Rev. 17:1-18

Rev. 17:1-185 enemies of X & his people have been introduced: dragon, beast from sea, beast from land, the harlot Babylon the great, and men having the mark of the beast.Chs 15 & 16 have shown God’s judgments against those having the mark of the beast.Chs 17 & 18 can be described by 17:1: “I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who is seated upon many waters”; fall of Babylon the great had been anticipated (14:8; 16:19); now all of its details are given.

Rev. 17:1-18Last ½ of book presents a contrast bet. the radiant woman (ch 12) & the harlot, drunk with the blood of Xtian martyrs, riding upon the beast.Also a contrast is drawn between the city of Babylon the great, full of idolatrous abominations & the new Jerusalem, coming down from heaven as a bride adorned to meet her bridegroom.

Rev. 17:1-18One of puzzles of the book is how to interpret these 2 women symbolizing the 2 cities; harlot riding upon the terrible beast is identified as Babylon the great, later described as a great and wicked city (18:5,10).In contrast, the bride of X is described as making herself ready for the great marriage feast (19:7,8), & is identified in 21:9,10 as the new Jerusalem coming down from God; throughout this half of book these 2 stand in opposition to one another.

Rev. 17:1-18

Question for interpreters: “What is the connection between these 2 women & the 2 cities?”

Connection bet. the 2 cities seems obvious since the same angel who showed J. the judgment of the great harlot Babylon the great is also the same one who showed John the Lamb’s Bride (21:9).

Rev. 17:1-18

The language is very similar in 17:1,3 & 21:9,10.

Some make a direct connection bet the 2, seeing in B. the great the drunken harlot, the picture of the radiant woman gone astray & now persecuting the true Xtians as the apostate church.

These connect this primarily with the RCC & the papacy.

Rev. 17:1-18They point out that it is in the wilderness into which the radiant woman fled in ch 12 that we see the harlot in ch 17, having greatly changed; they point out that fornication is one of the important symbols of apostasy in OT (Isa. 1:21; Jer. 3:6-10; Ezek. 16:1-58; 23:1-49).The luxury of her attire & her close alliance with kings and rulers they say point to the RCC & the papacy.

Rev. 17:1-18Others see in the term “Babylon the great, the mother of harlots” a reference to persecuting imperial Rome; they point out that this interpretation speaks more to the needs of the early ch & the problems it confronted.

Further, the descriptions in ch 18 are specifically those of a great commercial civilization with its materialistic emphases & powers (Imperial Rome, not an apostate church).

Rev. 17:1-18

Seems most likely that early Xtians reading this book would find distinct references to imperial Rome in 17:9,18.

The similarity of the description here with that of Tyre (Ezek. 27) or of ancient Babylon sitting on many waters (Jer. 51:13) as pagan centers of vice & materialism is striking.

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While picturing Rome, Babylon also stands as a symbol of secular anti-Xtian powers that in every age oppose God’s rule in the world & seek to destroy his people.

Babylon is the type of world power in rebellion against God & the antitype of the heavenly Jerusalem (21:1-22:5).

Rev. 17:1-18Vision of the Great Harlot (17:1-6a)One of 7 angels with 7 bowls introduces the vision by inviting J. to see the judgment of the great harlot.“Judgment” (Gk krima) carries idea of condemnation, the result of having already been judged by a righteous God; note that she is called a “harlot” (Gk porne) & never an “adulteress” (Gk moichalis).

Rev. 17:1-18Vision of the Great Harlot (17:1-6a)She is not a bride & has never been a bride, nor has she ever been the wife of the Lamb; she has never been pledged to the Lamb & cannot be thought of as the apostate church.“Harlot” is applied to Nineveh (Nahum 3:4) & to Tyre (Isa. 23:16,17); neither city was ever a part of God’s chosen people in OT.

Rev. 17:1-18

Vision of the Great Harlot (17:1-6a)

These points would seem to confirm the interpretation of this “harlot” as the anti-Xtian world.

She is sitting “upon many waters”; this is introduced here, but not interpreted until v. 15, where we learn this refers to “peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.”

Rev. 17:1-18

Her “sitting” refers to her ruling over them; it also alludes to ancient Babylong, located by the waters of the Euphrates amid the canals that interlaced the rich plain (Jer. 51:13), the center of a great ancient empire that carried the Jews into captivity.

Rev. 17:1-18Vision of the Great Harlot (17:1-6a)2 things the angel accused the harlot of doing: 1) committing fornication with the kings of the earth, 2) making the earth dwellers drunk with the wine of her fornication.These “dwellers on earth” are ones described in 13:8 as those whose names are not written “in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain.”

Rev. 17:1-18

Angel then carried the prophet away in the Spirit into a wilderness, & to his great amazement he saw a soman sitting on a scarlet-colored beast; the beast had 76 heads & 10 horns & was full of blasphemous names, remind one of both the dragon & the beast from the sea.

Rev. 17:1-18Vision of the Great Harlot (17:1-6a)Woman was luxuriously dressed in royal colors, “purple & scarlet, and bedecked with gold and jewels, and pearls”; she held a golden cup in her hand full of “abominations,” “detestable things” (Gk bdelugma), a word that in GK OT frequently meant moral & ceremonial unvcleannesses connected with idolatrous worship.

