micah 4:11-12, Joel 3:2), and the rebels of the ten tribes (Ezek. 20:35-38). The winepress judgment is referred to as “Jehovah’s sacrifice in Bozrah and slaughter in Edom” because Bozrah was the capital of Edom (Isa. 34:2-6). The nations will come up in vast hordes, Russia in the lead, coming up “like a cloud to cover the land.” The land of Edom is where the proud (Zeph. 3:11) and the rebellious (Ezek. 20:38) of the ten tribes will be trapped, at the “border” (Ezek. 11:10). The Lord will personally “plead” with them “face to face” (Ezek. 20:35)… but they will be “stubborn and rebellious” (Deut. 21:18-23). The border land to the south of Israel (Edom) is referred to as the Lord’s “threshing floor” (Micah 4:11-12). There the Lord will “sift” the ten tribes “like as corn is sifted in a sieve” (Amos 9:9-10). Ninety percent of the returning ten tribes will be destroyed (Isa. 6:13). “The Lord also shall roar out of Zion” (Joel 3:16) and destroy Russia specifically “upon the mountains of Israel” (Ezek. 39:2). The “valley of Jehoshaphat” (Joel 3:1, 12-13), also called “without the city” (Rev. 14:20), is where the winepress begins. It continues 1600 stadia (or 200 miles), which is approximately the distance from the valley of Jehoshaphat to the south of Edom. The "vine of the earth", who are the rebels of the ten tribes, will be caught up in the vortex of judgment. The carnage will be so tremendous that the blood will run out "to the horses bits". Horses speak of human agencies, all are in vain against the Lord. As He stamps personally upon His enemies, it will be His "fury", not His love, that will sustain Him (Isa. 63:1-6) while "He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God" (Rev. 19:15).

Read more…
 
  1. Does the everlasting gospel require human preachers as do the gospel of the kingdom and the Christian gospel? Rev. 14:6 says that the everlasting gospel is something that an angel, flying in mid-heaven, will preach to the whole earth. Perhaps this means that the everlasting gospel, which has been preached since the fall of man, can be heard through providential means, as with other actions of angels in Revelation. For instance, Romans 1:20 makes it clear that the witness of creation is a revelation of God in a general sense; "from the world's creation the invisible things of him are perceived, being apprehended by the mind through the things that are made, both his eternal power and divinity". However, man rejected that witness, as with the other witnesses.

Revelation 15 - 16

 
Added Details: The Judgment of the Gentiles
Revelation 15 – 16
 
Revelation 15 – 16. In the Book of Revelation, the Spirit of God goes over parts of the prophetic week three or four times. In each section, there is a different focus, but all end with the appearing of Christ.
  1. Ch. 6-11 covers the full seven years, focusing on the Beast’s empire (seal and trumpet judgments).
  2. Ch. 12-14  covers the last 3.5 years, focusing on Israel (added details of prophecy).
  3. Ch. 15-16 covers the last 3.5 years, focusing on the Gentile nations at large (bowl judgments).
  4. Ch. 17-19 covers the middle and end of the week, focusing on the judgement of religious and political Babylon.
    Ch. 20-22 cover events after the prophetic week.
It is helpful to see that the bowl judgments are on the Gentile nations at large, not limited to the Beast’s empire. They are poured out on the prophetic earth, but the effects go beyond the Christianized part of the world to touch the outlying nations. Note the absence of the expression “the third part”. The bowl series is more universal. For example, you could design a bomb to drop on New York City that would only affect the City. That would be like the trumpet series. However, you could design a bomb to drop on the City that would have far reaching effects, even to reach Trenton, or Philadelphia. That is like the bowl series. The Lord is called “King of nations” in Rev. 15:3, denoting a wide sphere of influence. Note that the fifth trumpet and fifth bowl break the pattern. The fifth trumpet jumps from the revived Roman Empire to the apostate Jews, but the fifth bowl jumps from the Gentile nations to the Beast’s kingdom. Regarding the symbolic language of the bowl judgments, William Kelly said:
Further, I think the objects of these plagues, the earth, sea, etc., are not to be taken in a merely literal way. The language is symbolical. Not that there would be to my own mind the slightest difficulty in believing that God could do these things in a literal way, if this were His will. He has turned the waters of Egypt into blood, filled a kingdom with darkness, and inflicted plagues similar to what we have here: so that there is no difficulty in conceiving such a thing again. But the only question is, whether this is what we are to gather from the chapter before us. I think it is not; and that God here alludes to plagues that were once literal in the land of Egypt, but that are now referred to symbolically, representing certain judgments of God.20
 
 

The Gentile Martyrs, Preparation for Bowls (Rev. 15)

CHAPTER 15
And I saw another sign in the heaven, great and wonderful: seven angels having seven plagues, the last; for in them the fury of God is completed. 
 
v.1 Seven Angels, Seven Plagues. The scene changes, and the focus is once again on heaven, where John sees another sign. Here we have another group of seven angels, different from those in Rev. 8:2. These angels are given “the seven last plagues” which are contained in seven vials or bowls (Rev. 16:1). These bowls are symbolic of the next series of judgments. The fact that it says “seven last plagues” causes some to take this as a hint that the seven bowls come chronologically after the trumpets. However, the verse goes on to say that they “complete” the wrath of God. It is not inconsistent with other prophetic scriptures that this series of bowl-judgments is actually going over the last three and a half years of the tribulation – the same period covered by the trumpets – giving added details which “complete” the wrath that God has for the earth. The wrath of the Lamb follows the wrath of God, beginning when the Lord Himself appears.

The Martyred Remnant (vv.2-4)

¶ 2 And I saw as a glass sea, mingled with fire, and those that had gained the victory over the beast, and over its image, and over the number of its name, standing upon the glass sea, having harps of God. 
 
v.2 The Martyred Remnant. John also saw a “sea of glass”, which is an allusion to the sea in Solomon’s temple, in which the priests would ceremonially wash. The sea is not water now, because there is no more need of washing in heaven. The saints in heaven have reached a fixed state of purity. Seas often represents the Gentile nations in tumultuous motion. But all is tranquil in heaven. The sea was “mingled with fire,” indicative of the fiery tribulation out of which the saints in this vision had come (see 1 Peter 1:6-7). This is a martyred portion of the remnant. Most likely these are Gentiles because the context in ch.15-16 is Gentiles. These ones got victory over the beast by giving up their lives rather than worship his image. On earth, these ones would be viewed as having been defeated by the beast, but heaven has a different evaluation of their death; i.e. victory. These saints in heaven also have “harps”, which shows that they are praising God.
 
3 And they sing the song of Moses bondman of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and wonderful are thy works, Lord God Almighty; righteous and true are thy ways, O King of nations. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy; for all nations shall come and do homage before thee; for thy righteousnesses have been made manifest. 
 
vv.3-4 The Twofold Song. The martyrs in heaven sing a two-fold song:
  1. The song of Moses: praising God’s works (v.3a). The theme of this song is similar to that of Israel in Exodus 15; i.e. earthly deliverance from their enemies. This is a  reference to the song of Exodus 15, not of Deut. 32. The praise is for the works of “Jehovah Elohim Shaddai” (Lord God Almighty), who is God under various names as He was known in the Old Testament.
  2. The song of the Lamb: praising God’s ways (vv.3b-4). The subject is the exaltation of the Lord, rejoicing that He will have His rightful place in the scene of His rejection. They rejoice that the Lord is about to be worshipped by all nations.
The martyrs are incredulous that someone wouldn’t fear the Lord. The only thing that will bring about a change in the Gentiles, such that they will “come and do homage before thee”, is the manifestation of God’s righteous acts of judgment. This is one of the great lessons from Dan. 4, and also Isa. 26:9. The martyrs see through the judgment to the coming blessing. And the bowl-judgments are God’s answer to the martyrs’ song.

Preparations for the Bowl Judgments (vv.5-16:1)

¶ 5 And after these things I saw, and the temple of the tabernacle of witness in the heaven was opened; 6 and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, clothed in pure bright linen, and girded about the breasts with golden girdles. 
 
vv.5-6 The Seven Angels. The seal and trumpet judgments flow from the throne of God, whereas the vials flow from the “temple” of God, showing that they are more severe, as they flow from the holy character of God (see Rev. 11:19a). The temple is opened for judgment, not for grace, and this is shown in that the seven angels come out of the temple. The clothing of the angels, “pure bright linen”, speaks of the divine righteousness in which God will judge the world. But they are “girded at the breasts” showing that natural affection (mercy) for the earth cannot be shown, because it is a matter of Divine righteousness holding in that affection; “golden girdles”.
 
7 And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls, full of the fury of God, who lives to the ages of ages. 
 
v.7 Seven Bowls of God’s Fury. The four living creatures are the ones who give the angels the bowls. The four living creatures are always found in an administrative capacity, facilitating God’s judgments. The word “vials” in some translations, “means bowls or cups, and is taken from the vessels used for pouring out drink-offerings, etc., before the Lord.”21 A vial in the modern vernacular is actually a narrow tube, while a bowl can hold a lot of liquid. Also, it says they are “full of the fury of God”.
 
8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power: and no one could enter into the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.
 
v.8 The Temple in Heaven Filled with Smoke. The temple was “filled with smoke”, showing that God’s glory and power in judgment was now in full action. It specifies that “no one could enter”, which signifies that sacrifice and intercession would be of no avail. Nothing can prevent the coming storm of divine judgment. Smoke often pictures God’s offended majesty against sin (Psalm 18:8).
 
CHAPTER 16
And I heard a great voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, Go and pour out the seven bowls of the fury of God upon the earth. 
 
v.1 Instruction for Judgment. Next John hears “a great voice out of the temple”, and this is the voice of God Himself. God tells the seven angels to “Go and pour out the seven bowls of the fury of God upon the earth”. These bowls are poured out upon the prophetic earth, yet we will see that their effects reach even to the outlying nations.
 
Three distinct steps in preparation:
  1. In v.6, the angels are commissioned and equipped in the sanctuary.
  2. In v.7, the living creatures supply the angels with the golden bowls of God’s fury.
  3. In Rev. 16:1, God Himself gives the command to execute the judgment.
Correlation of trumpets and bowls. There is a high degree of correlation between the trumpets and bowls. The first of each series has to do with the earth, the second with the sea, the third with the rivers and fountains of water, and the fourth with the sun. The fifth trumpet is the delusion of apostate Jews, the fifth bowl is the delusion of the Beast’s empire. The sixth trumpet is a summary of the Assyrian’s influence on the beast’s empire, the sixth bowl gives the precise moment of the attack. The seventh in each series is the appearing of Christ. The seventh trumpet is a summary of the Day of the Lord. The seventh bowl is the specific event that will accompany his appearing, namely the destruction of Political Babylon (the Beast). Some have thought that the bowls are "under" the seventh trumpet just as the trumpets are "under" the seventh seal. However, the correlation between these bowls and trumpets would indicate that the bowls parallel the trumpets.
 

1st Bowl: Moral Pain on the Followers of the Beast(16:2)

¶ 2 And the first went and poured out his bowl on the earth; and there came an evil and grievous sore upon the men that had the mark of the beast, and those who worshipped its image. 
 
v.2 The First Bowl. The followers of the beast are the target of the first bowl-judgment. The “earth” here might represent the organized nations; i.e. it is in contrast with “the sea” in v.2. The judgment results in a “grievous sore”, similar to the sixth Egyptian plague of blisters (Ex. 9:10-11). That was a personal plague on the Egyptians; i.e. a disgusting and loathsome disease (see Deut. 28:27, 35). The grievous sores could be taken predominantly in a moral sense here, although it may be physical as well. It is a moral sore which will cause intense mental suffering. They feel the evil they are under. Perhaps it will be the terrible affliction of a guilty conscience?22
 

2nd Bowl: Apostasy of All Nations Who Reject the Gospel (16:3)

¶ 3 And the second poured out his bowl on the sea; and it became blood, as of a dead man; and every living soul died in the sea.
 
v.3 The Second Bowl. In contrast with “the earth” of v.2, the target of the second bowl-judgment is the “sea”, which represents the masses of the Gentiles in a state of turmoil. The seas become blood, which also correlates to an Egyptian plague; when the Nile was turned to blood. Blood represents death, as it says; “and every living thing died”. Everyone will give up the profession of religion. It says, “as of a dead man”; all pretense of moral life is gone. Souls will either believe the gospel of the Kingdom, or they will apostatize.23
 

3rd Bowl: Natural Sources of Joy Are Turned to Misery (16:4-7)

¶ 4 And the third poured out his bowl on the rivers, and on the fountains of waters; and they became blood. 
 
v.4 The Third Bowl. The target of the third bowl-judgment is “the rivers, and on the fountains of waters”. Rivers represent fixed channels of refreshment. Fountains are the sources of prosperity. The natural sources of joy that attend human life are all affected by the apostasy. The things that define culture become evil through and through. Life will be marked by misery and frustration.24

God’s righteousness acknowledged (vv.5-7)

5 And I heard the angel of the waters saying, Thou art righteous, who art and wast, the holy one, that thou hast judged so; 6 for they have poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; they are worthy.
 
vv.5-6 The Angel of the Waters. We now hear the voice of a certain angel speaking to the Lord. The “angel of the waters” may be an angle that God has set to watch over the masses of mankind. This angel has seen the evil done by men down through the millennia, rejecting the prophets, rejecting the pleading of the Lord’s voice. Now these wicked men are going to get what they have got coming. The angel speaks up as a solemn witness; the Lord is righteous for executing this judgment. The Lord has seemed outwardly to slumber for a long time. But now He awakes to avenge the blood of the martyrs. There is a solemn irony to this – blood for blood – this is justice. But there is not doubt whether they deserve this; “they are worthy”. The apostates have earned their awful doom.
 
7 And I heard the altar saying, Yea, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments. 
 
v.7 The Altar Speaks! Now the brazen altar itself speaks to the Lord! The brazen altar represents the righteous claims of God in judgment. Earlier in ch.6 the souls of the martyrs were seen under the altar (Rev. 6:9). Now, that very altar which had witnessed the martyrs’ blood is said to cry out as a witnesses to the righteousness of God’s judgment. From the first book (Gen. 4:10) to the last book (Rev. 16:7) we hear the cry of the blood of the martyrs connected with the altar, which speaks of the righteous judgment of God. See Psalm 19:9.
 

4th Bowl: Governmental Apostasy Results in Oppression (16:8-9)

¶ 8 And the fourth poured out his bowl on the sun; and it was given to it to burn men with fire. 9 And the men were burnt with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, who had authority over these plagues, and did not repent to give him glory. 
 
vv.8-9 The Fourth Bowl. The target of the fourth bowl-judgment is the “sun, which represents the supreme government over the Gentiles. No doubt this will be the reign of the beast. This government has already apostatized in the fourth trumpet, but here we find what the effect of this is; oppression of men with intolerable tyranny. The oppression of men, put under pressure from the apostate governments, results in the men lashing out against God, whom they know is in control of these judgments. Compare with the true King, who will arise toward His subjects as the Sun of Righteousness, not with scorching heat, but healing in His wings (Mal. 4:2).
 

5th Bowl: Deep Spiritual Darkness Covers the Empire (16:10-11)

¶ 10 And the fifth poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast; and its kingdom became darkened; and they gnawed their tongues with distress, 11 and blasphemed the God of the heaven for their distresses and their sores, and did not repent of their works. 
 
vv.10-11 The Fifth Bowl. As with the seals and trumpets, it is evident that the fifth, sixth, and seventh bowls are apart from the preceding four. The judgment of the fifth bowl falls upon “the throne of the beast” and upon his kingdom. Note: it does not say upon the beast himself, who is apparently untouched by these bowls. The judgment of the personal beast is reserved for the Lord Jesus at His appearing. The kingdom becomes darkened. No doubts, the darkness originates from the abyss (see Rev. 9:2), but as a judgment it is of God. Men will become decidedly against God. There will be no more agnostics. Their hearts are hardened against God, rather than softened, and they “blasphemed the God of the heaven”. In the fourth bowl they blaspheme the name of God, here it is the God of the heaven. They know who is responsible for these judgments. But they still don’t own Him as the God of the earth.
 

6th Bowl: The Kings of the East Invade the Beast’s Empire (16:12-16)

¶ 12 And the sixth poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates; and its water was dried up, that the way of the kings from the rising of the sun might be prepared. 
 
v.12 The Sixth Bowl. The target of the sixth bowl is the “great river Euphrates”, which was the eastern border of the old Roman Empire. The Euphrates is an ancient geographical barrier, a natural separation between the west and the east. When the water of that river is dried up, the way is now opened for “the kings from the rising of the sun”. The kings of the east in Revelation include the same forces depicted under the king of the north in the book of Daniel, which sweep down through Israel. Once this barrier is removed, pictured by the river, the kings can invade. This will begin the time of Jehovah’s indignation, and there are a number of battles that take place. There are two invasions from the north east, called the first and second attacks of the Assyrian. Each attack is lead by a confederacy of nations who are really united in one great super-confederacy. The first attack is made by the king of the north and his Arab confederacy, but the second attack is made by Gog and is Russian confederacy. The Arab confederacy comes down at 1260 days from the middle of the week, and the Russian confederacy comes down (most likely) 75 days later. Perhaps the river is dried for the first attack primarily, but also for the follow-up attack. Some feel that the expression “from the rising of the sun” indicates kingdoms outside the prophetic earth; China, India, etc.25
 
13 And I saw out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, as frogs; 14 for they are the spirits of demons, doing signs; which go out to the kings of the whole habitable world to gather them together to the war of that great day of God the Almighty. 
 
vv.13-14 A Gathering Influence. Next we are told about an influence that will unite the whole world together. It is not the gospel, but evil that will unite the world. These three, called “three unclean spirits”, are the sum of all evil influences. Note that these influences originate from the mouths of:
  1. The Dragon: Satan’s direct power as antagonistic of Christ
  2. The Beast: the power of apostate government, the Beast
  3. The False Prophet: the power of false religion, the Antichrist
These unclean spirits are “like frogs”, which live in the mud; i.e. loathsome creatures. They come “out of the mouth” of the false triad, showing that they are the source of these influences. The nations will not be aware that they are being gathered together to the great war, but that is God’s purpose. This confirms that Armageddon is a general collision of the kings of “the whole habitable world”. Not only are the western powers arrayed for the war, but the eastern also:
  1. The Beast and his Western Confederacy
  2. The King of the North and his Arab Confederacy
  3. Gog and his Atheistic Russian Confederacy

(Voice of the Lord “Behold I Come as a Thief!”) (v.15)

15 (Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches and keeps his garments, that he may not walk naked, and that they may not see his shame.) 
 
v.15 Parenthesis. As with the seals and trumpets, there is a parenthesis between the sixth and seventh bowl. The parenthesis in each case includes some mention of the blessing of the faithful. The fact of the Lord’s coming “as a thief” is mentioned five times in scripture, and it always refers to the appearing (Matt. 24:43; 1 Thess. 5:2-4; 2 Pet. 3:10; Rev. 3:3; Rev. 16:15). The idea of coming as a thief involves unwanted surprise. The Lord will not come for His saints as a thief, but rather as a bridegroom. He will come upon a world morally asleep, but gathered together against God. There is a word to the believer; “blessed is he that watches and keeps his garments”. The Lord’s appearing will begin “the day of manifestation”, when those who are watchful will be given their rewards, and those who do not will be put to shame.
 
