Notes: The bulk of this commentary on Revelation is the writing of Paul F. Nolting, with a few

grammatical and formatting edits. However, notes on chapters 18, 19, 21, and 22 of Revelation were not found among his material, thus the commentary of Prof. Em. David Lau was used to complete the book.

To make this commentary easy to use on its own, the book of Revelation has been typed out, beginning with the sixth chapter, and can be found in italics preceding the appropriate section of commentary. The first five chapters of Revelation were not typed out because the commentary on those chapters is very brief.

A number of Bible translations are used in this document. Unless otherwise noted, passages quoted by Nolting are from the King James Version, and those quoted by Lau are from the New King James. For the italicized sections of Revelation which I have included, I used a third translation, the New American Standard Bible. In addition, I sometimes include the NASB and/or NKJV translation for a passage quoted in the King James Version by Nolting. Any edit of this kind is enclosed by square brackets.

OutlineINTRODUCTION (1:1-3)SALUTATION (1:4-8)THE SEVEN VISIONS (1:9-22:7)

The First Vision (1:9-3:22)o The Vision of the Glorified Christ (1:9-20)o The Seven Letters to the Seven Churches (2:1-3:22)

Ephesus—the church that had lost its first love Smyrna—the church passing through martyrdom Pergamum—tempted to compromise the truth Thyatira—the church tolerating false teaching Sardis—the church that was dead Philadelphia—the church for whom God opened a door Laodicea—the lukewarm church

The Second Vision (4:1-8:1)o The Vision of the Throne (4)o The Vision of the Lamb and the Sealed Book (5)o The First Six of the Seven Seals (6)

The First Seal: The White Horse (6:1-2) The Second Seal: The Red Horse (6:3-4) The Third Seal: The Black Horse (6:5-6) The Fourth Seal: The Pale (Ashen) Horse (6:7-8) The Fifth Seal: The Martyrs (6:9-11) The Sixth Seal: The Beginning of the End (6:12-17)

o An Interlude Between the Sixth and Seventh Seals: The 144,000 (7)o The Seventh Seal (8:1)

The Third Vision (8:1-11:19)

o Silence and the Seven Trumpets (8:2-5)o Trumpet 1: Hail, Fire Mixed with Blood (8:6-7)o Trumpet 2: Mountain Burning with Fire (8:8-9)o Trumpet 3: A Great Star Called Wormwood (8:10-11)o Trumpet 4: Darkening of Sun, Moon, Stars (8:12-13)o Trumpet 5: A Fallen Star, Pit, Locusts (9:1-11)o Trumpet 6: Four Angels from the Euphrates (8:12-21)o Interlude Between the Sixth and Seventh Trumpets: The Strong Angel and the

Two Witnesses (10:1-11:14)o Trumpet 7: The Vision of the End (11:15-19)

The Fourth Vision (12:1-14:20)o The Two Signs in Heaven: The Woman with Child and the Red Dragon (12:1-17)o The First Wild Beast: Seven Heads, Ten Horns (13:1-10)o The Second Wild Beast: Two Horns (13:11-18)o The Seven Miniature Visions

1) The Lamb and the 144,000 on Mt. Zion (14:1-5) 2) The Angel with the Everlasting Gospel (14:6-7) 3) The Angel Announcing Babylon’s Fall (14:8) 4) The Angel Warning Against Beast Worship (14:9-12) 5) The Voice Crying: Blessed are the Dead (14:13) 6) The Harvest of the Earth (14:14-16) 7) Clusters of Grapes from the Earth (14:17-20)

The Fifth Vision: The Seven Angels with the Seven Bowls and Seven Plagues (15:1-16:21)

The Sixth Vision (17:1-20:15)o The Description of the Great Harlot (17:1-5)o The History of the Great Harlot (17:6-18)o The Destruction of the Great Harlot (18)o The Rejoicing in Heaven at This Destruction (19:1-10)o The Word of God on a White Horse Destroying the Beast and the False Prophet

(19:11-21)o The Vision of the Millennium (20:1-10)o The Vision of the Last Judgment (20:11-15)

The Seventh Vision (21:1-22:7o The New Heaven and the New Earth (21:1-8)o The Holy City: New Jerusalem (21:9-22:7)

CONCLUSION (22:8-21)

Reading RevelationIt’s different from reading one of the Gospels, epistles, or one of the historical books like

Acts or Kings. It’s similar rather to parts of Daniel, Ezekiel, or Zechariah. Revelation is “apocalyptic.” Literature that is “apocalyptic” expresses its thought in extremely bold figures. The thought is not expressed in a conventional manner, that is, in literal language, but rather in astounding symbols and vivid pictures, accompanied by sound effects in words that one can hear while reading them—peals of thunder, for example.

The Holy Spirit calls attention to this characteristic feature of Revelation in the opening verse: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.” The King James here comes closer to the original than the new translations [e.g., NIV, NASB; the NKJV reads the same as the KJV]. The New King James remains the more difficult, for what does he “signified it” really mean? The newer versions translate “he made it known.” That gives the sense, but leaves out the particular flavor of the word that the Holy Spirit used. God did indeed make known the things that were to come to pass, but He did this through signs and symbols. That is the significance of this particular verb. So when we read Revelation, we are reading “sign” language, that is, divine and certain truths are presented through the use of symbols. Anyone who is acquainted with the writing of the prophets and Daniel is well acquainted with this manner of presenting divine truths. This is one of the “divers manners” or varied forms which God used to speak, as the writer to the Hebrews testifies in the opening verse of that epistle.

There is another factor that must be noted in this book of symbols which also contains literal statements. That is that numbers are consistently used in Revelation as symbols.

FourFour is the number of the earth—we often speak of the four corners of the world, and

Revelation also mentions the four winds of the earth (7:1), as the well as four living creatures (4:6). Note the groups of four in the following passages: “Thou…hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” (5:9). “A great multitude...of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues” (7:9). “Thou must prophesy again before [NASB: “concerning”] many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings” (10:11). “And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies” (11:9). “Authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him” (13:7, NASB). “I saw another angel fly…to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people” (14:6). “The waters which thou sawest…are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues” (17:15). Note the seven occurrences!

SevenSeven is the covenant number, made up of three (the number for God) and four (the

number for the earth.) Seven symbolizes the fullness of God’s dealings with the children of men. In Old Testament times it was also used as the sacred measurement of time. There are seven candlesticks (1:13) representing the seven churches (1:20); seven stars (1:16) representing the seven angels or pastors of the seven churches (1:20). Then there are seven Spirits of God (3:1), seven seals (5:1), seven angels with the seven trumpets (8:6), seven peals of thunder (10:4), the beast having seven heads (13:1)—the seven heads being identified as the seven mountains (17:9), and seven kings (17:10). There are the seven angels having the seven last plagues (15:1) which were stored in seen vials or bowls (15:7). In addition, the entire book lends itself to a sevenfold division. All of this is not by chance, but by design, for Revelation is prophecy foretelling God’s dealings with mankind in all fullness during the “last days”—the New Testament era.

Twelve

Twelve is the number of the Church: the twelve tribes symbolizing the Church of the Old Testament and the twelve apostles the New Testament. It is often used while referencing the Heavenly Jerusalem: “It had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel… And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb…And he measured the wall thereof, 144 cubits” (21:12,14,17). Adding twelve and twelve produces the number twenty-four: “And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold” (4:4). These are the minsters of the Word, the prophets and apostles of the Old and New Testament, symbolizing the representative Church. The entire Church of all ages is symbolized in the 144,000. The description of the new heavens and earth—the eternal abode of the Church—abounds in twelves: twelve gates each of a pearl and so twelve pearls, guarded by twelve angels (21:12,21), the wall having twelve foundations (21:14), and the tree of life bearing twelve kinds of fruit (22:2).

TenTen stands for a rounded total—for example, the ten commandments of the Law and the

ten plagues with which the Lord smote Egypt. The beast had ten horns which symbolize ten kings (13:1; 17:12). One thousand is ten raised to the third power—symbolizing the ultimate rounded total, even as 144,000—twelve times twelve to the third power—symbolizes the absolute total of the elect, the Church of the Old and New Testaments.

REVELATION: STRUCTURED IN SEVENS!

The Outline of the BookIntroduction: John's Vision of Jesus on the Island of Patmos (1:1-20)1. The Seven Letters to the Seven Churches (2:1-3:22)2. The Vision of the Seven Seals (4:1-8:6)3. The Vision of the Seven Trumpets (8:7-11:19)4. The Seven Visions (12:1-15:8)5. The Vision of the Seven Bowls (16:1-21)6. The Victory over the Antichrist (17:1-19:21)7. The Victory over Satan (20:1-22:7)Conclusion (22:8-21)

The Vision of the Seven Seals (4:1-8:6)The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse:

1. The Rider on the White Horse—the Conqueror2. The Rider on the Red Horse--Conflict (War) on Earth3. The Rider on the Black Horse--Scarcity (Famine) on Earth4. The Rider on the Pale-Green Horse--death on Earth

5. The Souls under the Altar6. Cosmic Disturbance--Judgments7. The Church on Earth (7:1-8) The Great White Host--the Church in Heaven (7:9-17)

The Vision of the Seven Trumpets (8:7-11:19)1. Vegetation Struck2. The Seas Struck3. The Water Struck4. The Heavens Struck5. The Locusts from the Bottomless Pit (Hell)6. The Army from the Euphrates7. The Kingdom Proclaimed (the End of the World)

The Seven Visions (12:1-15:8)1. The Great Red Dragon (12:1-17)2. The Beast from the Sea (13:1-10)3. The Beast from the Earth (13:1-10)4. The 144,000 with the Lamb (14:1-5)5. The Three Angels (14:6-13)6. The Harvest (14:14-20)7. The Angels with the Seven Last Plagues (15:1-8)

Seven Blessings1. Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep [NASB:

“heed”] those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. (1:3)2. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they

may rest from their labors, and their works do follow them. (14:13)3. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk

naked, and they see his shame. (16:15)4. Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb! (19:9)5. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath

no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. (20:6)

6. Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth [NASB: “heeds”] the sayings of the prophecy of this book. (22:7)

7. Blessed are they that do his commandments [NASB: “who wash their robes”], that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. (22:14)

Seven Letters to Seven Churches1. Letter to Ephesus—the loveless church2. Letter to Smyrna—the persecuted church3. Letter to Pergamos—the compromising church4. Letter to Thyatira—the corrupt church5. Letter to Sardis—the dead church6. Letter to Philadelphia—the faithful church7. Letter to Laodicea—the lukewarm church

Seven Parts for Each Letter1. The command to write

2. The description of the writer3. The word of commendation4. The word of criticism5. The admonition6. The call to hear7. The promiseNote: There are three exceptions. The letters to Smyrna and Philadelphia do not have any word of criticism. The letter to Laodicea does not have a word of commendation.

The Seven Vials or Bowls (16:1-21)1. First bowl—malignant sores (16:1-2)2. Second bowl—the sea turns to blood (16:3)3. Third bowl—the waters turn to blood (16:4-7)4. Fourth bowl—men are scorched (16:8-9)5. Fifth bowl—darkness and pain (16:10-11)6. Sixth bowl—the army from the East (16:12-16)7. Seventh bowl—the end of the world (16:17-21)

The Book of Life1. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his

name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels. (3:5)

2. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (13:8)

3. The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is [NASB: “that he was and is not and will come”]. (17:8)

4. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. (20:12)

5. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (20:15)6. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh

abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. (21:27)

7. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life [NASB: “from the tree of life”], and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. (22:19)

CHAPTER 1: The Introduction to the Book

1:1-3: The caption: THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST1:4-8: The address, the opening doxology and assurance, and the great signature1:9-20: The vision of the glorified Christ

CHAPTER 2-3: The Seven Letters

2:1-7: The letter to Ephesus—the church that had lost its first love2:8-11:The letter to Smyrna—the church passing through actual martyrdom2:12-17: The letter to Pergamum—the church being tempted to compromise the Truth2:18-29: The letter to Thyatira—the infected church that tolerated a false teacher3:1-6: The letter to Sardis—the secularized church that was more dead than alive3:7-13: The letter to Philadelphia—the faithful church with but a little strength3:14-22: The letter to Laodicea—the proud and self-satisfied church that was neither hot nor

cold, but lukewarm

CHAPTER 4: The Vision of THE THRONE

John was in spirit—in the state of ecstasy. He could hear and see beyond normal sight and hearing.The THRONE is a symbol of God’s almighty rule over all things in heaven and earth.He that sat on the throne is the FATHER (Dan. 7:9-10).In appearance, the Father is described as being like jasper (diamond), symbolizing MAJESTY, and like the blood-red sardine stone, symbolizing JUDGMENT. Around the throne is rainbow (emerald), symbolizing HOPE and PEACE.The twenty-four elders symbolize the PUBLIC MINISTERS OF THE WORD of both the Old and New Testaments. Twelve tribes plus twelve apostles equals twenty-four elders.The Four Beasts (Living Creatures, CHERUBIM) symbolize God’s everlasting covenant of salvation for all men and the entire earth.

CHAPTER 5: The Vision of the LAMB AND THE BOOK

The BOOK, or SCROLL, in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne, sealed with seven seals, contained the “things which must be hereafter.” The QUESTION: “Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?” (5:2)No one was able…John wept! (5:4)One of the Elders revealed that the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David HATH PREVAILED—has won the great victory—and so is worthy to open the book and so reveal and control the future until the end. (5:5)The LAMB as if slain, with seven horns (power) and seven eyes—the seven spirits of God (wisdom)—CAME and TOOK the BOOK out of the RIGHT HAND of GOD! (5:6-7)The REACTION was the song of the four LIVING CREATURES and twenty-four ELDERS, the ANGLES, and finally EVERY CREATURE—PRAISING THE LAMB THAT HAD TAKEN THE BOOK. (5:8-14)

CHAPTER 6: The Visions of the First SIX SEALS

The first four seals are the FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE. The HORSE is a symbol of strength, might, or force of a certain kind—for conquest, progress, and conflict (Job 39:19-25). Therefore, it is a symbol of mighty spiritual influences, agencies, or powers which were to arise at the beginning of the “Christian Era” and go forth into the entire world, giving this era its distinctive character.

Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, "Come." I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. (6:1-2)

The WHITE HORSE is a symbol of the going forth of the Gospel of Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:46-49; Matt 24:14). The final scene in this victory campaign of the White Horse and its Rider is given in Revelation 19:11-21.

When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, "Come." And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him. (6:3-4)

The RED HORSE is a symbol of the REACTION to the career of the White Horse as he goes forth to establish the Kingdom of God. That reaction is division, strife, sword, and war (Matt 10). The White Horse charges into the world and human hearts, which are a part of the Devil’s Kingdom. The terrific reaction, as the Devil seeks to maintain his control, is the career of the Red Horse, who with its Rider is doomed to destruction. That is also pictured in Revelation 19:11-21.

When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, "Come.” I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine." (6:5-6)

The BLACK HORSE is a symbol of a RIVAL KINGDOM, the KINGDOM of THIS WORLD. Its goal is to win the hearts of men away from the Kingdom of THE WORLD TO COME that the White Horse is establishing. It is the Kingdom of Mammon, characterized by the unjust, inequitable distribution of the products of this earth—call it big business, finance, commercialism—which was set into motion by unbelieving Israel that was cast among the nations of the earth as a curse. Consider the “Wandering Jew” and his genius for finance and the control through a secret empire of the lives, souls, destinies, and welfare, both temporal and eternal, of individuals and whole nations.

When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, "Come." I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth. (6:7-8)

The PALE (ASHEN) HORSE is a symbol of a PSEUDO (false) KINGDOM, an IMITATION of the Kingdom of God established by the White Horse with the TRUTH. The Pseudo Kingdom uses the LIE with the purpose and result of killing the souls of men and so gaining both body and soul for eternal damnation.

The four horses symbolize spiritual forces as they had their beginning as the Christian Era began. We see their development and end farther on in this book. In part—the Red Horse at Armageddon (16:6), the Black Horse in the Great Babylon (18:1-19), the Pale Horse in the Two Beasts (13). The final destruction of these horses by the White Horse is pictured in Revelation 19:11-21.

When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also. I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” (6:9-17)

The fifth seal is the vision of the MARTYRS, and the sixth seal is the vision of the BEGINNING OF THE END. Note the contrast between the saints and their persecutors in these two seals!

CHAPTER 7: The Vision of the 144,000

After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads." And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed, 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 Zebulon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, from the

tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed. (7:1-8)

The four (symbolizing the earth) angels are commanded that no wind (of harm) is to strike the earth in any way to hinder the sealing of God’s servants on their foreheads. Sealing symbolizes ownership—belonging to God.

The number of the sealed is 144,000. That number symbolizes the HOLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Why 144,000? Multiplying twelve (Old Testament tribes) times twelve (New Testament apostles) times the cube of 10 equals 144,000. Ten is the number of completeness. The cube of ten is completeness in the highest degree. Thus 144,000 symbolizes the whole number of the elect, the Holy Christian Church.

The NAMES of the tribes describe the CHURCH:1. Judah—“Praise”: We are chosen in Christ to the “praise of the glory of His grace.”

(Eph 1:4-6)2. Reuben—“Behold a son”: We are sons of God3. Gad—“Troop” or “Great company”: We are many sons. (Heb 2:10, Rev 7:9)4. Asher—“Happy” or “Blessed”: We are the blessed of the Lord. (Matt 5:3-12)5. Naphtali—“Wrestling”: We are “overcomers.” (Rev 2 and 3)6. Manasseh—“Forgetting”: As members of the Household of God (Eph 2:19), we are to

forget our earthly father, Adam, and our earthly home.7. Simeon—“Hearing”: We are hearers and, through hearing, believers.8. Levi—“Joined”: We are joined to the Lord.9. Issachar—“Price paid”: We have been bought with a price. (1 Cor 6:20)10. Zebulon—“Dwelling”: God dwells in us. (Eph 2:20)11. Joseph—“Adding”: We are to grow in grace and knowledge (2 Pet 3:18)12. Benjamin—“Son of the right hand”: We shall also reign with Christ. (2 Tim 2:12)

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, " Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, "Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever Amen." Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?" I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them. They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat;  for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes." (7:9-17)

This section is a picture of the glory of heaven for those coming out of the great tribulation (Acts 14:22).

CHAPTER 8: The Vision of the SEVENTH SEAL and the first four TRUMPETS

When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. (8:1)

This silence is in anticipation of judgments leading up to the final judgment. This silence is not broken until the seventh trumpet, when great voices in heaven announce the completion of the divine plan: “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever” (11:15).

The Trumpet Series are visions of a punitive nature that affect the whole world in the area of the political-religious. Each judgment is a call to repentance. In the case of the majority, that call fails—they “repented not of the works of their hands…neither repented they of their murders” (9:20-21). Only the minority heeded the call to repentance: “and the remnant were affrighted [NASB: “terrified”], and gave glory to the God of heaven” (11:13).

And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. (8:2)

The trumpet gives a loud, piercing, and far-reaching sound that demands the attention of all in view of a matter of urgent importance. The trumpet may announce worship for the people or summon them to battle. In these visions the trumpet is the symbol of the ANNOUNCMENT OF JUDGMENTS. This is comparable to the use of the trumpet announcing the fall of Jericho and “the trump of God” announcing the end of all things and the Final Judgment (1 Thess 4:16).

Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel's hand. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake. (8:3-5)

The mediating angel is CHRIST, THE ONE MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MAN, THE ETERNAL PRIEST AFTER THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK. Remember that this book is the book of the revelation of Jesus Christ. In chapters 1-3 He was revealed as the GLORIFIED SON OF MAN, in chapters 4-7 as the REDEEMER, THE LAMB THAT HAD BEEN SLAIN. Here in chapter 8, he is revealed as the INTERCESSOR. What is symbolized here is spoken of directly in Psalm 110, Romans 8:34, 1 Timothy 2:5, and Hebrews 7:25. What a comforting truth! We never pray alone, for Christ prays with us. His merits always accompany our prayers to the throne of grace.

There are other symbols here as well. Fire is a symbol of the consuming wrath of God. The peals of thunder are announcements of approaching judgments, and lightning symbolizes sharp and sudden strokes of judgment.

The same fire that consumes the sacrifice of the believer, sending up smoke as a sweet savor unto the Lord is cast into the earth to consume the enemies of God and all that is contrary to Truth and Holiness.

And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them. (8:6)

Note the number seven once again: seven angles are ready with seven trumpets to announce seven judgments upon the earth.

The first sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. (8:7)

Hail and fire are symbols of destruction. For example, a hailstorm was one of the plagues on Egypt (Ex 9:23-35), and Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire and brimstone (Gen 19:24-25). Blood would symbolize the tremendous loss of life as a result of this judgment. What is here symbolized is the judgment of God upon unbelieving Israel in the form of the Roman armies devastating the land and destroying the people in the year 70 A.D. One-third of the earth and one-third of the trees (a frequent symbol for great people) are destroyed along with all the green grass. This judgment left the nation destitute and decimated.

The second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood, and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed. (8:8-9)

A mountain is a frequent Bible symbol for a nation; the sea for the many nations of this earth. The sea turning to blood means the sea is accursed (Ex 7:14-15), for blood kills while water nourishes life. Only once in the history of mankind was one nation, burning with divine judgment, cast into the sea of nations as a curse upon them and their goods, and that was when the nation of the Jews was cast among the nations as a curse in the year 70 A.D. Consider other evidences in the Scripture of the Jews used as a curse upon the nations:

1. The extreme grief of Jesus when speaking of this coming judgment (Luke 19:41-44)2. The flying scroll going forth as a curse and the ephah that is wickedness (Zech 5)3. Jacob as the battle ax of the Lord against the nations (Jer 51:19-23) 4. Jacob as a sharp threshing instrument, threshing the mountains (nations) (Is 41:14-16)5. The fig tree cursed by Jesus (Matt 21:18-22)—The fig tree is a symbol of Israel from

one point of view; why not the mountain from another? The same Lord who said to the fig tree, “Let no fruit grow on thee henceforth for ever,” was soon to say to the mountain, “Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea.”

The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters. The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter. (8:10-11)

A star is a symbol of a notable person or angel, and heaven may symbolize either the political or spiritual heavens. John sees a great star falling from heaven and burning in judgment as it falls. This great star is Lucifer, the DEVIL (Is 14:12; Luke 10:18; John 12:31-33; Col 2:15; Heb 2:14; Rev 12:1-9). The fall of Satan from heaven occurred when his head was crushed, when Christ won the victory over him. He is here called “wormwood” (absinthe) because his aim and purpose is to make the Waters of Life bitter and poisonous so that many men may die. The

first centuries after the Apostles are known as the Age of Heresies. Satan was especially active. Think of Arius, who denied the deity of Christ; Origen, who with his false principles of interpretation destroyed the Bible as the source of doctrine; and Pelagius, who denied original sin.

The fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a third of it, and the night in the same way. (8:12)

The symbols of the sun, moon, and stars go back to the fourth day of creation. They were to rule the day and night, and so symbolize government. In this vision they are smitten so that they cannot fully function. That would symbolize the breakdown of governments as we find it in the decline and fall of the Roman Empire that set the stage also for the political-religious darkness of the Middle Ages.

Note the many “thirds” in these first four trumpet visions. That fraction—not the whole—symbolizes partial judgments that were to precede the Final Judgment.

Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in mid-heaven, saying with a loud voice, "Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!" (8:13)

This is the transition between the first four and the last three trumpet visions. The flying angel or eagle crying the triple “Woe” indicates that the following judgments are to be more terrible!

CHAPTER 9: The Visions of the FIFTH and SIXTH TRUMPETS

Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. (9:1)

John saw a star fall from heaven to the earth. In Revelation 8:10 we had “a great star” which we identified as Satan. What does “a star” here symbolize? Returning to chapter 1, we find the glorified Son of Man having the seven stars in His right hand (1:16). These stars are identified in verse 20 as the angels of the seven churches who are addressed in the seven letters of chapters 2 and 3. We identified these “angels” as the head bishop of each church. Hence the star that fell is a bishop of the church, a bishop who fell from heaven to earth—that is, a bishop who fell from being a true to being a false bishop.

This bishop is given “the key of the bottomless pit”—the abyss, hell. In Revelation 1:18 the glorified Son of Man says, “I…have the keys of hell and of death.” What the Lord has as His own power He gives to this fallen bishop. In Matthew 16:19 the Lord gives to Peter and elsewhere to the other apostles and all Christians “the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” Here He gives the “key of the bottomless pit” to this fallen bishop.

He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. (9:2)

What did the fallen bishop do with the key? “He opened the bottomless pit.” And the result? Smoke, as of a great furnace, came out of the pit and darkened the sun and the air. So the fallen bishop accomplishes the very OPPOSITE of what Christ came to do. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. (9:3-4)

Out of the smoke of hell came locusts or grasshoppers that had the power of scorpions. What is the significance of grasshoppers with the power of scorpions? These locusts, that swarm over and cover the earth, had the sting of a scorpion, a sting that is severe though rarely fatal.

There is a contrast here between two kinds of men. The one kind is those who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads, that is, they do not belong to God (7:3)—they are not believers in our Lord Jesus Christ. The other kind of men appears under the symbols of grass, green thing, and tree. Those are symbols representing the godly man, the believer, the Christian. Consider the godly man of Psalm 1:3 who is pictured as “a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Consider the Lord’s description of the believer in John 15:5: “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” So then, the locusts are under orders to attack not the believers, but those that “believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thess 2:12).

And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them. (9:5-6)

The locusts were under orders and restricted by order to torment, not to kill, their victims. The torment was to last five months (half of ten). Ten is the number of completion: ten plagues subdued Pharaoh, ten commandments revealed the will of God. So the torment is not complete and final, but incomplete. The torment will be so severe, however, that men shall desire death, but not find it.

The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. They had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions. They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle. They have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months. They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon. (9:7-11)

This section contains a description of the locusts. They are described as appearing like horses prepared for battle—hence they are very militant, eager for battle. The crowns like gold indicate that these locusts pretend to have great authority and seem to be assured of victory. The

faces like men (human beings) indicate that they will make a show of wisdom and sagacity, a very human appeal. The fact that they have hair like that of women symbolizes the allurement of seeming beauty, as in worship and art. Although the locusts appear beautiful, they are actually cruel and devouring, as symbolized by the teeth like those of lions. The breastplates of iron indicate that the locusts have a very strong defense and protection against attack. The great noise generated by their wings—like the sound of chariots and horses rushing to battle—corresponds to the large amount of publicity that the locusts would receive as they flew from one country to another as on a victorious military campaign. For the tails like scorpions, compare Isaiah 9:15: “The prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.” Finally, the locust army had a king called “Abaddon” in the Hebrew and “Apollyon” in the Greek. Both names mean the same—PERDITION, DESTROYER.

Who is this king? It could be the devil himself, but more likely it is the same fallen star, the false bishop, who appears in verse 1. The “star” of chapter 1 becomes the “angel” of chapters 2 and 3. So here. Hence the king is not the “great star” himself, but rather an AGENT OF THE DEVIL IN THE PERSON OF THE FALLEN BISHOP.

Who is this fallen bishop? His identity becomes clear when you remember that his name means “perdition” or “destroyer” and then think of the prophecy in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12. There St. Paul speaks of a “man of sin” who shall be revealed. That man of sin is called “the son of perdition.” The identification of this person or institution was revealed by the Lord through Luther and the Reformation. The FALLEN BISHOP is the GREAT ANTICHRIST, the PAPACY OF ROME, which is founded on the LIE that the Bishop of Rome is the successor of St. Peter and regent of Christ on earth. In truth, the Roman Papacy is the AGENT OF SATAN permitted to rise on earth as a judgment of the Lord upon those who “received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (2 Thess 2:10). This vision pictures to the eye of faith the rise of the Papacy, and so runs parallel with the first part of the prophecy of the ANTICHIRST in 2 Thessalonians 2. This vision presents several features in the rise of the Papacy.

Under the direction of hell itself, it began with the theory that the bishop of Rome is the Head of Christendom and Regent of Christ on Earth. It was Leo the Great (440-461) who first gave clear-cut expression to the Petrine theory that the bishop of Rome is the divinely ordained head of the Christian Church. This claim is based on a misinterpretation of Matthew 16:18-19. It was Gregory the Great (590-604), a brilliant statesman and organizer, who made this claim stick. There you have the gradual rise of the FALLEN BISHOP.

The rise of the Papacy was accompanied by smoke from the pits of hell—the gradual replacement of the Truth with false doctrines. The lie that man still retained some spiritual powers and so could and should work out his own salvation gradually replaced the doctrine of justification by grace through faith in Christ (2 Thess 2:10-12).

The chief feature of the vision is the armies of locusts, symbolizing the monastic orders that swarmed over Europe and the world and without which the Papacy could not have developed. The orders of the monks were militant, acted with the authority of God and with the assurance of final victory, and were in fact the guardians of civilization during the Dark Ages and so had great human appeal. They gained support as the guardians of public morals and promoters of beautiful and mystical worship; yet were most cruel, as the Inquisition reveals. They consistently taught that the state must defend the Church and have made a great noise with the world’s best propaganda machine. At all times they have the sting of the lie of the false prophet: the curse upon justification by grace through faith and the substitution of salvation by the good works prescribed by the Church.

The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things. (9:12)

This verse is a transition: one woe is past, two are still coming! That means that there will never be a truce or peace in the war of Satan against the Kingdom of God.

Then the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they would kill a third of mankind. (9:13-15)

John hears a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God. Whose is the voice? No doubt—the voice of “THE OTHER ANGEL” that we found standing at the altar and ministering in Revelation 8:3-5. That would be the Lord Jesus manifested as MEDIATOR.

The LORD commands that the four bound angels be loosed. Notice the exact time, down to the year, month, day, and hour. Our LORD does have all power in heaven and earth, for no judgment can be loosed upon the earth without His command, and He has full control over all His judgments. The four angels had been bound in the great river Euphrates. The Euphrates may well be taken both literally and symbolically. The Euphrates lay outside of the chosen Land of Canaan. Hence this judgment would come from without the Church, not from within as the Antichrist of the fifth vision. The Euphrates area was the seat of the great world powers of old that constantly challenged the authority of God and sought to destroy the Kingdom of God. This judgment would attempt the same. The area of the Euphrates was the literal area of the rise of Islam in its second phase—the consolidation of the four kingdoms of Bagdad, Damascus, Aleppo, and Iconium. Notice: four kingdoms—four angels. There is Scriptural evidence that Satan assigns angels to each world power to serve as a sort of “evil advisor” in that power’s battle against the Kingdom of God.

The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. And this is how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them: the riders had breastplates the color of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone. (9:16-17)

The army contained a vast number of horsemen, two myriads of myriads, or two hundred million. The chief characteristic of the rise and spread of Islam was the invincible horsemen—in the second phase, the Turkish cavalry. These horsemen are on a military-spiritual campaign. Here is a judgment in the form of a crusade of heresy, pictured by the fire, smoke, and brimstone coming out of their mouths.

A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths. (9:18)

One-third of mankind is killed—again a fraction, not a total or the final judgment. Notice that these victims were killed by fire, smoke, and brimstone. Fire and brimstone are symbols of violent death, as by war (Rev 8:7). Smoke is symbolic of spiritual death by false doctrine (Rev

9:2). Here is a judgment that brings both physical and spiritual death. This fits Islam, which conquered by both the sword and heresy.

For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents and have heads, and with them they do harm. (9:19)

The power of the horses is located in their MOUTHS and in their TAILS. The tails are described as serpents having heads that do the hurting. Here we have horses with tails like many-headed serpents. In the sixth trumpet vision we had grasshoppers with tails like scorpions.

These strange symbols of horses killing with their mouths and tails by fire, smoke, and brimstone indicate a physical killing through the ravages of war and a spiritual killing through the lie. The emphasis lies on the spiritual killing.

The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts. (9:20-21)

This judgment did not lead the people to repent from the gross idolatry, murder, sorcery, fornications, and thefts they were practicing. The Eastern Church was the chief victim of Islam. That Church was given to gross idolatry, as we know from the Iconoclastic Controversy. People bowed before images, kissed and worshipped them, scraped the paint off and mixed it with the wine of communion, and used images as sponsors.

This vision presents to the eye of faith the judgment of Islam upon a decadent Church that had grown weary of the Truth. There are two periods in the history of Islam. The first period is marked by the Hegira of Mohammed in 622 to the defeat of the Islamic army in the West by Charles Martel at the Battle of Tours in 732. Then followed a period of stagnation. That was in turn followed by a reawakening and consolidation under the ferocious Ottoman Turks, which climaxed in the capture of Constantinople in 1453. This second era of Islam was the chief cause of the Crusades. It is also this second period that comes into focus in this vision. So the Fifth Trumpet Vision pictures the ANTICHRIST OF THE WEST and the Sixth Trumpet Vision pictures the ANTICHRIST OF THE EAST.

Islam is an imitation of Christianity. It has as its chief features THE MAN and THE BOOK: Mohammed and the Koran in imitation of Christ and the Bible. It is a mixture of Arab paganism, Judaism, and Christianity. The chief articles of faith are two: “There is but one God (Allah) and Mohammed is his prophet.” The principle religious practices are four: prayer (at five set times daily), fasting (in the month of Ramadan), alms-giving, and pilgrimage (at least once in a lifetime to Mecca). Some of the favorite Islamic sayings that illustrate these practices are: “By no means shall you attain to righteousness until you spend (benevolently) out of what you love” (The Koran, 3:92)…“Prayer carries us half way to God; fasting brings us to the door of His palace; and alms procure us admission.” The Koran also forbids wine-drinking, gambling, and the eating of pork. Fatalism was a chief characteristic of the religion, especially in combat. Mohammed taught, “Fear the heat of combat? Hell is hotter! Paradise is before you.” Remember that the Islamic heaven was one of extreme sensual and intellectual delights.

There are three features of this Sixth Trumpet Vision that especially indicate Islam. Firstly, the Euphrates River signifies that this judgment comes from without the Church as

judgment upon the Church. Additionally, it is in defiance of the authority of God and set upon the destruction of the Kingdom of God. The geographical area identifies the judgment as the second phase of Islam.

Secondly, Islam was spread by the sword, compelled by religious fanaticism, symbolized by the unnatural horsemen in the vision. Consider this quotation from Mohammed: “The sword is the key of heaven and of hell; a drop of blood shed in the cause of God, a night spent in arms, is of more avail than two months of fasting and prayer; whosoever falls in battles, his sins are forgiven; at the day of judgment his wounds shall be resplendent as vermillion, and odoriferous as musk; and the loss of his limbs shall be supplied by the wings of angels and cherubim.”

Finally, this was to be a judgment on idolatry. The Eastern Church, which especially felt the scourge of Islam, was given to gross idolatry, which characterizes it to this day. The other sins were also present.

Summary of the First Six Trumpet Visions:We have pictured to the eye of faith the rise and development of three great opponents to

the Kingdom of God—Jewism, Romanism, and Islam—as a judgment upon those who did not love the Truth. The first two trumpet visions briefly present apostate Jewism that was cast as a curse into the sea of nations and that continues to militate against the Kingdom of God. The third and fourth trumpet visions are preparatory judgments that set the stage for the rise of both Romanism and Islam. The third shows Satan filling the earth with error. The fourth shows the political breakdown without which neither Romanism nor Islam could have developed. The fifth vision reveals the GREAT ANTICHRIST in the form of the ROMAN PAPACY. The sixth vision reveals the impending judgment of Islam.

CHAPTER 10: The Vision of the MIGHTY ANGEL

Revelation 10-11:13 lies between the sixth and seventh trumpet visions, just as a similar vision, found in chapter 7, lies between the sixth and seventh seal visions. The seal visions show forces at work in the world at large; the vision of chapter 7 reveals a two-fold view of the Church. So also the trumpet series reveals judgments of a political-religious nature in the world, while the section found in 10-11:13 reveals developments in the Church during the same time.

I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire; and he had in his hand a little book which was open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land; and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars; and when he had cried out, the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices. When the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; and I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them." (10:1-4)

The strong or mighty angel is clothed with a cloud, the chariot of the Lord (Rev 1:7), though in this case he is clothed with a thundercloud signifying judgment. The rainbow upon his head is a symbol of God’s covenant of mercy and peace (Rev 4:3). Note the contrast between the thundercloud and the rainbow, judgment and mercy. The angel is holding a little book open in his hand, in contrast with the bigger book that was sealed (Rev 5:1). The right foot on the sea

and the left foot on the earth indicate that this little book has a world-wide message. When the angel spoke, it was with a loud voice like a lion’s roar (Hos 11:15, Joel 3:16). The greatness of this voice is comparable to that like “the sound of rushing waters” recorded in Revelation 1:15.

The angel mentioned here is the same angel found in Revelation 8:3, Christ Himself. It is a revelation of the Lord Jesus as THE PROPHET who has in His hand, but for the entire world, the OPEN BOOK of the MESSAGE OF THE KINGDOM. The message is one of WEAL and WOE as it is symbolized by the contrasts: thundercloud and rainbow, face of sun and feet of fire, the book making the belly bitter and mouth sweet. It is a message that must and will be proclaimed to the world.

Seven thunders uttered their voices, that is, prophesied judgments, either simultaneously or consecutively. John heard, and was about to record, but was forbidden. There are things known to God which the Church need not and should not know. Idle curiosity beyond what is revealed is dangerous and leads astray.

Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, WHO CREATED HEAVEN AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND THE EARTH AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND THE SEA AND THE THINGS IN IT, that there will be delay no longer, but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets. (10:5-7)

While making his oath, the strong angel stood on both the sea and the earth with a raised hand. The witness to the oath was the Living Creator. Note the emphasis of Genesis and Revelation on God as CREATOR. The content of the oath was that there should be no delay, for the end is approaching when the mystery of God is to be finished as prophesied. The mystery of God is the consummation of the Kingdom—the long delayed coming of Christ in glory to exercise his sovereign control over all the opposing forces and kingdoms of this world (see the cry in heaven, Rev 11:15). Though He seems to be delaying His coming, we are here assured by His oath that He shall come in power.