Rev. 17:1-18

The Beast Interpreted (17:6b-11)

Because the beast so nearly represents the dragon and the beast from the sea earlier in the book, it is difficult to be absolutely sure regarding the meaning of the beast; it puzzled J. & it puzzles us

In some vss. here it would appear to represent the empire that supports the woman, which is the great city of Rome.

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In other vss. it appears to refer to one single individual or a succession of individuals who represent the empire.

Thus the beast can be interpreted personally (v. 11).

Is likely that this is purposeful on the part of J. so that the interpretation may not be too limited.

Rev. 17:1-18The Beast Interpreted (17:6b-11)The beast is described as one that “was and is not and is to ascend from the bottomless pit and go to perdition.”Is as if the beast has died, & will soon be resurrected; scholars point out a parallel bet God & His Messiah, Jesus X, & Satan & his “messiah,” the beast; there is the living, dying, & “rising again” of both.

Rev. 17:1-18

There is one difference—X was raised to reign eternally; the beast comes up to go to perdition.

The 7 heads are interpreted not only as 7 mountains, an obvious ref to Rome & its 7 hills, but also to 7 kings, 5 of whom are fallen, one exists, & one is about to come for a short time.

Rev. 17:1-18The Beast Interpreted (17:6b-11)Then follows an 8th one, who is the beast himself (vss. 9-11); the 8th is “of the seven,” thus a king like them, yet it is clear from vss. 1-6 that the beast represents a city and an empire.Would appear that the heads, the kings, represent the empire as a whole.Some have tried to work out a historical list of Roman emperors that would come out at Domitian, when the book was written.

Rev. 17:1-18The Beast Interpreted (17:6b-11)Most widely followed procedure begins with Augustus Caesar, followed by Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, & Nero, omitting the names of Galba, Otho, and Vitellius, whose short reigns occur during the anarchy of 68 & 69.Vespasian (68-79) is identified as “the one who is” & Titus as the one to come for only a short time (79-81), making Domitian the 8th (81-96), the beast that embodied all the evil of the past in himself.

Rev. 17:1-18The Beast Interpreted (17:6b-11)

This is open to the objections that it omits three names in order to get the right number & makes the book a product of the time of Vespasian rather than Domitian.

Any such endeavor (making the heads correspond to Roman emperors) runs into some difficulty; the 7 may simply stand for Roman rulers as a whole & by extension to all evil world powers.

Rev. 17:1-18The Beast Interpreted (17:6b-11)

Many see in the beast that was, is not, & shall ascend a ref to popular 1st c legend that Nero, who actually committed suicide, was not dead, but would return from the East at the head of an army & take possession of the empire.

Nero would be “revived” in the beast that would continue to persecute; Domitian was certainly symbolically a revived Nero.

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Others see the 7 “kings” as kingdoms, with 5 fallen, one (Rome) in existence, and 1 yet to come that would embody all.

The flexibility of this symbol bet empire & individual keeps one from being too strict in his interpretation.

Rev. 17:1-18The Beast Interpreted (17:6b-11)Several times in this paragraph of scripture the assurance of the defeat of the beast & its heads allows us to see the failure of Satan’s efforts against X and his people.Though the earth dwellers are amazed & attracted by the beast’s power & revival, they will share in the completeness of its overthrow.

Rev. 17:1-18

Evil will be destroyed in God’s world ultimately.

For men to choose the side of evil is to condemn themselves to complete failure & destruction in the end.

Rev. 17:1-18

The Ten Horns Interpreted (17:12-14)

The 10 horns were 10 kings without a kingdom, but exercising “authority as kings for one hour,” a brief period along with the beast; they are all allies of the beast, giving it their strength & authority.

Who are the 10 horns, the 10 kings?

Several interpretations have been suggested.

Rev. 17:1-18The Ten Horns Interpreted (17:12-14)1) Unknown future rulers toward the end of the Rom Empire who helped to destroy her.2) Governors of provinces under the Roman Senate that hold office for a year.3) Parthian satraps that will be coming back with Nero at the head of the Parthian forces to capture the Rome.

Rev. 17:1-18The Ten Horns Interpreted (17:12-14)4) Purely symbolic powers, representing all of the powers of the nations that are subservient to the beast, the antichrist.5) The mighty persons of all the earth in every realm of endeavor who serve evil influences and work against the cause of Christ.1 & 4 seem more plausible; “10” is symbolic indicating the whole.

Rev. 17:1-18The Ten Horns Interpreted (17:12-14)The 10 all have one purpose, to oppose & to fight against X and his people; this is expressed in the words, “These shall make war with the Lamb.”Should not think here of a literal war in which X & his people are drawn up against the evil forces of the world, but a spiritual war in which the Lamb along with his faithful ones will overcome.

Rev. 17:1-18

The Ten Horns Interpreted (17:12-14)

Christ is here called “Lord of lords and King of kings,” titles given to God in the OT (Deut. 10:17; Ps 136:2,3; Dan 2:47; cf. Paul’s use in I Tim 6:15).

Rev. 17:1-18Woman Sitting..Many Waters (17:15-18)Have already alluded to v. 15 in interpreting the waters, which signify the many peoples that made up the Roman empire in 1st c and also the nations of the world under Satan’s influence.Interestingly, the horns associated with the beast in their power turn upon the harlot to strip her of her finery & make her desolate & naked, then eat up her flesh & burn her up with fire.

