|
You may ask about the Lord's Olivet
discourse on Daniels' prophecy in Matthew
24. See Ellis Skolfield's excellent
answer here
Read more: here
Read this free
ebook by Ellis Skolfield about the above.
It's called, "The
False Prophet". Read "Muhammad,
Terrorist or Prophet?"
 Book
27 - BOOK OF REVELATION
With people, places, definitions, map
......
In 2 Parts
Writer: The
apostle John in exile
Date: EITHER c
AD68-70 following the persecutions
of Emperor Nero, but before the
destruction of Jerusalem in AD70; OR c
AD90-95 during the persecutions
attributed to Emperor Domitian at
the end of his reign AD81-96
Where written: The
Aegean island of Patmos off the west
coast of Asia Minor
Reader: The
seven named churches of Asia, and
the entire Church of Christ
Why: An apocalyptic book
describing the revelation Jesus
Christ gave to John. The beginning
of the Bible (Genesis 1-11) is a
prologue describing the downfall of
mankind and his separation from God.
Revelation is an epilogue in which
God and man are reconciled through
Christ
Apocalyptic -
Greek for "uncover",
"reveal". The revealing of
great or violent events and
especially the end of the
world, often described in
Jewish apocalyptic
literature. The word is
applied especially to the
Book of Revelation which
bears comparison with the
Old Testament Books of
Daniel and parts of Isaiah,
Ezekiel and Zechariah.
According to Some Modern
Scholarship: Written towards
the end of the 1st century by a
close companion of John known as
John the Elder, or by another
follower. The earlier date of c
AD68-70 for the apostle John
would help account for the
differences in style and
language between Revelation and
the later Gospel of John
Revelation was written .....
To
warn and encourage the churches of
Asia as they underwent internal
problems and external persecution
within the Roman Empire (chapters
1:1-3:22). It then describes how
Jesus Christ the Lamb of God is the
"instrument" of:
(1) God's
judgment on the whole universe
(chapters 4:1-19:10);
(2) The
final defeat of evil (chapters
19:11-20:15), and:
(3) The
coming of a new heaven and a new
earth - the new Jerusalem
(chapters 21:1-22:5).
It closes with Christ's
final appeal to all mankind
(chapter 22:6-21).
In
the Book, John describes a series of
highly symbolic, mainly Old
Testament-type visions, many of
which incorporate the sacred and
perfect number "seven" - seven
churches, seven seals, seven
trumpets, seven angels, seven last
plagues. Much of the Book appears to
be in sequence but many of the
events may overlap. Some of the
contents and characters seem
straightforward; others are
confusing and difficult to
understand.
The attempts to interpret
Revelations are beyond measure
but here the aim is simply to
clarify how the different stages
in the Book develop and to
identify the variety of
"beings", objects and events the
reader encounters.
In making sense of the Book, it can
prove helpful to view it at three
levels:
(1) John
wrote Revelation when the
seemingly all-powerful Roman
Empire with its cult of
emperor-worship was persecuting
the followers of Jesus Christ.
It was also widely expected that
the dead emperor Nero would come
back to life to take revenge
against the Rome he once ruled.
The Book is therefore a product
of that period in world history
2,000 years ago;
(2) How
mankind behaved and ruled in
Roman times is no different from
any other period in human
history in any other part of the
world, right through to the end
of time - whether the empire or
way of life is Ancient Indian,
Chinese, Persian, Islamic, Holy
Roman, Incan, Napoleonic,
British, modern American,
European, Pacific, world
government, or some other form
of future empire. Certainly the
parallels between Rome and the
present are striking;
(3) Most
importantly, God is sovereign.
He will destroy all forms of
evil in his own time and
everyone will face a final
judgement. Only faith in Jesus
Christ can give us life to the
full on earth, no matter what
trials we may go through,
followed by eternal life with
Him in heaven - the new
Jerusalem.
However in keeping with this
arrangement of the New Testament,
the reader is recommended to read
Revelation not as a book to be
analysed and understood, but as a
spiritual book to feed upon, and
through it, to better understand the
power of God and the place of Jesus
Christ in his scheme of things.
Later, he or she can study the Book
knowing they will never plumb its
depths nor make much difference to
their Christian lives.
More likely, they could find
themselves "engaging in stupid
arguments, genealogies,
controversies and quarrels (over
the Law)" that Paul warned Titus
to avoid.
As Paul continued "They settle
nothing and lead nowhere" (Titus
3:9-10).
Map - John Writes to Seven
Churches in the Province of
Asia
Map Key:
Letter from 1 to 2
Part 1 of 2, chapters
1-11
I - PROLOGUE
GOD CHOOSES JOHN TO RECEIVE AND
TESTIFY TO THE REVELATION OF JESUS
CHRIST
Revelation 1:1-3 -
This is a Revelation from Jesus
Christ, which God gave him (Christ) so
that he might show his servants (such
as John) what
must very soon take place. He made
it known by sending his angel to his
servant John, who is the witness of
all that he saw - the message of
God, and the testimony of Jesus
Christ.
Happy is the man who reads this
prophecy (...
the Book of Revelation) and
happy are those who hear it read and
pay attention to its message; for
the time is near (when
God will judge the world and
establish his kingdom on earth. As
this has not yet happened, this
suggests that some of the visions in
Revelation represent events that
have already taken place, some refer
to events that subsequently existed
or continue to exist in the world,
and others to events that have yet
to happen).
JOHN'S GREETINGS TO THE SEVEN
CHURCHES IN THE PROVINCE OF ASIA
Revelation 1:4-6 -
John (normally
living in Ephesus and ministering to
the Christians of Asia),
to the seven Churches in Asia:
Grace
and peace be to you from him who is
and who was and who is coming (...
God the eternal Father),
from the seven Spirits before his
throne (...
possibly the Holy Spirit described
as an Old Testament-type sevenfold
Spirit),
and from Jesus Christ the faithful
witness, first-born of the dead, and
ruler of kings upon earth (...
Jesus Christ the Son).
To him who loves us and has set us
free from our sins through his own
blood, who has made us a kingdom of
priests to his God and Father, to
him be glory and power for timeless
ages, amen.
THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS
Revelation 1:7-8 -
See, he is coming in the clouds and
every eye shall see him, even those
who pierced him, and his coming will
mean bitter sorrow to every tribe
upon the earth. So let it be!
"I am
Alpha and Omega (the
first and last letters of the Greek
alphabet, the beginning and the end,
the alphabet from which all words,
the Word, are formed),
says the Lord God, "who is and who
was and who is coming, the
Almighty."
II -THE FIRST VISION OF CHRIST
JOHN RECEIVES HIS FIRST COMMAND
FROM JESUS TO WRITE TO THE SEVEN
CHURCHES IN ASIA
Revelation 1:9-11 -
I, John, who am your brother and
your companion in the distress (and
persecution),
the kingdom and the faithful
endurance to which Jesus calls us,
was on the island called Patmos (as
an exile) because
I had spoken God's message and borne
witness to Jesus. On the Lord's day (a
Sunday) I
knew myself inspired by the Spirit,
and I heard from behind me a voice
loud as a trumpet-call saying,
"Write down in a book what you see (in
a series of visions),
and send it to the seven Churches -
to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum,
Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and
Laodicea! (lying
on a clockwise circular route from
Ephesus on the coast to Laodicea
inland)"
HE DESCRIBES THE AWESOME APPEARANCE
OF JESUS CHRIST
Revelation 1:12-16 -
I turned to see whose voice it was
that was speaking to me and when I
had turned I saw seven golden lamp
stands (representing
the seven churches, in turn
representative of all churches),
and among these lampstands I saw
someone
'like a Son of Man' (Daniel
7:13).
He (Christ,
now described in essentially Old
Testament priestly terms) was
dressed in a long robe with a golden
girdle around his breast; his head
and his hair were white as
snow-white wool, his eyes blazed
like fire, and his feet shone as the
finest bronze glows in the furnace.
His voice had the sound of a great
waterfall, and I saw that in his
right hand he held seven stars (representing
the angels, or possibly guardians or
leaders of the seven churches).
A sharp two-edged sword came out of
his mouth, and his face was ablaze
like the sun at its height.
CHRIST REPEATS HIS INSTRUCTIONS,
AND EXPLAINS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF
THE STARS AND LAMPSTANDS
Revelation 1:17-20 -
When my eyes took in this sight I
fell at his feet like a dead man.
And then he (Christ) placed
his right hand upon me and said, "Do
not be afraid. I am the first and
the last, the living one. I am he
who was dead, and now you see me
alive for timeless ages! I hold in
my hand the keys of death and the
grave. Therefore, write down what
you have seen, both the things which
are now, and the things which are to
be hereafter. The secret meaning of
the seven stars which you saw in my
right hand, and of the seven golden
lampstands is this: the seven stars
are the angels of the seven Churches
and the lampstands are the Churches
themselves."
III - SEVEN COVERING LETTERS
TO THE CHURCHES OF ASIA
FORMAT OF THE LETTERS
All seven named churches
receive the entire Book
of Revelation, but each
with its own covering
letter. Each letter is
in three parts
|
(Part 1) |
A greeting from
Christ, using some
of the imagery of
chapter 1, to the
"angel" of that
church - possibly
the guardian or
leader
|
|
(Part 2) |
A summary of the
church's strengths
and weaknesses,
together with
encouragements and
warnings. The
problems
collectively faced
are both
internal - false
prophets and
teachers, lack
of love for God
and each other,
sexual
immorality,
apathy and
complacency and
external -
paganism, Roman
emperor-worship,
Jewish
hostility,
persecution.
As so often in human
affairs, most of the
problems are
internal, with the
possible exceptions
of Smyrna and
Philadelphia
|
|
(Part 3) |
A closing promise of
the rewards for
those individual
Christians who
endure the trials
their churches face
|
|
TO THE CHURCH IN EPHESUS -
STEADFAST, BUT LACKING IN LOVE
- Ephesus is already known from
Paul's visit there (Acts
17:19-21), his three year stay
(Acts 19), and his Letter to the
Ephesians:
Revelation 2:1-7 - (Part
1) "Write
this to the angel of the Church in
Ephesus: 'These words are spoken by
the one who holds the seven stars
safe in his right hand, and who
walks among the seven golden
lampstands. ....
(Part 2) ...
I know what you have done; I know
how hard you have worked and what
you have endured. I know that you
will not tolerate wicked men (...
false teachers),
that you have put to the test
self-styled 'apostles', who are
nothing of the sort, and have found
them to be liars. I know your powers
of endurance - how you have suffered
for the sake of my name and have not
grown weary. But I hold this (internal
problem) against
you, that you do not love as you did
at first. Remember then how far you
have fallen. Repent and live as you
lived at first. Otherwise, if your
heart remains unchanged, I shall
come to you and remove your
lampstand from its place.
Yet
you have this to your credit, that
you hate the practices of the
Nicolaitans (little
is known of them, and there is no
reason to link them with Nicolas of
Antioch, one of the first deacons,
Acts 6:5),
which I myself detest. ...
(Part 3) ...
Let every listener hear what the
Spirit says to the Churches: 'To the
victorious I will give the right to
eat from the tree of life which
grows in the paradise of God.'
TO THE CHURCH IN SMYRNA - TROUBLED
AND POOR, BUT RICH IN SPIRIT
Revelation 2:8-11 - (Part
1) "Write
this to the angel of the Church in
Smyrna: 'These words are spoken by
the first and the last, who died and
came to life again. ...
(Part
2) ...
I know of your tribulation and of
your poverty - though in fact you
are rich! I know how you are
slandered by those who call
themselves Jews, but in fact are no
Jews but a synagogue of Satan (because
they reject Christ as the Jewish
messiah of prophecy).
Have no fear of what you will
suffer. I tell you now that the
devil is going to cast some of your
number into prison where your faith
will be tested and your distress
will last for ten days (...
symbolically a short period).
Be faithful in the face of death and
I will give you the crown of life.
...
(Part 3) ...
Let every listener hear what the
Spirit says to the Churches: 'The
victorious cannot suffer the
slightest hurt from the second death (when
mankind is finally judged).'
TO THE CHURCH IN PERGAMUM -
FAITHFUL, BUT SOME FOLLOW FALSE
AND IMMORAL TEACHING
Revelation 2:12-17 - (Part
1) "Write
this to the angel of the Church in
Pergamum: 'These words are spoken by
him who has the sharp two-edged
sword. ...
(Part
2) ...
I know where you live - where Satan
sits enthroned (...
a large altar to the god Zeus
dominated Pergamum, which was also a
centre of Roman emperor-worship).
I know that you hold fast to my name
and that you never denied your faith
in me even in the days when Antipas (an
early named Christian martyr, about
whom nothing more is known),
my faithful witness, was martyred
before your eyes in the very house
of Satan.
Yet I
have a few things (of
an internal nature) against
you - some of your number cling to
the teaching of Balaam, the man who
taught Balak (king
of Moab) how
to entice the children of Israel
into eating meat sacrificed to idols
and into sexual immorality (...
the full story of Balaam is found in
Numbers 22-24 and summarised in
Numbers 31:16).
I have also against you the fact
that among your number are some who
hold just as closely to the teaching
of the Nicolaitans(as
in the Ephesus church).