Then the voice which I heard from heaven, I heard again speaking with me, and saying, "Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land." So I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. And he said to me, “Take it and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey." I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. And they said to me, "You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings." (10:8-11)

John was given instruction by the voice from heaven, which he obeyed. The angel commanded John to eat the book (Ezek 2:8-3:3, Jer 15:16). Eating the Words of God is symbolic of absorbing it: the bitter and the sweet, the law and the Gospel, threats and promises, curses and blessings, judgments and salvation. Once again, John obeyed, felt the effects foretold by the angel, and then was told that he must prophecy again.

CHAPTER 11: The Vision of the Two Witnesses and the Seventh Trumpet Vision

This vision of the two witnesses reassures the believer in regard to two truths. Firstly, the gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church. Secondly, the gates of hell shall not prevent the witnessing of the Truth of the Kingdom. The WITNESSING is here revealed from the viewpoint of its SEPARATING EFFECT: the Church in but not of or united with that which is of the world.

Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, "Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it. Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months.” (11:1-2)

Measuring the temple symbolizes making ready for God’s occupation and use (see the visions in Zech 2 and Ezek 40-48). John’s instructions were to measure the temple, altar, and worshippers, but not to measure the court! Why not? That was to be given over to the Gentiles. Note the separation! The contrast here is between the TRUE CHURCH, as symbolized by the temple, altar, and worshippers, and the VISIBLE CHURCH, as symbolized by the Gentiles treading the temple courts. The MEASURING involves the SEPARATING of the true from the false, of the GENUINE from the HYPOCRITICAL.

The treading of the courts is done by the “make-believe” Christians in the outward organization of the Christian Church. It will continue forty-two months, or three and a half years. In Revelation 12:14, the Church is pictured as being nourished for “a time and times and half a time,” which may be equivalent to three and a half years as well. Note that this is the SPLIT SEVEN, but how long it is or when it begins or at what point it ends is not stated.

"And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth." These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. (11:3-4)

Two is the number of divine sufficiency in testimony (Deut 17:6, Matt 18:16). The two witnesses are IDEAL PERSONS patterned after Moses and Elijah. The witnesses are further symbolized by two olive trees and two lampstands. Note that olive trees supply oil for lamps (Zech 4) and that the seven churches in Revelation 1:12-13 are called “pedestal lamps” or lampstands.

The two witnesses prophecy for 1260 days, the same length of time as the treading of the courts (forty-two months or three and a half years). Note that the TRUE CHURCH and the TRUE WITNESSING continue while the nominal Christians take over the courts, the outward organization of the Church.

The witnesses are clothed in sackcloth because their message is a call to repentance, and they themselves are considered by the world to be “the filth of the world and the offscouring [NASB: “dregs”] of all things” (1 Cor 4:13).

And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire. (11:5-6)

The witnesses may be lowly, but they are also powerful! For fire proceeding forth to devour enemies, see Elijah in 2 Kings 1:10-12. Another instance of divine revenge taken on opponents of prophets was the earth swallowing Korah and his band (Numbers 16). They have the power to shut up the sky, as Elijah did when he caused a drought of three and a half years (1 Kings 17:1, James 5:17). They can also change water to blood and strike the earth with plagues, as Moses did in Egypt (Ex 7-12).

When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. Those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. (11:7-10)

The witnesses are eventually killed, but only after their testimony is finished! Consider the cases of John the Baptist, Stephen, and Paul. Here they are killed by the beast from the abyss. This foreshadows events recorded later in Revelation—the Beast Government shall appear again towards the end of time in the union of the government and the Visible Church. The situation that prevailed before the Reformation is to reappear, as detailed in chapter 17.

Throughout history, morbid pleasure has been taken in the desecration of the corpses of faithful witnesses. Examples include John Huss, Hieronymus of Prague, and Savonarola. The mortal remains of John Wycliffe were dug up and burned twenty-eight years after his death. These things are to be repeated before the end, in order to torment to the maximum the witness of the Truth. Those who reject the Truth take it out on the witnesses of the Truth before and after their death.

But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here." Then they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them. And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.  The second woe is past; behold, the third woe is coming quickly. (11:11-14)

The triumph over the death of the witnesses, however, is short-lived! God revives His witnesses and receives them into glory. Likewise their witness, though at times suppressed, is revived (Stephen, John Huss prophesying of Martin Luther).

God then executes judgment on the persecutors of His witnesses. The earthquake leaves 7,000 (7 x 103) dead, and the remnant give glory to God. Chronologically considered, many think of this as the spiritual judgment of the Reformation. That was followed by the solidification of the anti-Christian doctrine of the Church of Rome by the Council of Trent. Meanwhile, the remnant of Evangelical Lutherans gave glory to God in and through the Gospel.

Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of

the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever." And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, "We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth." And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm. (11:15-19)

The seventh trumpet vision is the vision of THE END as pictured from the HEAVENLY SIDE. The loud voices proclaim that the consummation of the mystery of the Kingdom has been achieved: “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” The KING of kings enters upon His glorious rule and reign!

The twenty-four elders respond with a hymn of thanksgiving for three reasons: (1) Christ has taken over His Kingdom, (2) judgment has come upon the nations of this world, and (3) reward is to be given to all the servants of the Lord.

The Church is now glorified and safe in the midst of the final judgment. God has kept His covenant with man. The flood was a judgment upon all the earth, but the covenant remained, as symbolized by the ark. In the midst of the final judgment the covenant reaches its consummation in the redeemed gathered about the throne of God.

CHAPTER 12: The Vision of the TWO SIGNS IN HEAVEN

The book of Revelation can be divided into seven larger vision units. If so divided, this chapter would begin the middle unit. The units are as follows:

1. Revelation of the glorified Son of Man sending seven letters to the seven churches (chapters 1-3)

2. Revelation of the Lamb as if slain opening the seven seals (4-8:1)3. Revelation of an angel interceding as the seven angels sound the seven trumpets (8:2-

11)4. Revelation of the seed of the woman attacked and persecuted by the great red dragon

with the seven heads (12-14)5. Revelation of the exalted Lamb commanding the seven angels to pour out the seven

bowls of wrath (15-17)6. Revelation of the one called FAITHFUL and TRUE, THE WORD OF GOD, coming

in judgment (18-20)7. Revelation of the glorious Lamb with His glorified bride (21-22)

The first vision series presented commendations, rebukes, and exhortations for the Church of every age. The next two vision series presented powerful forces of the devil at work with the unvarying intent and purpose of destroying the Kingdom of God. But each of these series contains also a vision of the Church surviving all attacks and accomplishing its purpose on earth. In both of these series we are brought down to the eve of the Final Judgment and Consummation.

The present series, which is the center series, presents a panoramic view of the age-long conflict between the KINGDOM OF CHRIST and the kingdom of the devil. The conflict is pictured upon the background of the first announcement of the enmity between the devil and his seed and the woman and her Seed (Gen 3:15). What is in controversy in the age-long conflict here to be pictured is THE SUPREME DOMINION OF THE WORLD.

A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth. (12:1-2)

The gloriously-attired woman is a symbol of ISRAEL ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT, THE CHURCH. This verse takes us back to the Garden of Eden before the fall into sin. It pictures God’s purpose in the creation of man—a purpose which was not accomplished in the first man, Adam, but in the second Man, Christ, the woman’s Seed. This picture of the Church as a woman appears elsewhere in Scripture as well (Ps 45:13, Is 54:1-6, Matt 13:33, Luke 15:8-10). The sun, moon, and stars are symbols of authority (Gen 1:16). They symbolize God’s purpose that man should have dominion over all the earth.

Here, the gloriously-attired woman is pictured as a woman in travail. That is also a familiar picture of the Church (Jer 4:31, Micah 4:8-10 and 5:2, Is 66:5-13, John 16:21-22, Gal 4:19). Note the contrast between the picture of glory in verse one and pain and anguish in verse 2. What accounts for the change? The fall into sin bringing the curse has occurred between the two verses—“…in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children” (Gen 3:16). Those words spoken to the woman had a literal meaning for women, but also picture the lot and fate of the Church.

Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child. (12:3-4)

The color red appears here and in only one other place in Revelation (6:4), appearing in reference to the red horse. It symbolizes the opposition of the progress of the Gospel. This campaign of opposition is directed by the devil, who is identified as the dragon in verse 9.

Seven is the number of God’s dealing with men. The seven heads symbolizes the fact that Satan has usurped the rule of God on earth and hence is called by Jesus “the prince of this world” (John 12:31). Ten is the number of completeness. The ten horns symbolize different kingdoms or kings (Dan 7:7,24). The seven diadems indicate royalty—the devil is the ruler of this world.

The sweeping away of a third of the stars pictures the fall of the angels. Stars symbolize great personages in heaven or on earth. After having successfully led the revolt in heaven, the dragon’s single-minded purpose is to destroy the Seed of the Woman. Consider Herod’s dragon-inspired plan to kill the baby Jesus (Matt 2:16-18).

And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne. Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days. (12:5-6)

Verse 5 begins with the birth of the Seed of the Woman, who would rule all nations with a rod of iron (Ps 2:9; Ps 110:1-2; Matt 28:18; Rev 2:26-27). An account of the life of the Christ is omitted here except for His ascension (“caught up to God and to His throne”), marking the completion of His work of crushing the serpent’s head.

The Woman—the church—fled into the wilderness, a picture of this world. The True Church cannot escape bearing the cross. Yet God always provides a place for His Church and feeds her in this wilderness. As Christ Himself promised, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matt 28:20). The duration of the stay in the wilderness is again the SPLIT SEVEN: 1260 days. The same number appears in 11:3, referring to the period of witnessing. Consider also the other split sevens: the Gentiles treading the court under foot for forty-two months in 11:1 and the time, times, and half a time (3.5 years?) in 12:14 during which the Woman is nourished in the wilderness. Notice that in each case it is a MEASURED TIME, unknown to us, but known to God, and so it will not be exceeded by a single day. God never tests us above that which we are able to bear.

And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven.  And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. (12:7-9)

The result of the incarnation to the ascension of Christ was the destruction of the power of Satan! The symbolic account tells of a war in heaven between Michael and his angels and the devil and his angels. The outcome was that the devil and his angels were cast out of heaven into the earth. The interpretation of this symbolism is provided by John 12:31-33: “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I…will draw all men unto me.” Notice the four names: dragon, serpent, devil, Satan. Four is symbolic of the entire world, for the devil’s kingdom is this world. The Old Testament pictures Satan as having free access to the courts of heaven (1 Kings 22:19-23; Job 1:6, Zech 3:1). The New Testament, on the other hand, pictures Satan as roving about on earth, having been cast out of heaven (1 Peter 5:8).

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time." (12:10-12)

This is the victory song of the fellow-conquerors in heaven, comparable to the conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer as well as 1 Corinthians 15:55-58. Notice that Satan is stripped of his power to accuse. The believers can overcome Satan in three ways: by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony, and by not loving their lives unto death. The devil reacted to his defeat with great wrath. Consider the ten persecutions during the first three centuries after Christ.

And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who

gave birth to the male child. But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth. So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. (12:13-17)

This section details the persecution of the Woman—the church—by the dragon. The devil’s business is the persecution of the church. He “prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). The Woman is given two wings of an eagle to fly into the wilderness. Wings of an eagle are the symbol of divine protection (Ex 19:4, Deut 32:10-11). The Woman is also nourished from the face of the serpent for “a time and times and half a time.” The lord never abandons or fails His Church!

The devil has changed his tactics. When persecution (verse 12) failed to destroy the Church, he switched to false doctrines by which people are deluded into carnal security in the outward organization of the church, while not being members of THE CHURCH. This is symbolized by a flood of waters pouring out of the serpent’s mouth.

But the Lord also preserves His Church against this tactic of the serpent. This is symbolized by the earth opening her mouth to swallow up the flood of waters. Church history records the rise, career, and passing of one false teacher after another with his flood of errors. The devil deceives his victims with ancient heresies dressed in modern garb. BUT THE CHURCH CONTINUES ON, for the gates of hell shall not prevail against her.

The failure of the dragon to destroy the Seed of the Woman has incited him to greater wrath against the remnant of her seed, the Church— members are described as those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Note that before the end of time there never will be a time when the Church is not under the cross. The attacks of Satan shall continue until the end of time. Hence there will be no such glorious period of time for the Church as imagined by the Millennialists.

CHAPTER 13: The Vision of the TWO WILD BEASTS

Remember that this section (chapters 12-14) is picturing the last stages of the great conflict between God and Satan. The final outcome of this struggle was announced immediately after the trumpet blast of the Seventh Angel (11:15): “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” Chapter 12 presented the basic conflict between the Seed of the Woman and the Great Red Dragon with the seven heads. Chapter 13 presents the same conflict from the viewpoint of the Red Dragon, showing how he wages his campaign through his agents, the two Wild Beasts. These two Wild Beasts reappear in 17:3-5 as the Wild Beast who is the steed for MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH (the second Wild Beast) and in 19:20 as the Wild Beast and the False Prophet (the second Wild Beast).

Basic to the understanding of this vision is the fundamental prophecy of Daniel 7, in

which wild beasts are used as symbols of great world empires, or rather, the governmental systems thereof. The individual characteristics of the various beasts are used to describe the nature of the successive empires. The chief point of comparison between the wild beasts and the governmental systems of this world is the downward look of the wild beasts. This characterizes the kingdoms of this world as being engrossed in the things of this world in contrast to the Kingdom of God which is chiefly concerned with the things of the world to come. Daniel saw four beasts rise successively from the great sea: the lion with eagle’s wings (Babylonia), the bear raised on one side (Medo-Persia), the leopard with four wings and heads (Greece), and the non-descript beast (Rome). Daniel saw the beasts rise successively, indicating successive world powers. John saw a complete beast, as Daniel had seen the Great Colossus in chapter 2. The composite beast indicates that the anti-Christian governmental system throughout the history of the world is essentially one. The history of the successive governmental systems is pictured in John’s vision by the seven heads, seen simultaneously, but appearing in history successively.

And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. (13:1-3a)

John saw the first beast rise out of the sea, the symbol of the restless nations (17:15). The beast had seven heads and ten horns—the same as the Great Dragon in 12:3. The heads symbolize world empires and the horns symbolize lesser kingdoms (17:9-12). The crowns again symbolize royalty and what pertains thereto. The names of blasphemy on the heads indicate the Dragon’s role in the origin and nature of the governmental systems of this world. The kingdoms of this world rivet the hearts of men to “causes” and things that pertain only to this world, thus distracting them from heavenly things. That is the blasphemous attack of the Dragon through his agent, the Beast, upon God who would rule the hearts of men. Consider how “freedom,” “equality,” “democracy,” and “communism” take over the hearts, minds, and energies of men at the expense of their concern for their own soul’s salvation.

These verses provide a composite picture of the first beast. Note the reverse order: Daniel saw from his point in history projecting into the future the lion, bear, leopard, and non-descript beast. John saw from his point in history projecting into the past the non-descript beast, leopard, bear, and lion.

The seven heads represent successive phases assumed by the God-opposing world government from the beginning of history to the end of time. The succession of world governments represented to Daniel by four beasts is here represented by the seven heads. We are not to think of the beast as having seven heads at the same time, but successively, the last head having the ten horns. The first head represents Egypt, the second Assyria (Is 52:4), the third Babylon, the fourth Medo-Persia, the fifth Greece, and the sixth Rome (Dan 7). The last, seventh head with ten horns may represent the modern, world government of the United Nations.

Notice that the Dragon gave the Beast his power, and his seat, and great authority. Thus the Beast received from Satan what Christ refused to accept from him, when the tempter offered Him all the kingdoms of this world and the glory of them (Matt 4:8-10).

One of the heads of the beast was wounded and then healed. The wounding was in the

past when John saw it, and is identical with the wounding of the beast in verses 12 and 14, showing that the beast is identified with one head at a time. This event comes into view again in 17:8 in the words, “was and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and to go to destruction.” The stroke is viewed as having put the beast to death and its revival is viewed as coming out of the abyss. The episode is emphasized by the threefold repetition of the words “was and is not, and yet is” (twice in verse 8, once in verse 11). It is the sixth head (Rome) that received the death stroke.

What is pictured by this event? Philip Mauro answers well in his book Of the Things Which Soon Must Come to Pass:

Considering the great importance given to this death wound of the beast, the fact that it was something that had already taken place when John saw the vision, and the further fact especially that the dragon and the beast are so closely identified as to be virtually one (verse 2), it is clear that the death stroke referred to could have been nothing else than that which befell the dragon and all that is associated with him through the death of Jesus Christ. It is another pictorial representation of the truth that our Lord by death destroyed him that had the power of death (Heb 2:14); or as another Scripture that speaks of Christ and the cross puts it, “having slain the enmity thereby” (Eph 2:16)….According to the words of the Lord, recorded by this same John, the cross was the stroke of judgment upon the prince of this world. It is most fitting then that this vision should display conspicuously the effect of the cross of Christ upon the Devil in his character of world ruler. (402)Why didn’t the beast government immediately come to an end with the establishing of

Christ in His Kingdom of Glory? The disciples asked that question in Acts 1:6. The Lord set no timetable for the accomplishing of these things, but elsewhere indicated the mystery of Christ—that the Gospel must first be preached to the Gentiles and be believed on in the world before the consummation (Eph 3:4-6, 1 Tim 3:16, Rom 11:25).

And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?" There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. (13:3b-8)

This section relates the reaction to the amazing recovery of the beast: all the world wondered after, worshipped, and gave power to it. Here is the age-long deification of the heads of governments and the world power as such.

Two blasphemous questions: “Who is like unto the beast?”—as though the beast was incomparable. Only God has the quality of being incomparable: “‘To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal [NASB: “that I should be his equal”]? saith the Holy One” (Is 40:25). “Who is able to make war with him?” That is a mocking reference to the victory of Michael and his angles over the Dragon (12:7-9). That victory seems to have been annulled, for the Dragon

continues the battle against God through his agent, the Beast, who is given power to make war on the saints (verse 7).

The mouth speaking blasphemies against God and the saints continues 42 months—again the SPLIT SEVEN (11:2-3, 12:14). The split seven is the simultaneous time for the WITNESSING and PERSECTUTION of the CHURCH. Think of the blasphemous claims of the Roman emperors as they attempted to suppress Christianity.

For the war against the saints, think of the ten bloody persecutions from the rule of Nero (64-68) to the rule of Diocletian (303-313). Think of the suppression of the church by the communistic beast government today.

All those whose names are not written in the Book of Life are victims of the Beast. Those who love not the Truth swallow the lie and thus become victims.

If anyone has an ear, let him hear. If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints. (13:9-10)

This section contains words of exhortation and comfort. “If any man have an ear, let him hear.” The same exhortations appear in the letters to the Seven Churches (chapters 2 and 3) and in the words of Jesus as He taught his parables (Matt 13:9). The Beast who leads into captivity is already defeated (12:7-9) and bound (20:1-3). The Beast who kills with the sword shall be destroyed (19:19-21). Here is patience, the bearing up while the Dragon continues warfare against the Christians through the Beast. Here is faith, believing in the final victory although the visible evidence points to defeat. Bearing up in this faith has been the characteristic of the saints of every age!

Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon. He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. (13:11-12)

Here we have a description of the SECOND BEAST. First, he was “coming up out of the earth.” Note the contrast with 13:1. The First Beast rose out of the sea, out of the tumultuous and restless sea of the multitudinous nations. John saw that the First Beast with its Sixth Head, the Roman Empire, which as the non-descript beast destroyed all opposing nations with its “great iron teeth” and its “nails of brass” (Dan 7:7,19). Rome “devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue—of the nations—with his feet.” In contrast to the violent origin of the First Beast, the Second Beast is seen coming out of the earth, the more ordered and stabilized part of the world. Romanism, as an ecclesiastical-political power developed within the Roman Empire, became identified with it as the Holy Roman Empire, and today yet maintains its capitol in Rome, the capitol of the ancient empire.

Secondly, the Second Beast “had two horns like a lamb.” Note the camouflage. The basic passage that comes to mind is Christ’s warning against false prophets: “Beware of false prophets—the SECOND BEAST is called the FALSE PROPHET in 16:13 and 19:20—which come to you in sheep’s clothing—outwardly like a sheep or lamb—but inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Matt 7:15).

Lastly, the Beast “spake as a dragon.” The dragon, Satan, “gave… his power, and his

seat, and great authority” to the First Beast (13:2). The Second Beast “exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him.” So both beasts are agents of Satan. St. Paul describes the rise of the SECOND BEAST, THE GREAT ANTICHRIST, the Papacy, in this way: “whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders” (2 Thess 2:9). The Second Beast is the “behind-the-throne” power in the governmental systems on earth. His purpose is always to gain political control, to cause people to worship the First Beast, and thus to establish a kingdom, the “Kingdom of God,” on earth.

The beginning of the historical development of the Second Beast was made when Emperor Constantine made Christianity the state religion in 323. He claimed to have seen a vision of a cross in the sky with the writing, “In this sign conquer.” Dr. Samuel Green, in his Handbook of Church History, sums up the situation thus: “For good or for evil, Constantine now held undisputed sovereignty over the mighty realm, which his word of command was soon to transform into a nominal Christendom” (95). Another big step was taken in 476 when the Roman Empire fell to Odoacer. The Pope stepped into the political void and through the conversion of the barbarians became the spiritual head of the new people who were taking over the old empire.

The first of the great popes was Leo the Great (440-461). He was the first to give clear-cut expression to the Petrine theory that the bishop of Rome is the successor to Peter and so the head of the church. His work may be summed up under two heads: 1) to make the bishop of Rome a temporal sovereign in Rome and Italy and 2) to prepare the West to receive the spiritual supremacy of Rome. The next great pope was Gregory the Great (590-604). A wealthy man before he became pope, he used his fortune to establish monasteries (see the Fifth Trumpet Vision). During his time ancient Rome as capitol of the empire gradually changed into medieval Rome as capitol of Christendom. Gregory assumed the title, “Servant of the servants of God,” a title used by the popes to this day. In 1198 Pope Innocent III designated himself “the representative of God on earth.” The height of the Papacy was reached during the reign of Boniface VIII (1294-1303). Here is Dr. Green’s description of some of his activities:

At his inauguration two kings held his stirrups. He proclaimed a Jubilee for the year 1300…It is credibly reported that in the course of the proceedings, he appeared before the multitude on one day in his pontifical, on another with sword, crown, and scepter, exclaiming, “I am Caesar! I am Emperor!” This same Boniface issued a famous Bull (Unam Sanctam) in which, with marvelous exegesis, he quoted the words of the disciples regarding the “two swords” (Luke 22:38), saying: “Both swords, the spiritual and the temporal, are in the power of the Church.” That Bull further explicitly declares that “There is one holy catholic and apostolic Church, outside of which there is no salvation or remission of sins. We declare, announce, and define that it is altogether necessary to salvation for every human creature to be subject to the Roman pontiff.” (468)

The rise of the Second Beast is also pictured in Daniel’s vision as the sprouting of the “little horn” that plucked up three of the first horns by the roots (Dan 7:8). Its activity and history is pictured in Daniel 7:20-28.

To summarize, the SECOND BEAST is the Roman Papacy. The Pope, who falsely claims to be the representative of Christ, is in fact an agent of Satan. His express purpose is identical with that of Satan’s—to seize and hold dominion over the earth!

He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was

given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life. And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. (13:13-17)

The Second Beast has great powers. Firstly, the Beast has the power to perform great signs (13:13). See also 2 Thess 2:9: “Whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.” Here one convincing method of the Second Beast is mentioned—making fire come down from heaven on earth. Fire is the symbol of judgment. This could well be the spiritual judgment of the papal anathemas, excommunications, and interdicts—often enforced by the death sentence.

Secondly, the Beast has the power to deceive by miracles (13:14a). Once again, 2 Thess 2:9-10: “…with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish.” Rome never runs out of miracles. Think of the miracles at the shrines, the visions of Mary, etc.

Thirdly, the Beast has the power to foster and enforce worship of the image of the beast (13:14b-15). The Papacy as a spiritual force became the “cement” or the “glue” that held the empire together. In history the Roman Empire became the Holy Roman Empire. Remember that three forces are constantly at work: 1) The dragon, the devil, is the real power working to establish his dominion over all the earth. His aim is to enslave all men, but he and his power are invisible. He works through his two agents, the beasts: the world governmental system and the Papacy. 2) The FIRST BEAST is now in the latter stages of the SIXTH HEAD with the TEN HORNS developing towards the SEVENTH HEAD, a world government of a composite nature. 3) The SECOND BEAST of the Papacy is gradually regaining political power (election of first Catholic president in greatest world power) and ecclesiastical power (the ecumenical movement with Protestantism gradually returning to Rome). In John’s day the political and spiritual power were effused in the emperor worship. Today the Second Beast has created almost an omnipresent image through the ecclesiastical garb of the clergy, statues, buildings, press, and entertainment media. When this power becomes united with the political, failing to worship the “image” will be a violation of the law of the land.

Fourthly, the Beast has the power to enforce an economic monopoly (13:16-17). Notice the control, in imitation of divine power, over seven classes of people: “all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond.” Thus the entire society falls under the economic control of the Second Beast. Everyone must have “a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads.” Contrast the work of the Spirit of God in sealing “the servants of our God in their foreheads” (7:3).

Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six. (13:18)

The only other place in Scripture that this number appears in in Ezra 2:13: “The children of Adonikam, six hundred and sixty-six.” Adonikam means “the Lord arises.” Here the opposite, the rising up of the beast after it had received the death wound, may be indicated.

Note that SEVEN is the number of God working and finishing His work in divine perfection. In six days God created the world; the seventh day He rested, for He had finished His work. When God established the Sabbath law, the rest of the seventh day became a type of the complete rest from sin and all its effects through Christ—the rest that shall become eternal in heaven.

Six, though carried through units of tens and hundreds, still falls short of seven, the number of divine perfection and rest. Thus six symbolizes the sum total of all human achievement. All human efforts, be they in the field of science, art and literature, or politics, will fall short of bringing about for mankind true peace and rest. Politicians, philosophers, and educators will continue to the end of time to promise better things to come, but their achievements shall always fall short of the goal of bringing peace and rest to mankind, for THE NUMBER OF MAN is 666. Mankind needs God’s SEVEN—the perfection, peace, and rest that our God has prepared in connection with Christ.

CHAPTER 14: The Seven Visions of the Time of the End

Here is a series of seven brief visions within one of the seven larger divisions of the book. It pictures the winding up of the affairs on earth, taking us down to the final judgments. After viewing the campaign of Satan through his two agents, the two beasts, the believer is to be comforted, although also warned, by this miniature series of Seven Visions.

Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth. These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. And no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless. (14:1-5)

Note the pictures that comfort in contrast to those that terrify in chapter 13. The TWO BEASTS rising out of the sea and coming out of the land vs. the LAMB standing on Mount Zion. Victims of the BEAST who have his mark on their foreheads vs. the Redeemed who have the FATHER’S name written on their foreheads. A world wondering after the BEAST and worshipping the DRAGON vs. the Redeemed following the LAMB wherever He goes.

The 144,000 is the whole company of the saved (see chapter 7). Remember that 12 x 12 is the signature of the eternal city. It has twelve gates and twelve foundations, and the length, breadth, and height is 12,000 furlongs. For more on the Lamb and the 144,000 on Mount Zion, see Hebrews 12:18-24 and Ephesians 2:4-7.

For the voice like many waters and loud thunder, see Revelation 1:15 and 19:6. For the voice like harpists playing, see Revelation 5:8.

For the new song of the 144,000, see Revelation 5:9 with the new name in 2:17. The song is new because it has never been heard before and can be sung only by the redeemed who sing of

their own experiences. The Redeemed are described as those not defiled with women—believers viewed as chaste virgins presented to Christ (2 Cor 11:2). Physical defilement with pagan women is a symbol of apostasy from God because the worship of the idols, the gods of nature, spring, and birth, was expressed by fornication. The Redeemed are followers of the LAMB (John 10:27), the first fruits (James 1:18). In the Old Testament the first fruits belonged to the Lord; without guile and without fault (Jude 24, Rom 8:1, Eph 5:25-28).

And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; and he said with a loud voice, “Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.” (14:6-7)

The Angel flying with the Gospel symbolizes a season of vigorous and rapid evangelization of the tribes of the earth. This is a picture of Christ’s words in Matthew 24:14. The scene corresponds to the time of the final testimony of God’s witnesses (11:3-13). Note that the angel flies in the midst of heaven—out of reach of the two beasts. Nothing shall be able to stop the spread of the Gospel as a witness unto all nations.

The Lutheran Church has found the fulfillment of this “flying angel” in Luther and the Reformation. For this reason this section has been selected as the Epistle Lesson for the Festival of Reformation. It would seem, however, that this vision found the beginning of its fulfillment with Luther and the Reformation and continues to be fulfilled wherever “Luther’s Gospel” is proclaimed. The summary of that Gospel is: “Fear God, give glory to Him, judgment is come, worship the Creator.” God is to be feared in His Word. All glory is given to God alone when salvation by grace through faith in Christ is proclaimed. That preaching is always a judgment on all who oppose it, for “he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16). Therefore, worship the Creator, from whence we have our life, from whence comes our spiritual life and hope of life everlasting (for He sent His Son), and whither we shall return to live forever. Remember also that the Reformation was the beginning of judgment upon the SECOND BEAST, the GREAT ANTICHRIST (2 Thess 2:8).

And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality.” (14:8)

Even as ancient Babylon was the symbol of all human achievement in its rebellion against God and its effort to dethrone God, so Babylon is here the divine symbol of the same.

Notice that Babylon seeks to intoxicate men with the passion of her wine. Babylon seeks to seduce men to love her with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. Such love belongs to God alone. Hence the inevitable conflict between God and Babylon can be resolved only by the destruction of one or the other. Here a messenger of God announces and repeats (“is fallen, is fallen”) the announcement in token that the matter has been established and will shortly come to pass. What is here so briefly announced is to be more fully described in chapter 18.

Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence

of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. (14:9-12)

Once again slavery to the BEAST is indicated by the mark on the forehead and on the hand. That indicates that the slaves are “propaganda” victims of the Beast and so become willing workers for the Beast.

The punishment for those who have drunk of the passion of Babylon’s (the Beast’s) fornication is that they shall have to drink of the passion of the wine of God’s wrath. God’s judgment is similarly spoken of in Psalm 75:7-8, Isaiah 51:17-23, and Jeremiah 51:6-9.

The end of that punishment is hell—fire and brimstone (19:20, 20:10). Notice how the torment is pictured: “they have no rest day and night.” For those that die in the Lord—REST; for the worshipper of the Beast—UNREST!

For the saints, who are described as keeping both the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, there is the exhortation to patience—the manly bearing up under the forces of evil on every side in this world.

And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.” (14:13)

Blessed are only those who die “in the Lord,” not those who die “in your sins” (John 8:21). The blessedness begins immediately, “from henceforth.” There is neither a period of purgation, nor a sleep of the soul.

The blessedness is described as “REST from their labors.” The thought goes back to the seventh day when God rested rom His work of creation. In the Third Commandment, the Sabbath became a type of the perfect rest to come. It found its fulfillment in Christ, who invited all to come to Him for that rest (Matt 11:28). The believer possesses that rest now by faith, while still waiting for the full enjoyment of it (Heb 4:9).

That REST includes a reward for our work, for our “labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor 15:58). Though our works, in and by themselves, merit nothing, yet the Lord never leaves them unrewarded. There is no fairer or more just “lord” than our God.

Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.” Then He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped. (14:14-16)

Here is pictured the concluding scene of our Lord’s parable of the tares among the wheat (Matt 13:24-30, 36-43). We have here the final separation that is pictured as beginning in Revelation 11:1-2. The worshippers of the BEAST are to be separated from the followers of the LAMB. All preceding separations (the flood, destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, destruction of Jerusalem, the Reformation, the division between conservative and liberal) are but types and beginnings of the final great separation here pictured. Here the fate of the believers comes into

view in that the wheat is being separated from the tares. Notice the designation, “Son of Man.” It attracts attention because it occurs in only one

other place in Revelation (1:13). But it is also used by Jesus in the parable of the tares among the wheat, thus linking the two. The one like a son of man here wears a crown. Compare this to the parable of the nobleman going to a far country to receive a kingdom (Luke 19:12-27).

And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. Then another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe.” So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles. (14:17-20)

Notice that the angel that has power over fire gives the order to the angel with the sickle. Recall 8:3-5, where we had an angel, whom we identified as Christ, casting fire from the altar to the earth.

The great winepress of the wrath of God is a symbol of the work of judgment, thorough and complete. Here, at length, is answered the prayers of the saints for vengeance in 6:10.

Blood came out of the winepress, even up to the horses’ bridles. Here the picture reaches ahead to the description of the judgment in 19:11-21. The judgment is executed by the KING OF KINGS riding on the white horse.

The pool of blood is 1600 furlongs long [equivalent to 200 miles]. Note that this number is composed of the number of the world (four) multiplied by itself and then by the number of completeness (ten) multiplied by itself. Thus is indicated the FINAL, WORLDWIDE JUDGMENT.

CHAPTER 15: Introduction to the Vision of the SEVEN BOWLS HAVING THE SEVEN PLAGUES OF WRATH

Chapters 15-17 of Revelation contain the vision of the seven angels with the seven bowls having the seven plagues of the wrath of God. The historic and symbolic background for this series is the destruction of the ungodly world-power Egypt through the ten plagues. Those were the first plagues—ten of them, representing the fullness of punitive visitations. These are the last plagues—seven of them, representing the completeness and finality of God’s punishment.

Note how the succeeding series build up to a climax. Firstly, seven letters are written to comfort, exhort, admonish, call to repentance, and threaten. Secondly, seven seals are opened to reveal, in part, opposing forces that strike a fourth part. Thirdly, seven trumpets sound to announce political-religious judgments upon a third part. Finally, seven bowls are poured out to drench all, earth and heaven, with God’s wrath.

Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels who had seven plagues, which are the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished. (15:1)

Here we have the third sign in heaven. The FIRST SIGN was the WOMAN, representing God’s purpose in the creation of man: to invest him with supreme governmental power and glory (12:1). The SECOND SIGN was the DRAGON, the destroyer of God’s plan in Adam and the opposer of God’s plan in Christ. Now we have the THIRD SIGN, the SEVEN AGNELS with SEVEN BOWLS having the SEVEN PLAGUES of the WRATH OF GOD. This is a symbol of the victory of our God in the complete and final overthrow of all the opposing forces of Satan. The oath of the MIGHTY ANGEL in 10:6-7 is about to be fulfilled. The prophets speak of this same outpouring of divine wrath (e.g. Zeph 3:8).

And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God. And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,

“Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU, FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED.” (15:2-4)

Here again is the “sea of glass,” mentioned as being “before the throne” in 4:6. It symbolizes God’s providence. Here the sea is “mingled with fire,” emphasizing the punitive side of God’s providence.

The victors stand upon the sea. Notice the frequent repetition of the thought of “overcoming.” The BEAST overcomes the TWO WITNESSES (11:7) and is given power to overcome the saints (13:7). The LAMB overcomes the forces of the BEAST (17:14). The followers of the LAMB overcome SATAN (12:11). The inheritors of heaven are overcomers (21:7). All of the blessings promised at the end of each of the seven letters are for the OVERCOMERS. Note that Revelation presents a POWER STRUGGLE between the DRAGON and the TWO BEASTS on the one side and the LAMB and his followers on the other side. It is either overcome or be overcome. Here the overcomers are pictured as standing on the sea mixed with fire. They are out of danger, even as Israel once walked safely through the sea. Again they have their harps or zithers as pictured in 5:8 and 14:2.

For the “song of Moses,” see Exodus 15:1-19. Also see the “new song” in Revelation 5:9-10 and 14:3.

After these things I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened, and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, clothed in linen, clean and bright, and girded around their chests with golden sashes. Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished. (15:5-8)

The seven angels are dressed like the Son of Man in 1:13. One of the living ones, the cherubim, gives the seven angels the seven bowls of wrath. Remember that the living ones are especially concerned with the earth in a twofold way: they symbolize the covenant of God with men for salvation and they, as here, execute judgment upon the rejecters of the covenant of salvation.

The sanctuary was filled with smoke, symbolizing the glory of God, as the smoke on Sinai (Ex 19:18), the cloud filling the tabernacle (Ex 40:34-35), the cloud filling Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 8:10-11), and the smoke filling the heavenly temple (Is 6:4-5).

CHAPTER 16: Continued Vision of the Seven Angels with the Seven Bowls having the Seven Plagues of the wrath of God

Note another structural feature of Revelation. We are repeatedly taken down to the END. Then the steps are retraced and another thread is followed down to the end. Always there is a different picture, building up to the final climax, the END OF ALL THINGS. Notice how many of the visions in Revelation deal with the end of all things. The sixth seal was the vision of the beginning of the end, the seventh seal was the silence in anticipation of the end, the seventh trumpet vision pictured the heavenly side of the end of all things, and chapter 14 contained the seven visions of the time of the end. Now the SEVEN BOWLS picture the last judgments before the final judgment.

The bowl series is sketchy. Detail is limited. It would seem as though neither words nor pictures are able to adequately describe these judgments. The BOWL series runs somewhat parallel to the TRUMPET series. It reuses symbolically the plagues that struck down Egypt.

Then I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.” So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth; and it became a loathsome and malignant sore on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image. (16:1-2)

A loud voice (no doubt God’s) commands the seven angels to pour out the bowls of wrath. Compare the judgment upon Jerusalem in Ezekiel 9, especially verse 8, which is pictured as a “pouring out” of divine fury.

The earth is the area visited by the judgment of the first bowl. This symbolizes the more ordered, developed, and civilized areas as distinguished from the restless sea of less civilized and underdeveloped nations. The effect of the judgment was an ulcer, bad and wicked, upon human beings having the mark of the beast. Compare this to the sixth plague on Egypt (Ex 9:8-12), in which boils broke forth with blains upon man and beast. See also Deuteronomy 28:27 and the first trumpet vision of Revelation 8:7, where fire mingled with blood cast upon the earth and one-third of it was destroyed. This judgment can be interpreted as social, economic, and political ulcers that cause aches and pains in all departments of life.

