January 9, 2001
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Revelation 16-19
Revelation 16-19 6/10/2007
Before disasters are shown in the visions, there is always assurance of victory. The seven churches mentioned in the first part of Revelation are about to undergo a time of persecution and martyrdom, and the members must decide how they are going to conduct themselves as Christians.
1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go, pour out the seven bowls of God's wrath on the earth." 2 The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly and painful sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The judgments flow down from God to earth. It is interesting to compare this series to the "Seven Trumpets" series as well to the series of plagues that came upon Egypt in Exodus. Just as the Israelites experienced an exodus from slavery in Egypt, the church will experience an exodus from slavery to sin on this earth. Both the second bowl and second trumpet affect the sea, but the bowl judgment seems more severe.
3 The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died. 4 The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. 5 Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: "You are just in these judgments, you who are and who were, the Holy One, because you have so judged; 6 for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve." A literal interpretation is possible here, as is a symbolic one. Those who shed the blood of the saints and prophets are now made to drink the "blood" of God's judgment. This is the reward and the wages that they have earned for themselves.
7 And I heard the altar respond: "Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments." At the opening of the fifth seal the 144,000 asked when they would be avenged, and now the time has come. God's judgment will come absolutely, and when it comes it will be true and correct.
8 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire. 9 They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him. The sun is struck, and we see the reaction of the inhabitants of the earth for the first time. There is no repentance, only a cursing of God. We also see the source of light stricken at the fourth trumpet, and the light of the sun does not reach the earth. As these events are concerned with showing the nature of judgment rather than with actual historical events, the two are not contradictory.
10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony 11 and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done. At the sounding of the fifth trumpet, the darkness resulted from locusts arising from a pit, and those who had God's mark remained unharmed. Again, those worshipping the beast suffer and bite their own tongues that they might die, but it is doubtful that one can actually die in this manner. At any rate, they remain unrepentent.
12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. 13 Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty. Here again we see the dragon (Satan), the beast from the sea (Rome) and the false prophet (maker of idols). The water is dried up making the way for the armies to gather to fight against God.
15 "Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed." Similar words were spoken to the church at Sardis in Revelation 3.
16 Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. "Armageddon" means "Hill of Meggido," but the literal area is a plain and not a hill, so this may also be symbolic.
17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, "It is done!" 18 Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. 19The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. 20 Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. 21 From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible. These events bear great similarity to the events described at the sounding of the seventh trumpet. One sees a repetitive progression in God's judgment. We also see a repetition of "decreation" in preparation for the recreation of a sinless universe.
Who could have imagined that the Roman Empire would fall? We are again reminded that we are not the rulers of history. God is, and anyone who goes against God and His holy, righteous plans will be willfully choosing his own distruction.
Revelation 17 - 6/17/2007
1 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. 2 With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries." The main event in this chapter is the judgment of Rome. Rome committed spiritual adultery by worshipping idols, and encouraged the surrounding rulers to commit spiritual fornication as well.
3 Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. 5 This title was written on her forehead: MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. Rome is described as being drunk on the blood of the martyrs that it has murdered. Rome appears beautiful, dressed in expensive colored fabric that was only allowed to royalty, adorned in gold and precious jewels. But Rome's real nature is revealed in the contents of the cup, filled with blood and filth. Like Babylon of old, Rome also persecuted God's people and set herself up as a center of spiritually adulterous emperor worship.
When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. 7Then the angel said to me: "Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because he once was, now is not, and yet will come. The angel offers to explain to John that which he does not understand. Verse 8 describes the beast as "once was, now is not, and... will go to his destruction." What a shoddy imitation of the true God, and how different from the true "I AM!"
9 "This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. 10 They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while. 11 The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction. Rome was known in classical literature for having been built on seven hills. This could also be a list of emperors who gave Rome its glory.
Compare the woman in this chapter to the woman in Revelation 12, who reminds us of Eve, Mary and the Bride of Christ. Both of them are in the desert wilderness. One is a symbol of Rome, a center of false worship whose inhabitants are doomed along with the rulers that they follow. The other woman is a symbol of Jerusalem, the center of worship of the true God. Those who follow Him have their names recorded in the Book of Life, and will live in the presence of God forever. There is no capital other than the true capital of the true God, and Satan is clearly behind the doings in Rome.
12 "The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. 13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings - and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers."
15 Then the angel said to me, "The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. 16 The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until God's words are fulfilled. 18 The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth."
The Roman harlot may look lovely and attractive at first glance, but she is totally false and distruction is her end. We who truly belong to the living God can tell the difference between realilty and deception. Rome is not a capitol for those who are God's, it is a capital bound for distruction. The new, heavenly, sinless Jerusalem is the capitol for those who are God's, and we will study about it in later chapters.
Revelation 18 - 7/1/20071 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. 2 With a mighty voice he shouted: "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird. 3 For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries."
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say: "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; 5 for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. 6 Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Mix her a double portion from her own cup. 7 Give her as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, 'I sit as queen; I am not a widow, and I will never mourn.' 8 Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.