Repent then, or else I shall come to
you quickly and make war upon them
with the sword of my mouth. ...
(Part
3) ...
Let the listener hear what the
Spirit says to the Churches: 'I will
give the victorious some of the
hidden manna, and I will also give
him a white stone with a new name
written upon it which no man knows
except the man who receives it.
TO THE CHURCH IN THYATIRA -
HARD-WORKING, BUT SOME REMAIN PAGANS
- Thyatira was the home town of
Lydia, converted by Paul in
Philippi (Acts 16:14):
Revelation 2:18-29 - (Part
1) "Write
this to the angel of the Church in
Thyatira: 'These are the words of
the Son of God whose eyes blaze like
fire and whose feet shine like the
finest bronze: ...
(Part 2) ...
I know what you have done. I know of
your love and your loyalty, your
service and your endurance.
Moreover, I know that you are doing
more than you did at first. But I
have this (internal
problem) against
you, that you tolerate that woman
Jezebel who calls herself a
prophetess
(.. apparently a local woman who is
a contemporary version of the pagan
wife of King Ahab who seduced Israel
into idolatry and immorality. The
story of Ahab and Jezebel can be
found in 1 Kings 16:29-22:40, and
Jezebel's fate in 2 Kings 9:30-37),
but who by her teaching deceives my
servants into sexual immorality and
eating idols'-meat. I have given her
time to repent but she has shown no
desire to repent of her immorality.
See, now, how I throw her into bed
and her lovers with her, and I will
send them terrible suffering unless
they repent of what she has done. As
for her children (or
followers),
I shall strike them dead. Then all
the Churches will know that I am the
one who searches men's hearts and
minds, and that I will reward each
one of you according to your deeds.
But
for the rest of you at Thyatira, who
do not hold this teaching, and have
not learned what they call 'the deep
things of Satan' (..
a secret, and it was claimed,
superior knowledge of God known as
Gnosticism - a major Christian
heresy),
I will lay no further burden upon
you, except that you hold on to what
you have until I come (...
the burden John is referring to, is
the guidelines laid down for Gentile
converts at the Council at
Jerusalem, Acts 15:28-29. John was
no doubt present when they were
drawn up)!
(Part 3) To
the one who is victorious, who
carries out my work to the end, I
will give authority over the
nations, just as I myself have
received authority from my Father,
and I will give him the morning
star.
'He shall rule them with a rod
of iron; as the potter's vessels
shall be broken to pieces' (Psalm
2:9).
Let
the listener hear what the Spirit
says to the Churches.
TO THE CHURCH IN SARDIS - APPARENTLY
ALIVE, BUT MAINLY DEAD
Revelation 3:1-6 - (Part
1) "Write
this to the angel of the Church in
Sardis: 'These are the words of him
who holds in his hand the seven
Spirits of God and the seven stars:
...
(Part 2) ...
I know what you have done, that you
have a reputation for being alive,
but that in fact (your
problems are internal, and ...) you
are dead. Now wake up! Strengthen
what you still have before it dies!
For I have not found any of your
deeds complete in the sight of my
God. Remember then what you were
given and what you were taught. Hold
to those things and repent. If you
refuse to wake up, then I will come
to you like a thief, and you will
have no idea of the hour of my
coming.
Yet
you still have a few names in Sardis
of people who have not soiled their
garments. They shall walk with me in
white (...
a symbol of purity),
for they have deserved to do so. ...
(Part 3) ...
The victorious shall wear such white
garments, and never will I erase his
name from the book of life. Indeed,
I will speak his name openly in the
presence of my Father and of his
angels. Let the listener hear what
the Spirit says to the Churches.
TO THE CHURCH IN PHILADELPHIA - WEAK
IN POWER, BUT LOYAL
Revelation 3:7-13 - (Part
1) "Then
write this to the angel of the
Church in Philadelphia: These are
the words of the holy one and the
true,
'He who has the key of David. He
who opens and no one shuts, and
shuts and no one opens' (Isaiah
22:22).
(Part 2) I
know what you have done. See, I have
given you a door flung wide open,
which no man can close! For you have
some little power and have been
faithful to my message and have not
denied my name. See how I deal with
those of Satan's synagogue, who
claim to be Jews, yet are no Jews
but liars (...
as in Smyrna, persecution came from
local Jews, not pagan Gentiles)!
Watch how I make them come and bow
down before your feet and
acknowledge that I have loved you.
Because you have obeyed my call to
patient endurance I will keep you
safe from the hour of trial which is
to come upon the whole world, to
test all who live upon the earth. I
am coming soon; hold fast to what
you have - let no one deprive you of
your crown. ...
(Part 3) ...
As for the victorious, I will make
him a pillar in the Temple of my
God, and he will never leave it. I
will write upon him the name of my
God, and the name of the city of my
God, the new Jerusalem which comes
down out of Heaven from my God. And
I will write upon him my own new
name. Let the listener hear what the
Spirit says to the Churches.
TO THE CHURCH IN LAODICEA - WORLDLY
SUCCESSFUL, AND COMPLACENT
- Laodicea is referred to in
Paul's Letter to the Colossians,
4:15-16:
Revelation 3:14-22 - (Part
1) "Then
write this to the angel of the
Church in Laodicea: 'These are the
words of the Amen, the faithful and
true witness, the beginning of God's
creation: ...
(Part 2) ...
I know what you have done, and that
you are neither cold nor hot (as
a church).
I could wish that you were either
cold or hot! but since you are
lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I
intend to spit you out of my mouth!
While you say, 'I am rich, I have
prospered, and there is nothing that
I need', you have no eyes to see
that you are wretched, pitiable,
poverty-stricken, blind and naked (in
God's sight).
My advice to you is to buy from me
that gold which is purified in the
furnace so that you may be rich, and
white garments to wear so that you
may hide the shame of your
nakedness, and salve to put on your
eyes to make you see. All those whom
I love I correct and discipline.
Therefore, shake off your
complacency and repent. See, I stand
knocking at the door. If anyone
listens to my voice and opens the
door, I will go into his house, and
dine with him, and he with me. ...
(Part 3) ...
As for the victorious, I will give
him the honour of sitting beside me
on my throne, just as I myself have
won the victory and have taken my
seat beside my Father on his throne.
Let the listener hear what the
spirit says to the Churches."
|
Revelations continues with
vision's of God's judgements
and the defeat of evil:
SUMMARY OF THIS CENTRAL
PART OF REVELATION
Chapters 4:1-19:10
The seven letters to the
churches of Asia are
followed by GOD'S
JUDGMENT ON THE UNIVERSE.
The heart of this major
section is three sets of
sevenfold judgments:
(1) The opening of Seven
Seals (chapters
6:1-8:1);
(2) The sounding of Seven
Trumpets (chapters
8:7-11:15);
(3) The pouring out of Seven
Plagues (chapters
16:2-16:21);
Sometimes preceding,
sometimes interposed within,
sometimes following these
judgments are a variety of
other visions and deeds:
(1) The opening of Seven
Seals (chapters
6:1-8:1):
- The opening of the
First Seal (6:1) is
preceded by John's
vision of heaven and the
Revelation that only
Christ, the lamb of God
is worthy to open all
Seven Seals (4:1-5:14);
- Before the Seventh
Seal is opened (8:1),
there is an interlude in
which the Jews of Israel
and a multitude of
mankind are marked or
identified for rescue
before God's final
judgment (7:1-17);
(2) The sounding of Seven
Trumpets (chapters
8:7-11:15):
- Before the First
Trumpet sounds (8:7), an
angel appears with an
incense burner. The
incense and the prayers
of the saints rise up
before God (8:2-6).
- Before the Seventh
Trumpet (11:15), another
angel hands John a
"little book" to eat and
he is told to prophesy
(10:1-11). The Temple is
measured (11:1-2), two
witnesses are killed by
Satan but taken up into
heaven (11:3-12), and an
earthquake takes place
(11:13-14);
(3) The pouring out of Seven
Plagues (chapters
16:2-16:21):
- After the Last Trumpet
sounds (11:15) but
before the First Plague
is poured out (16:2),
there are a number of
major visions:
11:16-19 - God is
worshipped and the
ark of the covenant
revealed;
12:1-17 - A woman
and a dragon appear;
the dragon attempts
to destroy her;
13:1-18 - Two beasts
appear - one from
the sea, one from
the earth;
14:1-20 - The
Christians saved in
heaven are
described; six
angels make a series
of pronouncements;
15:1-16:1 - Seven
more angels prepare
to pour out seven
plagues:
- Between the Sixth
Plague (16:12) and the
Seventh (16:17-21) a
great struggle, the
Battle of Armageddon
takes place (16:13-16)
- The pouring out of the
Last Plague leads to the
Fall of "Babylon" and
approaching victory for
those Christians who
endured (17:1-19:10)
The Conclusion of
Revelation, Chapters
19:11-22:21 has its own Introduction
|
IV - VISION OF HEAVEN
THE THRONE OF GOD
JOHN'S VISION - THE THRONE OF GOD,
THE 24 ELDERS, THE SEVEN SPIRITS
Revelation 4:1-6a -
Later I looked again, and before my
eyes a door stood open in Heaven,
and in my ears was the voice with
the ring of a trumpet, which I had
heard at first, speaking to me and
saying, "Come up here, and I will
show you what must happen in the
future."
Immediately I knew myself to be
inspired by the Spirit, and in my
vision I saw a throne had been set
up in Heaven, and there was someone
seated upon the throne. His
appearance (could
not be described in human terms, but
...) blazed
like diamond and topaz, and all
around the throne shone a halo like
an emerald rainbow. In a circle
around the throne (of
God) there
were twenty-four thrones and seated
upon them twenty-four elders (...
possibly 12 patriarchs and 12
apostles representing the entire
Church and all mankind saved by God) dressed
in white with golden crowns upon
their heads. From the central throne
come flashes of lightning, noises
and peals of thunder. Seven lamps
are burning before the throne, and
they are the seven Spirits (or
sevenfold Holy Spirit) of
God. In front of the throne there
appears a sea of glass as clear as
crystal.
THE FOUR LIVING CREATURES, WHO WITH
THE 24 ELDERS WORSHIP GOD ETERNALLY
Revelation 4:6b-11 -
On each side, encircling the throne,
are four living creatures (or
"beings", perhaps representing all
living creation) covered
with eyes in front and behind. ...
- The four living creatures are
similar in appearance to the
Cherubim (heavenly angels) of
Ezekiel 1 and 10, and the
Seraphim (heavenly beings or
attendants) of Isaiah 6 in the
Old Testament -
...
The first living creature is like a
lion, the second is like a calf, the
third has a face like a man, and the
fourth living creature appears like
an eagle in flight. These four
creatures have each of them six
wings and are covered with eyes, all
around them, and even within them.
Day and night they never cease to
say, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord
God, the Almighty, who was and who
is and who is coming."
The ceaseless worship of Heaven
And
whenever the living creatures give
glory and honour and thanksgiving to
the one (God) who
sits upon the throne, who lives for
timeless ages, the twenty-four
elders prostrate themselves before
him who is seated upon the throne
and worship the one who lives for
timeless ages. They cast their
crowns before the throne and say,
"You are worthy, O Lord, to receive
glory and honour and power, for you
created all things and by your will
they exist and were created."
THE
SEVEN-SEALED BOOK, AND JESUS THE
LAMB OF GOD
THE BOOK WITH SEVEN SEALS IN
GOD'S HAND; THE CALL FOR ONE
WORTHY TO OPEN IT; THE LION OF
JUDAH IS PROCLAIMED WORTHY
Revelation 5:1-5 -
Then I noticed in the right hand of
the one (God) seated
upon the throne a book (presumably
containing the world's destiny -
God's final judgment) filled
with writing both inside and on its
back, and it was sealed with seven
seals. And I saw a mighty angel who
called out in a loud voice, "Who is
fit to open the book and break its
seals (and
release God's judgments)?"
And
no one in Heaven or upon the earth
or under the earth was able to open
the book, or even to look at it. I (John) began
to weep bitterly because no one
could be found fit to open the book,
or even to look at it, when one of
the elders said to me, "Do not weep.
See, the lion from the tribe of
Judah (...
one of Christ's titles),
the root of David, has won the
victory and is able to open the book
and break its seven seals."
JOHN'S VISION OF THE SACRIFICED
LAMB WHO TAKES THE BOOK; THE
CREATURES AND ELDERS WORSHIP HIM
- Christ appears not as a mighty
king but as the gentle,
slaughtered Lamb of God:
Revelation 5:6-10 -
Then, standing in the very centre of
the throne and of the four living
creatures and of the elders, I saw a
Lamb that seemed to have been
slaughtered. He had seven horns and
seven eyes (symbolically
holding all power and all wisdom
respectively),
which are the seven Spirits (Holy
Spirit) of
God and are sent out into every
corner of the earth. Then he (the
Lamb) came
and took the book from the right
hand of him (God) who
was seated upon the throne.
The new hymn of the created and
of the redeemed
When
he had taken the book, the four
living creatures and the twenty-four
elders prostrated themselves before
the Lamb. Each of them had a harp,
and they had golden bowls full of
incense, which are the prayers of
the saints. They sang a new song and
these are the words they sang, "You (Jesus
Christ, the Lamb of God) are
worthy to take the scroll, and to
open its seals; for you were slain,
and have redeemed us to God by your
blood out of every tribe and tongue
and people and nation, and have made
us kings and priests to our God; and
we shall reign on the earth."