The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man; and every living thing in the sea died. (16:3)

The area visited by the judgment of the second bowl is the sea, representing the more

underdeveloped, less civilized nations and areas of the world. The effect of the judgment was that the entire sea became as coagulated blood that soon decays and stinks—in other words, death reigns. This is comparable to the first plague on Egypt when the Nile was turned into blood (Ex 7:20-21). The comparable vision in Revelation is the second trumpet vision, in which a great mountain is cast into the sea and causes one-third of the sea to turn into blood (8:8-9). As the underdeveloped and less civilized nations of the world rise politically, economically, and socially against the more developed nations, the latter retaliate with superior weapons, bringing wholesale death and destruction to vast areas.

Then the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters; and they became blood. (16:4)

The area visited by the judgment of the third bowl is the rivers and springs of waters. The highest application of this figure is to the sources of spiritual prosperity and fruitfulness, but here the application is to the sources of material and worldly prosperity. Once again, the effect of the judgment is that the waters became blood. Again, this is comparable to the first plague on Egypt, as well as the third trumpet vision, in which a great star fell upon the rivers and fountains of waters, making them wormwood (Rev 8:10-11). The interpretation of this judgment is that the sources, agencies, and instruments of material wealth and prosperity are transformed into instrumentalities of death and destruction.

And I heard the angel of the waters saying, “Righteous are You, who are and who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things; for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it.” And I heard the altar saying, “Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.” (16:5-7)

This section is the first interruption in the bowl vision. The angel of the waters testifies of the righteousness of these divine judgments, even as the victors over the Beast did in Revelation 15:3-4. A voice from the altar adds its approval, indicating that these judgments are an answer to the cry of the souls under the altar, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth” (6:10)?

The fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun, and it was given to it to scorch men with fire. Men were scorched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent so as to give Him glory. (16:8-9)

The judgment of the fourth bowl is brought upon the sun, symbolizing the supreme governmental authority in the world. The judgment causes men to be scorched with great heat; they blasphemed the name of God and did not repent. This is comparable to the fifth trumpet vision, where the sun was smitten and was darkened (Rev 8:12). Instead of the supreme governmental authority being a source of good, a preserver of life, and a benefaction to the people, it will become an instrument of the most cruel oppression.

Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became darkened; and they gnawed their tongues because of pain, and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores; and they did not repent of their deeds. (16:10-11)

The judgment of the fifth bowl is brought upon the throne of the beast. While the fourth plague comes through the agency of the government, the fifth is visited upon the government itself. It caused the beast’s kingdom to be full of darkness—the victims gnawed their tongues for pain and blasphemed God, but did not repent! Note the HARDENING of the hearts, as with Pharaoh. This judgment is comparable to the ninth plague on Egypt—the oppressive darkness—(Ex 10:21-29), as well as the fifth trumpet vision, in which a third part of the sun, moon, and stars was darkened (Rev 8:12). This vision of judgment may indicate a period of world anarchy, as in the French Revolution. The oppressed turn with a vengeance upon their oppressors.

The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east. And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. (16:12-14)

This judgment is delivered upon the great river Euphrates, the symbolic dividing line between the western civilized peoples and the eastern civilized peoples. In the vision, the water of the river was dried up so that the way for the kings of the east might be prepared. This is comparable to the sixth trumpet vision, in which the four angels who were bound in the great river Euphrates were loosed (Rev 9:14-21). In this sixth bowl vision, God Himself prepares the way for His enemies to make final battle against Him. The reference is to the destruction of ancient Babylon by Cyrus, who diverted the river and so entered the city in the dried up river bed (Is 44:27, 45:1ff; Jer 50:38, 51:30ff).

At this point in history the devil makes his final bid for victory. It is a propaganda effort, symbolized by the three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, the first beast, and the false prophet (second beast). Recall that the dragon represents MATERIALISM—making the things of this world your god. The first beast represents COMMUNISM or “STATISM”—making the state or government your god. The false prophet/second beast represents REGLIGIONISM or HUMANISM—not permitting the LORD to be God, but making man your god.

(“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.”) And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon. (16:15-16)

Here we have the second interruption in the bowl visions. The Son of Man announces His coming as a thief (see Rev 3:3, Matt 24:42-44, 2 Pet 3:10, 1 Thess 5:2) and pronounces those blessed who watch and keep their robes, their godly way of life (Rev 3:3-4) Finally, He gathers His enemies to the final battle ground, Armageddon [NASB: Har-Magedon], perhaps meaning “Hill of Slaughter” or “Place of Gathering.”

Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, “It is done.” And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came

to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty. The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, came down from heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, because its plague was extremely severe. (16:17-21)

The seventh judgment is visited upon the air, the abode of the evil spirits (Eph 2:2, 6:12). The voices, thunder, lightning, and the earthquake are all symbols of divine judgment. The voice from heaven announcing, “It is done!” indicates the comprehensiveness and finality of the judgment. Here again the judgment upon Babylon comes into the forefront. It was announced in 14:8, is treated here, and is complete in chapter 18. Finally, the large hail represents an intensifying of the judgment.

This judgment has no comparison, neither in Exodus nor elsewhere in Revelation—it is simply beyond comparison! As for the interpretation, who can say? Who can describe the judgment upon Satan and the hosts of evil angels?

CHAPTER 17: The Vision of the JUDGMENT OF THE GREAT WHORE

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality.” And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality, and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” (17:1-5)

In this first section, we are given the description and the identification of the Great Whore. Firstly, she “sitteth upon many waters,” a symbol for the nations of the world (17:15). That is, she controls and is made wealthy by the nations. Here is pictured an international kingdom, supported by the nations of this world.

Her method of conquest is twofold: fornications and drunkenness. With the kings of the world she commits fornication; the common people she makes drunk. Even as a whore uses her charms of body and dress to sell her feigned love and concern, frequently using drunkenness as an avenue of approach, so this “spiritual” kingdom uses a feigned love and concern to seduce and intoxicate the leaders and common people of this world.

John saw the Great Whore in the wilderness. Note the contrast between this woman and the woman in the wilderness who is persecuted by the dragon in chapter 12. The latter symbolizes the TRUE CHURCH OF GOD; the former the FALSE CHURCH.

The Great Whore is seen sitting upon the scarlet colored beast. Here the Great Whore is connected with the God-opposing world government (the FIRST BEAST). Sitting on the beast indicates exercising a measure of control over it. This blends with the picture of the SECOND

BEAST in chapter 13, who “exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him” (13:12). We identified the SECOND BEAST as the GREAT ANTICHRIST, the ROMAN PAPACY, as seen from its political side. Here, with the symbol of the Great Whore the false religious side of the Papacy is pictured.

The Great Whore is arrayed in purple and scarlet, prominent colors for the Roman ecclesiastical robes. She is all decked out to allure and seduce, aided by her cup full of abominations or idolatries. One of the amazing abilities of the Roman Church throughout history has been its ability to assimilate and accommodate itself to pagan idolatries.

Note the names given to the Great Whore. MYSTERY refers to the manner and method of gaining power—through fornication and drunkenness. BABAYLON THE GREAT indicates that her chief interests are not the world to come or the spiritual, but rather the present world with its power and glory. THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH testifies to her assimilative ability to fuse diverse idolatries and falsehoods into a unified system and kingdom.

The GREAT WHORE, therefore, can be identified as the FALSE CHURCH in the latter days, under the control of the GREAT ANTICHRIST, the PAPACY. Just as the little band of the faithful will be measured and gathered together, as pictured in 11:1, so the false church will become united into one vast Truth-opposing organization. This development can be seen in the ecumenical movement that is coming under the control of Rome.

And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly. And the angel said to me, “Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. “The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come. Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits, and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while. The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction. The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast.” (17:6-13)

This section relates the history of the Great Whore. As verse 6 indicates, it is a history throughout which the Great Whore has conducted many persecutions (see Rev 16:6).

Here is presented the mystery of the Great Whore, the second beast, in its last stages, viewed from its false spiritual side. It is gaining control over the first beast, which is developing towards its seventh head. This is an expansion of 12:1-10, especially verse 3—the wounding of the sixth head and its remarkable recovery.

Notice that in verse 8 the phrase “was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit” corresponds to the deadly wound that was healed (13:3). The phrase, “and go into perdition” points ahead to the judgment of the beast in 19:20. “They that dwell on the earth shall wonder” at the beast corresponds to “all the world wondered after [NASB: “was amazed and followed after”] the beast” in 13:3.

Notice that the seven heads, the seven mountains, and the seven kings are equivalent.

These are the different phases of the world government, as it appears through the ages. The ten horns are connected with the sixth head, but lead to the development of the seventh head, which shall endure but a short time. The unifying idea of a continuing God-opposing world power that manifests itself in different forms through the ages is represented by the eighth head, which “is of the seven.”

In connection with chapter 13, we showed that the first head was Egypt, the second Assyria, the third Babylon, the fourth Medo-Persia, the fifth Greece, and the sixth Rome. Rome was the representative of the world power when the beast received its fatal wound, the victory of Christ over the devil in his character as world ruler. The beast, however, recovered from his deadly wound. We are still in the period of the sixth head, whose history has been influenced by the rise of the second beast. But we are moving towards the final phase of the God-opposing government, the seventh head, which appears to be a form of a super or world government. The League of Nations was the first attempt; the United Nations is the second. Notice how all nations are being pressured into channeling their foreign policy through the United Nations. Unilateral action is frowned upon. Notice also the consolidation of the churches through the ecumenical movement. The goal so enthusiastically hoped for is a World Church. This vision seems to indicate that man will realize his dreams of a One World controlled by a single super government. The ANTICHRIST also will achieve his goal of One Church that will exercise controlling influence over the super government. This final phase, the unifying of the efforts of the two beasts is Satan’s grand final strategy to overthrow the Kingdom of God.

“These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.” And he said to me, “The waters which you saw where the harlot sits are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire. For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled. The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth.” (17:14-18)

Satan’s unchanging aim is to make war on the Lamb and overthrow Him through his agents, the two beasts. But just the opposite shall happen. The Lamb shall conquer. Here the vision projects itself ahead to 19:11-21.

A preliminary judgment shall befall the Great Whore, the False Church, with all her worldly power, riches, glory, and honor. The Super Government that she has seduced for the purposes of controlling it shall savagely turn upon her and shall become the Lord’s instrument for her judgment and destruction.

CHAPTER 18: Reaction to the Fall of Babylon (David Lau)

After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory. And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird. For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of

immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality.” (18:1-3)

The literal Babylon of old took the Jews into captivity for seventy years, but then was destroyed by the Medes and the Persians. So also the spiritual Babylon that has oppressed the true church will be destroyed at the end.

The angel of verse 1 could be Jesus Himself, since He is spoken of a having “great authority” and that the earth was illuminated with “His glory.” The Lamb is the light in the heavenly city (Rev 21:23).

The coming judgment on literal Babylon was prophesied by the prophets Isaiah (chapters 13, 14, 21), Jeremiah (chapters 50 and 51), and Daniel (chapter 5). So spiritual Babylon will also be brought down. As it was once a center of civilization, culture, wealth, so now it is a home for evil spirits, unclean birds, and wild animals.

The sin of Babylon is disregard for God and His Word and in its place the idolatrous pursuit of wealth and pleasure. “You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matt 6:24). After the flood man founded the city of babel with its tower for the glory of man, not the glory of God.

The picture of the nations drinking Babylon’s wine comes from Jeremiah 51:7-9.

I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues; for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Pay her back even as she has paid, and give back to her double according to her deeds; in the cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her. To the degree that she glorified herself and lived sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, ‘I SIT AS A QUEEN AND I AM NOT A WIDOW, and will never see mourning.’ For this reason in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong. (18:4-8)

There are seven warnings in the Bible to depart from Babylon:1) Isaiah 48:20: “Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans!”2) Isaiah 52:11: “Depart, depart, go out form there, touch nothing unclean.”3) Jeremiah 50:8-9: “Wander away from the midst of Babylon and go forth from the land of the

Chaldeans.”4) Jeremiah 51:6: “Flee from the midst of Babylon, and each of you save his life! Do not be

destroyed in her punishment, for this is the LORD’s time of vengeance.”5) Zechariah 2:6-7: “Ho, Zion! Escape, you who are living with the daughter of Babylon.”6) 2 Corinthians 6:17: “Come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord. “And do not

touch what is unclean.”7) Revelation 18:4-5

The warning to separate is crucial. Consider the account of Korah’s rebellion in Numbers 16:23-27. We, however, have deliverance from Babylon is Jesus (Gal 1:4). Note how God will repay Babylon for how she treated God’s people. Then our grief will be turned to joy (John 16:20), but their joy will turn to grief. Babylon will receive twice the suffering that she inflicted on others (see Jer 16:18). Note a similar reversal of fortune in Jesus’ story of the rich man and Lazarus.

The spirit of pride in Babylon is revealed by what she says in her heart. Luxury, pride,

joy, pleasure—all will come to an end. A priest’s daughter who was guilty of fornication was to be burned with fire (Lev 2:19). So also faithless Babylon.

“And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and lived sensuously with her, will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’ And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes anymore—cargoes of gold and silver and precious stones and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, and every kind of citron wood and every article of ivory and every article made from very costly wood and bronze and iron and marble, and cinnamon and spice and incense and perfume and frankincense and wine and olive oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and cargoes of horses and chariots and slaves and human lives. The fruit you long for has gone from you, and all things that were luxurious and splendid have passed away from you and men will no longer find them. The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, she who was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls; for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!’ And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance, and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What city is like the great city?’ And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!’” (18:9-19)

The distressed kings are the political leaders that worked together with the anti-Christian forces in religion. They shall all be brought down together.

The distressed merchants are the leaders of the business world, who are just like the political leaders. They work together with the anti-Christian forces in religion. They also will lament at Babylon’s fall.

The interests of these people are listed. First come earthly treasures, such as gold, silver, and precious stones; then things for show and adornment, such as fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet. Next come choice and rare articles such as wood, ivory, bronze, iron, and marbles. Following these are perfumes and luxuries, such as cinnamon and incense. Next come substantial commodities, such as wine, oil, flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, and chariots. The final items listed are “the bodies and souls of men” [NASB: “slaves and human lives”].

People are willing to give up their own bodies and souls for momentary satisfaction. It is like Esau exchanging his birthright for bread and lentil stew (Gen 25:34). Or, as Jesus said, people are willing to lose their own souls in order to gain the world and what is in it.

What remorse, what bitterness and disappointment there will be for those whose affections are set on this world and its pleasures! On the other hand, what great blessings there will be for those who are willing to lose their lives in this world for Jesus’s sake. They will enjoy eternal blessings.

In this world the Christian is sometimes troubled by the prosperity of the ungodly and the suffering of the righteous (Job, Psalm 37, Psalm 73). But the reversal will come in God’s good time (2 Thess 1:6-10).

“Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her.” Then a strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will not be found any longer. And the sound of harpists and musicians and flute-players and trumpeters will not be heard in you any longer; and no craftsman of any craft will be found in you any longer; and the sound of a mill will not be heard in you any longer; and the light of a lamp will not shine in you any longer; and the voice of the bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you any longer; for your merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery. And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth.” (18:20-24)

The bitter remorse and disappointment of the worldly will not be shared by God’s people. Rather, there is rejoicing in the tents of the righteous. This joy is further described and amplified in Revelation 19, where the eternal joy of God’s people is pictured as the marriage supper of the lamb.

In contrast to the joy of God’s people there is no joy in Babylon. The violent destruction of Babylon is pictured by the throwing of a huge millstone into the sea. The prophet Jeremiah had written various prophecies against Babylon that were to be read in Babylon by a man named Seraiah. After he read the prophecies, the scroll was attached to a stone and thrown into the Euphrates River. Seraiah was then instructed to say: “Thus Babylon shall sink and not rise from the catastrophe that I will bring upon her.” This is found in Jeremiah 51:59-64. So also shall the spiritual Babylon be totally demolished, never to rise again.

The destruction will be so total that there will be no more music in Babylon, there will be no more art or industry or business, there will be no joy, no marital happiness. Jeremiah the prophet had once told Jerusalem: “I will take from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp. And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment [NASB: “horror”], and those nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years” (Jer 25:10-11). But the devastation of spiritual Babylon shall be permanent. The word “anymore” is repeated six times.

All of this will happen because Babylon has deceived nations by its sorcery (false teaching) and by its persecution of prophets and saints and all the people of God.

CHAPTER 19: Joy and Triumph in Heaven (David Lau)

After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER.” And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! HER SMOKE RISES UP FOREVER AND EVER.” And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” And a voice came from the throne, saying, “Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.” (19:1-5)

In Revelation 18:20 the call for joy was given. This is the response of God’s people in heaven (Psalm 104:35). This is the only chapter in the New Testament where we find the word “Hallelujah” or “Alleluia.” It is the “Praise the LORD” of the psalms. God is praised because salvation or deliverance comes from Him alone (Psalm 3:8, Jonah 2:9, Matt 6:13). The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures have been mentioned before.

The souls of the martyrs had asked how long it would be until their blood was avenged (Rev 6:9-11). Here is the answer from God. We are not the ones to try to get even with God’s enemies or our enemies. Vengeance belongs to God, and He will set things straight (2 Kings 9:7, Rom 12:19). In fact the governments on earth are to take vengeance on those who do wrong. But their judgments are far from perfect. God’s judgments are true and righteous. On earth it sometimes seems that God is unfair (Job 21:7, Psalm 73, Luke 16:19-21). But God’s final judgment is perfectly just. Then we shall not need to believe it, but we shall see it. God’s final judgment will be in keeping with what He has promised; thus it will be true.

Babylon, the harlot, the anti-Christian spiritual forces in the world, the apostate church, will be rightly judged because of its corruption of the earth. The judgment involves not annihilation or ceasing to exist, but eternal punishment, the smoke rising up forever and ever.

Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” And he said to me, “These are true words of God.” (19:6-9)

The voice from the throne in verse 5 is the voice of God Himself. The voice of the multitude in verse 6 is the voice of all the believers in Christ, who join in singing praises to God. Their praises are loud, and this is emphasized in three ways. It is the voice of a multitude; it is the voice like the sound of many waters; it is the voice like the sound of mighty peals of thunder. They are giving glory to God for His great triumph over all His enemies, mighty and cunning though they may be. For the Lord is omnipotent, all-powerful, and He has always been in control and is in control now. He reigns.

Among the unbelievers there is no more the voice of bride and bridegroom (Rev 18:23). But among the believers there is celebration. It is the marriage of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. He is the Bridegroom, and His people are the bride, those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life (John 3:29, Eph 5:25-27, Song of Solomon).

How are the believers dressed? What are they wearing? What they are wearing is a gift from God: fine linen, clean and bright. Salvation is by grace. Perhaps a better translation of verse 8 is this: “The fine linen is the ‘not guilty’ verdicts pronounced on the saints.” In other words, “righteous verdicts” rather than “righteous acts.” This is in keeping with what God’s Word says in Isaiah 61:10, Zechariah 3:4, Ephesians 5:27, and with what Revelation 7 says about the saints washing their robes and making them white in the blood of the Lamb.