16 And he gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armagedon. 
 
v.16 Armageddon. Megiddo is the Hebrew form of “Armageddon”, and was a place in the Old Testament where God came forth to fight against those who raised themselves against Him, and where a great victory was won (see Jud. 5:19-20; 2 Chron. 35:22; Zech. 12:11). It is the area in Israel called the valley of Jezreel, or the Plain of Esdraelon, where the Lord will first appear (Isa. 9:1-2). Armageddon is not a single battle, but a series of battles, a “war” that will be fought during the time of Jehovah’s indignation. Although the unclean spirits are at work in gathering the nations to battle, it says here “he gathered”, reminding us that ultimately it is God’s hand at work.
 

7th Bowl: Appearing of Christ, the Fall of the Western Powers (16:17-21)

¶ 17 And the seventh poured out his bowl on the air; and there came out a great voice from the temple of the heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. 
 
v.17 The Seventh Bowl. The eventual target of the seventh bowl-judgment is a “great city” (v.19), but the bowl is poured first “on the air”. Air represents the moral atmosphere of the world; i.e. the realm of Satan (Eph. 2:2). The seventh bowl is the consummation of judgment on the organized systems of evil. John hears a voice from “the temple and the throne”. This voice is uniting the series of judgments up to this points: Rev. 6-11 are judgments from “the throne” connected with creation, while Rev. 12-16 are from “the temple” connected with the holy character of God. The voice cries, “It is done”, showing that we have now reached the climax of the judgments; we have reached the very moment of the Lord’s appearing.
 
18 And there were lightnings, and voices, and thunders;  and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, such an earthquake, so great. 
 
v.18 Effects on Earth. John first observed “lightnings, and voices, and thunders”, which are symbols of the judgment of God (see Rev. 4:5; Rev. 8:5; Rev. 11:19). Second, there was a great earthquake. No doubt there will be an abundance of physical earthquakes at this time (Mark 13:8) but this is “a great earthquake”, a vast and unparalleled violent disruption of all government. This coincides with the time when the beast and antichrist will be taken and cast into the lake of fire by the Lord at His appearing. Also, at this time the angels will go out and gather the tares to be burned.
 
19 And the great city was divided into three parts; and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon was remembered before God to give her the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. 
 
v.19 Effects on Cities.  A city called “the great city” is divided into three parts. This refers no doubt to the fall of the revived Roman empire; a “great city” compared to the nations’ cities. Also, the fact that there are three parts indicates that the Roman earth is in view, as with the trumpet judgments when “the third part of the earth” was mentioned several times. See also Rev. 17:18. The “cities of the nations” would be the other powers allied with the beast or opposed to him. All comes crashing down. Then, “great Babylon”, another city, is remembered before God to meet out the judgment she deserves. We might wonder, wasn’t Babylon already fallen (Rev. 14:8)? Chapter 17-18 will next be brought in to explain the two aspects of Babylon. The false church has already fallen (Rev. 14:8) and been completely destroyed, but the persons within the organization continue in the political aspect, the beast’s empire (Rev. 17:18), until the appearing of Christ (Rev. 18:20-24). God “remembers” to give her the cup of judgment that he had promised her. A.C. Brown called this “the most perplexing problem of the book”.
 
20 And every island fled, and mountains were not found; 21 and a great hail, as of a talent weight, comes down out of the heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of hail, for the plague of it is exceeding great. 
 
vv.20-21 Effects on Men. All earthly refuges will fail to hide men from the storm of judgment; “islands” picture commerce, or financial refuges, and “mountains” picture political powers, or governmental refuges. This is followed by a plague of hail, which reminds us of the seventh Egyptian plague. This hail represents sharp, sudden, and crushing judgment from heaven. The hailstones are said to be “a talent weight”. The Jewish talent was 125 English pounds! This may not be literal hail. But after all this direct judgment from God because of their sins, men still refuse to repent, and turn around and blaspheme God because of the plague.
 
  1. Kelly, William. Lectures on the Book of Revelation.
  2. Kelly, William. Lectures on the Book of Revelation.
  3. First, the ordered and settled parts of the world are smitten as with an ulcerous distemper, where men were branded with subjection to the apostate civil power and his idolatry. Kelly, William. Lectures on the Book of Revelation.
  4. Next, there is a judgment on the sea; that is, on the outside regions, where profession of life quite died out. Kelly, William. Lectures on the Book of Revelation.
  5. The third, I conceive, represents by rivers people formed into a separate condition of nationality, like waters flowing in a distinct channel, under special local influence; and by the fountains rather the springs of a nation’s prosperity. All the active principles assume the form of death. The third judgment comes down to smaller details than the former ones. Kelly, William. Lectures on the Book of Revelation.
  6. C.E. Lunden

Revelation 17:1 - 19:10

 
Added Details: The Judgment of Babylon
Revelation 17:1 – 19:10
 
Revelation 17:1 – 19:10. Having come again to the appearing of Christ at the end of ch.16, the Spirit of prophecy again returns to an earlier point (beginning of the week) to go over the events from a different viewpoint. We have had things from the viewpoint of the Western lands (ch.6-11), of Israel (ch.12-14), and of the Gentile nations (ch.15-16). In ch.17-19a we have the judgment of Babylon, from the beginning of the week up to the appearing of Christ. It is the last return. After this, we will resume the chronological events beginning with the appearing, and leading straight through to the eternal state.
 
 
Two Women. Really, what you have in this parenthesis is the comparison of two women, the harlot (false church) and the Lamb’s wife (true church). Both are looked at their highest form: one pure, the other corrupt. Both are looked at under two figures: a woman (harlot vs. bride) and a city (Babylon vs. New Jerusalem). However, Babylon is called ‘great’ whereas the new Jerusalem is never called ‘great’ but rather ‘holy’. As women, both the true and the false church have a religious character. As cities, both have an administrative character. However, the true church is not looked at as a city (reigning) until the Millennium, while the false church acts as a city presently, seeking to reign over the kings of the earth.
 
Preliminary events. One of the first things that will happen when the true church is raptured, is that the false church will begin to ride the beast. This may begin even before Daniel’s seventieth week commences.
 
Babylon. In subject of Babylon in Revelation is important, but also difficult to understand. Babylon in the Old Testament is the name of the great Chaldean civilization. The ancient city was made by the king of Babylon (Nebuchadnezzar) for his glory and power (Dan. 4), but was also known as the center of pagan idolatry (Jer. 51:7; 50:2). That city has been destroyed and will never be rebuilt (Isa. 13:19-22; Jer. 51:29, 37). God told Nebuchadnezzar, “you are the head of gold” referring to the image in the king’s dream. While other empires succeeded Babylon (Persia, Greece, Rome, etc.), they really are still in the place of Babylon, as holding the balance of power in the earth, but doing so in disregard for the claims of God.
 
Two Babylons. We find in Revelation that the term Babylon is used for a great power in the earth. There are two aspects of this power, one is religious(pictured as a harlot), and the other is political (pictured as a city).21 In scripture we have always these two characters of evil. For example, in the book of Proverbs there are two dangers: the violent man and the corrupt woman. Go back into secular history as far as you like, you will find these two forms of evil linked together. Although the evidence is murky, we gather that when Nimrod built Babel as his first empire through violence (Gen. 10:10), his wife also founded an idolatrous religious system. We see the same with Ahab and his wife Jezebel. It was she that institutionalized the worship of Baal and Ashtaroth, while he tolerated it and led the nation administratively into ruin. We are looking at the final state of both forms of evil. We are warranted to distinguish between these two aspects: when Babylon is mentioned separate from the idea of the harlot, it is the political side, but when they are connected, it is the ecclesiastical side.26
 
  Religious Babylon Political Babylon
In History Literal, Historical Babylon
Spreader of Idolatry
(Jer. 51:7)
First World-Power
(Dan 2:38)
Judged (Isa. 13:19-22; Jer. 51:29, 37)
First 3 1/2 Years The False Church
As a harlot
(Rev. 14:8; 17:1-18)
As a city
(Rev. 18:1-20)
Last 3 1/2 Years   The Beast: Last World-Power
(Rev. 16:19; 18:21-24)
 
Religious Babylon. Referred to in Rev. 14, and addressed primarily in Rev. 17-18, the religious aspect is usually what is in view. Babylon in this aspect is the false church headed up by the Roman system. We see in ch.17 several unmistakable features that identify religious Babylon with Rome.2728 Yet it is a mistake to limit the harlot to the Catholic Church. In many ways the whole of Western society has lived in sin, lived deliciously, under the banner of “Christian”, and therefore fits the description given in Rev. 17. In the first three and a half years of the prophetic week, the false church takes control of the Gentile powers. The false church therefore has the control religiously and politically. She is seen in Rev. 17 as the harlot, and in Rev. 18 as the city. “The woman which thou sawest is that great city”. Babylon becomes a whore in the New Testament under as the figure of the false church. She is a corrupt, independent woman. The closest thing to her in the Old Testament is Tyre (e.g. Ezekiel 27). Religious Babylon is judged once, and is completely destroyed, in the middle of the week. The destruction of the false church makes room religiously for the false prophet to institute the worship of the beast, in the last 3 1/2 years. Hence, the pronouncement that “Great Babylon has fallen, has fallen” in Rev. 14:8 before the 3 1/2 years of beast-worship. 
 
Political Babylon. The false church is “fallen” in the middle of the week. This makes room politically for the personal beast to take control of the ten horns, in the last 3 1/2 years. The beast, or revived Roman empire, takes on the title of ‘Babylon, the great city’ in the last three and a half years. Political Babylon as a city continues to the appearing of Christ, and is judged in the seventh bowl.29 It isn’t that there are two judgments of religious Babylon, nor is it that the revived Roman Empire is in any way the same entity as the false church. They are distinct. Religious Babylon is judged once. But the beast takes on the role of political Babylon after the false church is gone. As an organization, she is completely destroyed at the middle of the week, but many of the persons within the system continue under the umbrella of “the beast” until the end of the week. The last four verses of Rev. 18 show the final destruction of Babylon at the appearing of Christ, which corresponds to Revelation 16:19; “And the great city was divided into three parts; and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon was remembered before God to give her the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath”. Isaiah 21:1-10 correspond with this: the judgment of political Babylon.
 
Note. Not all expositors agree with this position, but one feels that it makes the best sense of the chapter and of other scriptures concerning Babylon. One writer called the analysis of Babylon in Revelation “the most perplexing problem of the book”. Some see only religious Babylon all through Revelation, which leaves them with the problem of Rev. 16:19. Others see the two aspects of Babylon, and have the task of demonstrating the distinction from the scriptures themselves. One feels the latter is more accurate, because: (1) it takes into account the use of the name “Babylon” in the Old Testament scriptures as referring to the last Gentile power, (2) it resolves the issue of placing Rev. 16:19, and (3) it fits with the broader context and characters in Revelation, as well as the habit of the Spirit of God in laying out prophecies here, and elsewhere in scripture. However, I would not be dogmatic on this, and would welcome any light others might shed on the subject.
 
 

The Great Harlot (17:1-6)

A Detailed Description of the Great Harlot (vv.1-6)

CHAPTER 17
And one of the seven angels, which had the seven bowls, came and spoke with me, saying, Come here, I will shew thee the sentence of the great harlot who sits upon the many waters; 
 
v.1 Introduction to the Harlot. One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls of judgment now comes to show John a terrible sight. The system that will become religious Babylon is already on earth today: it is the false church. Further, it would appear from this chapter that the entire false church is headed up by the Roman system. She is the woman Jezebel, see Rev. 2:20. She will be largely what is left when the true church is raptured. “Whoredom” in scripture always speaks of idolatry, because idolatry is adultery in a spiritual sense. This woman is viewed by John as “sitting on many waters”, or dominating the masses. This the false church has done this for centuries. It would seem that, in the grand scheme, while the whore controls the beast for a short time, that perhaps her influence is invited at first, then resented. Perhaps the false church has some kind of trump card that the politicians need to bring the Roman empire together? It may be commercial ties, control of the masses, etc. Perhaps this influence is exploited in the first seal of Revelation 6.
 
2 with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication; and they that dwell on the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. 
 
v.2 Relative to the Kings. Religiously, this verse shows who the woman is. Which other religious organization is more guilty of leaving the true God and mixing in spiritual fornication; i.e. idolatry. How does it work? God has blessed the Christianized lands with external material blessings. Greedy for luxury and ease, the West indulges in pleasure. The kings of the earth come to her, bringing their goods, but also their pagan practices. She takes the goods, and adopts the pagan practices, developing a consumer mentality. All this is cloaked under the profession of Christ. The kings are thus able to sell their raw materials and products into the Christianized lands which makes the kings rich (e.g. Japan, Hong Kong, the oil lords). They get intoxicated with Western greed. Thus, they will weep when the woman is destroyed (Rev. 18:9). Note that it doesn’t say the peasants got rich!
 
3 And he carried me away in spirit to a desert; and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 
 
v.3 Riding the Beast. John’s respective points of observation are: a wilderness for the harlot (Rev. 17:3) and a great and high mountain for the bride (Rev. 21:10). The one connects to a moral desert, the other to communion with God. The chief characteristic of the harlot is her control: “sitting upon” the European power “the beast”. We know this beast is the revived Roman empire because it is identical to the beast described in Daniel 7, which also speaks of the revived Roman empire. Scarlet is the glory of the political government of the world. But the horns are not crowned yet (c.p. Rev. 13:2). The horns are crowned at the middle of the week. The woman holds the power in the first 3 1/2 years.
 
4 And the woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and had ornaments of gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and the unclean things of her fornication; 
 
v.4 Her Clothing and Cup. The woman is clothed luxuriously. The one color that is missing in her dress is white (purity). Contrast this with Rev. 19:8. Another color that is missing is blue: the heavenly character. Nor does she possess silver: the price of redemption. The cup is a bewitching cup, appearing on the outside to be righteous (gold), but containing all of her corruptions. The Lord will use this very cup to judge her (Rev. 18:6)!
 
5 and upon her forehead a name written, Mystery, great Babylon, the mother of the harlots, and of the abominations of the earth. 
 
v.5 Her Name. In history, the Harlot’s evil has been hidden (Mat.13:33), the depths of Satan (Rev. 2:24). Here it is blatant and open, like a banner: “upon her forehead”. A counterfeit to the Mystery of God (Christ and the church), this is the mystery of Satan. She is a “mother” of harlots – and her children are the various systems that have come from Romanism; e.g. the Anglican church. Now she is gathering the children back under her control. There will be one sect of Christianity after the rapture. The first time you get the expression “great Babylon” is in Dan. 4:30, connected with the pride of man in opposition to God. Why is she called “Mystery, Great Babylon”? It isn’t a “mystery” that the civil power should become apostate. It is a mystery that the church should become apostate. The ecclesiastical side always takes the lead in evil.
 
6 And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. And I wondered, seeing her, with great wonder. 
 
v.6 Her Drunkenness. Historically, this further demonstrated who the woman is. Which other religious organization is more guilty of the blood of the martyrs of Jesus than the catholic church? This is the false church, headed up by the apocalyptic version of the catholic church. Jezebel is the old testament type. She is guilty of the blood of two distinct classes. First, she has killed “the saints”, the historical Christian martyrs (Ecc. 3:15). Second, she will kill “the martyrs of Jesus”, the future tribulation martyrs. John wonders with “great admiration”, which is what we would call in modern terms “shock” or “incredulity”. It is not a positive reaction. He is shocked that this is the result of what man has done with God’s House.
 

The Beast: The Revived Roman Empire (17:7-18)

An Explanation of the Beast From Start to End (vv.7-14)

7 And the angel said to me, Why hast thou wondered? “I” will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast which carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. 
 
v.7 Interpretive Details to Be Given. The angel will now give interpretive details concerning the woman and the beast. It is important to see that the horns are not crowned until after they destroy the woman and give their power to the beast. There is as interesting relationship between the woman and the beast. The beast “carries her”,  supporting her, while she controls the beast. Perhaps he supports the woman financially?
 
8 The beast which thou sawest (1) was, and (2) is not, and (3) is about to come up out of the abyss and (4) go into destruction: and they who dwell on the earth, whose names are not written from the founding of the world in the book of life, shall wonder, seeing the beast, that (1) it was, and (2) is not, and (3) shall be present. 
 
v.8 The Roman Empire in Four Phases. John is told that the beast, which the woman rode, has and would pass through four great phases.
  1. “It was” – referring to the old Roman empire.
  2. “Is not” – currently there is no Roman empire since 476 AD.
  3. “Is about to ascend out of the abyss” – the Roman empire will be revived, in one form at the beginning of the week, and in a Satanic form at the middle of the week.
  4. It will “go into destruction” – the revived Roman empire will be destroyed at the Lord’s appearing!
Men will marvel at this beast, the old empire revived, and yet in a new form. They will be carried away in their admiration of it, and this will lead to the worship of the beast that we have in ch.13. Those who admire the beast are the earth-dwellers, i.e. those who rejected the gospel of the grace of God. It is interesting that the earth dwellers “marvel” for two reasons: once in ch.17 because the empire is historically revived after many years of absence (“is not, and yet is”, Rev. 17:8), and they marvel in ch.13 because the deadly wound of the seventh head is healed, at the middle of the week.
 