THE WHOLE OF CREATION PRAISES AND
WORSHIPS THE LAMB
Revelation 5:11-14 -
Then in my vision I heard the voices
of many angels encircling the
throne, the living creatures and the
elders. There were myriads of
myriads and thousands of thousands,
crying in a great voice, "Worthy is
the Lamb who was slain to receive
power and riches and wisdom, and
strength and honour and glory and
blessing!"
Then
I heard the voice of everything
created in Heaven, upon earth, under
the earth and upon the sea, and all
that are in them saying, "Blessing
and honour and glory and power be to
him who sits on the throne, and to
the Lamb, for ever and ever!"
The
four living creatures said, "Amen",
while the elders fell down and
worshipped.
V - THE SEVEN SEALS ARE
BROKEN
THE LAMB BREAKS THE FIRST
FOUR SEALS - THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF
THE APOCALYPSE ARE RELEASED
- The first horseman
represents the desire for empire
and power, leading on to war,
famine, and death:
THE FIRST SEAL IS BROKEN BY THE
LAMB - A WHITE
HORSE APPEARS,
ITS RIDER "CONQUEST"
Revelation 6:1-2 -
Then I watched while the Lamb broke
one of the seven seals, and I heard
one of the four living creatures say
in a voice of thunder, "Come out!"
I
looked, and before my eyes was a
white horse. Its rider carried a
bow, and he was given a crown. He
rode out conquering and bent on
conquest (empire
and domination).
THE SECOND SEAL IS BROKEN - A
RED HORSE,
THE RIDER "WAR"
Revelation 6:3-4 -
Then, when the Lamb broke the second
seal, I heard the second living
creature, cry, "Come out!"
And
another horse came forth, red in
colour. Its rider was given power to
deprive the earth of peace, so that
men should kill each other. A huge
sword was put into his hand.
THE THIRD SEAL - A
BLACK HORSE, "FAMINE"
Revelation 6:5-6 -
When the Lamb broke the third seal,
I heard the third living creature
say, "Come out!"
I
looked again and there before my
eyes was a black horse. Its rider
had a pair of scales in his hand,
and I heard a voice which seemed to
come from the four living creatures,
saying, "A quart of wheat for a
shilling, and three quarts of barley
for a shilling (...
a day's wages for one man's food for
a day) -
but no tampering with the oil or the
wine!"
THE FOURTH SEAL - A
SICKLY GREEN HORSE,
"DEATH"
Revelation 6:7-8 -
Then, when he broke the fourth seal
I heard the voice of the fourth
living creature cry, "Come out!"
Again
I looked, and there appeared a horse
sickly green in colour. The name of
its rider was death (from
the disease and pestilence that
follows hard on the heels of famine),
and the grave (Hades
or hell) followed
close behind him. A quarter of the
earth was put into their power, to
kill with the sword, by famine, by
violence, and through the wild
beasts of the earth.
THE LAMB BREAKS THE FIFTH
AND SIXTH SEALS
- The cries of the martyrs and
the release of cosmic forces:
THE FIFTH SEAL - THE MARTYRS OF GOD
CRY OUT FOR JUSTICE
Revelation 6:9-11 -
When the Lamb (of
God) broke
the fifth seal, I could see, beneath
the altar, the souls of those (martyrs) who
had been killed for the sake of the
Word of God (the
Gospel of Christ) and
because of the faithfulness of their
witness. They cried out in a loud
voice, saying, "How long, O Lord,
holy and true, until you judge and
avenge our blood on those who dwell (in
prosperity) on
the earth?"
Then
each of them was given a white robe,
and they were told to be patient a
little longer, until the number of
their fellow-servants and of their
brethren, who were to die as they
had died, should be complete.
THE SIXTH SEAL - UNIVERSAL
CATASTROPHE; MANKIND, IN TERROR,
HIDES FROM THE ANGER OF GOD AND
THE LAMB
Revelation 6:12-17 -
Then I watched while he (the
Lamb) broke
the sixth seal. There was a
tremendous earthquake, the sun
turned dark like coarse black cloth,
and the full moon was red as blood.
The stars of the sky fell upon the
earth, just as a fig-tree sheds
unripe figs when shaken in a gale.
The sky vanished as though it were a
scroll being rolled up, and every
mountain and island was jolted out
of its place. Then the kings of the
earth, and the great men, the
captains, the wealthy, the powerful,
and every man, whether slave or
free, hid themselves in caves and
among mountain rocks. They called
out to the mountains and the rocks,
"Fall on us and hide us from the
face of him who sits on the throne
and from the wrath of the Lamb! For
the great day of his wrath has come,
and who is able to stand against
it?"
INTERLUDE - VISION BEFORE
THE SEVENTH SEAL IS OPENED
- There is now a pause before
God's final judgments, while
those who are to be saved are
marked and identified:
GOD'S SERVANTS FROM THE TWELVE
TRIBES OF ISRAEL ARE MARKED FOR
PROTECTION
Revelation 7:1-8 -
Later I saw four angels standing at
the four corners of the earth
holding in check the four (destroying) winds
of the earth that none should blow
upon the earth or upon the sea or
upon any tree. Then I saw another
angel ascending out of the east,
holding the seal of the living God.
He cried out in a loud voice to the
four angels who had the power to
harm the earth and the sea: "Do no
harm to the earth, nor to the sea,
nor to the trees until we have
sealed the servants of our God upon
their foreheads."
I
heard the number of those who were
thus sealed and it was 144,000 (or
12 x 12 x 1,000 - a symbolic number
based on the square of twelve
representing completeness or a great
multitude of people),
from every (one
of the twelve Jewish) tribe(s) of
the sons of Israel. Twelve thousand
were sealed from the tribe of Judah;
twelve thousand from the tribe of
Reuben; twelve thousand from the
tribe of Gad; twelve thousand from
the tribe of Asher; twelve thousand
from the tribe of Naphtali; twelve
thousand from the tribe of Manasseh;
twelve thousand from the tribe of
Simeon; twelve thousand from the
tribe of Levi; twelve thousand from
the tribe of Issachar; twelve
thousand from the tribe of Zebulun;
twelve thousand from the tribe of
Joseph; and twelve thousand from the
tribe of Benjamin.
THE EVEN GREATER MULTITUDE OF
MANKIND WHO ARE SAVED BY THE BLOOD
OF THE LAMB
Revelation 7:9-17 -
When this was done I looked again,
and before my eyes appeared a vast
crowd (of
presumably the world's Gentiles,
saved by God and carried to heaven) beyond
man's power to number. They came
from every nation and tribe and
people and language, and they stood
before the throne of the Lamb,
dressed in white robes with
palm-branches in their hands. With a
great voice they shouted these
words: "Salvation belongs to our God
who sits upon the throne and to the
Lamb!"
Then
all the angels (of
heaven) stood
encircling the throne, the (twenty
four) elders
and the four living creatures, and
prostrated themselves with heads
bowed before the throne and
worshipped God, saying, "Amen!
Blessing and glory and wisdom and
thanksgiving and honour and power
and strength be given to our God for
timeless ages!"
The countless host explained
Then
one of the elders addressed me (John) and
asked, "These who are dressed in
white robe - who are they, and where
do they come from?!
"You
know, my Lord," I answered him.
Then
he told me, "These are those who
have come through the great
oppression (or
the tribulation and saved by God):
they have washed their robes and
made them white in the blood of the
Lamb. That is why they now have
their place before the throne of
God, and serve him day and night in
his temple. He who sits upon the
throne will be their shelter. They
will never again know hunger or
thirst. The sun shall never beat
upon them, neither shall there be
any scorching heat, for the Lamb who
is in the centre of the throne will
be their shepherd and will lead them
to springs of living water. And God
will wipe away every tear from their
eyes."
THE SEVENTH SEAL IS OPENED - SILENCE
- The opening of the Seventh
Seal is followed by the release
of seven more judgments:
Revelation 8:1 -
Then, when he had broken the seventh
seal, there was utter silence in
Heaven for what seemed to me
half-an-hour.
VI - SEVEN TRUMPETS ARE
SOUNDED
SEVEN ANGELS BEFORE GOD ARE GIVEN
SEVEN TRUMPETS
Revelation 8:2 -
Then I saw the seven angels who
stand in the presence of God, and
seven trumpets were put into their
hands.
THE EIGHTH ANGEL AND THE
INCENSE-BURNER; THE PRAYERS OF THE
SAINTS
Revelation 8:3-6 -
Then another angel came and stood by
the altar holding a golden censer (a
pan for burning incense). He
was given a great quantity of
incense to add to the prayers of all
the saints, to be laid upon the
golden altar before the throne. And
the smoke of the incense rose up
before God from the angel's hand,
mingled with the prayers of the
saints. Then the angel took the
censer, filled it with fire from the
altar, and hurled it upon the earth (as
a symbol of disaster).
And at that there were thunderings
and noises, flashes of lightning and
an earthquake. Then the seven angels
who were holding the seven trumpets
prepared to blow them.
FOUR ANGELS SOUND THE FIRST
FOUR TRUMPETS
- The trumpets announce natural
disasters which destroy a third
of heaven and earth:
THE FIRST TRUMPET - HAIL AND
FIRE DESTROYS A THIRD OF THE
EARTH AND ITS VEGETATION
Revelation 8:7 -
The first angel blew his trumpet.
Hail and fire mingled with blood
appeared, and were hurled upon the
earth. One-third of the earth was
burnt up, one-third of all the trees
was burnt up, and every blade of
green grass was burnt up.
THE SECOND TRUMPET - A FIERY
MASS DESTROYS A THIRD OF THE SEA
AND ITS CREATURES AND SHIPS
Revelation 8:8-9 -
The second angel blew his trumpet,
and something like a vast mountain (a
mass as large as a mountain) blazing
with fire was thrown into the sea. A
third-part of the sea turned into
blood, a third of all live creatures
in the sea died, and a third-part of
all shipping was destroyed.
THE THIRD TRUMPET - A BLAZING
STAR POISONS A THIRD OF THE
WORLD'S FRESH WATER
Revelation 8:10-11 -
Then the third angel blew his
trumpet and there fell from the sky
a huge star blazing like a torch. It
fell upon a third of the rivers and
springs of water. The name of the
star is said to be Apsinthus
(Wormwood). ...
- "Wormwood", a type of wood,
"apsinthion" in Greek. A liqueur
made from extract of wormwood is
the French "absinthe". In Old
Testament terms the bitterness
of wormwood represents divine
punishment -
... A
third of all the waters turned into
wormwood, and many people died
because the waters had become so
bitter.
THE FOURTH TRUMPET - A THIRD OF THE
UNIVERSE IS DESTROYED
Revelation 8:12 -
The fourth angel blew his trumpet,
and a third-part of the sun, a
third-part of the moon and a third
of the stars were struck. A
third-part of the light of each of
them was darkened, so that light by
day and light by night were both
diminished by a third-part.
THE THREE CRIES OF WOE BECAUSE OF
THE THREE REMAINING TRUMPETS
- The cries of the eagle
separate the first four natural
disasters which destroy a third
of heaven and earth, from the
last three which directly
involve mankind:
Revelation 8:13 -
Then in my vision I saw a solitary
eagle flying in mid-heaven, crying
in a loud voice, "Alas, alas, alas
for the inhabitants of the earth for
there are three more trumpet blasts
which the three angels shall sound!"
|
THE
SYMBOLS IN THE BOOK OF
REVELATION
The Book of Revelation is
full of symbolism, no more
so than in the remaining
chapters. Some of the
symbols are outlined here
together with their possible
interpretation, both
contemporary and eternal:
THE SERVANTS OF GOD
THE PREGNANT WOMAN -
possibly representing God's
chosen people, both Jew and
Christian; possibly the
mother of the Messiah and
the Church
JESUS CHRIST, THE MESSIAH -
possibly the male child born
to the pregnant woman. Also
THE LAMB and THE RIDER ON
THE WHITE HORSE (but not the
rider of Revelation 6:2, one
of the four Horsemen of the
Apocalypse)
THE CHURCH OF CHRIST; also THE
BRIDE
ARCHANGEL MICHAEL -
the Protector or guardian
angel of Israel (Daniel
10:13,21; 12:1)
THE SAINTS -
God's people, Christians,
the saved
POWERS
OPPOSED TO GOD
THE DEVIL or SATAN -
possibly the Star fallen
from heaven, the Angel or
star of the Pit, Angel of
the Abyss; personified as
"Abaddon" (destruction) in
Hebrew or "Apollyon" in
Greek.
Also THE DRAGON, the red
dragon, the primeval
Serpent who is called
the devil or Satan, the
Adversary, the Accuser
HELL or THE GRAVE -
the fathomless pit, the
Abyss, "Sheol" or "Abaddon"
(destruction) in Hebrew,
"Hades" or "Apollyon" from
the Greek; the place of the
dead, where fallen angels
are imprisoned, eternal
separation from God
DEMONS, EVIL SPIRITS -
the locusts or scorpion
locusts
Contemporary translation - possibly
mounted Parthian archers
who could shoot
backwards from their
horses on the gallop.