It is a great blessing for us to be invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. In fact the anticipation of such future happiness helps us bear the adversities of the present. Jesus Himself anticipates His triumph, and this helped Him bear the cross (Heb 12:2). This marriage supper of the Lamb is further described in Revelation 21.

Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (19:10)

Angels are not to be worshipped, only God. The teaching about Jesus is what prophecy is all about. Christ must be the center of our preaching. “The testimony about Jesus is the very heart and soul of prophecy.”

And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” (19:11-16)

On Palm Sunday Jesus rode into Jerusalem in meekness and humility on a donkey (Matt 21). But in the final judgment Jesus is seen riding on a white horse. In Revelation 6 there is someone riding on a white horse, and there is dispute over who is meant. But here there is no doubt at all. It is Jesus. He is here called the Word of God, the only time He is given this name, although He is called Word in John 1 and First John 1. It is a fitting name for Jesus, because Jesus is the way that God has revealed Himself to the world.

Jesus comes as Judge and also as triumphant Warrior. His judgment is absolutely righteous in every way (Acts 17:31, Rom 2:5). His war is a just war, as when Israel conquered the land of Canaan as God’s avengers. The governments on earth, on the other hand, are often unjust, and their wars are not often just.

That His eyes are a flame of fire means that He can see all things (John 2:24, Rom 2:16). That He has many crowns most likely means that He wins one battle after another and receives a crown for each victory. That He only knows His own name means that no one can fully understand who Jesus is or how He is put together as true God and true man. The miracle of the incarnation (God becoming flesh) is the greatest miracle of all (1 Tim 3:16).

The fact that His garment is dipped in blood is clearly a reference to Isaiah 63:1-6: “Who is this who comes from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah, this One who is glorious in His apparel, traveling in the greatness of His strength?—‘I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.’ Why is Your apparel red, and Your garments like one who treads in the winepress? ‘I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with Me. For I have trodden them in My anger and trampled them in My fury; their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, and I have stained all My robes. For the day of vengeance is in My heart, and the year of My redeemed [NASB: “My year of redemption”] has come. I looked, but there was no one to help, and I wondered that there was no one to uphold; therefore My own arm brought salvation for Me; and My own fury, it sustained Me. I have trodden down the peoples in My anger, made them drunk in My fury, and brought down their strength [NASB: “poured out their lifeblood”] to the earth.’”

The blood is not Jesus’ blood in this case but the blood of His enemies, whom Jesus has

defeated. Notice that the armies in heaven, those following Jesus on white horses, do not have their garments spattered with blood. Jesus won this great victory all by Himself. There was none to help Him. The riders that followed Him are no doubt the holy angels.

The sharp sword was mentioned already in Revelation 1:16. This two-edged sword is God’s Word, particularly in this context His word of judgment (Is 49:2, Eph 6:17, Heb 4:12).

His name is KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, “Come, assemble for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.” (19:17-18).

While the believers are partaking of the marriage feast of the Lamb, there is another feast God has arranged outside the marriage banquet. This is a feast for the birds of prey, as they eat the flesh of God’s enemies. Ten separate groups are mentioned, no doubt indicating the totality of the judgment that awaits the unbelievers. Not even the kings and the captains and the mighty men will be able to avoid having their flesh picked apart in this supper of the great God.

The Old Testament reference to such a feast for the birds is recorded in Ezekiel 39:17-32.

And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh. (19:19-21)

The beast and the false prophet are spoken of as the first beast and the second beast in Revelation 13. The first beast represents the anti-Christian governmental forces of the earth, whereas the second beast or the false prophet represents all the anti-Christian religious forces in the world. Another name for the false prophet is the harlot Babylon.

The beast and the false prophet gather for war against Christ, but there does not seem to be much of a war. The beast and the false prophet are captured. They are then tossed alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone, which is hell (Dan 7:11, John 12:48).

CHAPTER 20

There are four scenes that come into focus before the eyes of the reader. They are easily discernible, for each scene—with the exception of the third—is introduced by the words, “Then I saw.”

Scene 1: verses 1-3 The binding of Satan The thousand years The four names for Satan

The identification of the “Angel” The releasing of Satan for “a little season”

Scene 2: verses 4-6 Thrones occupied by ones ruling who are described as “beheaded for the witness

of Jesus and as not having “worshipped the beast, neither his image” The expression—“first resurrection” The benediction upon those who participate in the “first resurrection”

Scene 3: verses 7-10 Development of the thought in scene 1 of Satan’s being released for “a little

season” Satan’s activity: deceiving the nations and gathering the enemies against “the

camp of the saints” for a final assault The utter defeat of Satan and his hosts; Satan cast into the lake of fire and

brimstoneScene 4: verses 11-15

The “great white throne and its Occupant” The end of heaven and earth The general resurrection of the dead The books and The Book The judgment according to works (as in Matt 25) The “second death”

Looking at the chapter as a whole with its divisions into scenes, it is apparent that scene one and two cover the same period of time—the first scene picturing the binding of Satan and the second scene the reigning of the saints during the same period of time—the “thousand years.” The third scene elaborates upon a thought introduced already in the first scene—the loosing of Satan for “a little season.” The forth scene presents the end of time with that final great event—the Final Judgment. The question of whether the book of the Revelation is arranged in chronological sequence or with parallel sections will be discussed later.

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time. (20:1-3)

The Binding of SatanThis is the chief feature of scene one. It is impressed upon the senses with a heaping up

of terms. John saw an angel with a key to the bottomless pit. The angel carried a chain in his hand. Action now develops upon the stage: the angel laid hold of the dragon, bound him, cast him into the pit or abyss, and set a seal upon him. What comfort this scene brings to a child of God! His greatest enemy is “the old evil foe,” but he is pictured as overpowered and imprisoned—and that not for a short sentence but for a thousand years, for the prison is sealed.

Past or Future?This is the vital question. Is the binding of Satan a historical fact or a prophetic

announcement? To put it otherwise: is Satan on the loose now, to be bound in some future time or is he bound now, to be released for “a little season” [NASB: “a short time”] sometime in the future?

The DuelThe protevangel—the very first promise of a Savior—foretold a duel unto death between

the promised Savior and Satan. Three stages are pictured. First, the intimate atmosphere of trust that the serpent had painstakingly established between himself and the woman was to be replaced with enmity (“I will put enmity between thee and the woman”). Satan was to be exposed as what he really is—the adversary or opponent of man—not the do-gooder, but the evildoer. This antipathy was to be nurtured down through the ages (“between thy seed and her seed”). The devil’s seed are the unbelievers (John 8:44); the spiritual seed of the woman as opponent of the serpent, that is, as believer, are the believers. We see this enlarged conflict in the first generation between Cain and Abel, the Cainites and Sethites, Israel and Egypt, and so on and on. Finally, in the fullness of time, the issue would be settled in a duel between One from the seed of the woman and the serpent (“it—or he—shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel”).

The public ministry of Jesus was launched with the first round of that duel, the temptation in the wilderness. Satan’s ultimate weapon was the bribe: “Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, all these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me” (Matt 4:8-9). Jesus refused the bribe and threw the gauntlet at the feet of Satan, challenging him to a duel unto death for the kingdom of this world. St. John summed up the mission of Jesus in these words: “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). On the eve of His suffering and death Jesus confidently announced: “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out” (John 12:31). After the Lord Jesus had finished His redemptive work, “blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us” [NASB: “having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us”] (Col 2:14), he descended into hell. What is the significance of that event? Paul tells us, “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it” [NASB: “When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him”] (Col 2:15). SATAN HAS BEEN BOUND! That was the aim and purpose of Christ’s mission to earth. Christ’s power over the demoniacs, who imprisoned themselves in the bodies of their victims to imprison their bodies, minds, emotions, and wills was in confident anticipation of his victory, for “except he first bind the strong man…how else can one enter a strong man’s house?” (Matt 12:29). It was through His redemptive life and death that the Lord Jesus broke the power of Satan—laid hold of him, bound him, and cast him into the bottomless abyss which He then sealed.

The key, the chain, and the seal—the instruments for keeping Satan bound—are the preaching of the Gospel of unconditioned forgiveness in Christ. What comfort! What good news! Wherever justification or forgiveness in and through Christ is proclaimed, there SATAN REMAINS BOUND!

The Four Names of the Old Evil FoeSatan was bound, and that for a thousand years. This is good news for all children of God

—to have their great Enemy bound. It becomes even greater news when one ponders the fourfold activity of the Old Evil Foe, as it is revealed in the four names that are used to designate him in

verse 2: “And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years” (see also Rev 12:9).

The DragonThat name designates the Enemy as the one who motivates and dominates the anti-

Kingdom, pagan world powers in their unceasing conflict with the Kingdom of God. In chapter 12, “a great red dragon… stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born” (12:3-4). That “man child” was destined “to rule all nations with a rod of iron” (12:5). The Dragon attempted to thwart that divinely intended destiny by murdering the Child. Think but of the earthly reality here symbolized—the Dragon stimulating the natural superstition, fear, suspicion, and jealousy of Herod the Great to slaughter the innocents of Bethlehem in an effort to destroy the Child who was destined to rule the nations.

The prophets, on occasion, designated the head of state of the pagan nations that oppressed God’s people as the “dragon,” for they were instruments of the Enemy in his “dragon” role. For example: “Son of man… Speak and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself” (Ezek 29:2-3). And again: “Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon hath devoured me, he hath crushed me, he hath made me an empty vessel, he hath swallowed me up like a dragon, he hath filled his belly with my delicates, he hath cast me out” (Jer 51:34, read entire chapter).

The Enemy, in his role as “dragon,” used the Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Medo-Persians, Greeks, and Romans—as well as the smaller nations surrounding Israel—to wage incessant warfare and subversion against the Old Testament people of God. Today the Dragon uses the totalitarian states on the left (Communism) and on the right (Nazism) to combat the kingdom of God, for the totalitarian state demands for itself the total allegiance of the individual, which a child of God can give only to his Savior-God.

Sometimes the Dragon assumes a kitten stance, as in our own country, where patriotism is by some made equivalent to Christianity. The democratic process, which is our political heritage and which has brought us the blessing of religious liberty, is used by the Dragon in his “serpent” role to replace the authority of the Word of the Lord in the church with the voice of the majority.

The Serpent of OldWhereas the name “Dragon” has the connotation of power, the Enemy using the power of

the state against the children of God, the name “Serpent” brings with it the connotation of cunning, trickery, and deceit: “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety [NKJV,NASB: “craftiness”], so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ…For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into [NASB: “disguising themselves as”] the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works” (2 Cor 11:3,13-15).

The Enemy used his “serpent” nature in his initial attack upon Eve—“Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field...” (Gen 3:1). As Serpent, the Enemy stimulates doubt concerning the Word of the Lord, seeks to arouse the lusts of the flesh, and nurtures the desire to be like and superior to God. In his role as “serpent” the Enemy poses as the great “Imitator” to

God, of righteousness, of truth—always ending up with a soul-destroying perversion of the real thing. Think but of the recently founded “Church of Satan.”

The DevilThe Greek word for “devil” is used most frequently in English in its adjectival form—

diabolic. The primary meaning of the Greek word is false accuser, slanderer, calumniator.Think but of the story of Job, who is described as a man that was “perfect and upright,

and one that feared God, and eschewed evil” (Job 1:1). When the Lord held Job up before Satan as an example of piety and godliness, Satan replied diabolically that God was bribing Job to be good by blessing him so lavishly with material things. Thus Satan slandered the good name of Job.

The twelfth chapter of Revelation pictures the “binding” of Satan in verse 9 and then continues with a description of Satan in his role as devil: “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night” (Rev 12:10). The devil constantly accuses us before the throne of God: “they’re guilty, they’re guilty; they deserve death and hell!” This activity of the devil forms the backdrop of Paul’s rhetorical question in the eighth chapter of his letter to the Romans, verse 33: “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of [NKJV, NASB: “bring a charge against”] God’s elect?” It is the devil who never ceases trying to do just that! St. Paul nullifies all the slanderous charges of the devil with the simple statement: “It is God that justifieth.” In Revelation 12:11 St. John reports how the saints successfully withstood the slander of the devil: “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony.”

SatanThis word properly signifies adversary or opponent. Satan is the “enemy” who came and

sowed tares among the wheat (Matt 13:25). St. Peter warns his readers: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet 5:8). St. Paul had Satan, as opponent of God and all children of God, in mind when he urged all he saints of God to “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph 6:11-12).

Binding Satan—Restraining the DragonSatan is bound and has been since our Lord completed His work of redemption,

confirmed by His glorious resurrection. The Old Evil Foe is bound, that is, restrained in all of his activity—as dragon, serpent, devil, and Satan. In the vision, St. John saw him bound especially in his capacity as dragon: “And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season” (verse 2-3). In Old Testament times religion was a matter of the state. The Dragon dominated the culture of the nation and the individual lives of its citizens. St. Paul referred to this era as “times of ignorance” (Acts 17:30). During this era of world history, God separated unto Himself a special people, the Jewish nation, and brought salvation for mankind through One of that nation—His own Son born of a Jewish

virgin. His Son crushed the head of the Serpent and so bound him. At the same time He broke down the “middle wall of partition” [NASB: “barrier of the dividing wall”] (Eph 2:14) between Jew and Gentile. Before He ascended He gave command to “make disciples of all nations” (Matt 28:19). He came, as he foretold, “in the clouds of heaven” (Matt 26:64), in judgment against His chosen people and in demonstration of the ecumenicity of His Kingdom. The Gospel of divine forgiveness in Christ stops at no national or artificial barriers. It penetrates to all nations and peoples, liberating them from the chains of their own sins and the power of the prince of darkness and death—Satan.

Literal or FigurativeSix times in this chapter, specifically in verses 1-7, the sum “a thousand years” occurs. It

occurs in no other place in Scripture. The “thousand years” is characterized as the era during which Satan is bound and the saints are reigning with Christ. The question is whether the “thousand years” is to be understood literally as exactly one thousand calendar years or figuratively, that is, as a definite span of time, unknown to man but known precisely to the Lord God.

We have already taken note of the fact that the book of Revelation is apocalyptic. This is generally recognized and accepted. It is of the nature of apocalyptic literature that it is not to be understood literally, for the thought is expressed in bold and unreal figures and symbols. For example, the first beast in Revelation 13 is described as having seven heads and ten horns. It was like a leopard, yet its feet were like those of a bear, and its mouth was as the mouth of a lion. There is no such beast in the realm of nature. Yet St. John saw this beast—as a composite symbol representing the four beasts that Daniel saw in a vision (chapter 7). No one would attempt to find the literal counterpart of the beast that John saw rising out of the sea in the realm of nature. And yet many who accept “the beast” as a symbol insist, under plea of taking he Bible literally, that the “thousand years” of Revelation 20 must be understood literally—despite the fact that it is part of a book that the Spirit of God Himself says is written in signs (1:1) and is part of a chapter that abounds in symbolism.

Recall also that numbers are consistently used in Revelation as symbols. Ten stands for a rounded total—for example, the ten commandments of the Law and the ten plagues with which the Lord smote Egypt. The beast had ten horns which symbolize ten kings (13:1; 17:12). One thousand is ten raised to the third power—symbolizing the ultimate rounded total, even as 144,000—twelve times twelve to the third power—symbolizes the absolute total of the elect, the Church of the Old and New Testaments. This means then that the “thousand years” or the Millennium, as it is most frequently called, is the symbol of a definite and complete era of time, known exactly to the last second to God, but unknown to man. It is the inter-adventual era, the time between the first and second comings of our Lord, the New Testament ear. Whether the “little season” is part of the Millennium or an addition to it cannot be absolutely determined.

Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign

with Him for a thousand years. (20:4-6)

The first scene pictures the partial liberation of the saints of God from the tyranny of Satan in that Satan is bound for a thousand years. The second scene pictures the same period of time from the viewpoint of the saints. What significance does the binding of Satan have upon the children of God in their lives here on earth? This—that they live and reign with Christ a thousand years. The Old Evil Foe is restricted in his activity, the saints participate in the rule of the Kingdom—these are the two sides of the here-and-now state of affairs.

The KINGDOM and KingdomsIf there is to be any understanding of the joint living and reigning with Christ on the part

of saints during the present inter-adventual era, there must be a clear understanding of the nature of the Kingdom of God and its uncompromising difference from all kingdoms of this world. The irreconcilable difference between Christ’s Kingdom and all and any kingdoms of this world was clearly stated by our Lord when he was interrogated by Pontius Pilate on this very subject. The issue was whether the charge of the Jews had substance, that is, whether Jesus, the alleged King of the Jews, was a political threat to Rome. Jesus convincingly disavowed that charge by testifying: “My kingdom is not of this world!” (John 18:36).

Their EstablishmentThe establishment of the Kingdom of God became necessary after Satan gained the

victory over Adam. Through sin Satan created the problem of man’s guilt before his God. Simultaneously he created the problem of alienation of man—from God, from his fellowman, from himself, and from nature. A third problem is the continuing power of sin or sin as a force in the life of the individual and society. All of these problems are interrelated. God’s solution was to send His only begotten Son as the Representative and Substitute for mankind. Through His active obedience to the law and passive submission to the penalties of that same law He justified mankind, reconciled it to God, and broke the power of sin. So the KINGDOM was established—by his holy life, innocent sufferings and death—all of which was confirmed by His resurrection.

By contrast earthly kingdoms develop as a result of historical processes—racial, economic, and cultural unification, revolution or civil war, coup d’état, democratic process or whatever. The contrast between THE KINGDOM and kingdoms is obvious and irreconcilable.

Their Means of SurvivingThe contrast is between witnessing unto the Truth and using force. Before Pilate, Jesus

testified that He was born a King. He continued by elaborating upon His method of reigning: “To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth” (John 18:37). St. Paul reechoed this testimony when he wrote to the Corinthians: “…it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching [NKJV, NASB: “foolishness of the message preached”] to save them that believe” (1 Cor 1:21). THE KINGDOM OF GOD is advanced, maintained, and defended by witness unto the Truth, and by no other manner or means!

Kingdoms of this world use military and police force, legislative and judicial power, democratic or totalitarian processes, propaganda. But the means are always the same—force, covert or open, subtle or brutal.

Their Area of Concern

The KINGDOM OF GOD concerns itself with all the blessings that are in Christ Jesus: forgiveness, fellowship with God, peace, joy, hope, life eternal. St. Paul expressed it this way: “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Rom 14:17).

By contrast the kingdoms of this world are concerned with the affairs of this life: national and international security, domestic and foreign affairs, education, social services, ecology, transportation, postal services, business regulations, and so on and on.

History is replete with instances of the state using things spiritual to promote and further its end and of the church using the power of the state to promote the spiritual. When the distinctive spheres of each are violated, understanding what it means to reign with Christ becomes warped and distorted.

THE KINGThe saints—we—are to live and reign with Christ a thousand years. There is no better

way to learn the nature of that living and reigning with Christ than to observe His living and reigning here upon this earth.