9 Here is the mind that has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains, whereon the woman sits. 
 
v.9 Seven Heads, Seven Mountains. Next, John is given a key to the geographical center of power for both the harlot, and the beast “whereon the woman sits”. The mind that has wisdom will draw conclusions from the following statements, rather than descend into speculation. The seven heads of the beast represent “seven mountains” or hills. Geographically, this demonstrates who the beast is, and who the woman is. Rome is the city of seven hills. That city is not only the capital of the old empire, but also home to the Vatican! What other great religious organization has its headquarters in Rome? The false church therefore is headed up by the apocalyptic version of the Roman catholic church.30
 
10 And there are seven kings: five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes he must remain only a little while. 11 And the beast that was and is not, he also is an eighth, and is of the seven, and goes into destruction. 
 
vv.10-11 Seven Heads, Seven (Eight) Kings. John is then given a second meaning of the seven hills. Politically, the seven heads are seven kings of the empire, not concurrent but successive. The catholic church has influenced the Roman empire through all forms of government. “Kings” in prophecy can represent forms of sovereignty (Dan. 8:21-22). Seven possible forms are given below. “The other”, or the seventh head, will begin when the Roman empire is revived (beginning of the week). This will be the revived imperial form, which is controlled by the harlot. The man leading the political side, though subject to the woman, is the first “he” of Daniel 9:27, not to be confused with the second “he” who is the little horn. In other words, there will be a prince that leads the Roman empire when it is first revived as ten kingdoms but controlled by the false church. We know this because there is a “he” in Daniel 9 that confirms a covenant with Israel for seven years. But that leader, and that form of government, will only continue “a short space”; i.e. for 3 1/2 years. There will be an eighth king: the final form of government in the West. The final form is of the seven, and yet it is somehow different. The seventh will fall and the eighth rise when the powers are shaken in the middle of the week, and the beast rises again from the abyss. This is when the deadly wound is healed (Rev. 13:8), when the False church falls; it is the satanically revived imperial form – controlled by the personal Beast under Satan’s power. He will be at the helm of the Western power when the appearing takes place.31
 
 
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have not yet received a kingdom, but receive authority as kings one hour with the beast. 
 
v.12 Ten Horns, Ten Kings. Having learned that the seven heads are ten kings in a consecutive sense, we now find that the ten horns also represent kings, but in the sense of ten concurrent kingdoms. The ten kings “have not yet received a kingdom” at the beginning of the week, but get their sovereignty at the middle of the week when the beast comes to power. This is the ten-nation western confederacy. The ten kings are probably nations that exist in Europe today, although they may not all be united yet; e.g. France, Germany, Spain, etc. They don’t get real power (crowns on the horns) until the woman is thrown off, and the personal Beast takes over. 
 
13 These have one mind, and give their power and authority to the beast. 
 
v.13 Ten Kingdoms United. The ten horns are seen acting independently until they give their power to the beast. This will be a truly unique form of government, which is why the eighth is of the seven, yet different (v.11). The ten kings will get their power, and then give it to the beast (v.13). This will not all be done willingly at first. After forcibly subduing three (perhaps the three strongest) of the ten horns (Dan. 7:8, 20, 24-25), the others will capitulate. But then, they become of “one mind” with the beast, and this is what gives him such terrible power. This is why the beast and antichrist are able to bring in a Satanic system worship of the beast’s image, to force every subject in their empire into a new religion.
 
14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them; for he is Lord of lords and King of kings: and they that are with him called, and chosen, and faithful. 
 
v.14 The Horns Make War. Stirred up in Satanic energy, the ten kingdoms will be mad against the Lord Himself. This will happen at the end of the week. It is wonderful to know the outcome before the day arrives; “the Lamb shall overcome them; for he is Lord of lords and King of kings”. This is the first time we get that title of our Lord (see also 1 Tim. 6:15, and Rev. 19:16). It brings in the absolute and undisputed authority of Christ over every other authority! We have seen that there are “kings with the beast”, and now we find that there are “those with the Lamb”. Accompanying Christ are the heavenly saints; see Jude 14; Zech. 14:5; Rev. 19:14. They are those “with him called, and chosen, and faithful”. They are “called” in time (2 Tim. 1:9), “chosen” in eternity (Eph. 1:4), and “faithful” until the end (Matt. 25:21-23; Rev. 2:10). There is of course a remnant on earth that are also “with him”.

The Fall of Babylon as a Harlot (Not a City) (vv.15-18)

¶ 15 And he says to me, The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. 
 
v.15 Controlling the Masses. The meaning of “waters” or “seas” in scripture is found in v.15; “peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues”. This is perhaps the clearest definition of that symbol found anywhere in scripture. Religious Babylon here is seen dominating the masses in the first 3 1/2 years. This is consistent with what Rome has tried to do throughout the church’s history.
 
16 And the ten horns which thou sawest, and the beast, these shall (1) hate the harlot, and shall (2) make her desolate and naked, and (3) shall eat her flesh, and shall (4) burn her with fire; 
 
v.16 Judgment of the Harlot Through the Horns and Beast. At the middle of the week, God causes the ten kings to tire of the harlot’s domination, to cast her off, and consume her. This does not mean that individuals in her ranks will be killed, but rather that she will cease to be as she has been, and will be totally dismantled organizationally. This will make way for the rise of the Antichrist and the Satanic worship of the personal Beast. Not mentioned here is the forced cessation of Jewish worship (Dan. 9:27) which will also occur at this time. The persons within the false church will continue on as part of political Babylon to be judged at the end of the week. Four steps are given as to the eruption of animosity and violence toward the harlot. First, the horns will “hate the harlot”, or develop an evil disposition toward false Christianity. Second, they will “make her desolate and naked”, exposing her corrupt condition. Third, they will “eat her flesh”, or take away all support for the organization. Finally, they will “burn her with fire”, eliminating every last trace of Christianity. This is the most severe form of judgment on any of the enemies of God recorded in the book of Revelation. That which had the most light will come under the most severe judgment.
 
17 for God has given to their hearts to do his mind, and to act with one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast until the words of God shall be fulfilled. 
 
v.17 Character of the Confederacy. The judgment of religious Babylon is God’s will. However, God uses the beast to accomplish the work. It may be that God choses this method to judge her because of the character of the evil. It is evil in the name of Christ. Sometimes a dirty job may require the use of a tool, to keep the object at a distance. The destruction of the harlot is a dirty business, and God will use an instrument to accomplish that business. God will in turn destroy that instrument 3 1/2 years later. This is similar to how the Lord will judge Israel through the Assyrian, His “rod” (Isa. 10:5), and then destroy the rod. However, this verse gives us the key characteristic of the beast’s confederacy. What makes this form of government so unique is that there are ten kingdoms, but God puts it in them to act with one mind, and donate their power to the beast, in order to accomplish the word of God. We find in ch.13 that the power of Satan is also there, uniting the kingdoms in diabolical energy. Here we see God’s side: ultimately He is over everything, even using His enemies to accomplish His will!

The Link Between the Political and Religious Aspects (v.18)

18 And the woman which thou sawest is the great city, which has kingship over the kings of the earth. 
 
v.18 Babylon: the Woman and City. Babylon has another aspect: she is a city as well as a harlot. How is she a city? Cities in scripture have to do with administration. So, the false church has a political aspect: “which has kingship over the kings of the earth”. During the first 3 1/2 years, she controls the kings of the earth, and therefore functions as a city. The next chapter deals with the “city” aspect of Babylon in two phases. In vv.1-20 it deals with the false church as the city, and her destruction, and in vv.21-24 it deals with the beast as the city which is judged at the very end by the Lord as His appearing. In this way, Babylon as a city (political aspect) continues until the end of the week. This is the key to understanding the seventh vial, and why Babylon comes into remembrance at the very end of the week. It answers what A.C. Brown called this “the most perplexing problem of the book”. The revived Roman empire is the spiritual continuation of Babylon as a city, because Rome is the final holder of gentile power.
 

Details of the Fall of Babylon as a City (18:1-20)

The City Babylon. As we previously mentioned, this chapter deals with the “city” aspect of Babylon. In vv.1-20 it deals with the false church as the city, and her destruction, as well as the lamentation of the kings, merchants, and carriers who profited from their relationship with her. Then, in vv.21-24 it deals with the beast as the city, which is judged at the very end by the Lord as His appearing.

The Viewpoint God: She Must Be Recompensed (vv.1-8)

CHAPTER 18
After these things I saw another angel descending out of the heaven, having great authority: and the earth was lightened with his glory. 
 
v.1 Another Angel. Another angel descends, which gives a change in narrators (a different angel speaks in ch.17). This, coupled with the words “after these things”, indicates a new chapter. In this new chapter we have two things. First, in vv.1-20 we are going back over the fall of the false church, not as a harlot but as a city. It seems the judgment is viewed more directly from the Lord (see v.8 and v.20). Revelation 17 and 18 give two different sides of the same events. This angel has “great authority”, and lights the whole earth with his glory. It must figure the Lord Himself! Often in Revelation when you get the expression “another angel” it is referring to Christ himself acting behind the scenes (Rev. 8:3, 10:1, 18:1).
 
2 And he cried with a strong voice, saying, “Great Babylon has fallen, has fallen” [Isa 21:9], and has become the habitation of demons, and a hold of every unclean spirit, and a hold of every unclean and hated bird; 
 
v.2 Announcement of Babylon’s Fall. The fall is announced. Babylon is called “great” whereas the New Jerusalem is never called great. As a harlot she is destroyed, but as a city she is fallen: fallen into a state of demonic and satanic control. “Is fallen” describes her state after the “fall” in ch.17. The word “fallen” is emphasized here. It isn’t her final destruction yet. What a terrible thing, that what once was the house of God will then be the “habitation of demons”. Even today, the church has gotten mixed up in witchcraft, which is part and parcel with the pagan practices she has adopted. Matt. 13:32 shows the evil working began a long time ago. In Matthew, the birds came willingly to roost in the branches. But now they are held or bound up in the cage of Christendom. The birds (here linked with evil spirits, as in Matt. 13:4,19), who are the enemies of the good seed, are now the leaders of the church! But the true church is “the habitation of God by the Spirit” (Eph. 2:22)!
 
3 because all the nations have drunk of the wine of the fury of her fornication; and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have been enriched through the might of her luxury. 
 
v.3 Babylon’s Indictment. Babylon is guilty of seducing three classes from their allegiance to God and Christ:
  1. “all the nations” – the peoples of Christendom
  2. “the kings of the earth” – the leaders of the nations in the prophetic earth (not excluding the ten kings, whose love for her turns to hatred) 
  3. “the merchants of the earth” – those who have profited commercially from relations with the false church.
¶ 4 And I heard another voice out of the heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people” [Jer. 51:45], that ye have not fellowship in her sins, and that ye do not receive of her plagues: for her sins have been heaped on one another up to the heaven, and God has remembered her unrighteousnesses. 
 
vv.4-5 A Call for Separation. A call goes out to the true believers associated with the harlot. This call is a quotation from Jeremiah 51 where. Specifically, it is to the believers of the gospel of the kingdom who are somehow mixed up with the religious organization prior to the beast taking full control. Perhaps there will be a very short vacuum when the church falls, before the beast begins to force the satanic religion on people. The vast majority will get sucked into the final form of Babylon, and be judged at the appearing. The consequences are judicial and governmental. Eternal security is not in question. The reason why they need to separate is given in v.5. We must take God’s viewpoint. Religious Babel has built a tower, “whose top may reach unto heaven” (Gen. 11:4)… a tower not of bricks but of sins. The sins are of such a character as to incur the outrage of heaven.
 
6 Recompense her even as she has recompensed; and double to her double, according to her works. In the cup which she has mixed, mix to her double. 
 
v.6 A Double Recompense. The voice from heaven calls for sever judgment on Babylon. Perhaps it is Christ speaking, or the imprecatory prayer of the martyred remnant, although in a sense they stand in the place of all the martyrs of the false church. The “cup” is the same cup as Rev. 17:4. There is a solemn irony in this: the same cup that used for pleasure, and shared with her lovers, will be filled again with judgment. God takes it from her hand, fills it double (humanly impossible) with His judgment and forces her to drink it. “And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ye shall certainly drink” (Jer. 25:28).
 
7 So much as she has glorified herself and lived luxuriously, so much torment and grief give to her. Because she says in her heart, (1) “I sit a queen, and (2) I am not a widow; and (3) I shall in no wise see grief:” for this reason in one day shall her plagues come” [Isaiah 47:7-9], death and grief and famine, and she shall be burnt with fire; for strong is the Lord God who has judged her. 
 
vv.7-8 Judgment on Her Impudence and Pride. Having been degraded from her public place by the ten kings of the Roman empire she still maintains her pride. Her spirit is unbroken. This is because of what she is in herself, not so much what she has done. She says three things in her heart:
  1. “I sit a queen” – she thinks she is still in control (2 Kings 9:30).
  2. “I am not a widow” – she false claims to still be in relation to Christ (His bride).
  3. “I shall in no wise see grief” – she does not believe her time of pleasure has come to an end.
Her final destruction is stated in the future tense: “she shall be burnt, etc.” This is because the final judgment of Babylon as a city will take place at the appearing. But her judgment is at the middle if the week, past tense: “the Lord God who has judged her.” In ch.17 the horns are what turn on her, but in ch.18 the Lord takes credit for her judgment. Babylon is “burned with fire”, and one cannot help but think of the many saints who were burned at the stake. This is the recompense.

Viewpoint of the Kings: Lamentation (vv.9-10)

9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication, and lived luxuriously with her, shall weep and wail over her, when they see the smoke of her burning, 10 standing afar off, through fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! for in one hour thy judgment is come. 
 
vv.9-10 Double Woe From the Kings. It seems likely that there will be a great increase in the influence of the false church in the world before her fall, beyond her current level of influence today. These “kings of the earth” are not exactly the ten horns (see v.3). They would be leaders within Christendom and across the prophetic earth that have profited by corrupt associations with the false church. They have benefited financially from the relationship, but it is a corrupt alliance between the church and the world, called “fornication”. The ten horns are the chiefs of the ten distinct kingdoms of the revived Roman empire.32 The kings lament the fall of Babylon, they “weep and wail”, yet stand “afar off, through fear of her torment”, but they are unaware that they have drunk a fatal dose from her cup, and will perish with final Babylon at the appearing (see notes on Rev. 19:19). Note that the city is mentioned seven times in the later half of Rev. 18: see v.10, 16, 18, 19, and 21. These kings are astonished at how quickly the great city has fallen from power. She seemed too great to fail, but it all came crashing down in a short time. Three times we hear, “Woe, woe, the great city” followed by particular interest of each group (v.11, v.16, and v.19). After all, the city is also a harlot, and these men are used to getting something from her.

Viewpoint of the Merchants: Lamentation (vv.11-17a)

11 And the merchants of the earth weep and grieve over her, because no one buys their lading any more; 
 
v.11 Lamentations of the Merchants. The “merchants of the earth” are the next to take up the lamentation. It is very clear from this verse that the false church was their primary customer for their materials and goods. It is not genuine concern for the church, but a sorrow at the lost financial gain.
 
12 lading of (1) gold, and (2) silver, and (3) precious stones, and (4) pearl, and (5) fine linen, and (6) purple, and (7) silk, and (8) scarlet dye, and (9) all thyine wood, and (10) every article in ivory, and (11) every article in most precious wood, and (12) in brass, and (13) in iron, and (14) in marble, 13 and (15) cinnamon, and (16) amomum, and (17) incense, and (18) unguent, and (19) frankincense, and (20) wine, and (21) oil, and (22) fine flour, and (23) wheat, and (24) cattle, and (25) sheep, and of (26) horses, and of (27) chariots, and of (28) bodies, and (29) souls of men. 
 
vv.12-13 Catalog of Her Merchandise. Next we are given a catalog of the things the false church has trafficked in. There are twenty-eight (Darby Translation has twenty-nine) articles of merchandise listed here. The first in the list is gold, then silver (money), the last is the bodies and souls of men. The order shows where her primary concern is. However, the most fundamental currency of the false church is “the souls of men”. Without bringing men’s souls into legal bondage, none of her success would be possible.
 
Seven Categories
ornaments (1) gold, (2) silver, (3) precious stones, (4) pearl
Clothing (5) fine linen, (6) purple, (7) silk, (8) scarlet dye
furniture (9) thyine wood, (10) ivory, (11) precious wood, (12) brass, (13) iron, (14) marble
Perfumes (15) cinnamon, (16) amomum, (17) incense, (18) unguent, (19) frankincense
food (20) wine, (21) oil, (22) fine flour, (23) wheat
Vehicles (24) cattle, (25) sheep, (26) horses, (27) chariots
Persons (28) bodies, (29) souls of men
 
14 And the ripe fruits which were the lust of thy soul have departed from thee, and all fair and splendid things have perished from thee, and they shall not find them any more at all. 
 
v.14 Loss of Her Pleasures. The voice of the merchants is interrupted by a voice to Babylon from heaven. The pleasures that the false church sought rather than Christ have been taken away from her.
 
15 The merchants of these things, who had been enriched through her, shall stand afar off through fear of her torment, weeping and grieving, 16 saying, Woe, woe, the great city, which was clothed with fine linen and purple and scarlet, and had ornaments of gold and precious stones and pearls! 17a for in one hour so great riches has been made desolate. 
 
vv.15-17a Double Woe From the Merchants. the merchants stand afar off… as if to separate themselves from her.
 
vv.16-17A three times you get, “Woe, woe, the great city” followed by particular interest of each group (v.11, v.16, and v.19)… she is a harlot, these men want something from her. Contrast with v.10. The kings of the earth were more shocked that her power has been taken away, but the merchants are more shocked that her material riches are taken away.

Viewpoint of the Carriers: Lamentation (vv.17b-19)

17b And every steersman, and every one who sailed to any place, and sailors, and all who exercise their calling on the sea, stood afar off, 18 and cried, seeing the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like to the great city? 
 
vv.17b-18 Lamentation of the Freight Carriers. It is not only the kings and merchants that have profited by corrupt association with the false church, but the freight carriers that have transported the goods, etc. In modern terms these would be like brokers, banks, insurance companies, and shipping magnates. A similar lamentation is made over the city of Tyre (see Ezek. 27). Contrast the reasons the carriers give with the kings (v.10) and the merchants (v.16). These ones are more impressed with the sheer glory of Babylon.
 