The Parthian Empire
across the River
Euphrates was a major
threat to the Roman
Empire
THE ANIMAL FROM THE SEA - the
Beast from the Sea, an
anti-God power, an
authoritarian godless state
Contemporary translation
- the Roman Empire. The
capital Rome was "over
the seas" relative to
the province of Asia
where John was writing.
Personified as the dead
emperor Nero who
"returns to life" as the
Book of Revelation
develops.
Eternally - any
world empire or
system, and its
leaders.
THE PROSTITUTE OR HARLOT;
also "BABYLON",
THE WOMAN
Contemporary translation -
the city of Rome.
Eternally - the centre
or centres of any world
power or powers
THE ANIMAL FROM THE EARTH -
the Beast from the Earth, an
anti-god power,
state-sanctioned,
state-dominated religion
Contemporary translation
- the high priest of
Roman emperor-worship,
possibly centred in the
province of Asia.
Eternally - the
god's, their worship
and the "high
priests" of
material, spiritual,
cultural or
religious gods in
any age
(any notes following in
the text on the Powers
Opposed to God are
in RED)
A NOTE ON TIMES
"TIME, TIMES AND HALF A
TIME" - "one year, two years
and half a year" from Daniel
7:25, the 3 1/2 year period
168-165BC when the Jerusalem
Temple was desecrated. Also
equal to:
1,260 days or 42 months
|
THE FIFTH AND SIXTH TRUMPETS
THE FIFTH TRUMPET - A STAR FALLS
WITH KEYS TO THE ABYSS; THE FIRST
WOE STARTS
Revelation 9:1 -
The fifth angel blew his trumpet. I
saw a star (...
the Angel of the Abyss, possibly
Satan),
that had fallen down from Heaven to
earth, and he was given the key (of
Death and Hades) to
the fathomless pit (...
the Abyss)
THE ABYSS IS OPENED, SMOKE
ASCENDS, LOCUSTS APPEAR WITH THE
POWER TO TORTURE THOSE WITHOUT
GOD'S PROTECTION
Revelation 9:2-6 -
Then he (the
Angel of the Abyss) opened
the pit and smoke like the smoke of
a vast furnace rose out of it, so
that the light of the sun and the
air itself grew dark from the smoke
of the pit.
Then
out of the smoke emerged locusts (evil
spirits or demons) to
descend upon the earth. They were
given powers like those of earthly
scorpions. They had orders to do no
harm to any grass, green thing or
tree upon the earth, but to injure
only those human beings who did not
bear the seal of God('s
protection)upon
their foreheads. They were given no
power to kill men, but only to
torture them for five months. The
torture they could inflict was like
the pain of a scorpion's sting.
In
those days men will seek death but
they will never find it; they will
long to die but death will elude
them.
THE APPEARANCE OF THE LOCUSTS;
THEIR KING, THE ANGEL NAMED
"DESTROYER"; THE FIRST WOE ENDS
Revelation 9:7-12 -
These locusts (possibly
now symbolising mounted Parthian
archers as instruments of Satan's
purpose) looked
to me in my vision like horses
prepared for battle, On their heads
were what appeared to be crowns like
gold; their faces were like human
faces, and they had long hair like
women. Their teeth were like lion's
teeth, their breasts were like
iron-breastplates, and the noise of
their wings was like the noise of a
host of chariots and horses charging
into battle. They have tails and
stings like scorpions, and it is in
their tails that they possess the
power to injure men for five months.
They have as their king the angel of
the pit (possibly
Satan),
whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and
in Greek Apollyon, (meaning the
destroyer).
The
first disaster (or
woe) is
now past, but I see two more
approaching.
THE SIXTH TRUMPET SOUNDS - FOUR
ANGELS OF DEATH ARE RELEASED;
THE SECOND WOE STARTS
Revelation 9:13-15 -
Then the sixth angel blew his
trumpet, and I heard a solitary
voice speaking from the four corners
of the golden altar that stands in
the presence of God. And it said to
the sixth angel who held the
trumpet, "Release the four angels
who are bound at the great river
Euphrates (...
the eastern boundary between Rome
and her enemy, the Parthian Empire)!"
Then
these four angels who had been held
ready for the hour, the day, the
month and the year, were set free to
kill a third-part of all mankind.
A VISION OF 200 MILLION MOUNTED
TROOPS; THE HORSE'S "BREATH"
KILLS A THIRD OF MANKIND
Revelation 9:16-19 -
The number of their horsemen (the
possible Parthian invaders?) was
two hundred million - I heard what
their number was. In my vision I saw
these horses and their riders, and
their breastplates were fiery-red,
blue and yellow. The horses' heads
looked to me like the heads of
lions, and out of their mouths
poured fire and smoke and sulphur. A
third of all mankind died from the
fearful effects of these three, the
fire, the smoke and the sulphur
which pours out of their mouths. For
the power of these horses lies in
their mouths and in their tails.
Indeed their tails are like serpents
with heads, and with these they
inflict injury.
THE REST OF MANKIND CONTINUES TO SIN
- With Six Trumpets sounded, and
only one remaining, most of
mankind still refuses to turn to
the one God, and continues to
worship the many gods of their
own making:
Revelation 9:20-21 -
The rest of mankind, who did not die
in this fearful destruction, neither
repented of the works of their own
hands nor ceased to worship evil
powers and idols of gold, silver,
brass, stone or wood, which can
neither see nor hear nor move.
Neither did they repent of their
murders, their sorceries, their
sexual sins, nor of their thieving.
INTERLUDE
- VISIONS OF THE POWERFUL ANGEL WITH
THE LITTLE BOOK; THE TWO WITNESSES
ANOTHER ANGEL APPEARS, HOLDING A
LITTLE BOOK; THE VOICES OF SEVEN
THUNDERS SPEAK BUT ARE NOT
REVEALED
Revelation 10:1-4 -
Then I saw another mighty angel
(like the "mighty angel" who called
for someone to open the seven-sealed
book, Revelation 5:2)descending
from Heaven. He was clothed in a
cloud, and there was a rainbow
around his head. His face blazed
like the sun, his legs like pillars
of fire, and he had a little book
...
- Possibly the originally sealed
scroll of Revelation 5:1 now
open for all to see.
Alternatively another scroll
containing judgments specific to
the "Roman Empire", rather than
all mankind -
...
lying open in his hand. He planted
his right foot on the sea (Rome?),
and his left foot on the land (the
province of Asia where John is
writing?), and
then shouted with a loud voice like
the roar of a lion. And when he
shouted the seven thunders (perhaps
another set of visions that John is
told not to reveal) lifted
their voices. When the seven
thunders had rolled I was on the
point of writing but I heard a voice
from heaven, saying, "Seal up what
the seven thunders said, but do not
write it down!"
HIS WARNING; WHEN THE SEVENTH
TRUMPET SOUNDS, GOD'S PURPOSE
WILL BE COMPLETED
Revelation 10:5-7 -
Then the angel whom I had seen
bestriding the sea and the land
raised his right hand to Heaven and
swore by the living one of the
timeless ages, who created Heaven,
earth and sea and all that is in
them: "There shall be no more delay!
In the days which shall soon be
announced by the trumpet-blast of
the seventh angel the mysterious
purpose of God shall be completed,
as he assured his servants the
prophets."
JOHN TAKES AND EATS THE ANGEL'S
LITTLE BOOK; HIS DUTY TO PROPHESY
Revelation 10:8-11 -
Then the voice which I had heard
from Heaven was again in my ears,
saying, "Go, and take the little
book which lies open in the hand of
the (mighty) angel
whose feet are planted on both sea
and land."
So I
went off towards the angel, asking
him to give me the little book.
"Take
it," he said to me, "and eat it up (...
absorb the "little book's" contents
and message).
It will be bitter to your stomach,
but sweet as honey in your mouth(...
the sweetness of God's words, but
the bitterness of his judgments)."
Then
I took the little book from the
angel's hand and swallowed it. It
was as sweet as honey to the taste
but when I had eaten it up it was
bitter to my stomach.
John is instructed to prophesy
Then
they said to me, "It is again your
duty (John's) to
prophesy about many peoples,
nations, languages and kings."
THE INNER TEMPLE OF GOD IS TO BE
MEASURED; THE OUTER COURT IS FOR
THE GENTILES
Revelation 11:1-2 -
And I was given a measuring rod like
a staff, and I was told, "Get up and
measure the Temple of God, and the
altar (...
suggesting the Temple is to be
preserved and protected),
and count those who worship there.
But leave out of your measurement
the (Gentiles) courtyard
outside the Temple - do not measure
that at all. For it has been given
over to the (pagan) nations,
and they will trample over the holy
city for forty-two months (or
desecrate it for "time, times and
half a time")."
THE POWER OF THE TWO WITNESSES UNTIL
THEIR TESTIMONY IS FINISHED
Revelation 11:3-6 -
"And I will give authority to my two
witnesses (...
the minimum legal requirement in
Jewish law. There are various
theories about their identity, but
they bear some resemblance to Elijah
and Moses who appeared with Jesus at
his Transfiguration ...) to
proclaim the message, clothed in
sackcloth for twelve hundred and
sixty days ("time,
times and half a time")."
These
are the two olive trees and the two
lampstands (related
to the message of Zechariah 4) which
stand before the Lord of the earth.
If anyone tries to harm them, fire
issues from their mouths and
consumes their enemies. Indeed, if
anyone should try to hurt them, this
is the way in which he will
certainly meet his death. These (two) witnesses
have power to shut up the sky and
stop any rain from falling (as
Elijah did, 1 Kings 17:1) during
the time of their preaching.
Moreover, they have power to turn
the waters into blood, and to strike
the earth with any plague as often
as they wish (as
Moses did with the plagues of Egypt,
Exodus chapters 7-12).
THEY ARE KILLED BY THE BEAST OF
THE ABYSS; MANKIND GLOATS OVER
THEIR UNBURIED CORPSES
Revelation 11:7-10 -
Then, when their work of witness is
complete, the animal will come up
out of the pit (...
the first appearance of the Satanic
Beast of the Abyss) and
go to war with them. It will conquer
and kill them, and their bodies will
lie in the street of the great city,
which is called by those with
spiritual understanding, "Sodom" and
"Egypt" - the very place where their
Lord himself was crucified (...
the great city is Jerusalem in this
instance, but more likely Rome -
"Babylon" in the rest of Revelation).
For three and a half days (in
return for three and a half years of
preaching by the witnesses) men
from all people and tribes and
languages and nations will gaze upon
their bodies and will not allow them
to be buried. The inhabitants of the
earth will gloat over them and will
hold celebrations and send one
another presents, because these two
prophets had brought such misery to
the inhabitants of the earth.
GOD BREATHES LIFE INTO THEM; THEY GO
UP TO HEAVEN
Revelation 11:11-12 -
But after three and a half days the
Spirit of life from God entered them
and they stood upright on their
feet. This struck terror into the
hearts of those who were watching
them, and they heard a tremendous
voice speaking to these two from
Heaven, saying "Come up here!" And
they went up to Heaven in a cloud in
full view of their enemies.
AN EARTHQUAKE KILLS 7,000; THE
SECOND WOE ENDS
Revelation 11:13-14 -
And at that moment there was a great
earthquake, a tenth-part of the city
fell in ruins and seven thousand
people were known to have been
killed in the earthquake. The rest
were terrified and acknowledged the
glory of the God of Heaven.
The
second disaster (or
woe) is
now past, and I see the third
disaster following hard upon the
heels of the second.
THE
SEVENTH TRUMPET
THE SEVENTH TRUMPET SOUNDS - THE
END TIMES HAVE COME; THE THIRD
WOE STARTS
Revelation 11:15 -
The seventh angel blew his trumpet.
There arose loud voices in Heaven
and they were saying, "The kingship
of the world now belongs to our Lord
and to his Christ, and he shall be
king for timeless ages (...
the end-times and the kingdom of
Christ have come)!"
THE TWENTY FOUR ELDERS WORSHIP
GOD, AND GIVE THANKS FOR HIS
JUDGMENT
Revelation 11:16-18 -
Then the twenty-four elders, who sit
upon their thrones in the presence
of God, prostrated themselves and,
with bowed heads, worshipped God,
saying: "We give you thanks, O Lord
God Almighty, the one who is and who
was and who is to come, because you
have taken your great power and
reigned. The nations were angry, and
your wrath has come, and the time of
the dead, that they should be
judged, and that you should reward
your servants the prophets and the
saints, and those who fear your
name, small and great, and should
destroy those who destroy the
earth!"
GOD'S TEMPLE IS OPENED AND THE ARK
REVEALED; THE ELEMENTS RAGE
Revelation 11:19 -
Then the Temple of God in Heaven was
thrown open and the ark of his
agreement (or
covenant) within
his Temple could be clearly seen (...
the sacred and previously hidden ark
of the covenant is revealed to all
mankind with the coming of the
Messiah). Accompanying
this sight were flashes of
lightning, loud noises, peals of
thunder, an earthquake and a violent
storm of hail.