9 "When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. 10 Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: " 'Woe! Woe, O great city, O Babylon, city of power! In one hour your doom has come!'
11 "The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more - 12 cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; 13 cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and bodies and souls of men.
14 "They will say, 'The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your riches and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.' 15 The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn 16 and cry out: " 'Woe! Woe, O great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls! 17 In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!'
"Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. 18 When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, 'Was there ever a city like this great city?' 19 They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: "'Woe! Woe, O great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin! 20 Rejoice over her, O heaven! Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets! God has judged her for the way she treated you.' "
21 Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: "With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again. 22 The music of harpists and musicians, flute players and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No workman of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again. 23 The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world's great men. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. 24 In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints, and of all who have been killed on the earth."
The mighty Rome that no one had ever expected to fall had fallen. What were the reasons? Why was the fall deserved? Because Rome had become proud and exhalted itself to the point where it enjoyed selfish, excessive extravagance, not caring about the expense that it cost others. Rome had promoted and demanded emperor worship, and had mistakenly thought that it could raise itself to the very position of God. Rome martyred those who refused to take part in the false worship. Its destruction is declared and portrayed. The empire that demanded that the mark of the beast be taken as a prerequisite to financial activity is now ruined and powerless to engage in any buying or selling.
Revelation 19:1-10 - 7/8/2007
1After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, 2 for true and just are his judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants." 3And again they shouted: "Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever." This chorus is not seen, but rather heard, implying that John may now be experiencing the vision from earth. This is the only occasion in the New Testament where we encounter the word "hallelujah," which means "praise God." It appears here four times. The command goes out for God to be praised for His salvation, glory and power, and for his judgment that is always right and true.
How do we know the judgment is right and true? Because it has been correctly expressed in the judgment of Rome who killed the martyrs. They have been avenged and have received justice. God is never lax in these matters. His righteous and correct judgment is always carried out, to the endurance of the martyrs throughout the persecution is by no means in vain. They can be encouraged by the stringent, thorough justice that will be carried out without fail.
4 The twenty four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried: "Amen, Hallelujah!" 5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying: "Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both small and great!" John seems to have moved up to the area of the throne, as he again observes events taking place in heaven. There is a command to praise.
6 Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. 8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) The praise continues. We see in Revelation 17 that waters are a symbol for the oceans of people from all nations who speak in all manner of diverse tongues, and thunder signifies heavenly voices. Heaven and earth unite to praise God. Rome may think that it has power, but in reality all power and sovereignty belong to God. Things are not as sinful men conjecture. God is indeed supreme and should be worshipped as such. Those undergoing persecution must have been encouraged as they were reminded of the true situation.
The wedding of the Lamb, the final uniting of Christ and his church is about to take place. Paul mentions this in his writings about earthly marriage where two individuals become one unit, as it was also declared in Genesis. Christ would come again to call His church unto Himself at the Second Coming. There would no longer be any separation and the togetherness would last forever into eternity. The vision is about to come to an end.
The bride must be prepared and ready, and not unprepared as were the foolish virgins of the parable in Matthew 25. The bride's wedding clothes are her righteous acts, not in the sense of salvation by works, but in the sense that she has been given a new garment of righteousness by God Himself. She is clothed in Christ's righteousness, and her sins have been washed away and forgotten. Only the good that she has done by grace remains. She is allowed to wear the white garment that has been prepared for her by the atoning work of Christ on the cross. God no longer sees her sin because she has put on Christ. Christ now permeates her being. She has been changed, and all of the presence and power of sin has been removed forever.
9 Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' " And he added, "These are the true words of God." Those invited are blessed. How can one be a bride and a guest at the same time? If I am a bride and being wed to Christ, then everyone else is a guest. This is not a self centered phenomenon, it is a family. Another is wed to Christ as well as I am, so I am also a guest. the words of God are always true without fail. We can believe both the words and the vision.
10 At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." John is so moved by the vision that He has seen that he begins to worship the angel, but of course the angel stops him. Mistaken worship also takes place in the Book of Acts, when men mistake an apostle for Zeus and attempt to worship him. The worship is of course not accepted.
First, the angel tells John that it is wrong to worship him, because he is no more than a fellow servant of God and no different from John. The angel also tells John that neither to words nor the vision are his own. They are the work of the Holy Spirit and testify of Jesus. The angel declares himself to be a mere vessel of a message that did not originate with him and is not his own.
Paul declares in Ephesians 1:6,12 and 14 that the reason for our salvation is that we man praise and glorify God. We cannot worship anything else, but if we forget this we are in danger of doing exactly that. John had been shown a miraculous vision of the fall of Rome, and that fall was because of emperor worship. This was the entire theme of the vision, yet how easy it was for John to forget and try to worship an angel. Humans who can so easily make such foolish mistakes have little reason for pride in themselves. Refusing to worship the ugly, murderous beast was obvious to John, but he fell into the trap of worshipping something beautiful that was, although close to God in proximity, not God at all. We must also be careful of falling into the trap of worshipping things that are not God, such as angels, teachers or pastors.
11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. 12His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, "Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great."
19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. 20But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.