Rev. 17:1-18Woman Sitting..Many Waters (17:15-18)This is what eventually happens to here, even though she is so prosperous, beautiful, & seemingly fortunate; God’s overruling providence enables these very agents to fulfill his will “until the words of God shall be fulfilled.”But they are not aware that they are fulfilling God’s will in destroying the harlot with they had formed an alliance.

Rev. 17:1-18Woman Sitting..Many Waters (17:15-18)

Beasley-Murray says, “Evil is destroyed by evil, and in turn reaps its own harvest. That the agents of the Devil execute the will of God vividly illustrates that there is no real dualism in the Revelation. The beast and his allies remain in the hand of the God they defy, and by the impulse of the Devil they unitedly fulfill the words of God.” “The Book of Revelation,” p. 260.

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Woman Sitting..Many Waters (17:15-18)

“The house divided against itself cannot stand.”

Satan divided against himself is bound to fall.

The seeds of destruction are within every force of evil, and nothing could illustrate it better than the close of this chapter

Rev. 18:1-24Having described the harlot and the beast, J. now calls our attention to the judgment which God passes upon her.After announcing her ruin, the call comes from God to his people to flee from her, & the ministers of God’s vengeance are summoned to do their work of judgment; the laments of the kings, merchants, & seafarers, followed by the call to the saints & heavenly beings to rejoice over her, form the central part of chap.The completeness of her fall brings it to a close.

Rev. 18:1-24

The Fall Announced (18:1-3)

This passage is patterned from the doom pronouncements of the OT prophets; prophecies of the fall of ancient Babylon (Isa. 13; 21; 47; Jer. 50: 51), of Nineveh (Nahum 3), of Edom (Isa. 34), and of Tyre (Ezek. 26, 27) all remind us of the type of material here.

Rev. 18:1-24The Fall Announced (18:1-3)J. sees the angel coming out of the sky with great authority illuminating the earth with his great glory; with his strong voice he cries out that Babylon the great has fallen & has become the dwelling place of demons & every foul spirit & every unclean bird.Reference is not to a “cage” (KJV) but to a “haunt” or “roost” for the night birds and vultures symbolic of the destruction of the city.

Rev. 18:1-24The Fall Announced (18:1-3)

Demons like vultures will haunt the ruins of their old pagan temples where once they were worshipped as pagan idols & the emperors given divine honors in all kinds of idolatrous abominations; Cf. I Cor 10:20,21).

Babylon’s place becomes a desolation, her power disappears, &, with her fall, all signs of her social & domestic life vanish.

Rev. 18:1-24The Fall Announced (18:1-3)The reason for her destruction is given once more in this announcement; she has made the nations drunk with “the wine of her impure passions.”Her great wealth, her profligate living, her self-indulgence have corrupted all the nations of the world.Her fall is stated in past tense expressing the certainty of it.

Rev. 18:1-24The Call to God’s People (18:4,5)“Another voice from heaven” calls for God’s people to come out of her, not to be partakers of her sins & not to have part in the punishment that will come upon her; her sins have been piling up & clinging to one another until they form a mass reaching up to heaven itself; in this poetic way the enormity of her iniquity is pointed out.

Rev. 18:1-24The Call to God’s People (18:4,5)This call to come out from the midst of her iniquities echoes God’s call to Abraham (Gen 12:1) to come out from his country & people, the call to Lot to get out of Sodom (Gen 19:12-14), the call to Israle in the Exodus, & the call to the faithful to get out from the tents of Korah, Dathan, & Abiram (Num 16:23-26).

Rev. 18:1-24The Call to God’s People (18:4,5)The OT prophets (e.g., Isa 48:20; Jer 50:8; 51:6) gave the call to the Jews to come out from the midst of ancient Babylon.This call addressed to early Xtians was a warning not to become entangled in the evils of Rome; this is always a temptation for Xtians living in the midst of a materialistic culture with its great emphasis on the things that appeal to the lusts of the flesh; Xtians are in the world, but not of the world.

Rev. 18:1-24

The Call to God’s Ministers of Justice (18:6-8)

“Repay her double” is a command addressed, not to the people of God, but to those agents of God’s justice, heavenly spirits, who will carry out God’s orders & reward her in full for her iniquity; as she has given to others, so she is to receive according to her works.

Rev. 18:1-24The Call to God’s Ministers of Justice (18:6-8)

Just as she has mixed the cup & made others drink, so she must now drink of the cup mixed in double portion.

Making her boastful claim that she is a queen & will never see sorrow because she is no widow, she will find death, mourning, & famine coming upon her suddenly & will be utterly burned with fire.

Rev. 18:1-24

The Call to God’s Ministers of Justice (18:6-8)

The language here borrows strongly from the description of the fall of Babylon in Isa. 47:7-9.

Pride & arrogance bring the fall & this is true of nations as it is of individuals; there is a moral justice evident in the history of the world.

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Threefold Cry Over Her Fall (18:9-20)

3 groups lament her doom: the kings, the merchants, & the shipmasters & sailors.

The kings that have flourished under her protection & have partaken of her own profligate & sinful ways will lament her passing “when they see the smoke of her burning.”

Rev. 18:1-24 Threefold Cry Over Her Fall (18:9-20)

They stand far off, not willing to be included in it, but at the same time calling out in their sense of desolation, “Alas, alas . . .”

They lament the passing of their mistress because they realize how the end of all of their sinful living has come in the sudden fall of the great city.

One hour is not literal, but symbolizes the speedy way in which the fall takes place.