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B Phillips with Notes
BOOK
OF REVELATION
Part 2 of 2, chapters
12-22
VII
- A SERIES OF SIGNS:
THE WOMAN; THE DRAGON
AND WAR IN HEAVEN; THE
TWO BEASTS AND WAR ON
EARTH
THE WOMAN AND
THE DRAGON
A
PREGNANT WOMAN APPEARS
IN HEAVEN
Revelation
12:1-2 -
Then a huge sign (or
symbol) became
visible in the sky - the
figure of a woman (probably
representing God's
chosen people - both Jew
and Christian, and the
mother of the Messiah
and the Church) clothed
with the sun, with the
moon under her feet and
a crown of twelve stars
upon her head. She was
pregnant, and cried out
in her labour and in the
pains of bringing forth
her child (the
Messiah who will defeat
Satan)
A DRAGON APPEARS, READY
TO DEVOUR HER NEWBORN
Revelation
12:3-4 -
Then another sign (or
symbol) became
visible in the sky, and
I saw that it was a huge
red dragon (representing
the primeval Serpent,
the devil or Satan) with
seven heads and ten
horns (representing
empires and rulers, the
significance of which is
outlined below),
with a diadem upon each
of his heads. His tail
swept down a third of
the stars in the sky and
hurled them upon the
earth (...
perhaps the fallen
angels who joined
Satan). The
dragon took his place in
front of the woman who
was about to give birth
to a child, so that as
soon as she did so he
might devour it.
SHE BEARS A SON;
HE IS TAKEN TO
GOD'S THRONE,
SHE FLEES TO A
DESERT REFUGE
Revelation
12:5-6 -
She gave birth to a male
child (the
Messiah and the Church) who
is to shepherd all the
nations "with a rod of
iron". Her child was
snatched up to God and
to his throne, while the
woman fled into the
desert where she has a
place prepared for her
by God's command. There
they will take care of
her for twelve hundred
and sixty days ("time,
times and half a time").
A HEAVENLY WAR WITH THE
DRAGON - SATAN, WHO IS
THROWN TO EARTH
Revelation
12:7-9 -
The war broke out in
Heaven. Michael (one
of the seven archangels
of Judaism; the
Protector, Defender, or
guardian angel of
Israel, Daniel 10:13,21;
12:1) and
his angels battled with
the dragon. The dragon
and his angels (...
Satan and the angels,
soon to become "fallen") fought
back, but they did not
prevail and they were
expelled from Heaven. So
the huge dragon, the
serpent of ancient
times, who is called the
devil and Satan, the
deceiver of the whole
world, was hurled down
upon the earth, and his
angels were hurled down
with him.
THE BLOOD OF THE
LAMB OVERCOMES HIM;
SATAN, IN FURY,
THREATENS THE EARTH
Revelation
12:10-12 -
Then I heard a great
voice in Heaven cry:
"Now the salvation and
the power and kingdom of
our God, and the
authority of his Christ
have come! For the
accuser (Satan) of
our brethren has been
thrown down from this
place (heaven),
where he stood before
our God accusing them
day and night. Now they
have conquered him
through the blood of the
Lamb, and through the
Word to which they bore
witness. They did not
cherish life even in the
face of death!
"Therefore, rejoice, O
Heavens, and all you who
live in the Heavens! But
alas for the earth and
the sea, for the devil
has come down to you in
great fury, knowing that
his time is short (...
Satan, thrown down from
heaven to earth is
determined to wreak
vengeance)!"
THE DRAGON PURSUES
THE WOMAN; WITH
EAGLE'S WINGS, SHE
FLIES TOWARDS SAFETY
Revelation
12:13-14 -
And when the dragon (Satan) saw
that he had been cast
down upon the earth, he
began to pursue the
woman (the
mother of the Messiah
and the Church) who
had given birth to the
male child (the
Messiah).
But she was given two
great (symbolic) eagle's
wings so that she could
fly to her place in the
desert, where she is
kept safe from the
serpent (Satan) for
a time and times and
half a time.
HE SPEWS OUT A RIVER
TO SWEEP HER AWAY;
SHE ESCAPES, HE
MAKES WAR ON GOD'S
SAINTS
Revelation
12:15-17 -
Then the serpent (Satan) ejected
water from his mouth,
streaming like a river
in pursuit of the woman,
to drown her in its
flood. But the earth
came to the woman's
rescue, opened its mouth
and swallowed up the
river which the dragon (Satan) had
emitted from his mouth.
Then the dragon raged
with fury against the
woman and went off to
make war against the
rest of her children (of
the Church) -
those who keep the
commandments of God and
bear their witness to
Jesus.
THE FIRST BEAST
- FROM THE SEA
THE BEAST IS GIVEN THE
DRAGON'S THRONE AND
POWER
Revelation
13:1-3 -
Then, as I stood on the
sand of the sea-shore,
there rose out of the
sea before my eyes an
animal (the
Beast from the Sea) with
seven heads and ten
horns (see
below). There
were diadems upon its
horns and blasphemous
names upon its heads.
The animal which I saw
had the appearance of a
leopard, though it had
the feet of a bear and a
mouth like the mouth of
a lion (...
the description derives
from Daniel 7:1-7).
Then the dragon gave it
his own power and throne
and great authority (...
Satan delegates his
powers to the Beast from
the Sea, the world
empire, the Roman
Empire?).
One of its heads
appeared to have been
wounded to death but the
mortal wound had healed (...
possibly referring to
the dead emperor Nero,
who it was believed at
that time would return
from the dead).
THE WORLD WORSHIPS THE
DRAGON AND THE BEAST,
WHO IS THOUGHT
INVINCIBLE
Revelation 13:4 -
The whole earth followed
the animal (the
Beast from the Sea) with
wonder, and they
worshipped the dragon (Satan) because
he had given authority
to the animal (the
Beast, the world empire,
Rome?).
Then they worshipped the
animal, too, saying,
"Who is like the animal?
Who could make war
against it?"
THE BEAST BLASPHEMES
GOD; WITH AUTHORITY
OVER ALL MANKIND, HE
WARS AGAINST THE
SAINTS; THEY ARE
COUNSELLED TO ENDURE
Revelation
13:5-10 -
It (the
Beast, Rome?) was
allowed to speak
monstrous blasphemies (against
God) and
to exert its authority
for forty-two months ("time,
times and half a time").
So it poured out
blasphemies against God,
blaspheming his name and
his dwelling place and
those who live in
Heaven. Moreover, it was
permitted to make war
upon the saints (the
Christians) and
to conquer them; the
authority given to it
extended over every
tribe and people and
language and nation. All
the inhabitants of the
earth will worship it (in
the form of
emperor-worship) -
all those whose names
have not been written in
the book of life (for
saved Christians) which
belongs to the Lamb
slain from the
foundation of the world.
Parenthetical: a
word to the reader
Let the listener hear
this: If any man is
destined for captivity
he will go into
captivity. If any man
kills with the sword he
must himself be killed
with the sword. Amid all
this stands the
endurance and faith of
the saints.
THE SECOND BEAST
- FROM THE EARTH
HE FORCES MANKIND TO
WORSHIP THE FIRST BEAST
Revelation
13:11-12 -
Then I saw another
animal rising out of the
earth (the
Beast of the Earth, the
high priest of
emperor-worship),
and it had two horns
like a lamb (representing
the anti-christ) but
it spoke in the voice of
a dragon (like
Satan).
It uses the full
authority of the first
animal (the
Beast from the Sea,
Rome?)in
its presence. It compels
the earth and all its
inhabitants to worship
the first animal (the
Beast from the Sea) -
the one with the mortal
wound which had healed.
HIS MIRACLES DECEIVE
MANKIND; THEY MUST
HONOUR THE FIRST
BEAST'S IMAGE, OR
DIE
Revelation
13:13-15 -
It (...
the Beast from the
Earth, the high-priest
of emperor-worship, the
anti-christ) performs
great signs: before
men's eyes it makes fire
fall down from heaven to
earth. It deceives the
inhabitants of the earth
by the signs which it is
allowed to perform in
the presence of the
animal (the
Beast from the Sea,
Rome),
and it tells them to
make a statue (of
the emperor) in
honour of the animal
which received the
sword-thrust and yet
survived. Further, it
was allowed to give the
breath of life to the
statue of the animal so
that the statue could
speak (through
priestly trickery and
mechanisms) and
condemn to death all
those who do not worship
its statue.
UNLESS MANKIND IS
"MARKED" NONE CAN
BUY AND SELL; THE
MARK OF THE BEAST IS
"SIX SIX SIX"
Revelation
13:16-18 -
Then it (the
Beast from the Earth,
the high priest) compels
all, small and great,
rich and poor, free men
and slaves, to receive a
mark on their right
hands or on their
foreheads (...
possibly a real
identification mark
allowing economic
control to be exercised).
The purpose of this is
that no one should be
able to buy or sell
unless he bears the mark
of the name of the
animal or the number of
its name (...
the mark of the Beast).
Understanding is needed
here: let every thinking
man calculate the number
of the animal. It is the
number of a man, and its
number is six
hundred and sixty-six.
- Of the various
interpretations of
this ancient art of
using numbers to
symbolise names, the
most frequently
suggested is the
emperor Nero and the
Roman Empire's
agents of control
and persecution.
INTERLUDE -
VISIONS OF THE SAVED IN
HEAVEN AND DOOMED ON
EARTH; THE SIX ANGELS
- Persecution and
hostility may be the
lot of Christians on
earth, but they will
know the very
opposite in heaven:
THE LAMB ON MOUNT
ZION; THE 144,000
MARKED BY GOD; THE
HEAVENLY CHOIR
Revelation
14:1-5 -
Then I looked again and
before my eyes the Lamb (of
God, Jesus Christ) was
standing on Mount Sion (or
Zion),
and with him were a
hundred and forty-four
thousand who had his
name and his Father's
name written upon their
foreheads (either
the same group from
Revelation 7:1-8, or
saved Christians in
general; the Mark of God
contrasts with the mark
of the Beast).
Then I heard a sound
coming from Heaven like
the roar of a great
waterfall and the heavy
rolling of thunder. Yet
the sound which I heard
was also like the music
of harpists sweeping
their strings. And now
they are singing a new
song of praise before
the throne, and before
the four living
creatures and the (twenty-four) elders.
No one could learn that
song except the one
hundred and forty-four
thousand who had been
redeemed from the earth.
These are the men who
have never defiled
themselves with women,
for they are celibate (possibly
a literal meaning.
Alternatively, as
celibacy is not
considered more Godly
than marriage in the
Bible, it may mean those
who have been obedient
to God's commandments).
These are the men who
follow the Lamb wherever
he may go; these men
have been redeemed from
among mankind as
first-fruits to God and
to the Lamb. They have
never been guilty of any
falsehood; they are
beyond reproach.
- Six angelic
pronouncements are
now made, three on
God's approaching
judgment on the
world, three on the
execution of his
verdict:
THE FIRST ANGEL
PROCLAIMS THE
GOSPEL; A LAST CALL
TO EVERYONE TO
WORSHIP GOD
Revelation
14:6-7 -
Then I saw another angel
flying in mid-heaven,
holding the everlasting (eternal) Gospel
to proclaim to the
inhabitants of the earth
- to every nation and
tribe and language and
people. He was crying in
a loud voice, "Reverence
God, and give glory to
him; for the hour of his
judgment has come!
Worship him who made
Heaven and earth, the
sea and the springs of
water."
THE SECOND ANGEL
ANNOUNCES THE FALL OF
WICKED BABYLON
Revelation 14:8 -
Then another, a second
angel, followed him
crying, "Fallen, fallen
is Babylon the great (pagan
Rome?)!
She who made all nations
drink the wine of her
passionate
unfaithfulness (or
adultery - idolatry in
Old Testament terms)!"
THE THIRD ANGEL
DECLARES THAT ALL
WHO WORSHIP THE
BEAST WILL KNOW
GOD'S WRATH; THE
SAINTS MUST STILL
ENDURE
Revelation
14:9-13 -
Then a third angel
followed these two,
crying in a loud voice,
"If any man worships the
animal (the
Beast from the Sea,
Rome?) and
its statue (raised
by the Beast from the
Earth, the high priest
of emperor-worship) and
bears its mark ("666") upon
his forehead or upon his
hand, then that man
shall drink the wine of
God's passion, poured
undiluted into the cup
of his wrath. He shall
be tortured by fire and
sulphur in the presence
of the holy angels and
of the Lamb (of
God).
The smoke of such men's
torture ascends for
timeless ages, and there
is no respite from it
day or night. Such are
the worshippers of the
animal and its statue
and among their number
are all who bear the
mark of its name ("666")."
The call to stand
fast
In all this stands the
endurance of the saints
- those who keep the
commandments of God and
their faith in Jesus.
The security of the
saints
Then I heard a voice
from Heaven, saying,
"Write this! From
henceforth happy are the
dead who die in the
Lord!"
"Happy indeed," says the
Spirit, "for they rest
from their labours and
their deeds go with
them!"