19 and cast dust upon their heads, and cried, weeping and grieving, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, in which all that had ships in the sea were enriched through her costliness! for in one hour she has been made desolate. 
 
v.19 Double Woe from the Carriers. Very clearly we see that the middlemen made their money off of the trade generated by the corrupt associations of the false church; they “were enriched through her costliness”. The lusts of the false church opened up a lot of opportunities for these carriers to get rich.

Viewpoint of Heaven: Rejoicing Over Babylon’s Fall (v.20)

¶ 20 Rejoice over her, heaven, and ye saints and apostles and prophets; for God has judged your judgment upon her. 
 
v.20 The Rejoicing of Heaven. Finally, we get a fourth viewpoint… that of heaven! This is a total contrast to the lamentation of the kings, merchants, and freight carriers. Heaven had already passed sentence on her. Even when the apostles and prophets were on earth, they passed judgment on the corrupt religious system, although it was only in a seedling form at that time. Now God judges from heaven and He gives the same judgment. This should exercise us to pass judgment as well, and remain separate!
 

The Final Destruction of Babylon as a City (18:20-24)

21 And a strong angel took up a stone, as a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall Babylon the great city be cast down, and shall be found no more at all; 
 
v.21 Final Destruction of Babylon as a City. We now have the final judgment of Babylon in the aspect of a city. We read about the her destruction as a harlot in ch.17. Not all expositors agree with this position, but one feels that it makes the best sense of the chapter and of other scriptures concerning Babylon. A new angel appears, and with it a new scene. Now we are going on the end of the prophetic week, to the final destruction of Babylon, which correlates with Rev. 16:19. A similar description of the overthrow of ancient Babylon is found in Jer. 51:60-64. Those verses are prophetic of the destruction of the last Gentile empire, so we are inclined to think Rev. 18:21-24 is speaking about the destruction of the political beast, the revived Roman empire. It is final because it says she “shall be found no more at all”. Compare this with the words of the Lord Jesus concerning the offenders of little ones, that “It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea” (Luke 17:2). With no ark (Christ) to lift her above the waters of judgment, she sinks beneath the waves, never to rise again!
 
22 and voice of harp-singers and musicians and flute-players and trumpeters shall not be heard any more at all in thee, and no artificer of any art shall be found any more at all in thee, and voice of millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee, 23a and light of lamp shall shine no more at all in thee, and voice of bridegroom and bride shall be heard no more at all in thee; 
 
vv.22-23 Her Utter Desolation. Next we have a poetic account of Babylon’s utter desolation. There are five natural joys that will be taken away from her (compare with Jeremiah 25:10). The “flute and trumpet players” represent the natural joy of music, the “artists” are the natural joy of creativity, the “sound of a millstone” is the joy of everyday life, the “light of a lamp” is the warmth of family and friends, and the “voice of bridegroom and bride” is the natural joy of marriage. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with natural joys, but Babylon enjoyed them in association with evil.
 
23b for thy merchants were the great ones of the earth; for by thy sorcery have all the nations been deceived. 24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all the slain upon the earth. 
 
vv.23b-24 Two Reasons for Her Utter Destruction. The first of two reasons is given: she knowingly involved others in her corruption. A solemn warning for the nations. We see that demonic power is behind Babylon. The second reason is blood-guiltiness. It isn’t just the blood of the martyrs that she is responsible for. Babylon as the holder of gentile power has started most if not all of the wars in the prophetic earth (WWI, WWII, etc.). This expression (v.24) has similar wording to the Lord’s condemnation of the scribes and Pharisees. The false church is the same moral generation as the Sanhedrin rebuked by the Lord (Matt. 23:34-36).
 

Two Celebrations in Heaven (19:1-10)

vv.1-10 There are two celebrations in this section. and both are in heaven. the first is celebration that the false church has been finally destroyed – a backward look. The second is that the true church is ready for the marriage – a forward look. Often at a marriage we hear, “If there be any just cause why these two should not be joined together, let him speak now or forever hold his peace”. The Harlot’s false claim to Christ must be settled once and forever before the marriage can go forward.

Because the False Church Has Been Judged (vv.1-5)

CHAPTER 19
After these things I heard as a loud voice of a great multitude in the heaven, saying, Hallelujah: the salvation and the glory and the power of our God: 
 
v.1 The First Hallelujah. “After these things” tells us we have a new scene. There are two celebrations in this section, and both are in heaven. Our focus in Revelation will not come back to the earth until the Lord appears. John hears “a loud voice of a great multitude in the heaven”. In spite of there being a narrow way, heaven is filled! The deliverance (salvation) of the earth, and the manifestation of God’s glory and power are results of the judgment in Rev. 17-18 and a theme of praise in heaven! All of these things – the salvation of souls, glory, and power – were things that the false church claimed for herself, but they belong only to God!
 
2 for true and righteous are his judgments; for he has judged the great harlot which corrupted the earth with her fornication, and has avenged the blood of his bondmen at her hand. 
 
v.2 Cause for Celebration. United heaven (every family in heaven, not specific) vindicate God in his righteous judgment of the great harlot. Two chief reasons are cited for her judgment: religious corruption for financial gain, and violence toward any who would speak the truth as servants of God. There is an allusion in this prayer to Psalm 19:9; “the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether”.
 
3 And a second time they said, Hallelujah. And her smoke goes up to the ages of ages. 
 
v.3 The Second Hallelujah. This doxology begins and ends with Hallelujah, which means “praise Jehovah”. The Hebrew phrase is found four times in this celebration (vv. 1, 3, 4, 6) and nowhere else in the New Testament. Her smoke going up to the ages of ages (eternity) shows that the doom of Babylon is an everlasting witness to the righteous judgment of God (compare with Isa. 34:10).
 
4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and did homage to God who sits upon the throne, saying, Amen, Hallelujah. 
 
v.4 Redeemed Saints Give Third Hallelujah. We have noticed four other triggers for the worship of the redeemed saints (see Rev. 1:5; 4:9; 5:8; 11:16), now we have a fifth: the public vindication of God in His righteousness (Rev. 19:4). This is the last mention of the twenty-four elders. From here, Revelation focuses on the church, the Lamb’s wife. However, notice that we saw in ch.5 that the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures were all redeemed men. The church is included within the elders, etc. though the elders is a broader group.
 
5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his bondmen, and ye that fear him, small and great. 
 
v.5 The Throne Speaks. Now the throne – the symbol of God’s government – speaks, calling for all who recognize the sovereignty of God to worship Him.

Because the Reign of Christ and Marriage of the Lamb Is Come (vv.6-10)

¶ 6 And I heard as a voice of a great crowd, and as a voice of many waters, and as a voice of strong thunders, saying, Hallelujah, for the Lord our God the Almighty has taken to himself kingly power. 7 Let us rejoice and exult, and give him glory; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife has made herself ready. 
 
vv.6-7 Fourth Hallelujah. The “great multitude” in v.1 included the bride as well as others. This multitude in v.6 is separate; it is the friends of the bridegroom. This is the moment anticipated in Rev. 11:15. There was a loud voice in v.1 because of the judgment of the false church, but here the voice is “a voice of many waters, and as a voice of strong thunders”. What is before us next is a greater theme of praise! This fourth “hallelujah” is the expression of heaven’s joy in the accomplishment of the mystery of Christ and the Church. This has two parts:
  1. The glory of Christ is secured (v.6) – Christ has stepped to His throne, taking His “kingly power”.
  2. The desire of His heart is fulfilled (v.7) – The marriage of the Lamb has come.
In these two things we see the fulfilment of all the counsels of God for Christ and His church (Eph. 1:9-11). It is the marriage of the Lamb. It is His joy that is especially in view. It is not the marriage of the bride (“her day”) but His… it is all about Him! It follows the Jewish (eastern) wedding tradition. Who is the wife? Eph. 5:32 shows it is the assembly, all saints between Pentecost (Acts 2) and the rapture (1 Thess. 4:17). Now that the wife has come into view, the term “elders” is never used again! The “marriage of the Lamb” is the time when Christ will present the Church “to Himself” (Eph. 5:27). It is a private affair that is for His joy, but the “marriage supper” is when He brings others in to share in that joy! Notice that Christ presents her to Himself. The mighty work of Calvary was all His own. She of bone of His bone, and He alone can present her to Himself! 
 
Wife and Bride. The terms “wife” and “bride” are both used for the Church in Revelation. “Wife” has the thought of assisting Him in the administration of the kingdom. It is used for the church at the marriage (Rev. 19:7) and in the Millennium (Rev. 21:9). “Wife” as a name for the Church in Revelation is discontinued in the eternal state (Rev. 21:2) and “Bride” is used only, which speaks of the satisfaction of Christ’s heart. Opposite from earthly weddings, our “early years” are administrative as well as intimate, but our “honeymoon” is eternity!
 
8 And it was given to her that she should be clothed in fine linen, bright and pure; for the fine linen is the righteousnesses of the saints. 
 
v.8 Her Wedding Garment. She has made herself ready by devotion to Christ throughout her pathway, and by receiving rewards at the judgment seat of Christ. The “fine linen” speaks of purity, hence it says “bright and pure”just as the bride herself is “a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:27). White is one color that the harlot never wore (Rev. 17:4), although she trafficked in it (Rev. 18:12). Notice it says “it was given to her that she should be clothed in fine linen”. That is God’s sovereignty. Not like the Harlot, who “arrayed herself”. But then we find “the fine linen is the righteousnesses of the saints”, which brings in man’s responsibility. It is the individual actions of the saints, what we have done for the Lord, that will make up the wedding dress! Is is one composite fabric, made of the many individual acts. The bride will not focus on her garment on that wedding day, yet it is God’s wonderous grace that anything we do will have a place in that glorious scene! 
 
9 And he says to me, Write, Blessed are they who are called to the supper of the marriage of the Lamb. And he says to me, These are the true words of God. 
 
v.9 The Marriage Supper: Two Messages for John. Who is the “he” in this verse? It cannot be Christ, because he forbids worship in v.10. One feels that it may be the same angel that spoke to John at the beginning of this section: one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls of judgment (Rev. 17:1). We next have two messages for John from the angel. The first concerns the marriage supper. We had the “marriage of the Lamb” in v.7, which is for the Lamb’s enjoyment, a private affair (Eph. 5:27), and now we have the “marriage supper” in v.9, which is for the guests’ enjoyment. “Blessed” or “happy” are those who are there to witness the occasion! The “friends of the Bridegroom” (John 3:29) will include every heavenly saint (except the Lamb’s wife) in that day. This will include the tribulation martyrs (Rev. 14:13), many babies who have died, the mentally handicapped, etc. No one will feel defrauded that they aren’t the bride, but rather “blessed”. The second message is: “These are the true words of God”. It is an affirmation of the grand truths of Rev. 19:1-9.
 
10 And I fell before his feet to do him homage. And he says to me, See thou do it not. I am thy fellow-bondman, and the fellow-bondman of thy brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Do homage to God. For the spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus. 
 
v.10 Only Worship God. Overcome by these wonderful communications, John makes a human mistake, and falls at the feet of the angel to worship. To worship even the most exalted of God’s creatures is idolatry. Both angels and saints worship God and His Son, and this angel rightly doesn’t accept what is due to God alone. At the most basic level, saints and angels are “fellow-bondmen”. All intelligent creatures recognize that they owe all to God; “Do homage to God”. The last sentence of the verse brings out an important principle, that the object of prophecy is the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. According to those who know the Greek, the word “is” could be treated as an “=” sign, as it is a reciprocal expression. This means we can use the two expressions in two directions, concluding two things. In one direction, it means any true prophecy will be consistent with the Person of  Jesus. In the other direction, it means that our Lord Jesus’ Person is the spirit of all the prophetic scriptures. All scripture, not just New Testament, is really about Jesus!33
  
  1. “Two Babylons” are to be distinguished in the Revelation: ecclesiastical Babylon, which is apostate Christendom, headed up under the Papacy; and political Babylon, which is the beast’s confederated empire, the last form of Gentile world-dominion. Ecclesiastical Babylon is “the great whore” and is destroyed by political Babylon (Rev.17: 15-18), that the beast may be the alone object of worship (Rev. 13:15). The power of political Babylon is destroyed by the return of the Lord in glory. – Scofield Bible.
  2. I have supposed myself that there were two destructions of Babylon in the Revelation. But the examination of the question (to which I was led by circumstances entirely foreign to this discussion) has convinced me that it cannot be sustained. When the great city as a mere exterior thing is separated from the idea of great Babylon, as in chapter 16:19, then indeed I can make such a distinction. But the destruction of Babylon is her destruction. She is utterly burned, chapter 17:16, and chapter 18:8. Her plagues come in one day. The words here used are used in chapter 14:8,* and the same reason given. There, where an orderly series of events is given, it is evident that the fall alluded to is very near the close of the history of evil and of judgment. – J.N. Darby. An Examination of the statements made in the “Thoughts on the Apocalypse,” by B. W. Newton
  3. For the essence of Babylon is the union of the world with the name of Christ. – W. Kelly. Lectures on Revelation.
  4. … the beast and Babylon are not the same thing; for the beast destroys Babylon. And will Rome destroy itself? Certainly, the elements of Babylon are to be found there; but if the matter be looked at more closely, all cannot be found in Rome. For my own part, I believe that Rome, more than any other system, already is in a very true moral sense Babylon, and that it will yet contain and manifest all the elements of that vile corruptress. But for this very reason it cannot be the beast; for the beast it is which destroys Babylon, and after that the beast, falling into its own worst and open rebellion against God, perishes. The worst state of the beast is after Babylon has been destroyed; for then it exalts itself to heaven, only to be cast down to hell; but we shall have the fall of both fully by and by. – W. Kelly. Lectures on Revelation.
  5. Babylon, as it was the first great power of the world that was raised up in God’s providence to chastise and carry away the ancient people of God because of their sins, so the judgment of Babylon sets forth the judgment of the world-power in its last shape. In this way, therefore, Cyrus in the prophecy of Isaiah is clearly viewed as a precursor on a small scale of a great deliverer who will come, the last act of the power of God at the end of the present dispensation being the fall of Babylon, followed by the coming of the Lord Jesus to take the kingdom. It is under the seventh vial that Babylon is finally judged, and then comes the Lord Jesus in the clouds of heaven to establish the people of God upon the earth, as well as to display the church and all the other heavenly saints above. – W. Kelly. Lectures on Ezra.
  6. More than this, the literal Babylon in Chaldea was built on the plain of Shinar. Here the woman was seated on seven mountains; and all the world is aware that such is the well-known characteristic of Rome. In prose or in poetry, if any city were described as being seated upon seven hills, every one would say, That must be Rome. – W. Kelly. Lectures on Revelation.
  7. Here the Holy Ghost, without entering into detail, refers to the various forms of government which were to succeed each other in the famous city Rome: seven heads or kings; but not contemporary: for five, as it is said, were fallen; one is, and the other is not yet come. This implies succession. Five different modes of government had already passed away. “One is,” namely, the imperial form then subsisting, when the apostle lived — the line of Caesars. Another of the seven was not yet come, which, when it did, must continue a short space. “And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into destruction” (verse 11). There is this peculiar character attributed to the beast here, that in one sense he would be of the seven, and in another he would form an eighth or extraordinary beast. It would in certain respects be a new form of power altogether, while in others it would be but a revival of what had gone before. – W. Kelly. Lectures on Revelation.
  8. The ten horns are not once alluded to in Revelation 18, though the kings of the earth are. The difference is this. “In the kings of the earth,” I apprehend, are embraced all those rulers of Christendom with whom she had been on terms of bad intimacy, or who had had evil connection with her. The ten horns are the chiefs of the final divided state of the empire and the active instruments of her devastation, as we are told in Revelation 17. The kings of the earth are her mourners, not her burners. Here in chapter 18 her hour is come, and it is the Lord God that hath judged her. – W. Kelly. Lectures on Revelation.
  9. John then, instead of paying homage to the angel (so natural to the heart), was to feel that the angel is the fellow-servant of himself and of his brethren that have the testimony of Jesus. All such homage is due to God. For we must also remember that the testimony of Jesus is not limited to Christianity, nor to the Spirit’s presence in the church. What He works as the Spirit of prophecy (and so He will work in the saints after our translation to heaven) is the testimony of Jesus as truly as what He gives us now as the power of our communion with the Father and the Son. – W. Kelly. Lectures on Revelation.

Revelation 19:11 - 21:8

 
The Appearing Through the Eternal State: 8 Visions
Revelation 19:11 – 21:8
 
Eight Visions. The book of Revelation picks back up with the chronological progression beginning at Rev. 19:11. The events are given to us in a series of visions where John says “I saw” (Rev. 19:11 – 21:8). These visions take us from the appearing of Christ on into the eternal state, which is the eighth and final vision. Afterwards, the Spirit of God takes us back to describe the Church in the administration of the millennium (Rev. 21:9 – 22:5). This moment is the culmination of the four great series of Judgments in this book:
 
 
The Times of the Gentiles Finished. The “times of the Gentiles” (Luke 21:24) – the period of Gentile supremacy over Israel – will be over. This will close Daniel’s 70th week, seven years from the time when Revived Rome made a covenant with the Nation of Israel. Just as Nebuchadnezzar’s dream had foretold, the times of the Gentiles will be finished when the “Stone cut out without hands” (Christ) smashes the ten toes of the image, which are the revived Roman Empire (Dan. 2:34-35). Read more…
 
 

1st Vision: Christ the Victorious Conqueror (19:11-16)

¶ 11 And I saw the heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and one sitting on it, called Faithful and True, and he judges and makes war in righteousness. 
 
v.11 Heaven Opened: A Conqueror. The first of John’s eight visions is of the appearing of Christ. This is the climax of the whole book! At the time of Noah’s flood the heavens were opened for rain to fall (Gen. 7), but here it is for the Lord to come and for His armies to ride out. We are told of “a white horse, and one sitting on it”. The “white horse” is a symbol of victorious power. It is a contrast to how the Lord came the first time, “meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass” (Matt. 21:5). His name is “faithful and true”, as that is what He is in His Person. Also, He is faithful to accomplish the promises of God (Gen. 3:15, Jude 1:14). He is a warrior (like David) but He also “judges” (Acts 17:31). His warfare and judgment is “in righteousness”; i.e. it is perfectly consistent with who He is.
 