The Jews brought the charge against Jesus that He alleged Himself to be a king, implying that He was therefore a political rival of Caesar. Pilate went straight to the heart of the matter with his question: “Art thou the King of the Jews?” To Pilate the question was clear and precise. He was looking for a “yes” or “no” answer. But it wasn’t that simple. The matter hinged upon the concept of “king.” If Jesus would have answered “yes,” Pilate would have understood that as a guilty plea. If Jesus had answered “no,” He would have denied Himself. So Jesus answered by clarifying the nature of His Kingdom and Kingship, saying, “My kingdom is not of this world!” Pilate gathered that Jesus was, indeed, claiming to be some kind of a “king.” He was looking for an answer that would make his decision in the case clear and certain, so he asked again, “Art thou a king then?” Jesus answered in the affirmative, adding: “To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.” Pilate had his answer. Jesus may be a fanatic, but He was harmless and innocent of the charges brought against Him: “I find in him no fault at all” (John 18:33-38).

Jesus Reigning during His PassionIn the upper room, Jesus confounded Hi disciples by laying aside His garments, taking a

towel and basin, and washing His disciples’ feet. He was reigning while serving them—thereby revealing a basic principle of His Kingship: reigning by serving.

The greatest service that a “Kingdom” member can render is bearing witness unto the Truth. When Jesus instituted His Supper, he spoke of giving His body and shedding His blood for the remission of sins. He was, thereby, bearing witness unto the Truth against the basic lie of Satan—that man can and must do something himself to gain or merit the remission of sins and so favor with God.

When Jesus prayed His high priestly prayer, He said: “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word” (John 17:20). The proclamation of the Apostolic Word was to be the means by which the Lord Jesus would extend and maintain His reign down through the ages. Whenever and inasmuch as we bear witness unto that Word, we are participating in the reign of our Lord.

When Jesus tried to divert the tears of the women of Jerusalem from His suffering to their own sins and guilt, He—at the point of exhaustion though He was—was attempting to establish

His reign in their hearts and so rescue them from the impending judgment upon them and their nation.

When the thuds of the hammer blows had faded away and the soldiers sat down for a moment to regain their strength after the arduous task of hoisting the body of Jesus to the cross, He spoke: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). That was the King speaking. Those words were instrumental in the King’s establishing His rule in the heart of the malefactor—later in the heart of a Stephen.

The words spoken to the malefactor, “Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43), were the dying King’s welcome to life in His Kingdom to a dying man.

The cry, “It is finished,” was the King’s proclamation that His Kingdom was firmly established, for every demand of the law had been met and the bitterest penalty of the law had been suffered. God had been propitiated; sin and guilt had been expiated; the power of death and Satan had been broken.

In the midst of suffering and death and seeming defeat the King kept on reigning—by bearing witness unto the Truth. What does it then mean to live and reign with Christ? To bear witness unto the Truth to the end that Christ may establish dominion in human hearts to the end that they may submit to His Lordship.

Judging“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them.” The

saints who live and reign with Christ a thousand years will reign by exercising judgment. Judging involves evaluating and then forming a conclusion as to good or bad, right or wrong, followed by a verdict.

The Lord Jesus made such a judgment upon the city of Jerusalem, the nation of the Jews—their religious leaders and temple—when He said: “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate” (Luke 13:35). Jesus pronounced the pride of the religious community and the nation—the temple—a desolate house fit only for judgment. The saints are to exercise similar judgment also in regard to spiritual matters.

StephenIn his defense, Stephen rehearsed the history of his people. As he recalled to his audience

familiar events in their national history, he kept pointing out their continued and repeated disobedience to the Lord. They rejected Moses, whom the Lord had raised up as their leader. They made the golden calf and preferred to worship the work of their own hands rather than the Lord who had so recently delivered them from the Egyptians. They persisted in worshipping idols rather than the Most High. Stephen was making a critical account of his people’s history. He concluded with a general indictment: “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming [NASB: “previously announced the coming”] of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: who have received the law by the disposition of angels [NASB: “as ordained by angels”], and have not kept it” (Acts 7:51-53). Stephen was on trial, but he turned his defense into an indictment of his nation and their leaders. He was ruling by exercising judgment over against his own people. They stoned him, but he triumphed!

St. PaulSt. Paul loved his own people with such intensity that he was willing to suffer eternal

damnation if that would turn his people from the error of their ways. Wherever possible, on his missionary journeys, Paul began work in the synagogue or among the Jews. Again and again he would rehearse before them their national history, showing that it had all come to a climax in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, the promised Messiah. An excellent example of Paul’s method is preserved for us by St. Luke in Acts 13:14ff, where Luke records the sermon of Paul at Antioch in Pisidia.

He accused the religious leaders of the people of being blind leaders of the blind. They read the prophets every Sabbath, but failed to see that the prophets pointed to the Messiah, who came in the person of Jesus. And so they forced Pilate to murder the innocent Jesus, but God nullified that crime by raising His Son from the dead. Paul testified that by this Jesus, whom they executed but whom God raised from the dead, “All that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses” (Acts 13:39).

What was the result? The Gentiles flocked to Paul; the Jews fomented opposition and caused Paul and Barnabas to be expelled from the area. “But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium” (Acts 13:51). What was this but exercising judgment against his own people—God’s chosen people of Old Testament times? St. Paul suffered much abuse at the hands of his own countrymen, but he never ceased reigning with the risen Lord by exercising spiritual judgment over both Jew and Gentile. His address to the Athenians on Mars’ hill (Acts 17:22-31) is an example of the latter.

Whenever and wherever a child of God bears witness unto the Word of the King by passing judgment upon matters spiritual, he is living and reigning with the Lord Jesus. This judging is not done only by such great men of God, as a Luther, but by the many common, ordinary saints of God who bear witness for the Lord and against the powers of darkness in this evil generation. Thus witnessing is a form of judging.

The “First Resurrection”The first scene pictures the binding or restraining of Satan during the current era—

especially in his role as Dragon or deceiver of the nations. The second scene pictures the saints of God reigning with Christ during this same period of time, the New Testament era. Remember that the key characteristic of Jesus’ reign during this era is NOT the exercise of power but rather testifying unto the Truth, even as our Lord testified before Pilate: “To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth” (John 18:37). We reign with Christ by bearing witness unto the Truth!

The reigning of the saints with Christ is pictured in this scene from four points of view: (1) exercising judgment, (2) resisting the “beast” even unto death, (3) living and reigning with Christ, and (4) functioning as priests. The first pictures witness bearing in the form of making spiritual judgments upon all things. The second points out the cost—bearing the cross up to and including possible martyrdom. The third is general, emphasizing that our activity, though it appears to be one of death, is truly living life to its fullest. The fourth pictures our reigning as exercising our royal priesthood. These four views, describing the same activity of the saints of God, are called “the first resurrection.”

Literal or Figurative?“This is the first resurrection.” Is this statement to be taken literally or figuratively? The

premillenialists take it literally as the resurrection of the holy martyrs that shall occur simultaneously with the so-called “rapture.” This interpretation conflicts with the scriptural witness to one general resurrection at the end of time. Take, for example, John 5:28-29: “The hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”

If a literal interpretation conflicts with Scripture’s testimony of one general resurrection at the end of time, the statement must be figurative. But then there are options to consider. Some interpret “the first resurrection” as a figurative term for the intermediate state of the souls of the believers. This is the amillennialists’ position. But “resurrection” implies a rising from the dead; the souls never die! The word translated “souls” in verse 4 need not mean disembodied spirits, but rather persons.

A second figurative interpretation is to make “the first resurrection” symbolize regeneration. Since the first death was the death of the soul, the first resurrection should be the restoration of life or the rising of the soul, that is, conversion or regeneration. Granted that Scripture does speak of conversion as a “quickening” or resurrection (Eph 2:5-6), the question still remains as to whether John so uses it here, as he admittedly does in his Gospel (5:21-25). If John used “the first resurrection” as a figure of speech for regeneration, it would come out like this: exercising judgment, resisting the “beast” even unto death, living and reigning with Christ, and functioning as royal priests would all be equivalent to conversion or regeneration. That is overloading the concept of regeneration. “The first resurrection” presupposes regeneration, but is not equivalent to it.

Consider St. Paul! He exercised spiritual judgment, suffered again and again and finally laid down his life for the Lord, exercised his royal priesthood unto Jew and Gentile, and so lived and ruled with Christ. Consider how he speaks of himself and all fellow witnesses for Christ: “As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter” (Rom 8:36). “And why stand we in jeopardy every hour? I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily” (1 Cor 15:30-31). “…as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed” (2 Cor 6:9). St. Paul had learned how to lose his life for Christ’s sake in order to gain it. He lived as one who always put his life on the line for his Lord. And so, though dead, he lived, and still lives. Think of how the writer to the Hebrews speaks of Abel, the first martyr: “…and by it—his sacrifice—he being dead yet speaketh” (Heb 11:4 NKJV). This reigning with the Lord by bearing witness unto the Truth even unto death and after death is “the first resurrection.” “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power” (Rev 20:6).

When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (20:7-10)

Verses 7-10 bring us the third scene, which features the loosing of Satan, his final efforts to deceive the nations, his final mobilization of all his allies to attack “the beloved city,” their

destruction by fire from heaven, and the casting of the devil into the lake of fire and brimstone.

The Little SeasonThe first scene reported the binding of Satan for the thousand years, but also revealed that

“after that he must be loosed a little season” (verse 3). This theme is picked up and expanded in the third scene: “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison.”

The Loosing of SatanThe binding of Satan is expressly reported to be a restricting of his activities to deceive,

especially in his “dragon” role as deceiver of the nations. Satan was bound “that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled.” The third scene picks up that thought and reveals that after he has been loosed, he “shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth.”

Gog and MagogSatan will go out to deceive the nations, who are called “Gog and Magog.” “Gog” and

“Magog” are used grammatically as an appositional phrase to the noun, nations. Thus St. John quite clearly uses “God and Magog” not literally, but as a symbolic term for “the nations.” But where did he get these names?

The answer is to be found in Ezekiel 38 and 39. The word of the Lord came to Ezekiel and said: “Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against” (38:2). Gog is the prince and Magog his country or people. The original reference is to the Scythian hordes that swept over the Middle East and afflicted God’s people of that time. They are used as a symbol of the enemies of the Church in the last days. In similar fashion St. John uses “Sodom and Egypt” symbolically in Revelation 11:8: “And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.” A modern parallel to “Gog and Magog” might well be “Hitler and the Nazis”—a past enemy that may well be used to designate some future one.

The premillenialists love to play with these names, taking them—allegedly—literally and claiming to have special insight into future political developments at the end of time. Thus “the chief prince…” is translated “the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal,” which are identified as follows: Rosh equals Russia, Meshech equals Moscow, and Tubal equals Tobolsk. The final political confrontation is allegedly to come in the Middle East with the Russian Communists and their Arab allies united against Israel in the final battle of Armageddon. The entire premillenial military, political point of view conflicts with the basic testimony of our Lord: “My kingdom is not of this world!”

The MobilizationSatan will gather the nations of the earth, Gog and Magog, “together to battle: the number

of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city...” The mobilization of Satan’s forces is worldwide, not concentrated in Palestine—a literal impossibility. The odds against “the beloved city” are as great as they were that day when Goliath strode out of cut up little David. The situation seems as hopeless as the day when Pharaoh’s chariots raced to slaughter the Children of Israel as they were trapped against the Red Sea.

The OutcomeThere was no battle at all! For after Satan had mobilized his forces, “fire came down

from God out of heaven, and devoured them,” even as fire had once come down from heaven and destroyed the captains and their fifties that came out to take Elijah captive (2 Kings 1).

Judgment Upon SatanWhat happened to Satan who was loosed for a little season, who mobilized such

impressive forces against “the beloved city?” “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” Defeat for Satan; for us, victory!

The Little Season—The Loosing of Satan: Are We At This Time?Satan is to be bound for a thousand years, then loosed for a little season. The binding of

Satan is defined as restricting his ability to deceive the nations. The loosing would then indicate a resumption of Satan’s activity as deceiver of the nations—his “dragon” role.

Are we at this point in the history of the world? The question is legitimate. There is a school of prophecy—the futurists—who project the events outlined in Revelation, including the “little season,” to the end-times., thus making the prophecy of little practical importance for believers of any current age. But the one practical application of all prophecy which culminates in the second coming of our Lord is WATCH, BE PREPARED, BE EVER ON THE LOOKOUT! What do we see when we study the age in which we live?

TotalitarianismThe empires of Old Testament times were totalitarian. Due process of law, division of

powers, and civil rights were concepts unknown. Consider but the rage of King Nebuchadnezzar when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego dared to disobey his decree to fall down and worship the image of his glory and might. Under such a centralized, totalitarian setup, Satan need but control the top echelon, and he controlled the nation. In our age more and more of the nations of the world are coming under a totalitarian form of government.

CommunismCommunism is totalitarian. It is also atheistic. “There is no God” is the official position

of the government. That is another way of saying, “The State is god!” For communism has usurped for the State—actually the Party—the first place in the hearts and lives of the people, that which properly belongs to God.

God as Creator has a right to set the standards of behavior for His creatures. Accordingly all of man’s behavior patterns are to be judged and evaluated according to divine norms. Communism has made the State the norm for human behavior. What’s good for the State, what serves the State, is good. What harms the State is evil. God has revealed Himself as Savior-God. Communism disavows God and usurps his “savior role.” The State is “god,” providing all things for all of its people—protection, the good life, the right sense of values, amusement, education, security. Communism is definitely an agency of the Dragon by which he is again deceiving the nations on a nationwide and international basis.

Evolution

Up until about one hundred years ago the authority of God in the Bible was not openly and generally challenged. Then came Darwin and the mythology of its pseudo-scientific basis. We are now living a century later and find that evolutionary theory has infiltrated practically every field of learning. Satan has masterminded this new religious mythology—again for the purpose of deceiving the nations.

Evolution is essentially atheistic. Whenever it pays lip service to God, it makes Him completely a victim and slave of His own creation. This means that the supernatural is completely removed from the Bible. Since mankind’s redemption is supernatural from beginning to end, evolution undermines Christianity. On many occasions the Lord God supernaturally intervened to protect and preserve His Old Testament people so that the promise of the Savior would be fulfilled. The virgin birth, the person of the Savior—the God-man, the witnessing of Jesus by His miracles, His resurrection, and ascension—all step over the boundary of the natural into the supernatural. Remove all of this, and there is no salvation. Evolutionary thinking has penetrated the seminaries of the churches even as it has infiltrated the entire school system of the nation. This means that Satan is deceiving people on a nationwide and international level.

“Substitute” ChurchesOur society is saturated with semireligious organizations which substitute forms of

humanism with its emphasis on self-salvation through character training and human efforts for the salvation that is in Christ Jesus. We need but think of Masonry and Scouting—Satan’s efforts to deceive people of the nations.

When we consider these things, it could well be that we are even now in the “little season.” Watch! Be prepared!

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (20:11-15)

The Judgment SceneIn the Apostolic Creed we confess: “From thence He shall come to judge the quick [or

living] and the dead.” What we confess, St. John saw in a vision: “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.” The throne is consistently a symbol of power, rule, dominion—the exercise of all authority in heaven and on earth. The throne is white. Again white is consistently the symbol of holiness. We can’t even begin to imagine the whiteness of that throne. As human begins, we are conceived and born in sin. Sin colors our every thought, tinges our words, and casts its dark shadow upon our every work. In the presence of the holy, holy, holy God we must cry out with Isaiah: “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts” (Is 6:5). Yet it is before this white throne that we and all men must one day appear.

The throne is occupied. By whom? In describing the same scene in the parable of the sheep and the goats the Lord Jesus said: “When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory” (Matt 25:31). In John 5:27 the Lord Jesus said that the Father “hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of Man.”

On that great day “the earth and the heaven fled away.” St. Peter puts it this way: “The heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (2 Pet 3:10). The writer to the Hebrews says that the heavens and the earth “shall perish…they all shall wax [NASB: “become”] old as doth a garment” (Heb 1:11). Jesus speaks of heaven and earth passing away (Matt 24:35). The question is whether the end shall mean rejuvenation of annihilation for the universe. St. Paul’s picture of this present order of things—“groaning and travailing” (Rom 8:22)—and St. John’s subsequent vision of “a new heaven and a new earth” (Rev 21:1-5) point to a glorious rejuvenation of the heavens and the earth at the end of time.

One ResurrectionThe premillennialists interpret “the first resurrection” in the first scene as a physical

resurrection of the martyrs and confessors. That interpretation conflicts with the plain words of this fourth scene: “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God” [NASB: “before the throne”]. In the parable of the sheep and goats our Lord says that “before him shall be gathered all nations” (Matt 25:32). In John 5:28-29 our Lord said: “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the [NKJV, NASB remove “the”] which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” St. Paul testified in 2 Corinthians 5:10: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body [NASB: “may be recompensed for his deeds in the body”], according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” Note that “all nations,” “all that are in the graves,” “we all” must be raised so that we can appear before the judgment seat. John saw this vast multitude—“the dead, small and great, stand before God.”

The Books and The BookSt. John saw books and a book. The books contain all the deeds of the unbelievers—all of

which are evil, but only the good deeds of the believers, for all their evil deeds are washed white in the blood of the Lamb. He also saw a special book containing the names of those who have been given life through our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the “book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev 13:8, see also 21:27). “And the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life.” The books symbolize the omniscience of God, who never can nor does forget. So also the book with its names!

The Standard for Judging“And the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life.”

We have observed that “the books” contain the infallible record of all of the evil deeds of the unbelievers and all of the good deeds of the believers. “The book of life” is the infallible record of all the saved. What will be the standard according to which judgment is made? “And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works…and they were judged every man according to their works” (v. 12-13).

Twice deeds are mentioned as the standard for judging each and every person. Superficially this fact would appear to be in conflict with the emphatic testimony of Scripture that salvation is by grace and not by works, as, for example, in Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Double JudgmentThe key to the apparent contradiction is the fact that Scripture consistently speaks of a

double judgment, one that is private and the other that is public, one that occurs in the moment of death and the other that will occur at the end of time—the final judgment.

The writer to the Hebrews speaks of the fact that man dies only once as axiomatic. Equally self-evident is the fact that death is followed by judgment: “…as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment…” (Heb 9:27). Dying is a singularly personal and private experience. Doctors, nurses, loved ones, and friends can stand at the bedside of a dying person, but when that final moment comes, the individual takes the final step out of life alone—except for his God. In that moment there is that dramatic, unavoidable confrontation of man with his Maker. How will the issue of life or death, torment or bliss, be decided? What will be the standard that the Judge of all flesh uses? The answer comes in one of the most simple and well-known of all statements of our Lord: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16). The fate of each individual is determined by his relationship to Christ. If he dies in faith, he dies possessing through Christ the key to everlasting bliss—the forgiveness of sins. If he dies rejecting Christ, eternal torment awaits him.

But Scripture consistently points ahead to the final judgment on the last day. In contrast to the moment of death, that will be the most public event ever conducted on the face of the earth, for every person ever born on this earth will be there: “Before him shall be gathered all nations” (Matt 25:32).