- Like the Gospel
parables on the
final separation of
good from evil, such
as "the wheat and
weeds in the field"
(Matthew
13:24-30,36-43), the
final harvest now
takes place. This
may be in two parts
- Christ harvesting
the wheat, the
"saved"; then an
angel harvesting the
grapes, the
"wicked":
THE "SON OF MAN" SEATED
ON A CLOUD, HOLDING A
SICKLE
Revelation 14:14 -
Once again I looked, and
a white cloud appeared
before me with someone
sitting upon the cloud
with the appearance of
'the Son of Man' (Daniel
7:13).
He (presumably
Christ) had
a golden crown on his
head, and held a sharp
sickle in his hand.
THE FOURTH ANGEL CALLS
FOR THE "SON" TO HARVEST
THE EARTH
Revelation
14:15-16 -
Then another angel came
out from the Temple,
calling in a loud voice
to the one sitting on
the cloud, "Thrust in
your sickle and reap,
for the time of reaping
has come and the harvest
of the earth is fully
ripe!"
Then the one sitting
upon the cloud swung his
sickle upon the earth,
and the reaping of the
earth was done (Christ
has harvested the
"saved"?).
THE FIFTH ANGEL APPEARS,
ALSO WITH A SICKLE
Revelation 14:18 -
Then another angel came
out from the Temple in
Heaven, and he also had
a sharp sickle.
A SIXTH ANGEL ORDERS
THE EARTH'S GRAPES
TO BE HARVESTED, AND
THROWN INTO GOD'S
WINEPRESS; BLOOD
FLOWS DEEP AND FAR
Revelation
14:18-20 -
Yet another angel came
out from the altar where
he had command over the
fire, and called out in
a loud voice to the
angel with the sharp
sickle, "Thrust in your
sharp sickle and harvest
the clusters from the
vineyard of the earth
for the grapes are fully
ripe!"
Then the angel swung his
sickle upon the earth
and gathered the harvest
of the earth's vineyard (the
wicked?),
and threw it into the
great winepress of the
wrath of God. The grapes
were trodden outside the
city (probably
Jerusalem),
and out of the winepress
flowed blood for two
hundred miles (or
1600 stadia, possibly
another symbolic number
- 4 x 4 x 100,
representing the
destruction of all evil) in
a stream as high as the
horses' bridles.
- Although chapter
14 has seen the
final harvest or at
least its
description, there
is a final set of
sevenfold judgments
to be endured:
VIII - SEVEN
ANGELS POUR OUT THE
LAST SEVEN PLAGUES
OF GOD'S WRATH
JOHN SEES THE ANGELS
AND THOSE WHO
ENDURED PERSECUTION;
THEIR SONG GLORIFIES
GOD
Revelation
15:1-4 -
Then I saw another sign (or
symbol) in
Heaven, vast and
awe-inspiring: seven
angels are holding the
seven last plagues, and
with these the wrath of
God is brought to an
end.
The hymn of the
redeemed
And I saw what appeared
to be a sea of glass
shot through with fire,
and upon this glassy sea
were standing those (the
Christians who had
endured persecution) who
had emerged victorious
from the fight with the
animal (the
Beast from the Sea,
Rome?),
its statue (erected
by the Beast from the
Land) and
the number ("666") which
denotes its name. In
their hands they hold
harps which God has
given them, and they are
singing the song of
Moses the servant of God (sung
after the crossing of
the Red Sea, Exodus
15:1-21),
and the song of the Lamb (of
God),
and these are the words
they sing: 'Great and
marvellous are your
works, Lord God
Almighty! Just and true
are your ways, O king of
the saints! Who shall
not fear you, O Lord,
and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
For all nations shall
come and worship before
you, for your judgments
have been manifested!" (The
Song of Moses may
represent the 144,000
saved of Israel, and the
Song of the Lamb, the
great Multitude of
Gentiles, Revelation 7).
SEVEN ANGELS LEAVE
THE TEMPLE WITH THE
PLAGUES; THEY
RECEIVE THE BOWLS OF
GOD'S WRATH
Revelation
15:5-16:1 -
Later in my vision I saw
the Temple of the
tabernacle of testimony
in Heaven wide open, and
out of the Temple came
forth the seven angels
who hold the seven
plagues. They were
dressed (as
priests) in
spotless shining linen,
and they were girded
round their breasts with
golden girdles.
Then one of the four
living creatures gave to
the seven angels seven
golden bowls filled with
the wrath of God who
lives for timeless ages.
The Temple was filled
with smoke from the
glory and power of God,
and no one could enter
the Temple (to
plead with God for
further mercy) until
the seven plagues of the
seven angels were past
and over (and
the doom of the wicked
complete).
(Chapter 16 ....) Then
I heard a loud voice
from the Temple saying
to the seven angels, "Go
and pour out upon the
earth the seven bowls of
the wrath of God!"
- Now the Beast has
appeared (Revelation
13), the Seven Bowls
of wrath, unlike the
the judgments of the
Seven Seals and
Seven Trumpets, are
poured out on him
and his followers,
and with a far
greater intensity
and completeness.
Some of the plagues
are like those
visited on Egypt by
Moses before the
Exodus:
THE FIRST ANGEL ON
THE LAND - SORES
BREAK OUT ON THE
WORSHIPPERS OF THE
BEAST
Revelation 16:2 -
The first angel went off
and emptied his bowl
upon the earth.
Whereupon loathsome and
malignant ulcers (similar
to those of Exodus
9:8-12)attacked
all those who bore the
mark ("666") of
the animal (the
Beast from the Sea) and
worshipped its statue.
THE SECOND ANGEL ON THE
SEA - EVERYTHING IN IT
DIES
Revelation 16:3 -
The second angel emptied
his bowl into the sea,
which turned into a
fluid like the blood of
a corpse, and every
living thing in it died.
THE THIRD ANGEL ON THE
FRESH WATERS - HE SPEAKS
OF GOD'S JUDGMENT
Revelation
16:4-7 -
Then the third angel
emptied his bowl into
the rivers and springs
of water, and they
turned into blood (the
last two judgments are
similar to those of
Exodus 7:17-21).
And I heard the angel of
the waters say, "You are
righteous, O Lord, the
one who is and who was
and who is to be,
because you have judged
these things. For they
have shed the blood of
saints and prophets, and
you have given them
blood to drink. For it
is their just due."
And I heard the altar
say, "Even so, Lord God
Almighty, true and
righteous are your
judgments."
THE FOURTH ANGEL ON THE
SUN - THE PEOPLE ARE
SCORCHED
Revelation
16:8-9 -
The fourth angel emptied
his bowl over the sun,
and the sun was given
power to scorch men in
its fiery blaze. Then
men were terribly burned
in the heat, and they
blasphemed the name of
God who has control over
these afflictions; but
they neither repented
nor gave him glory.
THE FIFTH ANGEL ON
THE BEAST'S THRONE -
IT'S KINGDOM IS IN
DARKNESS, MEN ARE IN
AGONY; BUT STILL
THEY WILL NOT REPENT
Revelation
16:10-11 -
Then the fifth angel
emptied his bowl upon
the throne of the animal (the
Beast from the Sea, the
City of Rome?).
Its kingdom was plunged
into darkness; men
gnawed their tongues in
agony, cursed the God of
Heaven for their pain
and their ulcers, but
refused to repent of
what they had done.
THE SIXTH ANGEL ON THE
RIVER EUPHRATES - ITS
WATERS DRY UP
Revelation 16:12 -
Then the sixth angel
emptied his bowl upon
the great River
Euphrates (separating
the Roman and Parthian
empires).
The waters of that river
were dried up to prepare
a road for the kings
from the east (Either
to allow the Parthians
or these kings to invade
the west at their
leisure, or for them to
join with the Beast in
his attack on the Lamb).
THREE SPIRITS GATHER THE
KINGS OF THE EARTH FOR
THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON
Revelation
16:13-16 -
And then I noticed three
foul spirits, looking
like frogs (mythological
miracle-working demons
or agents of Satan; also
related to the plague of
frogs in Exodus 8:2-6) emerging
from the mouths of ...
the dragon (Satan),
the animal (the
Beast from the Sea,
Rome?) and
the false prophet (the
Beast from the
Earth, the high
priest of
emperor-worship).
...
... They are diabolical
spirits performing
wonders and they set out
to muster all the kings
of the world for battle
on the great day of God,
the Almighty (drawing
together all the nations
and forces of evil to
resist God's judgment).
So they brought them
together to the place
called, in Hebrew,
Armageddon (Har-Magedon,
the "Mount" or "Mountain
of Megiddo", an ancient
city on the coastal road
through Israel from
Egypt to the North, the
scene of many battles in
Old Testament times and
later, including 1918.
It is used as a symbol
of all battles and the
final battle).
The words in the
background
- An insertion into
these cataclysmic
events allowing
Christ to comfort
faithful Christians:
"See, I am coming like a
thief! Happy is the man
who stays awake and
keeps his clothes at his
side, so that he will
not have to walk naked
and men see his shame."
THE SEVENTH ANGEL
INTO THE AIR -
NATURAL CATASTROPHES
STRIKE MEN AND
CITIES, ESPECIALLY
BABYLON
Revelation
16:17-21 -
The seventh angel
emptied his bowl into
the air. A loud voice
came out of the Temple,
from the throne, saying,
"The end has come!"(The
final judgment, this
time not poured out on
the earth, but in the
air.)
Then followed flashes of
lightning, noises and
peals of thunder. There
was a terrific
earthquake, the like of
which no man has ever
seen since mankind began
to live upon the earth -
so great and tremendous
was this earthquake. The
great city (usually
considered to be
"Babylon" - Rome) was
split into three parts,
and the (remaining) cities
of all the nations fell
in ruins. And God called
to mind Babylon the
great and made her drink
the cup of the wine of
his furious wrath. Every
island fled and the
mountains vanished.
Great hailstones (as
in Exodus 9:18-26) like
heavy weights fell from
the sky and men
blasphemed God for the
curse of the hail, for
it fell upon them with
savage and fearful
blows.
- So ends the series
of Seven Seals,
Seven Trumpets, and
Seven Bowls of
Wrath. Whether these
follow each other in
time, overlap, or
more likely take
place simultaneously
is not known. The
end of the age, the
end-times, have now
come when the forces
of Heaven and of
Satan will do final
battle.
IX - THE FALL
OF BABYLON
THE PROSTITUTE
BABYLON SITTING ON THE
BEAST
- Babylon, the
ancient city on the
River Euphrates, had
become an emblem of
a godless culture at
the heights (or
depths) of its
powers, and was
often pictured as a
prostitute
dominating her
clients. By New Testament
times, Rome and the
Roman Empire with
its corruption,
emperor worship,
torture and
persecution had
become equated with
the Babylon of old:
AN ANGEL ANNOUNCES
THE PUNISHMENT OF
THE GREAT WORLD
PROSTITUTE, BABYLON
Revelation
17:1-2 -
Then came one of the
seven angels who held
the seven bowls, and
said to me, "Come, and I
will show you the
judgment passed upon the
great harlot ("Babylon",
Rome?) who
is seated upon many
waters. It is with her
that the kings of the
earth have debauched
themselves and the
inhabitants of the earth
have become drunk on the
wine of her filthiness (Old
Testament imagery for
accepting the
overlordship of
"Babylon", the worship
of Rome and its
paganism)."
JOHN SEES THE WOMAN
SITTING ON A SCARLET
BEAST, DRUNK WITH
THE SAINT'S BLOOD
Revelation
17:3-6a -
Then he carried me away
in spirit into the
desert. There I saw a
woman ("Babylon",
Rome) riding
upon a scarlet animal (the
great political and
military power of the
Roman Empire. Scarlet
represents the pomp and
splendour of that power),
covered with blasphemous
titles (imperial
titles claiming
divinity) and
having seven heads and
ten horns (see
below).
The woman herself was
dressed in purple and
scarlet, glittering with
gold, jewels and pearls(symbols
of her incredible
wealth).
In her hand she held a
golden cup full of the
earth's filthiness and
her own foul impurity.
On her forehead is
written a name with a
secret meaning - BABYLON
THE GREAT, MOTHER OF ALL
HARLOTS AND OF THE
EARTH'S ABOMINATIONS.
Then I noticed that the
woman was drunk with the
blood of the saints and
of the martyrs for
Jesus.
THE MYSTERY EXPLAINED;
THE BEAST OF THE ABYSS
WILL BE DESTROYED
Revelation
17:6b-8 -
As I watched her, I was
filled with utter
amazement, but the angel
said to me, "Why are you
amazed? I will explain
to you the mystery of
the woman (Rome) and
of the animal (the
Roman Empire, perhaps
now personified as the
dead emperor Nero) with
seven heads and ten
horns which carries her.
The animal, which you
saw, once lived but now
is no more ("Nero"?) -
it will come up out of
the pit (or
Abyss of the dead) only
to meet with
destruction. The
inhabitants of the
earth, whose names have
not been written in the
book of life from the
foundation of the world,
will be utterly
astonished when they see
that the animal was, and
is not, and yet is to
come (Nero
supposedly returning
from the dead?).
THE BEAST'S SEVEN
HEADS REPRESENT THE
RISE AND FALL OF
KINGS; THE BEAST IS
THE EIGHTH KING
Revelation
17:9-11 -
(Here we need a mind
with understanding.)
"The seven heads are
seven hills on which the
woman takes her seat (Rome,
the city on seven hills).