Who is He, who comes with clouds,
In judgment on the earth so proud?
His humble mule, exchanged indeed,
For a splendid conqueror’s steed?
Who is He, claims victory,
‘Tis the Man of Calvary!
 
Four Times the Heavens Open: Jesus the Object. There are four occasions in scripture on which the heavens literally open.34 Jesus – as a man – is the object of each of these revelations; although each has its special character.
  1. His baptism. The heavens opened upon Jesus, the Son of God on earth, as the object of heaven’s delight, and He was sealed with the Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:16).
  2. His lifetime. The heavens continually opened upon Jesus, the Son of man on earth, as the object of heaven’s ministry, the angels as His servants (John 1:51). This scripture is also prophetic of the Millennium, when Christ as Son of Man on earth will be the restorer of all things, of the communication between heaven and earth, and the blessing that will result!
  3. Stephen. The heavens opened to reveal Jesus, the Son of man in the glory, as on high at the right hand of God, the object of the believer who is full of the Spirit, even in suffering here for His sake (Acts 7:56). Stephen was transformed by that vision!
  4. The Appearing. The heavens will once again open to reveal Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords, as coming forth to judge and make war against all that dispute His authority and oppress the earth (Rev. 19:11).
To us who believe, the heavens are opened now. We know the Father, we know His heart of love. The entire book of Hebrews in a sense gives us a sight into the opened heavens, where our Forerunner and High Priest has passed, and there is sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. But still the object of the opened heavens remains the same, God’s beloved Son!
 
12 And his eyes are a flame of fire, and upon his head many diadems, having a name written which no one knows but himself; 
 
v.12 His Eyes, Crowns, and Name Written. In the vision of the Son of man (Rev. 1) His eyes were “as” a flame of fire, but now they “are” a flame of fire. It speaks of piercing discernment to search out and judge evil. On His head are not just one but “many diadems”, which speak of universal dominion and glory. He has crowns without number! He has a name written (presumably on His head), that “no one knows but himself”. This name is personal matter, unknown everyone else. Another has said, it speaks of “glory which He has in His own right as a divine person.”35 No created being will ever comprehend this (see Matt. 11:27), but as “the Word” (v.13) He can be apprehended!
 
13 and he is clothed with a garment dipped in blood; and his name is called The Word of God. 
 
v.13 His Garment and Name. A “garment dipped in blood” is a token of the avenging character that Christ takes when He appears (compare Isa. 63:1-6). The Son is the revealer of the Father, so He is called “the Word” (John 1:1). The Son is also the revealer of God in the aspect of judgment, so here He is called “the Word of God”. In 1 John 1:1 we find that the Son is also the revealer of Eternal Life, because He is the Eternal Life, so He is called the Word of Life (see notes on the Word and Words of God). If you want to see eternal life manifested or declared perfectly, it must be seen in the Lord Jesus Christ. In John 1 it is especially connected with His first coming, and the divine character of love revealed. At His first coming, the Word became flesh. He perfectly displayed the heart of God in grace toward man. In Rev. 19 it is His second coming, and it is more the character of light revealed. At His second coming the Lord will display the righteousness of God in judgment. He will come in a judgmental character, no longer presented to human responsibility. This does not rise up to the full revelation as we have in John 1, as judgment is a limited revelation of God.
 
14 And the armies which are in the heaven followed him upon white horses, clad in white, pure, fine linen. 
 
v.14 The Armies of Heaven. The armies are the heavenly saints (Jude 14). Like their Lord, these saints also ride on “white horses,” for His victory is our victory. This is one key distinguishing feature between the Rapture and the appearance. At the Rapture Christ comes for His saints but at the appearing He comes with His saints. The bride’s clothing (v.8) is the same material as the clothing of these armies (v.14). It is almost like white “clouds” accompanying His appearing (Rev. 1:7; Heb. 12:1; Dan. 7:13). We also find in Matt. 16:27 that the holy angels will also come with Christ when He appears.
 
15 And out of his mouth goes a sharp two-edged sword, that with it he might smite the nations; and he shall shepherd them with an iron rod; and he treads the wine-press of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 
 
v.15 Three Images of Judgment. Next we get three images of judgment.
  1. The Sharp Sword. The first is a sharp sword that is used to smite the Gentiles. The armies of heaven have no weapons. The only weapon present is the heavenly army is the two-edged sword that proceeds from the mouth of Christ (compare Isa. 11:4). The sword will physically kill, but also judge the recipient with perfect judgment. This pictures the first actions of the Lord when He appears. As a warrior-judge, He smites the Western Confederacy (3 1/2 years from the middle of the week), then the Eastern Confederacy shortly after (1290 days). This will begin the Harvest Judgment.
  2. The Rod of Iron. Second, He will “shepherd” the nations with “a rod of iron” (allusion to Psa. 2). Christ then sets up His earthly kingdom and enforces His authority over the nations. This includes the Sessional Judgment.
  3. The Winepress. Finally, the Lord will treads the “wine-press of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty” (this takes place at 1335 days) to the south of the land (Russian confederacy).
The three things given in v.15, which correlates to the Harvest, Vintage, and Sessional Judgments combine to make up what scripture calls the Judgment of the Quick.
 
Judgment of the Quick. "The judgment of the quick" (Acts 10:42; 2 Tim. 4:1; 1 Peter 4:5). The judgment of the "quick" or living is when the Lord will deal with the living persons on earth, at the START of the Millennium. It includes:
  1. The Harvest Judgment (Rev. 14:14-16, Matt. 13:39-43),
  2. The Vintage or Winepress Judgment (Rev. 14:17-20; Isa. 63:1-6),
  3. The Sessional Judgment (Matt. 25:31-46).
However, those who are living throughout the Millennium will not escape judgment.
  1. The Ongoing Judgment throughout the Millennium (Zech. 5:1-4; 14:17; Psa. 101:8)
  2. The Final Judgment of the Quick (Rev. 20:7-9)
Judgment of the Dead. "The judgment of the dead" occurs at the END of the Millennium (Rev. 20:11-15), when those who have died without faith will be raised to stand before the great white throne, and then be cast into the lake of fire. See notes on the two resurrections.
 
 
16 And he has upon his garment, and upon his thigh, a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords. 
 
v.16 His Name: King of kings, and Lord of lords. The final aspect of this vision is the name that Christ will take, “on his vesture” or publicly, and “on his thigh” or in practical reality. In this name Christ declares that He is sole monarch and sovereign authority. Nebuchadnezzar was “a king of kings” (Dan. 2:37), but only Christ is King of kings and Lord of Lords.
 

2nd Vision: Summoning the Ravenous Birds to the Supper (19:17-18)

¶ 17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in mid-heaven, Come, gather yourselves to the great supper of God, 18 that ye may eat (1) flesh of kings, and (2) flesh of chiliarchs, and (3) flesh of strong men, and (4) flesh of horses and of (5) those that sit upon them, and (6) flesh of all, both free and bond, and small and great. 
 
vv.17-18 Summoning the Ravenous Birds. This angel (Christ?) is standing in the “sun”, the center of governmental authority. These birds may be literal and figurative (see note below). This is the second supper in this chapter. The first was the marriage supper of the Lamb, and that was a scene of joy. This is the great supper of God, and it is a scene of death. The descriptor “great” refers to the supper. The bloodshed that occurs in the 75-day period called the “indignation” is unprecedented. There are several observations concerning this vision:
  • The fact that this angel calls the birds before the slaughter begins (v.17) shows the absolute surety of the outcome of Armageddon. It is finished in the mind of God.
  • Any “flesh” in opposition to God will be put down (v.18) immediately by the Lord. See Isa. 2:22, 1 Cor. 1:29. It refers to literal flesh, but also may figure “the flesh”.
In v.18 we get a sixfold pronouncement of the “end of all flesh” (Gen. 6:13), ranging from the flesh in the highest governmental positions, through the military ranks, the human agencies, down to the smallest peasant, or even a slave. 
 
The Ravenous Birds May Be Literal and Figurative. This supper speaks of a scene of moral and physical death, therefore, we can apply these birds:
  1. Literally, as physical birds, because somebody has to clean up the mess caused by the widespread bloodshed. It is very likely that there will be a great feast for the vultures. But that in itself is a shameful end for these enemies, part of the governmental judgment of God.
  2. Figuratively, the birds speak of demons (Matt. 13:19) who were the agents that assembled these armies (Rev. 16:13) but now come up with them, attracted to “dead flesh” in open battle with the Lamb, and their enjoyment of the destruction of human flesh (Luke 9:39). They “empower” these armies, but also “devour” them after the slaughter. At this supper, the demons are conveniently gathered for disposal into the abyss; “the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high” (Isa 24:21-23).

3rd Vision: The Judgment at Armageddon (19:19-21)

A War to Determine the Sovereignty of the Earth. In the next vision John sees the final encounter of the West. The Lord appears at the East, and the Beast, the Western Confederacy with their allies, gather their armies together to make war against Christ. This is the final holder of Gentile power, contesting the claims of Christ over His inheritance. This battle will determine who will have political sovereignty over the earth. The battle is very short!
 
¶ 19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against him that sat upon the horse, and against his army.
 
v.19 Confederated Armies of the Beast Gathered. We have two leaders, the beast and “him that sat on the horse.” This is the great meeting between the Lord Jesus and the political leader of the apostate Western world. With the Lord is “his army”. From other scriptures it appears that the beast comes across the Mediterranean to make war with the King of the North who has just invaded “his” territory. But he arrives too late, because the Assyrian has already swept by Palestine at 1260 days from the middle of the week and passed into Egypt. Instead the beast meets the King of kings and Lord of lords. Incredibly, he decides to “make war” with the Lamb! The beast truly thinks he is greater than all other kings, even than God Himself (Isa. 14:4-20). Perhaps this is why he makes this war. This will be the end of Babylon (Rev. 16:19), the moment when the stone “cut out without hands” smites the Gentile statue on the feet of clay and iron (Dan. 2:44-45) – the end of the “times of the Gentiles” (Luke 21:24). In other places (v.14) the Lord has “armies” (plural) but here emphasis is on their being united (singular). The Lord catches the beast by surprise, “as a thief”. The beast realizes that Christ has come to personally intervene in his plans. His immediate decision is to “make war”. The question is of the sovereignty of the earth in the next millennium. Will the diabolical gentile power succeed to rule the world? or will Christ take His inheritance and set up His world-kingdom? The answer is immediately given in v.20.
 
The Beast’s Armies. The combined armies of the western world are “gathered together”. A Caesar or a Napoleon or even a Hitler could never bring about such a vast coalition of military force, and for such a purpose. Only Satan could accomplish such a thing (Rev. 16:13, 14, 16). The prophecy of Balaam gives in one verse a tremendous revelation concerning the armies of the Beast (Num. 24:24). The Beast’s armies come via ships: the West today still measures military strength by their naval power.
  • “from the coast of Chittim” – from Greece and Italy36
  • “and afflict Asshur” – early campaigns against the king of the north and his Arab confederacy
  •  “and afflict Eber” – comes across to Israel, Megiddo
  • “and shall be for destruction” – the Lord’s final victory over them.
The Kings of the Earth. Confederate with the Beast of the “kings of the earth”. These are not the “ten kings”, which are already included with the Beast (Rev. 17:14). Rather, these are the very kings who wailed over the fall of religious Babylon (Rev. 18:9-10), now about to meet their end in confederation with political Babylon. In Rev. 14:8, 17:2, and 18:3 we see that the false church had a cup in her hand, containing the “wine of the fury of her fornication”. It is a delicious cup to the kings and merchants, but it is laced with poison. The kings and merchants lament the fall of Babylon, but they are unaware that they have drunk a fatal dose, and will perish with final Babylon at the appearing.
 
20 And the beast was taken, and the false prophet that was with him, who wrought the signs before him by which he deceived them that received the mark of the beast, and those that worship his image. Alive were both cast into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone; 
 
v.20 Beast and False Prophet Cast Into the Lake of Fire. The first and second beast of Revelation 13 are found together at the end; combined in their hatred of the Lord. When the King of the North begins his attack (1260 days) the false prophet flees from his post in Jerusalem (John 10:13; Zech. 11: 17; Isa. 22:19-21) presumably to Rome. He returns “with” the Beast. The personal Beast and Antichrist are cast directly into everlasting torment; judge and jury are present, and there is no need for a judgment seat. This is the time of the harvest judgment – also cast into the Lake of Fire with them are the “tares” from the kingdom, gathered by the angels (Matt. 13:41-42; Matt. 24:36-41; Rev. 14:14-16). They are not killed, but “cast alive”. These ones will not need to be “raised” at the resurrection of the dead at the end of the millennium. The Beast and the False Prophet with shortly be joined in the lake of fire by the King of the North, who will be cast in (Isa. 30:33) at 1290 days from the middle of the week, only perhaps several weeks later. These are the first two individuals in the lake of fire, followed by those of like character (the “tares”). The False Prophet is indicted for his deception pf those who follow the beast; “he deceived them”. Leaders are always more responsible than those who are led. 
 
21 and the rest were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which goes out of his mouth; and all the birds were filled with their flesh. 
 
v.21 The Destruction of the Beast’s Armies. The fate of “the rest” of the beast’s armies is sudden and severe. There is no clash of swords, no actual battle to speak of. The heavenly armies don’t need to ride through the ranks slashing and stabbing. The only weapon in the entire army is the voice of the Lord. Instantly deprived of their leaders, the followers of the beast are killed – not by a literal sword – but by the voice of the Lord (Psa. 29:5). There they lie, dead, a great supper for the birds. But “after death the judgment” (see Rev. 14:9-11, 20:11-15). Their leaders go directly into the fire, but the followers must wait out the thousand years in torment (hades) until the great white throne.
 
Sessional Judgment. The sessional judgment of all living Gentiles (Matt. 25:31-46) chronologically takes place between Rev. 19 and Rev. 20. Revelation doesn’t mention it as it is concerned with the Christianized lands primarily, and the outlying nations are not focused on. Read more…
 

4th Vision: Satan Bound for 1000 Years (Millennium) (20:1-3)

Satan Bound. The next vision brings before us something of great importance. The binding of Satan is when he will be restrained in the bottomless pit for the duration of the millennium. It isn’t the final judgment of Satan, but his temporary confinement, when his evil influence on earth will be curtailed. Then the curse on creation can be lifted, and the earth can enter its golden age of peace on the basis of righteousness!
 
CHAPTER 20
And I saw an angel descending from the heaven, having the key of the abyss, and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 and cast him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, that he should not any more deceive the nations until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be loosed for a little time. 
 
vv.1-3 Satan Bound. Who is this angel? I enjoy that it might be Christ Himself, although the expositors seem to think it is a mere angel. This is the same key that was used in Rev. 9:1 to loose the demonic influences from the pit. We see that although Antichrist used the key, the key resides in heaven. The key and chain show us that God is supreme even over the satanic region of the abyss. Satan will be literally captured on earth, although perhaps not visibly to men (v.2). The names of the dragon are mentioned in the same order as Rev. 12:9 (see note). The only difference is the “great” is dropped. His is the plain old “dragon” after the middle of the week. There, his sphere of influence was restricted to the earth, here it is narrowed again. There is only one more step down (v.10). See notes on Rev. 12. The pit is “sealed over him” showing that the government – Christ – takes responsibility for his imprisonment; e.g. the Persian king Cyrus (Dan. 6:17), and the Roman prefect Pontious Pilate (Matt. 27:60, 64, 66). What a comfort to the millennial saints! He will “no more deceive the nations” which is his chief characteristic and role in prophetic events (Rev. 16:13, 14; Rev. 20:8), and has been his mode of success through history until this time (1 John 5:19).
 
The demons. Satan’s fallen angels too will also be cast into the pit for a thousand years, then “visited again”, see Isa 24:21-23. Abyss signifies “deep” or “bottomless”. Evidently the demons know they will be locked up there at some “time” in the future; they begged Jesus not to send them there early (Luke 8:31). This is a special holding place – not Hades or the Lake of Fire – a place called “tartarus” in 2 Peter 2:4, where the fallen “sons of god” are bound and never get out until the “great day”. Read more…
 

5th Vision: Heavenly Saints Reign with Christ for 1000 Years (20:4-10)

The First Resurrection (Rev. 20:4). It is of utmost importance to understand the first resurrection. The first resurrection is a resurrection "from among the dead". All of the dead will be raised, but the first resurrection is a special resurrection that will take place before the general resurrection. It is "from among the dead" because some will be raised and others left in the grave. Only believers will be raised in the first resurrection. The first resurrection is like a seal of God's approval on the souls of those who are redeemed by the blood of Christ; therefore He separates them from the rest of mankind. It the case of Christ, it was God's full satisfaction and pleasure in His Son. In the case of believers, it is on account of our acceptance through the Son.37 This is why our Lord spoke of those "who are counted worthy to have part in that world, and the resurrection from among the dead" (Luke 20:35). The first resurrection, or the resurrection from among the dead, is a matter of worthiness. For Christ, it was His own personal worthiness; and for us, it is on account of our standing in Christ's place before God. Christ was "declared to be the Son of God with power" by the "resurrection from among the dead" (Rom. 1:4), and so we too will be declared to be sons of God by adoption in the same character of resurrection!38 As we know, the first resurrection is separated from the resurrection of the wicked dead by 1000 years; "But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection" (Rev. 20:5). However, the first resurrection has three parts, or installments. All three installments are seen together in Rev. 20:4.
  1. Christ the first fruits (1 Cor. 15:23). When Jesus rose from the dead, the first resurrection began. His body was raised and changed into a "body of glory" (Phil. 3:21). Lazarus and others who were raised were not part of the first resurrection, because Christ is "the firstfruits". Just as the firstfruits of a certain crop promise a much greater harvest of the same fruit, so Christ's resurrection was the promise of many to follow in the first resurrection. As of today, Christ is still the only man with a glorified body; but that will change very soon!
  2. The sleeping saints at the rapture (1 Cor. 15:23; 52). All those who "are Christ's" that have died will be raised at the rapture; "afterward, they that are Christ's at His coming". The question might be raised, which part of His coming? The rapture or the appearing? This is answered for us in 1 Thess. 4:16, that the dead will be raised when the Lord descends from heaven at the rapture. This will include all saints, from Adam on down to the last one in the grave. We know this because while all saints are not "in Christ" (1 Thess. 4), yet they all "are Christ's" (1 Cor. 15). Hebrews 11:40 would also indicate that the Old Testament saints are waiting for us to be "made perfect"; i.e. glorified. These raised and raptured saints will go up to heaven to be "with the Lord". They are seen in Revelation under the figure of "the twenty-four elders"
  3. The martyred remnant in the tribulation (Rev. 20:4; 14:13). After the rapture, the seventieth week of Daniel will unfold, and many saints will be martyred. Some will be killed in the first 3 1/2 years by the false Church for preaching the gospel of the Kingdom (see Rev. 6:9-11, 17:6, 18:24, and 19:2). Others will be killed in the last 3 1/2 years by the beast for not worshiping him (Rev. 13:15-17). Some will be Jewish (Rev. 11:3-12, 14:2-3) and some will be Gentile (Rev. 15:2). They will not miss out on sharing the Millennial reign of Christ with the other saints! By connecting Rev.11:11 with Rev. 14:13, it seems that the moment of the third installment in which all martyred saints are raised and bodily ascend, is just before the Son of Man appears. This is necessary so Christ can come with ALL His saints (1 Thess. 3:13) at His appearing, and then all reign together in the Millennium (Rev. 20:4).