2nd lament comes from the merchants who weep because their merchandise is no longer sold; in these vss. are listed all the items of a great commercial civilization.

Are 7 groups of articles in the catalog: 1) Precious metals, 2) beautiful cloth, 3) rare wood, ivory, 4) aromatic spices, 5) food, 6) property (horses, chariots, slaves), 7) choice fruits.

This is one of the most graphic ancient pictures of affluent mercantile civilization to be found in all literature.

Roman historians record the extravagance that characterized both the emperors & the wealthy; all kinds of delicacies were prepared for the banquets & all kinds of extravagances were sought to entertain a materialistic people.

Rev. 18:1-24

The lament of the merchants that had loved the trade & made themselves wealthy out of all types of merchandising rises up dramatically as they see such great wealth come to an end.

Rev. 18:1-24

3rd group of lamenters were the shipmasters & sailors & those who traded by means of boats.

Throwing dust on their heads as a symbol of deep grief, they weep and wail as they see their means of wealth go & the interest in trade crumble.

Bearing in ships the wealth from far off places, they contributed to the luxury of Roman civilization.

No city can equal this great city; they cried, “What city was like the great city?”

Like the merchants their primary cause of mourning is their own loss of wealth and trade, not her suffering and destruction.

Rev. 18:1-24 Call to Rejoice (18:20)Amid all the weeping & wailing, casting of dust, & crying out in doleful laments, there comes the call for rejoicing over the fall of Babylon.Heaven & the saints (Xtians) & the apostles & prophets are to rejoice over this, for God’s vengeance has been called down on the enemy of God.God has judged the case & his own justice has brought about the downfall.

Rev. 18:1-24

Completeness of Her Fall (18:21-24)

To symbolize in dramatic action the completeness of the fall, a mighty angel takes a stone resembling a great millstone & hurls it into the sea; as he does so, he says, “So shall Babylon the great city be thrown down with viollence and shall be found no more.”

It is to be accompanied with violence.

Rev. 18:1-24 Completeness of Her Fall (18:21-24)It is to be complete; no sounds of rejoicing will be heard in it any more: no harps or musicians, or pipers or trumpeters; no workers in the various crafts will be found any more; no millstone grinding the daily bread, or light of a candle to light up the house, or voice of bridegroom or bride in the joy of marriage.

Rev. 18:1-24

Completeness of Her Fall (18:21-24)

All the social, industrial & domestic life will come to an end; not only was she filled with the blood of gladiators & warriors that entertained her, but she was filled with the blood of prophets & saints, the holy ones whose blood was shed.

Rev. 18:1-24 Completeness of Her Fall (18:21-24)This is not an expression of personal bitterness but the justice of God against evil & his vindication of his people.It illustrates the truth of “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord.”Vengeance against evil come only after all warnings (the trumpets & bowls) have been given to wicked man & they have refused to repent & obey God.

Rev. 19:1-21

19th chap. begins with the praise of heaven over Babylon’s fall and anticipates the marriage of Christ and his bride, the church.

It concludes with the vision of Christ overcoming the beast and the false prophet, as enemies of God’s people.

Rev. 19:1-21 Hallelujah Chorus (19:1-10)In this group of hymns “hallelujah” occurs 4 times, punctuating the praise of heaven; words comes from Heb & literally means “praise God (Yahweh)”; is found in NT only in this chap, but occurs quite often in the Psalms, particularly in the group of psalms known as the “Hallel” or praise psalms (Ps. 133-118).

Rev. 19:1-21 Hallelujah Chorus (19:1-10)

Hymns of praise here may be thought of as the direct answer to the command of 18:20 for heaven with all the saints, the apostles, & prophets to rejoice over the fall of Babylon.

The theme of the 1st hymn, which is chanted by the great crowd in heaven, praises God for the salvation which he has completed in bringing his just judgment upon the great harlot.

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Hallelujah Chorus (19:1-10)

In its opening stanza it ascribes “salvation and glory and power” to the Lord our God; salvation mentioned refers not only to deliverance from past sins but to the ultimate salvation of Christians from every trial and persecution & their coming to final victory.

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God has judged the great harlot with true and righteous judgments, for all his judgments are true, and there is no partiality with him; when God judges, he sees the inner as well as the outer life of man, & there is no escape from his judgment.

Once more the reason for his judgment upon Babylon & his vengeance visited upon her is stated; she has corrupted the earth with her fornication, & she has shed the blood of his servants; she has added to her sin the sin of corrupting & defiling others.

What a dangerous thing it is to be the means of corrupting and destroying other people!

Rev. 19:1-21 Hallelujah Chorus (19:1-10)The 2nd hallelujah confirms the theme of the 1st hymn & emphasizes the fact that she will never again rise to persecute & destroy God’s people.“The smoke from her goes up forever and ever”; this refers to the absolute destruction & overthrow of the city; the rising smoke of her burning has been introduced before (14:11; 18:8,9,18).

Rev. 19:1-21 Hallelujah Chorus (19:1-10)Now the 24 elders & the 4 living creatures fall down & worship “God who is seated on the throne”; they add their praise as representatives of all God’s people & as the highest order of angels, the cherubim, saying “Amen; hallelujah.”The elders & 4 living creatures have not been mentioned since 14:3 & this is their last appearance in the book.

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Their words come from Psalm 106:48.

Once more we are allowed to look in upon the worship of heaven through the eyes of John & see the adoration given to God.

What an inspiring thing perfect worship is!