What will be the standard used for that judgment? The works of each and every person! So the action is described in scene four of Revelation 20, and so it is described elsewhere. Consider: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body [NASB: “may be recompensed for his deeds in the body”], according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor 5:10). “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” (John 5:28-29). “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God” [NASB: “each man's praise will come to him from God”] (1 Cor 4:5). Consider also the parable of the last judgment (Matt 25:31-46), where the judgment is also according to works. So there is a double judgment—private and public, one according to faith and the other according to works. There is no conflict between them.

The Judgment: Matthew 25:31-46The fourth scene of Revelation 20 is the judgment scene. That event is public. The

standard of judgment is the works of every person: “…and they were judged every man according to their works.” Elsewhere the Scripture makes it clear that the standard that will determine the eternal weal or woe of each individual will be his or her relationship to Jesus

Christ—either faith or unbelief. That apparent conflict between faith and works, the public and private judgments, is resolved in our Lord’s parable of the sheep and goats.

The DivisionWe forget at times that “The Olivet Address” continues unto the end of Matthew 25. Our

Lord brought His discussion of “that day” to a close with a series of parables, the last of which was the parable of the sheep and goats: “When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations; and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left” (Matt 25:31-33). The point that concerns us is the fact that before a single syllable is spoken on this most public of all judgment scenes, the final and irrevocable division of all mankind has been made. In human courts of justice the presentation of the evidence precedes the decision. Here the procedure is reversed. All mankind is separated before the evidence is admitted. This indicates that a factor other than the works of the individual was decisive. That factor is the faith or unbelief of the individual—not “faith in God,” but faith is Jesus Christ as Son of God and Savior from sin, death, and damnation. Since such faith is in itself invisible to man, but clearly visible to God, the Lord Jesus made the basic division before the formal presentation of the evidence.

Works as Evidence of FaithAfter the division of all mankind has been made, the Judge proceeds to demonstrate

publicly that His decision is in accordance with the evidence. Note that the “sentencing” also precedes the introduction of the evidence. In the case of those on the right side the “sentencing” is a gracious invitation to “inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

Now follows the supporting evidence: “For I was hungered, and ye gave me meat…” Each work is described in its personal relationship to the Lord. The work was done unto Him. This presupposes that the doer of the work stood in the proper relationship unto the Lord, for it is always the person who makes the work acceptable, not the work that makes the person acceptable. Those who have been taught by the Spirit of God to mourn over their sins and to despair of their own righteousness and then to rest their entire hope for forgiveness, life, and salvation on the perfect righteousness of God’s Son and His innocent suffering and death are right with God. Their lives belong unto the Lord; what they do in love according to the Ten Commandments they do unto the Lord: “I was hungered, and ye gave me meat.”

Faith works with nary a thought of merit or reward, unconscious of the value that the Lord places on those works. For the righteous answer, “Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee?” Their answer expresses startled surprise that what they did naturally as believers was reckoned as being done personally unto the Lord.

Those on the left are sentenced: “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” The justification for that fearful sentence is furnished by the unbelievers’ lack of works: “For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat” (Matt 25:34-42). The unbelievers respond with surly disrespect for the Lord and His Word, but to no avail. The truth that no unbeliever can do anything pleasing unto the Lord becomes clear—too late. So it is that faith saves, but the faith that saves is never alone—ever giving evidence of itself by works done unto the Lord.

The Companions “Death and Hades”“Hades” isn’t found in the King James Version [though is found in both the NKJV and

NASB], but it is the English word that corresponds to the Greek word used. It appears four times in Revelation:

“I have the keys of hell (Hades) and death” (1:18). “And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell

(Hades) followed with him” (6:8). “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell (Hades) delivered up

the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell (Hades) were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death” (20:13-14).

The question is: What is the precise meaning of “Hades” and how does it differ from “the lake of fire,” which is a name for hell?

“Hades,” which literally means “the unseen place,” is used ten times in the New Testament: four times in Revelation, as above, then twice in Matthew, Luke, and Acts, as follows:

“And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell (Hades): for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day” (Matt 11:23—see parallel in Luke 10:15).

“And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell (Hades) shall not prevail against it” (Matt 16:18).

“And in hell (Hades) he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom” (Luke 16:23).

“Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (Hades), neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption [NASB: “undergo decay”]…He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell (Hades), neither his flesh did see corruption” (Acts 2:27,31).

“Sheol”In the two passages in Acts, “Hades” is used as a Greek translation for the Hebrew word

“Sheol,” for which neither the Greek nor the English has an exactly corresponding word. “Sheol” is used in a double sense in the Old Testament—either as the place to which all the dead go, then translated as “grave,” or as the place of the damned, then translated as “hell.” The context determines the meaning.

In New Testament usage, “Hades” is used as the place to which the wicked go at death until the last day when Death and Hades will give up their dead so that they can be reunited with their bodies and so stand before the judgment throne.

“Gehenna”This is the term that is used in the New Testament as the final place of the damned—for

both body and soul. For example: “…but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire (the Gehenna of fire)” (Matt 5:22). “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both body and soul in hell (Gehenna)” (Matt 10:28). In Revelation 20 the descriptive term “lake of fire” is used for “Gehenna.” On the last day Death and Hades will be cast into Gehenna or the Lake of Fire. Then the comment is added: “This is the second death.” Literally, “This death is the second one, the

lake of fire.”Thus on the last day, Death—that dread power which tears a person’s soul from his body

—shall be cast into the Lake of Fire. In his great resurrection chapter St. Paul put it thus: “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death” (1 Cor 15:26). “Hades,” the abode of the damned souls shall also be cast into the Lake of Fire—being of no further use, for all the damned shall be, body and soul reunited, cast into hell.

CHAPTER 21 (David Lau)

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And He said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true.” Then He said to me, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. "He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." (21:1-8)

The New Heaven and the New EarthThe new heaven and the new earth was foretold by the prophet Isaiah (Is 66:22) and

mentioned also by the apostle Peter (2 Pet 3:13). This promise from God Himself gives sure hope to God’s people on earth, especially when they are going through turmoil or persecution. The glory of the new heaven and the new earth is that God will dwell permanently with His people. He will be their God, and they will be His people. This is a promise repeated many times in the Old Testament and New Testament. Of course this is true already now of those who believe in Jesus. But in the world to come, faith will become sight, and there will be no possibility of falling away (1 John 3:2).

The holy city, the new Jerusalem, is the holy Christian Church, that is, all the believers in Jesus, past, present, and future. This Church is called Mount Zion…the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem” in Hebrews 12:22 and “the Jerusalem above” in Galatians 4:25-26. That the Church will come down out of heaven is a vision spoken of by Paul in plain words in 1 Thessalonians 4:14.

The Church is described as a bride or as the Lamb’s wife in Revelation 19:7-8. The robes of the bride have been made white through the blood of the Lamb (Rev 7:14, also Is 61:10).

The new heaven and new earth is described not so much in terms of what it is, for we would probably not be able to understand that, but as being without those things that give us grief now, such as tears, death, sorrow, crying, and pain. These are prevalent in our world now, but not then. All of this will come to pass when the last enemy, death, will be destroyed, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:26.

Scientists and statesmen sometimes act and speak as though they could usher in a new social order that would eliminate the troubles in this world. But this is something only God can do, and He will do it on the Last Day. But only the believers in Jesus will enjoy it.

All of this may seem too good to be true, but God Himself assured John: “These words are true and faithful.”

In verse 6, God says to John, “It is done!” Even though it has not happened yet in our experience, and we are still living in a world filled with sin and grief and pain, it is as good as done. For to the eternal God, who is Alpha and Omega, there is no past or future, but always the eternal timeless today (see Psalm 90:2).

In verse 6, the believers are described as ones who thirst, that is, as persons aware of their sins and their need for forgiveness and salvation. This is a picture often found in the Bible. For examples, see Isaiah 55:1, John 4:14, John 7:37, and Matthew 5:6. At present this thirst is quenched by the Good News of Jesus Christ, but always our faith in this Gospel is attacked by the forces of evil. In the new heaven and the new earth that spiritual thirst will be fully and permanently satisfied.

Verses 7 and 8 of Revelation 21 describe the believers in Christ as overcoming or victorious, but on the other hand the unbelievers are described as “cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, adulterers, sorcerers, idolaters, and liars.” There will be no such sinners in the new heaven and new earth. The unbelievers will be thrown into the lake of eternal fire and experience the second death, as stated already in Revelation 20:15. The victory enjoyed by believers has been established by the bloody of the Lamb and extended to the believers by the Gospel Word (see Rev 12:11). In the power of God the believers have even resisted and overcome Satan and the two beasts (see Rev 15:2).

The unbelievers are described as being “cowardly.” This reminds us that in the days when Revelation was written, it took immense courage to confess the Christian faith. Surely there were some who renounced their faith in Christ because of the threats of persecution and death. They proved to be cowards, and such impenitent cowards will be punished with the ultimate punishment of hell. Siegbert Becker comments: “Side by side with the most glorious gospel promises, God also proclaims the most severe threats of the law, so that the new man may be encouraged by the promises and the old man terrified by the threats” (Revelation, p. 335). Becker’s book has been used very heavily in this summary of Revelation 21.

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper. It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. There were three gates on the east and three gates on the north and three gates on the south and three gates on the west. And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. The one who spoke with me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, and its gates and its wall. The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal. And he measured its wall, seventy-two yards, according to human measurements, which are also angelic measurements. The material of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like

clear glass. The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. (21:9-21)

The Description of the New JerusalemIt has been customary to speak of the Church militant, and the Church triumphant. Here

we have a symbolic presentation of the Church triumphant. The twelve apostles are the foundation of the Church. This means that what the apostles wrote is what our faith is based on (see Eph 2:20, Matt 16:16).

The shape of the city is a perfect cube, just like the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle and the temple. As the Holy of Holies was the dwelling place of God, so also the Church will be the permanent dwelling place of God. As there are three gates on each of the four sides, so also Israel in the wilderness had three tribes on each of the four sides of the camp (Numbers 2). The Church is called the Israel of God in Galatians 6:16.

The names written on the gates indicate that only believers in Jesus are allowed to enter this city. The Church is called the bride of Christ, the wife of the Lamb.

Notice that all the numbers are twelve or multiples of twelve. There are twelve gates, twelve angels, twelve names, twelve pearls, twelve foundations, and twelve apostles. The city is 12,000 stadia long, wide, and high. The wall is 144 cubits thick.

The seven angels with seven bowls and the seven plagues have been mentioned already in Revelation 15.

Just as Moses was taken to the top of Mt. Nebo to view the promised land of Canaan, John was taken to a high mountain to view the holy city. This city has the glory of God. This is a reminder of the way God often appeared in Old Testament times as a bright light. God accompanied the children of Israel traveling in the wilderness as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. The glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle (Ex 40:34-35). The glory of the Lord filled Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 8:11). There are other references to this glory in Ezekiel 8:4, 9:3, 10:19, 11:22-23, and 43:2-4 and in Romans 9:4. The light in verse 11 is God Himself.

The wall around the city symbolizes the security which God’s people will enjoy in the new Jerusalem. No unbeliever will be allowed to enter. As the cherubim guarded the Garden of Eden after the fall into sin, so the twelve angels will make sure that no unbeliever or evil spirit will enter. The Church at that time will not have anyone in it that does not belong. Think of Jesus’ parables of the tares in the wheat and the separation of bad fish from the good (Matt 13:37-43,47-50).

The Church in this world is still growing, as more persons are brought in (see Eph 2:17, Eph 2:21, 1 Pet 2:15). But the Church that John sees is perfectly complete, 12 x 10 x 10 x 10. Ten is the symbol of completeness or perfection.

The spiritual beauty of the new Jerusalem is presented in material terms that we can understand: gold and other precious jewels. Some of the precious stones that are mentioned are not necessarily identified correctly. The true spiritual reality is beyond anything we have experienced or can experience while we live here on this earth. As the hymn says: “I know not, oh, I know not, what joys awaits us there, what radiancy of glory, what bliss beyond compare” (Lutheran Hymnal #613).

I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. (21:22-27)

The Residents of the New JerusalemSome very remarkable things are said here about the new Jerusalem. There will be no

temple there. No temple is needed, because all of the new Jerusalem will be holy. God will have direct contact with all His people without any means (see Zech 14:20). The whole city will be a place of worship.

There will be no sun or moon in the new Jerusalem. The glory of God will give light. It seems the Lamb of God is the glory of God. Remember how Jesus’ face shone on the mountain of transfiguration.

People from all nations will be living in the new Jerusalem. There will be no distinction between Jews and non-Jews (Gal 3:28, Eph 2:14). Kings and leaders will be among them. Likewise, all that is good and precious will be on hand. God’s people will not be deprived of anything worthwhile (see Psalm 72:10,15; Is 60:5; Hag 2:7-8). But there will be no unbelievers there, and nothing sinful or unclean. The city gates will be open at all times. There will be no night there.

CHAPTER 22 (Prof. David Lau)

Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever. (22:1-5)

The Restoration of ParadiseThis last chapter of the Bible takes us back to the very first chapters of the Bible, Genesis

1-2. In the Garden of Eden, the first home of our perfect parents, there was “the tree of life” (Gen 2:9) and all kinds of other fruit-producing trees. There was no rain, “but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground” (Gen 2:6). “A river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads” (Gen 2:10). There was perfect harmony between God and man and woman and all created things. Everything that God made was “very good” (Gen 1:31).

Now John is permitted to see another river like the river of Eden, “a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” He is also permitted

to see once more “the tree of life.” So God’s original intentions for mankind will come to pass. God created us for companionship with Himself. God created us to live forever with Him. This original intention was destroyed in Genesis 3 by the coming of Satan, his temptation, and the fall into sin, followed by God’s announcement of the consequences of sin, namely, the curse of death and all the difficulties of living in a sin-filled world under God’s curse.

But God also promised the eventual defeat of Satan and the removal of the curse through the Woman’s Seed (Gen 3:15). The crushing of the head of the serpent would involve the bruising of the heel of the Woman’s Seed, but there is no question as to who will be the Victor in the struggle between Satan and the Woman’s Seed.

Now in Revelation 22 we come to the end of the story and learn that Paradise will be restored. The Bible as we know it has been given to us by God as a complete revelation, and the last book rounds out and completes what is promised in the first book.

Note that the water-of-life river flows out from the throne of God and of the Lamb. We do not save ourselves; salvation comes from God. Also salvation comes from the Lamb of God, Jesus, without whose life and work there would be no salvation or life.

There are no impurities in this river. It is “clear as crystal.” The salvation that God gives us in Christ is total and perfect, complete forgiveness of sins, for “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

As far as then tree of life is concerned, it is hard to picture it as in the middle of the street and on both sides of the river. Becker translates the sentence this way: “Between its street and the river, there was a tree of life (visible) from this side and from that, producing twelve (kinds of) fruit.”

In the Garden of Eden continued eating from the tree of life would have resulted in the attainment of eternal life, as is indicated by Genesis 3:22. So the tree of life in Revelation 22 is the source of life for God’s people. It is “for the healing of the nations” (22:2). “There shall be no more curse” (22:3), indicating that the Woman’s Seed has accomplished His task and has reversed and undone the damage caused by Satan and his successful temptation. The removal of the curse means that there shall be no sin in Paradise, nor any of the consequences of sin, such as sorrow, pain, sickness, or death (Rev 21:4).

The occupation of God’s people in Paradise will be the service and worship of their God. They will see God’s face and live and reign with Him forever. As Luther wrote, everything Jesus did for us was so “that I should be His very own, live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in eternal righteousness, innocence, and joy” (Luther’s Explanation of Second Article). “We shall see Him just as He is” (1 John 3:2). That God’s name is on our foreheads means that we belong to Him. We are His people.

There will be no night there, nor any need of lamp or sunshine. God Himself will supply all the light we need. As the Aaronic blessing says, the Lord’s face will shine on us, and we shall bask in God’s gracious love forevermore.

Earlier in Revelation, we have been told that the believers in Jesus are kings and priests ruling with Him (Rev 2:6; 5:10). This is true already now; we already have these blessings by faith, for all things are ours, and God works all things together for our good. But in the Paradise to come what was secret and hidden will become plain and visible to all.

Trusting in such promises as these, Christians down through the centuries have been willing to be thrown to the lions and to endure other horrible persecutions and tortures. “The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom 8:18).

And he said to me, "These words are faithful and true"; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place. "And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book." (22:6-7)

This Word is From GodAlthough there is no indication in the text, it is clear from what is said that the speaker of

verse 6 is an angel, but the speaker of verse 7 is Jesus Himself.The angel says in verse 6 that the words that have been spoken by him to John are

“faithful and true.” The same two adjectives are used to describe Jesus in Revelation 3:14 and Revelation 19:11. This shows the close association between Jesus and His teaching. Since the Bible is from God, its words are just as faithful and trued as God is faithful and true. The prophets wrote down what the Holy Spirit gave them to write down. No prophet knows the future unless God chooses to reveal it.

In verse 7 Jesus promises to come quickly. Scoffers pick on these verses to try to prove that what Jesus promises will not happen (read 2 Peter 3:3ff). But we have to remember that God sees time differently from how we see it. With God a thousand years is as one day (Psalm 90:4, 2 Pet 3:8).

I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. But he said to me, "Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book. Worship God." And he said to me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy." (22:8-11)

John’s Conversation with the AngelJesus’ disciple John is the one who was given the vision of Revelation. John, of course,

was one of the twelve, an eyewitness and ear-witness of Jesus’ doings and sayings, including His death and resurrection. It was this man John to whom the glorious visions of Paradise were given.

John bowed down to worship the angel who was revealing these things to him. But the angel told him not to worship him, but to worship only God.

The angel’s words about not sealing up the words of this prophecy show us that the book of revelation is meant to be taught, not hidden. Our Lord wants us to read and study this book for our comfort, especially in troubling times.

When the Last Day comes, there will be no more time for repentance. The time of grace will have come to an end. Then the unjust and filthy will remain unjust and filthy. The righteous and holy will remain holy. Then there will be no opportunity for change in either direction.

"Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral

persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying. "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star." The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost. I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book. (22:12-19)

Jesus’ Words to JohnJesus reminds us He is truly coming again, and what He has promised will come to pass.

For He is indeed the Lord Jehovah Himself, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. Believers will be blessed on that day, but unbelievers will be on the outside, for they lived and died in their sins without repentance. We are just as guilty, but the blood of Jesus Christ makes us clean. This same blood is able to cleanse all, but those who turn away lose this blessing that the Lord wants them to have. Notice that the offer is still being made to the readers of this book. “Let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” The offer is still being made today even as Isaiah testified in chapter 55.

The warning not to add to or subtract from these words is very serious. We dare not mess around with God’s Word. To have one’s name removed from the Book of Life, to be cast out of the holy city, to forfeit the blessings of the new heaven and earth is a most awful penalty.

He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. (22:20-21)

John’s Final WordHearing once more Jesus’ word that He is coming quickly, John utters the prayer: “Amen.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” Should not we look forward to being delivered from all evil, as Jesus teaches us to pray in the Lord’s Prayer? We want to be finally taken from this vale of tears to our beloved Lord in heaven. May God grant this to everyone who reads these words.