The First Resurrection (vv.4-6)

¶ 4 And I saw thrones; and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them; and the souls of those beheaded on account of the testimony of Jesus, and on account of the word of God; and those who had not done homage to the beast nor to his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and hand; and they lived and reigned with the Christ a thousand years: 
 
v.4 The Membership and Moment. The first part of v.4 gives us the membership of the first resurrection. We find that there are different classes of saints who are raised. “But each in his own rank” (1 Cor. 15:23).
  1. Old and New Testament saints. The “they” must refer to Christ’s army (Rev. 19:19), the very twenty-four elders, Old and New Testament saints, seated on thrones with Christ (see Dan. 7:9). A “throne” is a symbol of administrative authority, and sitters are given “judgment” or administrative responsibility (Heb. 2:5, 1 Cor. 6:2-3). Two more classes now join them.

Note. He sees the souls (disembodied persons) then sees them come alive.

  1. Martyrs of the First 3.5 years. These are those who were killed by the false Church for preaching the gospel of the Kingdom, mentioned as a distinct class from those killed by the beast (see Rev. 6:9-11, 17:6, 18:24, and 19:2).
  2. Martyrs of the Last 3.5 years. These are those who were killed by the beast for not worshiping him (Rev. 13:15-17). Some Jewish (Rev. 11:3-12, 14:2-3) and some Gentile (Rev. 15:2).
  3. Christ. These three classes of persons are seen with Christ, the first-fruits (1 Cor. 15:23). Paul speaks of “the first-fruits, [Christ (4)], then those that are the Christ’s at his coming” [Old and New Testament saints (1) at the rapture, and first (2) and second half tribulation martyrs (3) at the appearing].
At the end of v.4 we have the moment of the First resurrection, but the expression “and they lived” could be translated “and they came to life”. It is a reference to the moment of the third phase of the first resurrection, in which all martyred tribulation saints are raised. See Rev. 14:13 and Rev. 11:11. The actual moment is just prior to the appearing of Christ. All the first resurrection will be at the marriage supper of the Lamb, will ride out of heaven with Him, and will reign with Him in the millennial kingdom. 
 
Death in the Millennium. There will be death in the millennium, but none of the righteous will die, and even the aging process in the unsaved will be slowed (Isa. 65:20).
 
5 (the rest of the dead did not live till the thousand years had been completed.) This is the first resurrection. 
 
v.5 Two Resurrections Distinguished. The significance of this verse is to show that the first resurrection is separated from the resurrection of the wicked by the a thousand years. Old Testament Saints knew of a General resurrection that is all (John 11:24). When Christ came he presented something new, that the resurrection would have two aspects (John 5:29). Paul adds even more detail: Christ rose first, then those that are Christ’s at His coming will rise (1 Cor. 15:23). Some will rise at the rapture (1 Thess. 4:13-18), but Paul did not explain that another phase will occur at the appearing – Revelation shows us that. Here (v.5) we get the added detail of the space of time between the end of the first resurrection and that of the wicked dead; the 1000 years. read more… The bodies of the wicked-dead bodies will be in the earth, sea, etc. (v.13) claimed by “death” but their souls will be in “hades” – these are two states.
 
6 Blessed and holy he who has part in the first resurrection: over these the second death has no power; but they shall be priests of God and of the Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 
 
v.6 Blessings of the First Resurrection. If a dead person does not participate in the first resurrection, there is only one other left, that of the damned. The first death is the separation of the body from the soul and spirit. the second death is eternal separation from God. Rev. 21:8 tells us the second death is another name for the Lake of fire, eternal punishment. Those who partake of the first resurrection are blessed, or happy, and holy. They are exempt from the awful fate of the second death. Eternal separation is contrasted with being priests of God and Christ and kings with Christ. Both the holy (1 Pet. 2:5) and royal (1 Pet. 2:9) character of priesthood will be in fullest exercise. The thousand years is longer than the longest span of life ever: Methuselah at 969 years.
 
Details of the millennium. John seems to jump right over the details of the millennium pertaining to the earth. Ezekiel takes us much further, describing:
  • the settlement of the tribes in parallel bands across enlarged Palestine
  • the millennial temple and its services
  • the Jewish prince (Christ’s representative)
  • the healing of the Dead Sea, etc.
Yet John does describe the Church in her heavenly millennial glory in an appendix (Rev. 21:9 – 22:6). 

Satan Loosed and a Final Rebellion (vv.7-10)

Is the rebellion a test? Yes and no. The probationary period in which man was tested under various conditions was completed at the cross. The ultimate test was not the garden of Eden, nor the Millennial reign, but the grace and truth that came by Jesus Christ. In that sense the Millennium is not a test, but a display of God’s man (Psa. 2 + Psa. 8). But in another sense, God always tests profession. Many will only render feigned obedience (Psa. 2:9), and that profession will be tested.
 
Moral significance. The great moral significance of this final rebellion is that even the Millennium cannot improve the flesh. Man has three enemies: (1) the world, (2) the flesh, and (3) the Devil. In the Millennium, two of those three enemies will be out of commission. The world-system will have been destroyed and replaced with the world-kingdom of Christ (Rev. 11:15), and the Devil will be bound in the abyss for 1000 years. Yet still man is not satisfied. It shows that the worst enemy man has is really himself.
 
¶ 7 And when the thousand years have been completed, Satan shall be loosed from his prison, 
 
v.7 Satan Loosed. Before the eternal state can be ushered in, the unbelievers must be purged out. God has always used Satan as a man uses fire, a tool to do his will. This will be Satan’s final useful act that he will unwittingly perform for God.
 
8 and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 
 
v.8 The Nations Deceived, Gog and Magog. While the whole world will be under submission to the reign of Christ for the thousand years, many will only render feigned obedience to the authority of Christ. Theirs is not real faith, but a forced submission under the “iron rod” (Psa. 2:9). Only the children born to Israel will be guaranteed to have faith. Some of the children born to Gentiles may not have faith. This deception will envelope all those who do not believe. It references “the four corners” which indicates it takes in mostly the outlying nations. “Gog, the Land of Magog” (Ezek. 38:2) is destroyed at the wine-press judgment, So this cannot be Russia and her confederacy. This final “Gog and Magog” is not the same Russia that we know today, but rather a vast hoard that will have the same godless character as Russia, and the same sheer numbers.
 
9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of the heaven and devoured them.
 
v.9 A Final Rebellion and It’s Defeat. The “beloved city” is Jerusalem, the “camp of the saints” is all believing Jews and Gentiles (see W. Kelly notes). Apparently, all believers will flock to Jerusalem and “camp” around it. Then the enemy hosts will come up and surround them. Quite different from the case of Christendom where the tare-wheat mixture continues to the judgment. In the final rebellion after the thousand years the “wheat” and the “tares” will separate themselves, forming two distinct arrays. The judgment however is the same as on the false professors in Christendom: “fire” speaks of the unmingled wrath of God. No saint will ever need a weapon after the appearing of Christ, even to the very end.
 
10a And the devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where are both the beast and the false prophet; and they shall be tormented day and night for the ages of ages. 
 
v.10 The Final Judgment of Satan. As “the dragon” (cruelty) he is locked in the pit, as “Satan” (opposer) he is loosed to start the rebellion, and as “the devil” (tempter of men) he is finally cast into the lake of fire. Prepared for the devil and his angels, the lake of fire receives men long before Satan. This is contrary to men’s paintings of Satan in hell now, with a pitchfork in his hand. This is a token of the long-suffering of God towards the “anointed covering cherub” (Ezek. 28).  Satan’s angels who have been confined to the bottomless pit will be also cast into the lake of fire at this time (Isa. 24:22). The false tri-unity – the beast, false prophet, and Satan – will suffer unceasing torment all throughout their never-ending existence.
 

6th Vision: Great White Throne, Dissolution of Heavens & Earth (20:11)

¶ 11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled, and place was not found for them. 
 
v.11 Great White Throne. At the appearing of Christ, prior to the millennium, we saw Christ on a white horse. At the end of the millennium we see Him on a great white throne.  Both are “white”, which speaks of purity according to the nature of God Himself. The horse is connected with His warrior judgments, the throne with His sessional judgments. It is “great” because the Judge is great, the occasion is great, and the consequences are great. It is a “throne”, the symbol of absolute authority, before which every knee shall bow. The judge is the Lord Jesus Himself, the Son of Man to Whom all judgment has been committed (John 5:22, 27, 2 Tim. 4:1). The heaven and earth, even in a millennial condition, cannot stand before his unveiled glory; it triggers the dissolution of the elements.
 
The melting of the elements. This is literally, the "end of the world". The (physical) heaven and earth, our universe, will dissolve into the basic elements (Job. 14:12; Psa. 102:26; Heb. 1:12; 2 Pet. 3:10-12; Rev. 20:11). They “fled away” and “no place was found for them”. This is because the heavens and earth will be re-made afterwards (Rev. 21:1, 2 Pet. 3:13). “Making” supposes pre-existing material, see notes on Gen. 1. The Spirit of God is careful not to say that the elements will be annihilated, but rather reduced down to the building blocks of matter. God will use these same building blocks again to make something new.
 

7th Vision: The Second Resurrection, and the Second Death (20:12-15)

12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is that of life. And the dead were judged out of the things written in the books according to their works. 
 
v.12 Resurrection of the Wicked Dead, The Books Opened. The term “dead” here has a twofold significance; (1) physically dead, and (2) spiritually dead. John 5:28-29 tells us that the Lord’s voice will call the dead from their graves. The “great and small” are not talking about children and old people. There will be no children at this throne; Christ does not judge those who are under the age of responsibility (Matt. 18:10). Rather it is “size” in the aspect of stature in the world’s eyes; the important and unimportant. Notice that they stand before “the throne”… not, as some translations say, “before God”. Why? Because the Father has committed all judgment to the Son of man (John 5:22, 27). It is the Son of man who sits upon the throne.
 
The Books and Book of Life. “The books” contain the works done by every person, although the page is blank for the Christian who is covered by the blood of Christ. The “book of life” contains the names of the redeemed. You might wonder, “why do the books need to be opened? why not jump right to the book of life?” The answer is, the books are needed to determine the severity of judgment. Luke 12:47 and Romans 2:6 show that God’s judgment is according to the measure of responsibility a person has. We are responsible for what we know.
 
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged each according to their works: 
 
v.13 The Dead Given Up. The “sea” is mentioned to answer the question of what happens to dead bodies the get torn apart by fish, etc. God knows where every body is. The sea may hold the bodies off all those who died in Noah’s flood. Two thirds of the surface of the earth is covered by sea. “Death and hades” are the respective custodians of the body and soul and spirit (see Rev. 1:18). Any held in those states are yielded up to stand before the throne. Bodies turned to dust are no obstacle to God as He started with dust in the first place!
 
14 and death and hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, even the lake of fire. 
 
v.14 The Lake of Fire. These states (separation of body and soul/spirit) are not going to continue any more. Death and hades came into existence because of sin, and the lake of fire is the eternal depository of all that is contrary to God (1 Cor. 15:26, “the last enemy”). Some might say that the wicked are annihilated, but v.14 is clear that the second death is the lake of fire.
 
15 And if any one was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire. 
 
v.15 A Final Review. The “book of life” contains the names of the redeemed, opened as a “last check” for man’s benefit to see if they availed themselves of God’s offer of salvation. The last face that unbelievers will see is the face of Jesus as judge, the One they rejected. We must see that God is not a willing judge: He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9). Rather, He “desires that all men should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim. 2:4).
 
The Book of Life. The “Lamb’s Book of Life” has the elects’ names written from the founding of the world, Rev. 13:8, 17:8. The “book of life” (Rev. 3:5) is another aspect of the same, and it has names written upon profession, then blotted out if unreal when the door of mercy closes.
 
Two Sessional Judgments. The millennium opens and closes each with an act of sessional judgment, the Lord is the Judge in both cases.
 
First sessional Judgment
Matthew 25:31
Last sessional Judgment
Revelation 20:11-15
Beginning of Millennium End of millennium
Judgment of the Living Judgment of the Dead
Judgment of Gentiles Judgment of Gentiles
The throne of glory Great white throne
 

8th Vision: The Eternal State (21:1-8)

The Eternal State. There are only three passages that describe the eternal state: Rev. 21:1-8, 2 Pet. 3:10-13, and 1 Cor. 15:24-28, although there are other minor references to it, such as "the eighth day" (Lev. 23:36, 39), possibly "the everlasting kingdom" (2 Pet. 1:11) would include it, and the "reconciliation of all things" (Col. 1:20). The eternal state is the end of all God’s purposes for the glory of Christ and the blessing of man. This is when God will have reconciled "all things" unto Himself (Col. 1:20), and God will be "all in all" (1 Cor. 15:28). If the Millennium is necessary for the vindication of God's character, then the eternal state is necessary for the satisfaction of His heart!

There are really only three scriptural names for the eternal state:
  1. The "Age of Ages" (Rev. 20:10, Eph. 3:21)
  2. The "Day of God" (2 Cor. 15:28; 2 Pet. 3:12)
  3. The "Day of Eternity" (2 Pet. 3:18)
The truth about the Eternal State is only revealed in the New Testament. The Old Testament does not mention the eternal state. The expression "a new heavens and a new earth" in Isa. 65:17 speaks of the great changes that will happen when the earth has her Sabbath in the Millennial day!
 
Transition to Eternity. An important question may be raised: what happens to the Millennial kingdom? This is answered in 1 Cor. 15:24-28. Christ received the Millennial kingdom as a man, and He accomplishes God's purposes as a man: putting down all enemies (final rebellion, death, the great white throne, etc.) and then He will give it up to the Father as a man. He must do this for God’s pleasure. God made man with this moment in mind… a perfect man in headship over the creation. But when that has been fulfilled, he delivers it up, that God might be all in all, and to devote Himself fully to His Bride. When the Eternal State begins, time as we know it will end; “then cometh the end” (1 Cor. 15:24). The sorrows of the old earth will be passed away: death, sorrow, pain, tears (Rev. 21:4). All things will be made “new” and according to the mind of God. Every stain of sin will be removed (John 1:29). In the Millennium, the earth was reigned “over” by Christ and the Church; in the eternal state, God will “dwell with men” - no separation. There is no need for reigning in the eternal state, because there will be no more sin.39
 
Earthly inhabitants. Although we have no scripture to tell us precisely, it would appear that the saints of the Millennial earth will be transplanted into the new heavens and earth. We know there will be men on the earth in the eternal state (Rev. 21:3), that the righteous will not die in the Millennium (Isa. 65:20), and that only the wicked will be raised after the thousand years (Rev. 20:5).40 There will be no “nations” or different languages in the eternal state, just “men”. The distinction between Jew and Gentile will be gone. The number of distinct earthly inhabitants has changed in the following pattern: 1 – 2 – 3 – 2 – 1.
 
 
Three conditions for righteousness are helpful to remember. First, righteousness is not upheld at the present time; in fact, believers suffer for the sake of righteousness (Matt. 5:6). Second, "righteousness reigns" in the Millennium (Isa. 32:1). Third, "righteousness dwells" in the eternal state (2 Pet. 3:13). This is helpful also in understanding the difference between the Millennium and the Eternal State. The Millennium is a kingdom, and there are things to be ruled over, and evil to keep down. But in the eternal state, there is no more sin and rebellion, and also it is a permanent condition; hence, righteousness is said to dwell.
 
CHAPTER 21
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea exists no more. 
 
v.1 The New Heaven and New Earth. John now sees a vision of the new universe that God will create. “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea exists no more.” The “heaven” here refers to the physical heaven, the first heavens (atmosphere, space, etc.), not the third heaven where God dwells, as that never needs to change! There will be no more “seas” or separation between peoples of the earth, and no more masses in turmoil. Another has put it this way: John saw “the physical platforms on which the glories of eternity are to be displayed.”41
 
¶ 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of the heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 
 
v.2 The Church in the Eternal State. While there are no more separate peoples and nations, the Church always remains distinct, for eternity! The church is described as a “Holy city” (purity) and called “new Jerusalem” (tranquility). Both terms are used to describe the Church entering the eternal state. She “comes down” twice: once at the start of the millennium (v.10) and again a thousand years later (v.2). Evidently she is taken up before the dissolution of the elements to come down again in the new creation, of which she already belongs. She is “as a bride adorned”, still in her bridal attire after a thousand years of love and companionship. We will never cease to be the source of Christ’s joy! The term “bride” is used here. Compare with Rev. 19:7 where “wife” is used. It would seem that the term “wife” is discontinued after the thousand years. This could be because “wife” implies joint administration as well as relationship, while “bride” is pure affection!
 