Rev. 19:1-21

A voice now comes from the throne, “Praise our God, all you his servants and you who fear him, small and great.”

The latter expression designates men, not heavenly beings, so that the church on earth is to add its songs of praise to those of the heavenly multitudes.

Rev. 19:1-21 Hallelujah Chorus (19:1-10)The final chorus of this great group of hymns looks forward to the marriage supper of the Lamb and his bride & gives its assurance to all the saints; the mighty song of what seems a great multitude is in force and power like the voice of many waters & the sound of mighty thunders, saying once more, “Hallelujah.”

Rev. 19:1-21 Hallelujah Chorus (19:1-10)The Lord God who is all powerful reigns; his lordship is shown in judgment in history & in the completion of his purposes at the end of history.While the hymns & shouts of praise (1-5) look backward to the triumphs that have been revealed in the preceding chapters, this hymn looks forward to the eternal salvation of the obedient.

Rev. 19:1-21

Marriage is a symbol that occurs in both the OT & NT to express the relationship of God to his people; in the OT it is God & the people of Israel who are spoken of as being married (Isa. 54:5,6; Jer. 31:32); in the NT it is X who claims for himself a people (the church) & who enters into union with his people.

Rev. 19:1-21 Hallelujah Chorus (19:1-10)Sometimes he is spoken of as the husband and the church as his wife (Eph. 5:22-31); again the ch is spoken of as the engaged or bethrothed bride of X whose coming again will be like the coming of a bridegroom to receive his bride (Mt. 25:1-10; 2 Cor. 11:2); it is in this latter sense that we understand this song.

Rev. 19:1-21 Hallelujah Chorus (19:1-10)The bride has made herself ready for the marriage as any engaged girl would make herself ready for the great day of her wedding; the ch, as the espoused one, is here described as “clothed with fine linen,” & this fine linen refers to “the righteous deeds of the saints; the clothing that the ch wears is the sum of the saintly acts of those who are members of X’s ch under the direction of the HS.

Rev. 19:1-21

While each quest to the wedding feast must wear a wedding garment (Mt. 22:11), the saints (Xtians) are individually clothed in garments that have been washed & made white in the blood of the Lamb (7:9,14; Eph. 5:25,26).

The ch is thought of collectively here as wearing the fine linen of “the righteous deeds of the saints,” the fruit of their faith.

It is granted to her as a greacious gift from God that she dress & adorn herself beautifully for this marriage; in accordance with other scenes referred to in the book, there is no description of the actual marriage itself.

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Then follows one of the 7 beatitudes, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

This blessing is to be written down by John and included in the Revelation by divine order; it will then be sent to those who on earth are struggling amid trials & persecutions.

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What joy & encouragement for early Xtians & for all others through the ages must have come from this promise!

Here is introduced the figure of the marriage feast which also is prominent elsewhere in the NT (Mt. 22:1-14; 25:1-13).

Rev. 19:1-21 Hallelujah Chorus (19:1-10)In addition to these parables of Jesus about a marriage feast, Jesus also spoke of those coming from the east & west & sitting down in the kingdom with Abraham, Isaac & Jacob at the feast in the future (Mt. 8:11; Lk 13:28,29); Jesus also spoke of himself as the “bridegroom” (Mk 2:19,20; cf. John 3:29).

Rev. 19:1-21 Hallelujah Chorus (19:1-10)This great wedding feast is foretold in Isa. 25:6-8 in language that is later reflected in Revelation.Note that the invited guests are the individuals who collectively make up the bride.But there is no contradiction here since the two are really two ways of looking at the same event.

Rev. 19:1-21

At this great announcement & the confirmation, “These are the true words of God,” J. falls at the feet of the angel who said this to worship him, but he is forbidden; the reason is, “I am a fellow servant with you and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.”

Rev. 19:1-21 Hallelujah Chorus (19:1-10)If the music of Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus has brought audiences to their feet with its magnificent beauty, how much more overwhelming must have been the heavenly music that caused John to fall at the angel’s feet; yet angels are simply fellow servants of God like Xtians, & J. must not worship them.

Rev. 19:1-21 Hallelujah Chorus (19:1-10)God alone & the Godhead are worthy to receive worship.It may be that in Asia Minor there was some tendency to worship angels as the reference in Col. 2:18 might indicate; at any rate we know later that the worship of angels arose & that today among Catholics angels are prayed to & venerated.

Rev. 19:1-21 Hallelujah Chorus (19:1-10)J., however, was forbidden to do this; the only mediator between God & man now is “the man Christ Jesus” (I Tim 2:5).The last expression of v. 10, “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy,” is simply meant to explain how the angel could be thought of as a fellow servant with the prophet; the spirit of prophecy is God’s Spirit giving prophecy to t he prophet, & it is in this way that the testimony of Jesus is given & brought to his people.

How wonderful it will be to share in the glory of that marriage supper & to have part in the triumph & rejoicing of the saints! The custom in Bible times of consummating a marriage with a wedding feast where the guests rejoiced with the bride & groom is background for the description of the coming again of the Messiah as the marriage supper of the Lord.

Rev. 19:1-21

It was to this supper that Jesus referred when he said he would not again drink of the cup with his followers until he drank it new in his Father’s kingdom (Mt. 26:29); the ch looks forward to the coming of the bridegroom to claim his bride; it therefore prepares itself for the meeting with its beautiful white robes.