There are also seven
kings (emperors
or empires);
five have been
dethroned (if
these are Roman
emperors, possibly
Augustus, Tiberius,
Caligula or Gaius
Caesar, Claudius and
Nero who reigned
from 30BC to AD68,
then all are by now
dead. Three more
emperors then
appeared in quick
succession AD68-69),
one reigns (possibly
the emperor
Vespasian, AD69-79.
If so suggesting an
earlier date for the
Book of Revelation)
and the other has
not yet appeared (this
would then be the
emperor Titus,
AD79-81) -
when he comes he
must remain only for
a short time. ...
... As for the animal
which once lived but now
lives no longer, it is
an eighth king (possibly
the returning dead
"Nero"? Domitian
AD81-96 who was
nicknamed "Nero",
actually succeeded
Titus) which
belongs to the seven,
but it goes to utter
destruction.
THE TEN HORNS ARE
TEN MORE KINGS WHO
WILL WAR
UNSUCCESSFULLY
AGAINST THE LAMB
Revelation
17:12-14 -
The ten horns which you
saw are ten kings (perhaps
Roman emperors or
province governors, or
minor kings of Parthia
who will ally themselves
with "Nero") who
have not yet received
their power to reign,
but they will receive
authority to be kings
for one hour (a
short period equivalent
to the short reign of
"Nero") in
company with the animal ("Nero"?).
They are of one mind,
and they will hand over
their power and
authority to the animal.
They will all go to war
with the Lamb (of
God),
and the Lamb, with his
called, chosen and
faithful followers, will
conquer them. For he is
Lord of lords and King
of kings."
GOD WILL ALLOW THE BEAST
AND TEN KINGS TO DESTROY
BABYLON
Revelation
17:15-18 -
Then he said to me, "As
for the waters which you
saw, on which the woman
took her seat, they are
peoples and vast crowds,
nations and languages.
The ten horns (minor
Parthian kings?) and
the animal ("Nero"?) which
you saw will loathe the
harlot (Rome?),
and leave her deserted
and naked("Nero"
will take his revenge on
Rome for his enforced
suicide in AD68).
Moreover, they will
devour her flesh, and
then consume her with
fire. For God has put it
into their hearts to
carry out his purpose by
making them of one mind,
and by handing over
their authority to the
animal, until the words
of God have been
fulfilled.
"The woman that you saw
is the great city ("Babylon",
Rome) which
dominates the kings of
the earth."
THE FALL,
EARTHLY LAMENT FOR, AND
DESTRUCTION OF BABYLON
AN ANGEL ANNOUNCES THE
FALL OF WICKED BABYLON
Revelation
18:1-3 -
Later I saw another
angel coming down from
Heaven, armed with great
authority. The earth
shone with the splendour
of his presence, and he
cried in a mighty voice,
"Fallen, fallen is
Babylon the great (Rome?)!
She has become a haunt
of devils, a prison for
every unclean spirit,
and a cage for every
foul and hateful bird.
For all nations have
drunk the wine of her
passionate
unfaithfulness and have
fallen thereby. The
kings of the earth have
debauched themselves
with her, and the
merchants of the earth
have grown rich from the
extravagance of her
dissipation (reflecting
Rome's vast wealth and
power)!"
GOD'S PEOPLE ARE TOLD TO
LEAVE AND ESCAPE THE
JUDGMENT ON BABYLON
Revelation
18:4-8 -
Then I heard another
voice from Heaven,
crying, "Come out from
her, O my people, lest
you become accomplices
in her sins and must
share in her punishment.
For her sins have
mounted up to the sky,
and God has remembered
the tale of her
wickedness. Pay her back
in her own coin - yes,
pay her back double for
all that she has done!
In the cup which she
mixed for others mix her
a drink of double
strength! For the pride
in which she flaunted
herself give her torture
and misery! Because she
says to herself, 'Here I
sit a queen on a throne;
I am no woman who lacks
a man and I shall never
know sorrow!' So in a
single day her
punishments shall strike
her - death, sorrow and
famine and she shall be
burned in the fire. For
mighty is the Lord God
who judges her!"
- Three groups now
lament the fall of
Babylon (Rome?) -
the kings who relied
on her support and
power, and the
merchants and
seafaring traders
who grew rich on her
vast consumption and
commerce:
THE WORLD'S RULERS AND
MERCHANTS LAMENT HER
DESTRUCTION
Revelation
18:9-17a -
Then the kings of the
earth, who debauched and
indulged themselves with
her, will wail and
lament over her.
Standing at a safe
distance through very
fear of her torment,
they will watch the
smoke of her burning and
cry, "Alas, alas for the
great city, Babylon the
mighty city, that your
judgment should come in
a single hour."
The merchants of the
earth shall also wail
and lament over her, for
there is no one left to
buy their goods -
cargoes of gold and
silver, jewels and
pearls, fine linen,
purple, silk and
scarlet, all kinds of
scented wood, every sort
of ivory vessel, every
kind of vessel of
precious wood, of
bronze, iron and marble;
cinnamon, spice,
incense, myrrh,
frankincense, wine, oil,
fine flour and corn;
cattle, sheep and
horses; chariots, slaves (and
gladiators to die for
public entertainment),
the very souls of men.
Those who bought and
sold these things, who
had gained their wealth
from her, will stand
afar off through fear of
her punishment, weeping
and lamenting and
saying, "Alas, alas for
the great city that was
dressed in fine linen,
purple and scarlet, and
was bedecked with gold
and jewels and pearls -
alas that in a single
hour all that wealth
should be destroyed!"
THE SEAFARING TRADERS OF
THE WORLD JOIN IN THE
LAMENT
Revelation
18:17b-19 -
Then every shipmaster
and seafarer - sailors
and all whose business
is upon the sea - stood
and watched the smoke of
her burning from afar,
and cried out, "What
city was ever like the
great city?"
They even threw dust on
their heads and cried
aloud as they wept,
saying, "Alas, alas for
the great city where all
who had ships on the sea
grew wealthy through the
richness of her
treasure! Alas that in a
single hour she should
be ruined!"
AN ANGEL DESCRIBES THE
VIOLENT END OF BABYLON
AND ITS PEOPLE
Revelation
18:20-24 -
Rejoicing in heaven is
now heard:
"Rejoice over her fate,
O Heaven, and all you
saints, apostles and
prophets! For God has
pronounced his judgment
for you against her!"
The words of
Babylon's doom
Then a mighty angel
lifted up a stone like a
huge mill-stone and
hurled it into the sea,
saying, "So shall
Babylon the great city (Rome?) be
sent hurtling down to
disappear for ever (never
to rise again)!
Never more shall the
sound of harpists and
musicians, flute-players
and trumpeters be heard
in you again! Never
again shall a craftsman
of any craft be found in
you; never again will
the sound of the
mill-stone's grinding be
heard in you! No light
of a lamp shall ever
shine in you again, and
the voices of bridegroom
and bride shall be heard
in you no more! The
fruit of your soul's
desire is lost to you
for ever. All your
luxuries and brilliance
are lost to you and men
will never find them in
you again!
"For your merchants were
the great ones of the
earth, and all nations
were seduced by your
witchery!"
For in her was
discovered the blood of
prophets and saints,
indeed the blood of all
who were ever
slaughtered upon the
earth (possibly
both Jews and
Christians, but only
during Rome's period of
power).
HEAVEN'S JOYFUL
RESPONSE TO THE FALL OF
BABYLON
- Heaven
now rings out with
four Alleluia's or
Hallelujah's - from
the Hebrew for
"praise the Lord".
This is the only
time the term
appears in the New
Testament.
Joy over the
destruction of the
city and its people,
and the avenging of
Christian martyrs is
not easy to accept.
Yet the Bible is
full of warnings
about the fate of
those who fail to
worship and obey
God, and in the New
Testament to do so
through Jesus
Christ. We can
accept or reject
this in the light of
our own views on fairness,
humanity, love and
so on, but we cannot
with any sincerity,
soften or explain
away these and
similar divine
warnings:
A HEAVENLY CHOIR SINGS
OF GOD'S JUDGMENT ON
BABYLON
Revelation
19:1-3 -
Afterwards I heard what
sounded like the mighty
roar of a vast crowd in
Heaven, crying,
"Alleluia! Salvation and
glory and power belong
to our God, for his
judgments are true and
just. He has judged the
great harlot (Babylon,
Rome?) who
corrupted the earth with
her wickedness, and he
has avenged upon her the
blood of his servants!"
Then they cried a second
time, "Alleluia! The
smoke of her destruction
ascends for timeless
ages!"
THE ELDERS AND
LIVING CREATURES
WORSHIP GOD; THERE
ARE MORE CALLS TO
WORSHIP
Revelation
19:4-5 -
Then the twenty-four
elders and the four
living creatures
prostrated themselves
and worshipped God who
is seated upon the
throne, saying, "Amen,
alleluia!"
Then out of the throne
came a voice, saying,
"Praise our God, all you
who serve him, all you
who reverence him, both
small and great!"
REJOICING THAT THE
LAMB IS TO MARRY THE
BRIDE; BLESSED ARE
THOSE WHO ARE
INVITED
Revelation
19:6-10 -
And then I heard a sound (from
heaven) like
the voices of a vast
crowd, the roar of a
great waterfall and the
rolling of heavy
thunder, and they were
saying, "Alleluia! For
the Lord our God, the
Almighty, has come into
his kingdom! Let us
rejoice, let us be glad
with all our hearts. Let
us give him the glory,
for the wedding-day of
the Lamb (Christ) has
come, and his bride (the
beloved Church,
Ephesians 5:25) has
made herself ready. She
may be seen dressed in
linen, gleaming and
spotless - for such
linen is the righteous
living of the saints (the
simplicity of the bridal
Church is contrasted
with the gaudiness of
the prostitute Babylon)!"
Instruction to John
Then he said to me,
"Write this down: Happy
are those who are
invited to the
wedding-feast of the
Lamb!"
Then he added, "These
are true words of God."
At that I fell at his
feet to worship him, but
he said to me, "No! I am
your fellow-servant and
fellow-servant with your
brothers who are holding
fast their witness to
Jesus. Give your worship
to God!"
(This witness to Jesus
inspires all prophecy.)
THE
CONCLUSION
OF GOD'S
JUDGMENT ON
THE UNIVERSE
Chapters
19:11-22:21
The
Book of
Revelation
concludes
with:
- God's
final
victory
over
Satan
and his
Final
Judgment
(19:11-20:15),
-
Followed
by the
descent
from
heaven
of the
new
Jerusalem
where He
will
live
with the
saved
(21:1-22:5).
An epilogue
is Christ's
final appeal
to all
mankind to
be saved by
God's grace (22:6-21).
|
X - FINAL
VICTORY AND JUDGMENT
CHRIST'S
VICTORY OVER THE TWO
BEASTS
THE RIDER, CHRIST, ON
THE WHITE HORSE, AND HIS
ARMIES
Revelation
19:11-16 -
Then I saw Heaven wide
open, and before my eyes
appeared a white horse,
whose rider (Christ) is
called faithful and
true, for his judgment
and his warfare are
just. His eyes are a
flame of fire and there
are many diadems upon
his head. There is a
name written upon him,
known only to himself.
He is dressed in a cloak
dipped in blood, and the
name by which he is
known is the Word of
God.
The armies of Heaven
follow him, riding upon
white horses and clad in
white and spotless
linen. Out of his mouth
there comes a sharp
sword with which to
strike the nations.
'He will rule them
with a rod of iron' (Psalm
2:9),
and alone he will tread
the winepress of the
furious wrath of God the
Almighty. Written upon
his cloak and upon his
thigh is the name, KING
OF KINGS AND LORD OF
LORDS.
THE BEAST AND THE FALSE
PROPHET ARE DESTROYED
Revelation
19:17-21 -
Then I saw an angel
standing alone in the
blazing light of the
sun, and he shouted in a
loud voice, calling to
all the birds flying in
mid-air, "Come, flock
together to God's great
feast! Here you may eat
the flesh of kings and
captains, the flesh of
strong men, of horses
and their riders - the
flesh of all men, free
men and slaves, small
and great!"
And I saw the animal (the
Beast from the Sea, Rome
now personified as
"Nero"?) with
the kings of the earth (the
Parthian kings?) and
their armies massed
together for battle
against the rider upon
the horse and his army.
The animal was captured
and with it the false
prophet (still
the Beast from the
Earth, the high priest
of emperor-worship?) who
had performed marvels in
its presence, which he
had used to deceive
those who accepted the
mark of the animal ("666") and
worshipped its statue.
These two were thrown
alive into the lake of
fire which burns with
sulphur (fire
and brimstone).
The rest were killed by
the sword which issues
from the mouth of the
rider upon the horse;
and all the birds gorged
themselves on their
flesh.
SATAN IS
OVERTHROWN; GOD MAKES
HIS FINAL JUDGMENT
SATAN, THE DECEIVER, IS
BOUND AND IMPRISONED FOR
A THOUSAND YEARS
Revelation
20:1-3 -
Then I saw an angel
coming down from Heaven
with the key of the pit (Abyss) and
a huge chain in his
hand. He seized the
dragon (Satan),
the serpent of ancient
days, who is both the
devil and Satan, and
bound him fast for a
thousand years (a
millennium).