3 And I heard a loud voice out of the heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall tabernacle with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, their God.
 
v.3 God dwelling (in the Church) with men. In Rev. 7:15, speaking of the millennium, God’s tabernacle was spread “over” men. Here it is “with men”. The tabernacle is still distinct, but there is no separation now. This is what God has desired since the beginning, as we see in the garden of Eden, but then sin came in (Gen. 3:8). The “tabernacle of God” is the new Jerusalem, the Church, the habitation of God (Eph. 2:22). Who are these “men”? They are the earthly millennial saints with changed bodies, transplanted into the new earth, but distinct from the New Jerusalem. Notice too that God is just called “God”, all His dispensational names disappear. It is only “God” and “men” now. There is no more “nations”, “tribes”, and “tongues”. Recall that nations were the fruit of governmental judgment (Gen. 11:1-9). Also, the Lamb is not mentioned at all, because the epochs of His special rejection and reigning are over. The mediatorial kingdom (the kingdom of heaven) will have been delivered up (1 Cor. 15:24) at the end of the thousand years, and in eternity it will be swallowed up in the moral supremacy of the kingdom of God.
 
Heaven and Earth. There will be a very close connection between the heavenly saints and the earthly saints in the Eternal State; "the tabernacle of God is with men” (Rev. 21:3). As a result of sin, today there is a great distance between heaven and earth. A nice illustration is the cup (Heaven) and saucer (earth). Today the cup is held away at a distance from the saucer, and we don’t have a very close communication between heaven and earth. In the millennium the cup will be held over the saucer; communication will be restored like before the fall (read Hos. 2:21-22). But in the eternal state, the cup is on the saucer... no distance!42
 
4 And he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall not exist any more, nor grief, nor cry, nor distress shall exist any more, for the former things have passed away. 
 
v.4 The Effects of Sin Completely Taken Away. Now we see that all the effects of sin coming into the creation are taken away. God will “wipe away every tear” for the saints entering the millennium (Rev. 7:17, perhaps taking away the immediate sorrows of the tribulation) and again entering the eternal state (Rev. 21:4, perhaps taking away the sorrows connected with the old world of sin).
 
5 And he that sat on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he says to me, Write, for these words are true and faithful. 
 
v.5 All things New and According to the Mind of God. The one sitting on the throne is God Himself. He says “I make”. What comes from the hand of God is according to His own mind and character. Nothing of the old fallen creation will be imported. The mind of man raises a question: will God’s purpose be fulfilled? We have here a statement from God on His throne that the accomplishment is a sure as His own character!
 
6 And he said to me, It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to him that thirsts of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7 He that overcomes shall inherit these things, and I will be to him God, and he shall be to me son. 
 
vv.6-7 Eternal Reward Held Out to the Faithful. By “it is done” we find that the purpose of God is complete. Who has accomplished it? The “alpha and omega”. It is true that Christ is the “Alpha and the Omega” (Rev. 22:13) but here it is God as Father that is the source and goal of everything. The words “he shall be to me a Son” suggests it is God the Father. This same infinite Person offers the “fountain,” the source of life itself, to the thirsty. This is not a thirst for physical water, nor for the pleasures of life, but for the character of God Himself; “righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Rom. 14:17), as such the faithful have always desired (see Matt. 5:6). This reward is something that will not be fully enjoyed until the eternal state; eternal satisfaction. “He that overcomes” in this context in anyone with faith; faith is characterized by overcoming (1 John 5:4). “These things” are those just named: (v.4) exemption from the effects of sin, and (v.6) eternal satisfaction with the character of God. The overcomer will inherit not only “these things” but will inherit God Himself (a Person) and the place of sonship (a relationship). It is not recorded that they cry “Abba, Father” like the Christian, who has the Spirit of God.
 
8 But to the (1) fearful and (2) unbelieving, and sinners, and (3) those who make themselves abominable, and (4) murderers, and (5) fornicators, and (6) sorcerers, and (7) idolaters, and all (8) liars, their part is in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone; which is the second death. 
 
v.8 Eternal Damnation Held Out to the Unbelieving. We find that eight classes of sinners are mentioned. The word for “sorcerers” here is really “pharmakois” (only found elsewhere in Rev. 22:15), or “drugger”, or “druggist”. In the final statement of eternity God speaks as light. God never foregoes His character as the Judge of evil. As there is a fixed state of eternal happiness for the faithful, so there is a fixed state of anguish (“fire and brimstone”) and separation from God (“second death”) for the unbeliever. It is so serious that the lake of fire is mentioned five times in the book of Revelation (Rev. 19:20; 20:10; 14; 15; 21:8).
 

Spiritual “Places” and “States”

 
  1. Note: in Acts 10:11 Peter sees the heavens opened, although in a vision, but there Christ is not the object.
  2. W. Kelly
  3. There is no difficulty as to Kittim, which is a term beyond controversy applied to two of the peninsulas of Europe, first Greece [or Macedon], then Rome or Italy. – Kelly, W. Early Chapters of Genesis.
  4. In Mark 9:9, 10 we read of "the rising from the dead," about which the disciples questioned; every Pharisee, every orthodox Jew, believed in the resurrection of the dead. What did the resurrection of Christ mean? It was God's seal on everything He was, and everything He had done during His life here. He took Him out from among all the other dead. If He takes people out from among the rest of the dead because He delights in them, that is the seal of their acceptance. Paul says, No matter what it costs me, I will attain to that. What condition is the saint raised in? "Sown in weakness, raised in power; sown in dishonour, raised in glory." "Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming." As God put His perfect seal on Christ and Christ's work, and raised Him, so, when He raises us up, He puts His seal on us: only it is because of His righteousness, not our own. - Darby, J.N. Brief Thoughts on Philippians.
  5. It is indeed the capital truth of the New Testament, that as Christ, by resurrection from the dead was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, so we through grace are (not like Christ in Person but by adoption) also declared to be the sons of God, by attaining, when the time comes, the resurrection of the body. - Darby, J.N. Lectures on the Second Coming of Christ. Lecture 3.
  6. While there is no "reigning over" in the eternal state, yet it is important to see that God's authority will not lessen in that state. If anything, His sovereignty will be more abundantly manifest in the eternal state when "all things are of God". Perhaps 2 Peter 1:11 alludes to this: "the everlasting kingdom".
  7. The resurrection at the end remains consequently for the wicked dead solely. The righteous will be raised before the millennium the wicked after it. The just who live during the reign of Christ are not called to die at all, as far as scripture informs us. We may be sure that these millennial saints will be changed into the likeness of Christ; they will be transplanted into the new heavens and earth. We are not called upon to conjecture how this will be. It is sufficient for us to know that, though they are not described as dying during the millennium, and therefore do not need to be raised. - Kelly, W. Lectures on Revelation.
  8. W. Scott
  9. Illustration from Jim Hyland

Revelation 21:9 - 22:5

 
Appendix: The Church in the Administration of the Millennium
Revelation 21:9 – 22:5
 
The Church in the Millennium. Having laid out events from the appearing of Christ to the eternal state, the Spirit of prophecy now returns to give us a view of the Church in her millennial glory. We have had a detailed look at the false church in ch.17-18, but the Spirit of God will not close the book without a detailed look at the true Church, the Lamb’s wife. The church is seen in perfection in this passage. Christ is said to present the Church in three ways, and each time she is presented there is perfect conformance to the mind and character of God:
  1. Presented as children to the Father – Heb. 2:13
  2. presented as the bride to Himself – Eph. 5:27
  3. Presented as the city to the World – 2 Thess. 1:10
It is in this third aspect that we view the church in Rev. 21:9 – 22:5. The church will be used to transmit the glory of Christ to the earth! Rev. 21:9 – 22:5 is not a description of heaven, although it is often explained that way. Rather it is a description of the Church in the millennium from heaven’s perspective, according to God’s sovereignty. The Lord said “I will build my church”… this is what He built!
 
The Church in politics. Is it wrong for the church to be involved in government? No… but it is a question of when. Not in the present dispensation of the kingdom in mystery. Christians who are involved in politics today are a “Day” too early. They mistake “this day” for “that day”. “This day” is the time when the heirs are being gathered out of the world. “That day” is when Christ takes and shares the inheritance with his bride. The church gets its administrative authority in Rev. 20:4 at the start of the millennium, not before. While all the heavenly saints “reign with Christ” (Rev. 20:4), the Church will have a special role! The things Thyatira grasped after will be given to the millennial church.
 
What is the Millennium? The Millennium is the term that refers to the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ over the earth. It is the time when the glory of Christ will be displayed to this world. It is the time when Christ will take what rightfully belongs to Him. It is the “end goal” of the purpose and counsels of God. By the end of the millennium, every enemy will be put down and the kingdom delivered up to God (1 Cor. 15:24-28). The Bible describes this time as a literal reign, wherein all the world will submit to the authority of Jesus Christ reigning as King of kings and Lord of lords. The length of this period is said to be a “thousand years” (Latin: millennium) in Revelation 20:7. It is significant that the reign of Christ will be longer than man ever lived at his longest (969 years).
 
Names for the Millennium:
  1. The “thousand years” (Latin: millennium) – Rev. 20:7
  2. the “dispensation of the fullness of times” (Eph. 1:10)
  3. The “kingdom” (in manifestation) – Matt. 16:28
  4. The “Day of Christ” –  Phil. 1:10
  5. the “world to come” – Heb. 2:5
  6. The “regeneration” – Matt. 19:28
  7. The “times of refreshing” – Acts 3:19
  8. the “times of restitution of all things” – Acts 3:21
 
 

A Description of the City: The Order of Millennial Administration (21:9-14)

¶ 9 And there came one of the seven angels which had had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues, and spoke with me, saying, Come here, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife 
 
v.9 A New Departure.  This verse begins a parenthesis in which the Spirit of God goes back and describes the true church in her millennial glory. Note: in Rev. 17:1 on of the angels of the seven bowls showed John the great whore sitting on many waters, now another angel of the seven bowls shows John the bride, the Lamb’s wife. The false church is both a corrupt woman (harlot) and a corrupt city (religious babylon). The true church is both a holy woman (bride & wife) and a holy city (Jerusalem). The book wouldn’t be complete without these added details. See note Ψ on Rev. 19 for use of “wife” and “bride”.
 
10 And he carried me away in the Spirit, and set me on a great and high mountain, and shewed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of the heaven from God, 
 
v.10 The Holy City. As Moses surveyed the promised land from Pisgah; so John is permitted to behold the Church in her millennial glory from a heavenly vantage point. Two things are mentioned, and we might apply them to two qualification that we need to apprehend this incredible sight. First, John had to be “in the Spirit”,  and we need to give the Spirit of God full control of our faculties, or be “filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18). Second, John was taken to “a great and high mountain”, and we need to have God’s viewpoint of His people, seen from a past eternity, in light of Calvary’s work (Eph. 5:27, Num. 23:9). The church comes from “the heaven,” her home, and “from God”. Always seen descending from God, her character is always heavenly. It never says she touches the ground; it is always “over the earth” (Rev. 5:10).
 
  1. Earthly Jerusalem (Rev. 11:2) the city of earthly righteousness, the center of the Millennial kingdom.
  2. Moral Jerusalem (Gal. 4:26) – a reference to the system of grace (vs. the system of law).
  3. Heavenly Jerusalem (Heb. 12:22) – the Father’s house, the third heaven, the eternal dwelling place of God and all the heavenly saints (not just the Church).
  4. Mystical Jerusalem (Rev. 21:2, 10) – the glorified Church, the bride of Christ. The prefix "new" is added to describe the Church in the eternal state.
It is possible that the moral and the heavenly Jerusalem's are both the same company, just two aspects.
 
11 having the glory of God. Her shining was like a most precious stone, as a crystal-like jasper stone; 
 
v.11 The Glory of God. The Church will come with the glory of God. The church is not divine, but rather is a vessel to transmit or reflect His glory. Hence, she has “shining” but not “light”. It is a reflective shining, not an intrinsic shining. The shining is “like a jasper” or a diamond – the revealed glory of God will be reflected in the church in perfect purity, with no flesh, and no defilement. Jasper is used three ways symbolically: for (v.11) glory, (v.18) security, and (v.19) stability.
 
12 having a great and high wall; having twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names inscribed, which are those of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. 13 On the east three gates; and on the north three gates; and on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. 
 
vv.12-13 Walls and Gates. Why does the church need a wall in the millennium? A wall always speaks of separation in the scriptures. The wall will keep out anything that is not of Christ and the gates will let in what is of Christ. A wall is needed because in the millennium evil is still present on the earth. The numeral twelve signifies the perfection of government on or towards the earth. The angels at the gates are servants in waiting. The glorified saints are the administrators now, and the angels are subject to them (Heb. 2:5). Gates in scripture always speak of a place of judgment; e.g. Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. Here we can see that Israel is not in the city (heavenly saints) but directly involved with the administration that issues forth from the city. Like Nehemiah’s wall, this one has gates. But there are no need for locks and bars, the glory of God is enough to prevent defilement.
 
14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 
 
v.14 The Foundations. The foundation of the church is the apostles’ doctrine; i.e. “built upon the foundation of the apostles” (Eph. 2:20). Israel is named in the gates – outflow of administration. But in the foundations (structure of the city) the apostles are named, and Israel has no part. Even in the millennium the church is distinct from earthly Israel. In Matt. 19:28 the Lord foretold that the twelve apostles would have the special privilege of ruling over the twelve tribes of Israel. Clearly, the twelve apostles will have a special role in the administration of the kingdom. However, in Jesus’ parable in Luke 19:11-27 the lord goes away into a “distant country to receive for himself a kingdom” and rewarded his servants with administrative responsibility over cities in that kingdom. This shows that all the heavenly saints will rule over the other cities of the world in the millennium! The seat of authority for the kingdom will be in the heavens, the throne of the Son of man (Psa. 103:19). However, the mode in which Christ will take His possession is the Church (Eph. 1:18). The church will be over all nations, but over Israel specifically are the twelve apostles. Israel on the earth will be governed by “the prince” (Ezek. 44:3), then other leaders of Israel called “seven shepherds” and “eight principle men” (Micah 5:5), and then out to the gentile nations.
 
The numeral twelve. If anything tells us this portion refers to the millennium it is the abundant use of the numeral twelve, which speaks of administration. There are eight sets of twelve: (1) twelve gates, (2) twelve angels, (3) names of twelve tribes of Israel, (4) twelve foundations, (5) names of the twelve apostles, (6) 12 x 1000 = 12,000 stadia: the length and the breadth and height of the city, (7) 12 x 12 = 144 cubits: wall thickness, and (8) twelve fruits on the tree of life.
 

The Dimensions of the City: Perfection in Administration (21:15-17)

¶ 15 And he that spoke with me had a golden reed as a measure, that he might measure the city, and its gates, and its wall. 16 And the city lies four-square, and its length is as much as the breadth. And he measured the city with the reed–twelve thousand stadia: the length and the breadth and height of it are equal. 17 And he measured its wall, a hundred and forty-four cubits, a man’s measure, that is, the angel’s. 
 
vv.15-17 Dimensions. When God measures something He is demonstrating His ownership of it, and His purpose to take it up for blessing (see Rev. 11:1, 2). The millennial Jerusalem on earth is measured with a line of flax (Ezek. 40:3). The city of gold – the new Jerusalem – is measured with a golden reed, because while there is imperfection on earth, the church measures according to the mind of God. These dimensions could not be physical. The distance of 12,000 stadia is 1,500 miles. For reference, the earth is 7,900 miles in diameter. If it were literal, it would be like balancing a Rubik’s cube on top of a basketball. The dimensions however are not meaningless. The fact that the city lies “four-square” shows universal administration in the millennium. The fact that it is square shows finite perfection from every aspect. Twelve-thousand stadia (twelve times a thousand) is God’s administration perfection in the millennium. The wall was 144 cubits (thick?), which is twelve times twelve, perfection in administration. The glory of God surrounds the city as a wall. The wall is measured separately, but its size is quite disproportionate to that of the city, which gives us a key that these are symbols. “A man’s measure” indicates symbols that humans can understand. The heavenly city is composed of men and women. 
 
 

The Construction of the City: Reflected Glory (21:18-21)

¶ 18 And the building of its wall was jasper; and the city pure gold, like pure glass:
 
v.18 The Wall and Interior. The wall itself is jasper or diamond. The wall is what you see looking at the city, the reflected glory of God (see v.11) now in the aspect of security. The interior of the city is pure gold, which speaks of divine righteousness, the results of justification.
 
19 the foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every precious stone: the first foundation, jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; 20 the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprasus; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. 
 
vv.19-20 The Twelve Foundations. Men use the cheapest stones they can to build foundation, but not God. In addition to having the names of the twelve Apostles engraved on them (v.14), the foundations of the wall speak of the various glories of Christ that God has worked into the saints, often by pressure (Isa. 54:11-12, Psa. 4:1). These stones are a display to the world. It is not so much the way the church knows Him, but how the world will see Him through the church (see 1 Cor. 3:11).
 
# Stone    Color Possible Meaning
1 jasper clear Christ’s GLORY as seen by man
2 sapphire deep blue Christ’s character as a HEAVENLY man
3 chalcedony light blue Christ’s companion, A HEAVENLY bride
4 emerald green Christ’s Purpose to bless the EARTH
5 sardonyx red & white Christ’s glory as incorruptible JUDGE
6 sardius red Christ’s glory in JUDGMENT (blood)
7 chrysolite green-gold Christ’s judgment in the EARTH
8 beryl blue-green Christ’s sovereignty over LAND & SEA
9 topaz orange Christ’s glory as the FAITHFUL one
10 chrysoprasus green Christ’s glory as the Lord of LIFE
11 jacinth red-orange Christ’s character of HOLINESS (fire)
12 amethyst violet Christ’s glory as KING of kings, etc.
 
List of precious stones. Often when you get a list of precious stones in the word of God (three times) it speaks of a display of God’s glory: (1) in creation (Ezek. 28:12), (2) in redemption (Exo. 28:15-21), and (3) in the fulfillment of His purpose (Rev. 21:19-20). But it is precious that God’s glory will be displayed by the Church, and through us as individuals. The list speaks of the individuality of believers to the heart of God and the heart of Christ. The list of stones that were found in the breastplate of the high priest spoke of the individual tribes of Israel (Exo. 28:15-21), one for each tribe. It represents the preciousness of each one to the heart of God. In Malachi 3:17, the Lord speaks of individual believers; “And they shall be mine… in the day when I make up my jewels”.
 