Rev. 19:1-21

Each Xtian must have on the wedding garment at the feast (Mt. 22:11); one can see the contrast between this chaste & pure bride, with her clean and white fine linen, and the luxurious & gaudily bedecked Babylon the great in purple & scarlet.

Rev. 19:1-21

Rider on the White Horse (19:11-21)

Next vision shows heaven opened, with a white horse & a rider coming from heaven, followed by a host upon white horses, spoken of as “the armies of heaven.”

4 names are give to the one who rides upon the white horse at the head of this heavenly army.

Rev. 19:1-21

He is called Faithful and True but he also bears a secret name, “which no one knows but himself.”

No need to speculate about what the name is for it is wrapped in the mystery of his own knowledge but it is the secret & mysterious name of the eternal deity.

Rev. 19:1-21

The 3rd name mentioned is “The Word of God,” a name familiar in Johannine writings (J 1:1-3,14; 1 J 1:1).

The 4th name is a name written on his vesture & on his thigh, “King of kings and Lord of lords”; it is a militant Lord that comes riding at the head of this heavenly army.

Rev. 19:1-21 Rider on the White Horse (19:11-21)While ch. 16 has mentioned the battle of Armageddon,this one not only mentions it but also describes the result; the conclusion is the defeat of the forces of evil, represented by “the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him sho sits upon the horse and against his army” (19); only the result of the battle is given here with the overthrow of the breast & the false prophet & those who have worshipped its image.

Rev. 19:1-21 Rider on the White Horse (19:11-21)

As judge & warrior the Lord comes at the head of his army; vss. 12 & 13 describe him with eyes like a flame of fire, wearing many diadems, clothed in a robe dipped in blood, not his own blood but the blood of his enemies (Isa. 63:1-6).

The armies that follow him upon white horses are clothed in fine linen, white & pure.

Rev. 19:1-21 Rider on the White Horse (19:11-21)

Some would identify these as the saints, but there is no indication that saints who rest from their labors (14:13) go out once more to fight after their rest; instead, this would appear to make up the holy army of angels.

X, the conquering Lord, has a sharp sword that goes out of his mouth, symbolic of his judging word, with which he will smite the nations.

Rev. 19:1-21 Rider on the White Horse (19:11-21)“He will rule them with a rod of iron.”This expression refers to the Psalmist’s description of the Messianic King in Psalm 2:9; as the ancient shepherd protects his sheep from danger by carrying a rod that is tipped with metal that he can use against the foes of his sheep, whether the wild beasts or the robber, so X will rule (Gk poimaino, “guide as a shepherd”) over those who are his enemies with his rod, while with clear ref. to 14:17-20, he will visit his wrath upon the wicked world.

Rev. 19:1-21

Dramatically an angel standing in the sun calls all the birds of the heavens to gather themselves for another supper, the banquet of God’s wrath, in contrast to the marriage supper of the Lamb, the banquet of God’s love.

Rev. 19:1-21 Rider on the White Horse (19:11-21)This scene reminds of the scene in Ezek. 39 in which God, the chief prince of Meshech & Tubal is threatened with judgment, “I will give you to the birds of prey of every sort & to the wild beasts to be devoured”; in this “supper of the Great God” the birds are called to feed upon the flesh of the military leaders & men & horses that have been slain.

Rev. 19:1-21 Rider on the White Horse (19:11-21)In the various warnings given by God to a sinful world, his call has been one of repentance, & his entreaty has promised forgiveness & blessing to men who obey; yet the world has continued in its stubborn & rebellious disobedience; at long last the patience of God comes to an end, & the time of judgment comes.

Rev. 19:1-21 Rider on the White Horse (19:11-21)The slaying that takes place in this war is not in a temporal or carnal sense but is the sharp power of the word of God which overcomes the false doctrines and sinful lives of the agents of the dragon & their followers.The beast & false prophet, who deceiving miracles have led worshippers to bear the mark of the beast & worship hi image, are cast alive into the same lake that will also receive Satan himself.

Rev. 19:1-21 Rider on the White Horse (19:11-21)The rest, called the “remnant” in striking contrast to those who are truly God’s faithful “remnant,” will be slain with the sword proceeding from the mouth of the Christ; his terrible sword will slay them.Those who perish in this battle are those who have refused & rejected every warning & every call to obedience that a gracious God can give.

Rev. 20:1-10

The question of the millennium (Latin, mille, thousand; annus, year—period of 1000 years) has made this the most difficult portion of the book to understand.

This is because the millennium has been interpreted in such diverse ways in past church history & in the present.

Rev. 20:1-10These few verses are used by many as the most important part of the entire bible and the key to interpreting the whole of the scriptures; this is the only place in the Bible where a 1000 years’ reign is spoken of; because it has been the subject of controversy & speculation, a discussion of the major approaches to the millennium is important.

Rev. 20:1-10

Premillennialism

The name given to the belief that X will come again before (pre) the millennium & will set up a reign for a 1000 years upon the earth after he comes.

The term actually describes 2 different points of view that may be classified under the following terms: historic premillennialism & dispensationalism.

Rev. 20:1-10PremillennialismHistoric premillennialism, sometimes called chiliasm from the Greek word for 1000 (chilia), holds that when X comes again he will reign in Jerusalem as his capital for a 1000 yrs over the risen martyrs & faithful Xtians, using them as assistants to administer his rule over the whole world, & after this the judgment will come.