Then he (the
angel) hurled
him (Satan)into
the pit (the
Abyss), and
locked and sealed it
over his head, so that
he could deceive the
nations no more until
the thousand years were
past. But then he must
be set free for a little
while.
- The period of a
thousand years and
sequence of events
has led to endless
speculation and
theorising over the
centuries. It is
possibly a length of
time symbolic of the
Church's life on
earth, during which
time the Gospel is
preached to all
mankind while Satan
is restrained by
God. At the
end-time, the second
coming of Christ and
the destruction of
Satan finally takes
place.
THE FIRST RESURRECTION -
CHRIST AND THE SAINTS
REIGN FOR A THOUSAND
YEARS
Revelation
20:4-6 -
And I saw thrones, with
appointed judges seated
upon them. Then I saw
the souls of those who
had been executed for
their witness to Jesus
and for proclaiming the
Word of God - those who
never worshipped the
animal (Beast
from the Sea, Rome?) or
its statue, and had not
accepted its mark upon
their foreheads or their
hands. They (the
Christian saints and
martyrs only) came
to life and reigned with
Christ for a thousand
years (the
millennial kingdom. The
rest of the dead -
all the other Christians
- did
not come to life until
the thousand years were
over.) This is the first
resurrection. Happy and
holy is the one who
shares in the first
resurrection! The second
death (after
the Last Judgment) cannot
touch such men; they
shall be priests of God
and of Christ, and shall
reign with him for the
thousand years.
SATAN IS RELEASED; THE
FINAL BATTLE; HIS
DESTRUCTION
Revelation
20:7-10 -
Then, when the thousand
years are over, Satan
will be released from
his prison, and will set
out to deceive the
nations in the four
corners of the earth,
Gog and Magog (
... representing all who
oppose God in the last
great battle by Satan at
the end of time, Ezekiel
38),
and to lead them into
battle. They will be as
numerous as the sand of
the seashore.
They came up and spread
over the breadth of the
earth; they encircled
the army of the saints
defending the beloved
city (Jerusalem).
But fire came down from
the sky and consumed
them. The devil (Satan,
the first of the
"trinity" of evil) who
deceived them was hurled
into the lake of fire
and sulphur to join the
animal and the false
prophet (the
second and third parts
of this same "trinity").
And there they shall be
tortured day and night
for timeless ages.
THE RESURRECTION OF THE
DEAD; THE LAST JUDGMENT
Revelation
20:11-15 -
And then I saw a great
white throne, and one
seated upon it from
whose presence both
earth and sky fled and
vanished (heaven
and earth have perhaps
disappeared).
Then I saw the dead (who
had not shared in the
first resurrection),
great and small,
standing (risen
and embodied) before
the throne and the books
were opened. And another
book was opened, which
is the book of life. And
the dead were judged by
what was written in the
books concerning what
they had done. The sea
gave up its dead, and
death and the grave gave
up the dead which were
in them. And men were
judged, each according
to what he had done.
Then death and the grave (Hades) were
themselves hurled into
the lake of fire, which
is the second death (following
the Last Judgment).
If anyone's name (the
wicked) was
not found written in the
book of life he was
thrown into the (eternal) lake
of fire.
XI - GOD'S NEW
WORLD
THE NEW
JERUSALEM - A NEW HEAVEN
AND A NEW EARTH
GOD PROCLAIMS THE NEW
HEAVEN AND THE NEW EARTH
- Satan and all his
evil works are no
more; the Last
Judgment has taken
place; God now
provides a new
dwelling for all who
have been saved:
Revelation
21:1-5 -
Then I saw a new Heaven
and a new earth (the
new Jerusalem), for
the first Heaven and the
first earth had
disappeared and the sea
was no more (they
are no longer fit for
God's people).
I saw the holy city, the
new Jerusalem,
descending from God out
of Heaven, prepared as a
bride (the
Church)dressed
in beauty for her
husband (Christ).
Then I heard a great
voice from the throne
crying, "See! The home
of God is with men, and
he will live among them
...
- The "Shekinah"
glory, a Hebrew term
expressing the
majesty of God
living among his
people. Also
"Immanuel" or
"Emmanuel" meaning
"God with us" - the
prophecy about Jesus
in Matthew 1:23:
... They shall be his
people, and God himself
shall be with them, and
will wipe away every
tear from their eyes.
Death shall be no more,
and never again shall
there be sorrow or
crying or pain. For all
those former things are
past and gone (suffering,
pain, death, and all the
results of the fall of
man are no more)."
Then he who is seated
upon the throne said,
"See, I am making all
thing new!"
And he added, "Write
this down for my words
are true and to be
trusted!"
THE GLORIOUS REWARDS OF
THE BELIEVER; THE DEATH
OF THE WICKED
Revelation
21:6-8 -
Then he said to me, "It
is done! I am Alpha and
Omega (a
description of God in
Revelation 1:8, and of
Christ shortly in 22:13),
the beginning and the
end. I will give to the
thirsty water without
price (as
in John 7:37-38) from
the fountain of life.
The victorious (referred
to in the third part of
each of the covering
letters to the seven
churches of Asia) shall
inherit these things,
and I will be God to him
and he will be son to
me. But as for the
cowards, the faithless
and the corrupt, the
murderers, the
traffickers in sex and
sorcery, the worshippers
of idols and all liars -
their inheritance is in
the lake which burns
with fire and sulphur (fire
and brimstone),
which is the second
death (following
the Last Judgment)."
THE NEW JERUSALEM
REVEALED, MEASURED, AND
DESCRIBED
Revelation
21:9-21 -
Then one of the seven
angels who hold the
seven bowls which were
filled with the seven
last plagues, came to me
and said, "Come, and I
will show you the bride (the
Church),
the wife of the Lamb (of
God - Christ)."
Then he carried me away
in spirit to the top of
a vast mountain, and
pointed out to me the
city, the holy
Jerusalem, descending
from God out of Heaven,
radiant with the glory
of God. ...
- John describes the
New Jerusalem in
terms of the most
beautiful objects he
can imagine. To some
modern readers,
these might even
conjure up visions
of the colossal,
magnificent
structures of some
science fiction
galactic city:
... Her brilliance
sparkled like a very
precious jewel with the
clear light of crystal.
...
Around her she had a
vast and lofty wall in
which were twelve
gateways with twelve
angels at the gates.
There were twelve names
inscribed over the
twelve gateways, and
they are the names of
the twelve tribes of the
sons of Israel.
On the east there were
three gateways, on the
north three gateways, on
the south three gateways
and on the west three
gateways.
The wall of the city had
twelve foundation
stones, and on these
were engraved the names
of the twelve apostles
of the Lamb.
The measurement of
the city
The one (an
angel) who
was talking to me had a
golden rod in his hand
with which to measure
the city, its gateways
and its wall. ...
The city lies
foursquare, its length
equal to its breadth.
He measured the city
with his rod and it was
twelve thousand furlongs (or
stadia, about 1,400
miles or 2,200 km. Again
presumably a symbolic
number, 12 x 1,000) in
each direction, for its
length, breadth and
height are all equal (a
cube 1,400 miles on each
side).
Then he measured its
wall, and found that to
be one hundred and
forty-four half-yards (or
cubits, about 200 feet
or 65 metres) high
by human measurement, (which
the angel was using).
The splendour of the
city's building
The wall itself was
built of translucent
stone, while ...
... the city was of purest
gold,
with the brilliance
of glass.
The foundation stones of
the wall of the city
were fashioned out of
every kind of precious
stone (similar
to the stones in the
breastpiece of the high
priest, Exodus 28:17-20).
The first
foundation-stone was jasper,
the second sapphire,
the third agate,
the fourth emerald,
the fifth onyx,
the sixth cornelian,
the seventh goldstone,
the eighth beryl,
the ninth topaz,
the tenth green
goldstone,
the eleventh zircon, and
the twelfth amethyst
(the identification
of some of these
stones is
uncertain).
The twelve gates were
twelve pearls, each gate
made of a single pearl (the
"pearly gates" of
popular culture).
The street of the city
was purest
gold gleaming
like glass.
NEW LIFE WITH GOD AND
THE LAMB
Revelation
21:22-27 -
I could see no Temple in
the city, for the Lord,
the Almighty God, and
the Lamb are themselves
its Temple (the
city is the Temple, and
God lives directly with
his people). The
city has no need for the
light of sun or moon,
for the splendour of God
fills it with light and
its radiance is the Lamb (who
provide all the
illumination required).
The nations will walk by
its light, and the kings
of the earth will bring
their glory into it. The
city's gates shall stand
open day after day (as
there is nothing more
for the saved of mankind
to fear) -
and there will be no
night there. Into the
city they will bring the
splendours and honours
of the nations.
But nothing unclean, no
one who deals in
filthiness and lies,
shall ever at any time
enter it - only those
whose names are written
in the Lamb's book of
life.
XI - PARADISE
REGAINED
THE GARDEN OF EDEN
RESTORED
Revelation
22:1-5 -
Then he (the
angel) showed
me the river (suggesting
the river of the Garden
of Eden, Genesis 2:10) of
the water of life,
sparkling like crystal
as it flowed from the
throne of God and of the
Lamb. In the middle of
the street of the city
and on either bank of
the river grew the tree
of life (no
longer denied to mankind
as it was so long before
to Adam in Genesis
3:22-24),
bearing twelve fruits, a
different kind for each
month. The leaves of the
tree were for the
healing of the nations.
Nothing that has cursed
mankind shall exist any
longer; the throne of
God and of the Lamb
shall be within the
city. His servants shall
worship him; they shall
see his face, and his
name will be upon their
foreheads. Night (and
all the natural and
symbolic darkness
implied) shall
be no more; they have no
more need for either
lamplight or sunlight,
for the Lord God will
shed his light upon them
and they shall reign as
kings for timeless ages.
XII - EPILOGUE:
CHRIST'S FINAL APPEAL
A CALL TO OBEDIENCE
Revelation
22:6-11 - (The
angel to John ....) Then
the angel said to me,
"These words are true
and to be trusted, for
the Lord God, who
inspired the prophets,
has sent his angel to
show his servants (such
as John) what
must shortly happen."
(The voice of Christ is
now heard .....) "See,
I come quickly! Happy is
the man who pays heed to (obeys) the
words of the prophecy in
this book."
John's personal
endorsement
(It is now John's turn
to speak as his visions
come to an end ...) It
is I, John, who have
heard and seen these
things. At the time when
I heard and saw them I
fell at the feet of the
angel who showed them to
me and I was about to
worship him. but he said
to me, "No! I am
fellow-servant to you
and to your brother, to
the prophets and to
those who keep the words
of this book. give your
worship to God!"
Then he added, "Do not
seal up the words of the
prophecy in this book,
for the time of their
fulfilment is near. Let
the wicked man continue
his wickedness and the
filthy man his
filthiness; let the good
man continue his good
deeds, and the holy man
continue in holiness.
JESUS CHRIST IS COMING
AGAIN
Revelation
22:12-15 -
"See, I (Christ) come
quickly! I carry my
reward with me, and
repay every man
according to his deeds (we
are saved by God's grace
or goodness, but
rewarded according to
how we use this
priceless gift).
I am Alpha and Omega (first
applied to God the
Father in Revelation
1:8, and now to Christ
the Son),
the first and the last,
the Beginning and the
End. Happy are those who
wash their robes, for
they have the right to
the tree of life and the
freedom of the gates of
the city (the
new Jerusalem).
Shut out from the city
shall be the depraved,
the sorcerers, the
impure, the murderers
and the idolaters, and
everyone who loves and
practises a lie!
THE FINAL INVITATION
Revelation
22:16-17 -
"I, Jesus, have sent my
angel to you (John) with
this testimony for the
Churches. I am both the
root and stock of David (Revelation
5:5),
and the bright star of
the morning!"
The invitation of
the Church and the
Spirit
The (Holy) Spirit
and the bride (the
Church) say,
"Come!"
Let everyone who hears
this also say, "Come (either
the Christian's response
to Christ, or their cry
to the unsaved in the
world to hear and
respond to the Gospel)!"
Let the thirsty man
come, and let everyone
who wishes take the
water of life as a gift.
THE FINAL WARNING; A
FINAL BLESSING
Revelation
22:18-21 -
Now I (presumably
John) bear
solemn witness to every
man (and
woman) who
hears the words of
prophecy in this book:
If anyone adds to these
words God will add to
him the disasters
described in this book;
if anyone takes away
from the words of
prophecy in this book,
God will take away from
him his share in the
tree of life and in the
holy city (the
new Jerusalem, Paradise
regained) which
are described in this
book.
He, who is witness to
all this, says, "Yes, I (Jesus
Christ) am
coming very quickly!"
"Amen, come Lord Jesus (in
Aramaic, "Maranatha" -
"come, Lord" or "the
Lord is coming". Return
again Lord, the
Christians cry out in
response)!"
The grace of the Lord
Jesus be with all his
people.
back to J
B Phillips with
Notes
J.B.Phillips, "The
New Testament in
Modern English",
1962 edition,
published by
HarperCollins, is
presented here with
the kind permission
of Mrs Vera Phillips
and the J.B.Phillips
estate
|
"Patmos". Catholic
Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913.