21 And the twelve gates, twelve pearls; each one of the gates, respectively, was of one pearl; and the street of the city pure gold, as transparent glass. 
 
v.21 The Gates and Street. The pearl sets forth the preciousness of the church in Christ’s sight (Matt. 13:46). Pearls don’t come out of the earth, they come out of the sea. In the millennium there will be a display to every quarter of the world of the unity of the church, and her value in the eyes of Christ. Each gate was “of one pearl”. The unity of the church will never be dissolved. As various stones our individuality will always be preserved. The street is the practical walk of the believer. In that day the practical walk (street) will match the standing (city, v.18) of the church; i.e. divine righteousness. Also, there is only one street in the city, as there will be only one fellowship of the saints.
 

The Operation of the City: Fellowship with God and the Lamb (21:22-27)

The Church in the Millennium. The influence of Christ and the Church in the world during the Millennium will replace the influence of evil spirits in the world today. Today the demons are used by Satan to cause terrible trouble on earth. When Satan is bound, then the Church with come down from God out of heaven, and beam the light of God down on the earth. It is then that the nations, so far from being stirred up into restless activity, are healed by the leaves of the tree of life. The nations, says the Spirit, will “walk by her light”.43
 
22 And I saw no temple in it; for the Lord God Almighty is its temple, and the Lamb. 
 
v.22 No Temple. The fact that there is no temple shows the contrast between the earthly Jerusalem and the heavenly city. There will be a temple in the earthly city (Ezek. 41-44). In the holy city full and free access to God is equally granted to all, no priest or mediator is required. What takes the place of a temple is: (1) God in all His Old Testament names, and (2) the Lamb, who is the image and Word of God towards man.
 
23 And the city has no need of the sun nor of the moon, that they should shine for it; for the glory of God has enlightened it, and the lamp thereof is the Lamb. 
 
v.23 No External Illumination. Independent created lights (sun and moon) are for the earth (Gen. 1) and are not needed in the heavenly city. The glory of God has lit up the city, but the Lamb is the avenue by which the light is displayed. Always, the person of the Father is the source, but the Son is the tangible person of the Godhead. Stephen saw “the glory of God” and it was coincident with “Jesus standing… etc.”
 
24 And the nations shall walk by its light; and the kings of the earth bring their glory to it. 25 And its gates shall not be shut at all by day, for night shall not be there. 26 And they shall bring the glory and the honour of the nations to it. 
 
vv.24-26 A Reflected Light to the Nations. In this we get a clue that this is not the eternal state; there are no nations mentioned in the eternal state (vv.1-8) but they are present in the millennium. The heavenly city will provide divine wisdom and guidance to the nations, and in return the nations will do homage to the One who is the light of the city. As with any dispensation, there is supply (light) and demand (worship). The church will finally fulfill the purpose that it was placed here for, and in which she has failed so badly in the present dispensation (Phil. 2:15, Eph. 2:7). There are “gates” because it is a two-way stream; light and blessing going out, glory and worship coming in. This stream will never cease throughout the thousand years. “Night” or moral darkness may still exist on the earth, but not in the heavenly city. The Church will be the means of displaying God’s glory, but also the collector of the glory brought back to God from men on the earth. This will continue into the eternal state when there are no longer nations (Eph. 3:21). Note that it doesn’t say the nations come “into it”; there will still need to be separation from evil in the Millennium (v.27).
 
27 And nothing common, nor that maketh an abomination and a lie, shall at all enter into it; but those only who are written in the book of life of the Lamb. 
 
v.27 What Can and Cannot Enter. All the blessing that God will bring to the earth in the millennium will be without defilement. Today, the financial systems of men are based on greed and corruption in the name of desiring the greater good. This verse isn’t saying that sin will be expunged from the earth in the millennium, but that sin will have no fellowship with the church. On the other hand, the elect on earth will have free fellowship with the heavenly saints in that day.
 
The Earthly and Heavenly Cities. Millennial Jerusalem below is in many respects the counterpart of Jerusalem above. Both cities are seats of government. Both have twelve gates. Both have living waters, and both have trees of fruit and healing. However, in the earthly millennial Jerusalem the living waters issue from under the temple (Ezek. 47:1); whereas in the holy city the river flows from the throne. The river on earth parts into two heads, the river in heaven doesn’t part at all.
 

The River: The Blessing of God on the Earth Through the Church (22:1-5)

CHAPTER 22
And he shewed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal, going out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the midst of its street, and of the river, on this side and on that side, the tree of life, producing twelve fruits, in each month yielding its fruit; and the leaves of the tree for healing of the nations. 
 
vv.1-2 The River and Trees. The “river” is a clear reference to the river which “went out of Eden to water the garden” (Gen. 2:10). However, there is no parting of the river in the celestial city “into four heads”. The “water of life” speaks of the communion with the Father (God) and the Son (Lamb) that has always been the source and stay of eternal life (John 17:3). We have this water as believers; the present possession of eternal life and the Spirit as the enjoyment of it. The “throne” was previously connected with judgment (Rev. 4), but now it becomes the source of blessing… the fulfillment of the rainbow. The river runs along the street of gold, which confirms that the throne of God and the Lamb is in the city, and from it the river flows out to the world. The “tree of life” (Christ Himself) provides everything that is needed for the satisfaction of the saints (fruit) and for the blessing of the earth (leaves).
  1. The river brings refreshment (heavenly saints)
  2. The fruit brings sustenance (heavenly saints)
  3. The leaves bring healing (earthly nations, not required by the Church)
There are “twelve fruits”, which shows it is a provision from God that will be used in government and administration. Every month there will be a different a crop rather than one per year. This is perpetual fruitfulness. The nations are mentioned, indicating that we are still in the millennium.
 
3 And no curse shall be any more; and the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall (1) serve him, and they shall (2) see his face; and (3) his name is on their foreheads. 
 
vv.3-4 The Curse Lifted; The Throne and Servants. In the millennium, the curse pronounced in Gen. 3:14 will be removed. Not that sin will be removed, but the curse (Rom. 8:21). Very clearly we have the throne, the source of authority, in the city. This is the first time that we have a description of people in the city. All previous descriptions have been of inanimate objects such as the walls and gates. This class of “servants” is very broad, including all the heavenly saints from Old and New Testaments. Who does the “his” in “his servants” refer to? God and the Lamb are so united that the personal pronoun is used. It is God being revealed through the Lamb! Three things are said of the servants:
  1. They shall serve him – service to God is counted as privilege, motivated by pure love!
  2. The shall see his face – the face once marred for them (Isa. 52:11), to see it will produce heavenly joy!
  3. His name shall be in their foreheads – we will be publicly owned as belonging to Him!
5 And night shall not be any more, and no need of a lamp, and light of the sun; for the Lord God shall shine upon them, and they shall reign to the ages of ages. 
 
v.5 Reigning Servants. Physical and moral darkness will be banished from the heavenly city. Whether is be artificial light (a candle) or created light (the sun), all becomes obsolete when the Lord God shines upon the inhabitants of the city. The heavenly saints reign to the ages of ages, or the eternal state. This would be “reigning in life”, the fulfillment of Rom. 5:17. While the eternal state isn’t characterized by “reigning”, it is looked at as continuing forever, similar to how the millennial kingdom is looked at as lasting forever (Dan. 7:27). The millennium is the “front porch” (foyer) to the eternal state!
 
Genesis and Revelation: The end of Revelation connects with the beginning of Genesis in this section. Access to the tree of life was blocked by the cherubim and flaming sword in the garden (Gen. 3:24), but here access is unlimited to the redeemed. The river in Eden parted into four heads, this river never parts. Man’s sin brought the curse in Eden, God’s grace lifts the curse in the millennium. However, all sin is not removed until the eternal state. The following chart gives several comparisons.
 
In Genesis 2-3 In Revelation 22
A river that parted A river that doesn’t part
The tree of life guarded The tree of life unguarded
Leaves used to cover up Leaves used to heal
The curse instituted The curse removed
They hid themselves They see His face
Night and day No more night
 
  1. Darby, J.N. The Hopes of the Church of God. Lecture 2. Geneva, 1840.

Revelation 22:6-21

 
Closing Exhortations
Revelation 22:6-21
 
Three Announcements of Christ’s Coming. In this passage we get repeated proclamations of the coming of Christ. It is the coming of Christ, not the fulfillment of prophecy that we wait for! In each announcement we have a practical effect that it should have in the lives of believers. In v.7 the hope of His coming will cause us to treasure the word of God. In v.12 the hope of His coming will spur us into active service for Him, in light of the coming time of reward. In v.20 the hope of His coming will generate a response of love, and a desire to be in his presence. In each case, the word “quickly” is used, and it seems to refer to the second coming in a broad way, taking in the rapture and the appearing, as responsibility and reward are mentioned.
 
 

The Angel Authenticates the Prophecy (vv.6-7)

¶ 6 And he said to me, These words are faithful and true; and the Lord God of the spirits of the prophets has sent his angel to shew to his bondmen the things which must soon come to pass. 
 
v.6 Authentication. God Himself from His throne had uttered this statement (Rev. 21:5); and here it is echoed by an angel. “These words” are the entire book of Revelation. The “Lord God of the spirits of the prophets” – is the Lord identifying Himself as the One who designed the visions, and guided the pen of the old prophets. The student of prophecy shares a kindred spirit with every true prophet. The events will “soon come to pass”. The great matter of prophecy is about to be fulfilled (see v.10). There is a moral effect that these things should have in us. This verse has a strong similarity to Rev. 1:1, showing that it begins the conclusion.
 
7 And behold, I come quickly. Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. 
 
v.7 First Announcement of Christ’s Coming. This is the Lord Jesus Himself speaking, not the angel. There is an encouragement for the student of prophecy; “Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book”. In a sense this is the last message to the overcomer. We are to “keep” these things treasured in our hearts, and to allow them to have the proper moral effect on our lives. For example: the “great” harlot, the “great” city was judged, and as a result we should not seek “great” things for ourselves.
 

The Natural and Spiritual responses to the Revelation (vv.8-9)

¶ 8 And I, John, was he who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to do homage before the feet of the angel who shewed me these things. 9 And he says to me, See thou do it not. I am thy fellow-bondman, and the fellow-bondman of thy brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Do homage to God. 
 
vv.8-9 The Natural and Spiritual Response. John, in human weakness, overcome by the majesty of the vision, fails to lift his eyes to God. this is the second time that john has to be corrected for this error (Rev. 19:10). We need to not let our emotions in prophetic learning distract us from giving worship to God. We can have a tendency to worship “interesting” things in prophecy, rather than the Person of God and His Son. Also, we have a tendency to get occupied with the vessel the Lord uses to teach us truth. We must get our focus right. The elect angels (1 Tim. 5:21) refuse to allow men to worship them. Evil angels (Psa. 78:49) might let men worship them. The elect angels are “fellow-servants” in that they are subject to God as obedient creatures, just like redeemed men. All worship must be to God. This is the goal of all true prophecy.
 

The Nearness of the Second Coming (Rapture & Appearing) (vv.10-13)

¶ 10 And he says to me, Seal not the words of the prophecy of this book. The time is near. 
 
v.10 The Nearness of the Fulfillment of Revelation. John is told to “seal not” the words of Revelation. Compare this with Daniel 12:4, where Daniel was told to “shut up the words and seal the book”. The bulk of Old Testament prophecies would not be fulfilled for a long time when Daniel wrote, although a near-application would be fulfilled usually at the time of writing. But New Testament prophecies are on our doorstep. Daniel was given times, weeks of years, etc. but the church has never been given a timeline; the Lord’s coming is always looked at as “any-moment” (Heb. 10:37).
 
11 Let him that does unrighteously do unrighteously still; and let the filthy make himself filthy still; and let him that is righteous practise righteousness still; and he that is holy, let him be sanctified still. 
 
v.11 The “Freezing point” is Approaching. The time will come when our state will be fixed. The righteous won’t be able to change their state, and the filthy won’t be able to change their state, etc. For some it is the rapture, for others it is the time when antichrist emerges, for others it is the end of the millennium, and for others it is the moment of death. In eternity, there is a fixed state. Don’t wait! The window of time to change your state is closing!
 
12 Behold, I come quickly, and my reward with me, to render to every one as his work shall be. 
 
v.12 Nearness of Christ’s Return: Reward In View. From v.12 on to the end the Lord takes over and speaks directly to His people. Most see this “reward” as the judgement seat of Christ after the rapture, but it may also include rewards in the millennium.
 
13 “I” am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. 
 
v.13 The Sufficiency of Christ. Three expressions that declare the sufficiency of Christ:
  1. Alpha and Omega – He is the embodiment of all that God has to say
  2. First and Last – He is the embodiment of all that God is in His character
  3. Beginning and End – He is the embodiment of all that God is doing

The Requirement to Enjoy the Sphere of Blessing (vv.14-15)

¶ 14 Blessed are they that wash their robes, that they may have right to the tree of life, and that they should go in by the gates into the city. 
 
v.14 Those Who Enter the City: Washed Robes. There are seven “blessings” in Revelation (see note). This is the final blessing. The expression found is some English translations “that do his commandments” is an artifact of the poor quality of the textus receptus for the book of Revelation (see note). It is the application of the blood which gives title to the tree of life and fellowship (“go in by the gates”) with the glorified church (the city), in the midst of which are God and the Lamb. The same cleansing blood gave the white-robed crowd right to stand before the throne (Rev. 7:15). Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
 
15 Without are the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the fornicators, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and every one that loves and makes a lie. 
 
v.15 Without the City: Six Classes. Outside the city are six classes of sinners. “Dogs” are the unclean persons who have refused the offer of salvation, and are entrenched in their evil ways. We find a similar list in Rev. 21:8, but there it lists those who will be sent to the Lake of fire. The word for “sorcerers” here is really “pharmakois” (only found elsewhere in Rev. 21:8), or “drugger”, or “druggist”. We might think of drug-dealers today. All these are “without” – outside the sphere of blessing.
 

Christ’s Return Welcomed by the Church (v.16)

¶ 16 “I” Jesus have sent mine angel to testify these things to you in the assemblies. (1) “I” am the root and offspring of David, (2) the bright and morning star. 
 
v.16 Jesus as Object of Old and New Testament. Jesus, the Lord’s name as man, addresses these things to those in local assemblies. These things are very practical. He presents Himself as:
  1. The object of Old Testament revelation: His connection with Israel in royalty. As divine He is the Root of David’s house. As man He is the Offspring of David. He is David’s Lord and David’s Son (Matt. 22:41-46). It is the bride’s desire for the kingdom glory of Christ.
  2. The object of New Testament revelation: His special relationship to the Church. Before the Millennial day dawns, before the Sun of Righteousness arises to in noon-day splendor (Mal. 4:2), before the judgments preceding the dawn, Jesus appears as the Bright and Morning Star to His bride. May He (the Person) arise as such in our hearts (2 Pet. 1:19)!
The Church responds to the Lord in both these characters. It is incorrect to say that the Church has no interest in Christ as the “root and offspring of David”, as if Israel alone looks for Him in that character. In reality both of those things are said to the seven churches of Asia. In other words, Christ having His rightful place as the Son of David is as much a part of the church’s hope as the rapture. Paul’s revelation of the rapture in no way diminishes our looking for and longing for the appearing of Christ. Christians are to be those that “love His appearing” (2 Tim. 4:8).
 
17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that hears say, Come. And let him that is athirst come; he that will, let him take the water of life freely. 
 
v.17 Calls to “Come”. The church hears the voice of her Beloved, and responds to Christ. The desire of the bride jointly with the Spirit is that the Savior would come.44 The Spirit’s voice is joined with the bride in saying, “Come”. This shows that the bride is completely in tune with the Spirit. The church today has largely given up the hope of the Lord’s coming, but Spirit is still working to stir up our affections. In Gen. 24 the servant seeks out the bride in a far country, speaks to her of the bridegroom, and leads her across the wilderness. The servant pictures the Spirit of God as the Comforter. Look at Gen 24:64-65. For this reason, we feel that the Spirit will leave the world with the church at the rapture, and will always be with her. In the latter half of the verse, the Lord Jesus speaks again, now inviting individuals to come to Him for blessing:
  1. “Him that heareth – one privileged to hear the word of God, the Lord’s voice in the scripture, is invited to join in the cry, saying to others “Come”.
  2. “Him that is athirst – one without intelligence, but a felt need for God, invited to “come” to God for blessing.
  3. “Whosoever will – even the slightest turning in the heart toward God will be rewarded by eternal streams of joy and blessing without price.

Warnings About Tampering With the Word of God (vv.18-19)

¶ 18 “I” testify to every one who hears the words of the prophecy of this book, If any one shall add to these things, God shall add to him the plagues which are written in this book. 19 And if any one take from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book. 
 
vv.18-19 Tampering With the Word of God. These verses are addressing those who are unbelievers, but they should also warn us to be careful in handling the word of God (see John 10:35, Prov. 30:5). The two pitfalls of the human heart are here divulged:
  1. Adding to the word – aligns with superstition and ritualism
  2. Subtracting from the word – aligns with skepticism and rationalism
“This book is specifically the book of Revelation, but it certainly applies to the whole Bible. This warning is not limited to those who deny inspired portions of the Word, or add non-cononical books, etc. It says “things” as well as “words”. If someone flatly denies truths in this book, or blatantly adds truths that are not of God, they will miss out on the blessings, and inherit the cursings of the book of Revelation. It should be translated tree of life not “book of life”. the last six verses of this chapter were retranslated by Erasmus from Latin back into Greek to complete the text. Therefore, in the authorized version, the text of Rev. 22:16-21 has gone from Greek to Latin, back to to Greek, and finally to English! However, in spite of the warning, it shows that God’s heart is for every person to have a part of the tree of life. Those who corrupt the word of God will lose their part.
 

Closing Words (vv.20-21)

¶ 20 He that testifies these things says, Yea, I come quickly. Amen; come, Lord Jesus. 
 
¶ 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with all the saints. 
 
vv.20-21 The Last Promise, the Last Prayer, the Last Provision. The last promise in the Word of God is made that the Lord Hims