Rev. 20:1-10

Premillennialism

His coming will follow the “great tribulation” & will be a rule of righteousness & universal peace; in the 2nd & 3rd centuries such men as Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian & the heretical Montanists, to which he belonged, held this view; but this view was by no means universal.

Rev. 20:1-10PremillennialismEusebius, the ch historian of the 1st 3 c. of Xtianity, ascribes the origin of this interpretation to Papias, of Asia Minor, who lived & worked ca. A.D. 125; many of the leaders of the ch in this period were opposed to this view.Historic pre. differs from dispensationalism in the place it gives to Israel & the Jews in God’s plan of salvation, its attitude toward the ch, & it lack of any special period called “the rapture.”

Rev. 20:1-10PremillennialismDispensationalism is connected particularly with the names of J. N. Darby of the Plymouth Brethren & C. I. Scofield, whose notes along with the KJV are printed in the Scofield Reference Bible & published by Oxford U. Press; this Bible has been widely distributed among Protestants & possibly has been more responsible for spreading the dispensational interpretation than any other single instrument.

Rev. 20:1-10PremillennialismMost modern pre. is of the dispensational variety; this theory holds that Jesus originally came in order to establish an earthly kingdom & rule over the Jews as their Messiah but was rejected by them in the midst of his earthly ministry; this caused the original plan of God to be thwarted & stopped the “prophetic clock” at this point forcing the automatic postponement of the fulfillment of God’s original purpose.

Rev. 20:1-10PremillennialismAs a “parenthesis” period to fill in the gap caused by the rejection by the Jews of Jesus X as their Messiah & the postponement of God’s plan, the church was brought into being; the ch is not a part of God’s original purpose & is not referred to in the OT; it is regarded as filling the gap until such a time as Israel will accept J. as its Messiah.

Rev. 20:1-10PremillennialismThen he will be able to return & rule over them as he intended to do in his 1st coming; at the end of the ch age X will come for the faithful; the righteous dead will be raised, & the living will be caught up to meet him in the air; the faithful with X for a period of 7 yrs will be hovering over the earth invisible to the inhabitants of the world.

Rev. 20:1-10

Premillennialism

This is the period referred to by them as the “rapture”; during this time there will be a “great tribulation,” literally lasting 3 ½ yrs, during which the beast as antichrist will be ruling & persecuting the Jews on earth, in particular those that have accepted X.

Rev. 20:1-10Premillennialism

Those believers who died during the 7 yrs & thus are not in the “rapture” will be raised from the dead in the “Gleanings” resurrection at the beginning of the millennium; then X will descend visibly with his saints to pass judgment upon the antichrist, to make the “sheep and goat” judgment of the nations (Mt. 25:31-46) & to establish his rule for a 1000 yrs upon the earth.

Rev. 20:1-10PremillennialismHe will sit upon David’s throne in Jerusalem ruling over the Jewish nation & by means of the Jews will extend his righteous rule throughout the world.Literally, at the end of this period, Satan, who has been bound during the millennium, will be loosed & lead a rebellion against the Lord & against Jerusalem.

Rev. 20:1-10

Premillennialism

The Lord will then overthrow the enemies & destroy Satan &, in a renovated earth, establish the new heavens & the new earth.

A distinguishing feature of this theory is the central place the Jews hold in the total picture.

Rev. 20:1-10PremillennialismThe postponement of J’s Messianic rule & the coming of the kingdom due to the Jewish rejection of him in his earthly ministry indicates that he is not now truly the Messiah but will become so when Israel turns to accept him.He will then come to rule over them as their king & through them over the world.

Rev. 20:1-10PostmillennialismThis view (particularly prominent in the 18th & 19th c) holds that the 2nd coming of X is after (post) the millennium; hence its name.Taking a figurative point of view toward the millennium, post-mill sees the world becoming better & better with the spreading of the word of God & the acceptance of X and his gospel.

Rev. 20:1-10PostmillennialismSatan will be bound by that gospel at the arrival of a golden age where the knowledge of God and his word will cover the world “as the waters cover the sea” (Isa. 11:9; Heb. 2:14); this golden age does not necessarily have to last for a literal 1000 yrs, since the millennium is understood to be a symbol of a long but limited period of time.

Rev. 20:1-10PostmillennialismThis golden age will be a time of great peace, spiritual life, & happiness; at its end there will be a brief period of apostasy corresponding to the loosing of Satan & the campaign of Gog & Magog “for a little while.”At the 2nd coming of X the general resurrection & the judgment of all men will take place.

Rev. 20:1-10

Postmillennialism

This is obviously an optimistic point of view, believing that the world will gradually get better, & expressing the very popular 19th c. idea of progress and uplift, rudely brought to an end by the World Wars of the 20th c.

Rev. 20:1-10PostmillennialismIt requires no reconstruction of the entire teaching of the Bible in order to hold, but is much more difficult for men to believe today in the face of the actual facts & experiences of the history of this bloody century with its world conflicts, its “cold wars,” its concentration camps, & widespread indifference, atheism, & opposition to God.

Rev. 20:1-10

Amillennialism

This is the incorrect name commonly given which seems to indicate by the form of the word that those holding it do not believe in any millennium; that is not true.

Amills do deny, however, that there will be an earthly reign of X after his 2nd coming & before the final judgment.

Rev. 20:1-10

Amillennialism

They hold that there will be no distinctive age in ch history called the “millennium”; amill equates the millennium with the entire Xtian age or a significant part of it during which the martyrs and/or the redeemed of the ages will reign with X in peace and joy, while Satan is bound.

Rev. 20:1-10Amillennialism The millennium is a symbolic number, not a literal 1000 yrs; likewise the binding of Satan is taken as a figurative expression for his limitation through the power of X’s death (12:9-11).J. taught during his earthly ministry that his confrontation with demons & casting them out with a word marked Satan’s binding as a strong man is bound by a stornger (Mt. 12:38,29; Mk 3:27; Lk 11:20-22; cf. 10:17,18).

Rev. 20:1-10

Amillennialism

Satan’s defeat fully & finally took place on the cross (Jn 12:31,32; cf. Col 2:15).

These passages are comments on Rev. 20:2.

There are variations that occur in this major approach to the millennium by different interpreters.

Rev. 20:1-10Amillennialism One group of interpreters associated with the preterist approach to the book may be loosely classified here in the sense that they hold the millennium to be the triumph of Xtianity over the persecuting Roman Empire, with the granting to Xtianity of toleration & later a privileged place under the Emperor Constantine.

Rev. 20:1-10

Amillennialism

The millennium thus becomes a symbol of this triumph, & the martyrs, who gave their lives in the persecutions for the cause of X, are thus vindicated & their position is one of ruling in the world as the cause for which they died becomes triumphant.

Rev. 20:1-10

Amillennialism

Those who see in the book elements of recapitulation or repetition find this position more in keeping with the fact that there seem to be repeated references through the book to the whole scope of the Xtian age.

Rev. 20:1-10

Amillennialism

Following the lead of Augustine some interpreters see the 1st resurrection as a reference to the new birth; the millennial reign takes place on earth through the ch as men surrender to the gospel & serve the Lord in the ch; X reigns over his people from his place at the right hand of God (Ax 2:33,34).

Rev. 20:1-10

Amillennialism

Satan is unable to destroy the church and keep the gospel from spreading a liberating men throughout the world; his being loosed for a little time refers to a final oppression of the church by anti-Xtain powers before the end.

Rev. 20:1-10

Amillennialism

Another group of interpreters take the same position toward Satan’s binding but do not see the 1000 yrs reign taking place on earth at all; they hold that the millennium is the reign of the martyrs and/or faithful Xtians who have died during the Xtian age & are in heaven reigning with their Lord.

Rev. 20:1-10EvaluationEach of these positions has problems; in fact, there is no interpretation of Rev. 20 that does not have difficulties, & this is one of the reason why this passage has been such a puzzling one.Is unfortunate that a passage set in such a symbolic framework making use of figurative language as Rev. 20 obviously does, should have been the subject of so much controversy.

Rev. 20:1-10Evaluation

One reason for this is that some of the systems of interpretation based upon this passage involve a reading into the brief materials found here of a great number of things from other parts of scripture (esp. the OT prophets) to fill in the details.

Dispensationalism does this extensively, since almost all of the distinctive features of this system are lacking in Rev. 20.

Rev. 20:1-10

Evaluation

It also involves a materialistic point of view toward the kingdom of God & the reign of X & an extensive reconstruction of the scheme of redemption & God’s original purpose.

Rev. 20:1-10Evaluation

The postmill & amill positi0ons do not involve such a complete Biblical reconstruction of the scheme of redemption & God’s purpose as expressed through X; for that reason, the latter systems have not stirred the controversy nor brought the challenges that have been the means of disturbing the peace & fellowship of the ch in the same way that dispensationalism has.

Rev. 20:1-10Before approaching the millennium in ch. 20, is helpful to review some principles of interpretation from early in the course.

Rev. does not give a chronological blueprint of successive periods of ch history and world history.

There is evidence of the principle of repetition or recapitulation in Rev., by which the same great truths are looked at in different ways.

Rev. 20:1-10

Several times the book has approached the judgment, the 2nd coming, & the consummation of God’s purposes.

Since it is a book of symbolic language often given in dramatic form the overall context of the book, & in particular the larger context of the Bible, must guide us in our understanding.

Rev. 20:1-10

Is imp. to recognize that the 20th c. does not chronologically follow the 19th c.

Ch. 18 has described the fall of Babylon the great, & the closing part of 19 has shown the coming of X to overthrow the beast & the false prophet along with those that bear the mark of the beast & worship the beast.

Rev. 20:1-10When one compares the battles of 16:14-16; 19:11-21; and 20:7-10, he sees that these are not separate battles at all but different ways of looking at the one great final contest between Christ & his people and the devil, his agents & followers.Ch. 19:17-21 has described the slaughter of those who worshipped the beast and bore the mark of his image.

Rev. 20:1-10Who would then make up the “nations” in 20:1-9? We notice that the birds were invited to feast upon the flesh of “all men, both free and bond, and small and great” (19:18); it should also be noted that the struggle with Gog & Magog (20:8) follows the 1000 yrs rather than being a struggle preceding the 1000 yrs & tied up with the Lord’s own coming to establish the millennial reign on earth.

Rev. 20:1-10

Theory of premillennialism depends upon interpreting ch 20 as a continuation chronologically of events from ch 19; the overall picture of Rev strongly argues against this.

A number of things necessary to the millennial theory of an earthy reign is missing from the 20th ch.

Rev. 20:1-10There is no mention ofA reign on earth,David’s throne,City of Jerusalem in Palestine,X’s being on earth.

It is only possible to get the full theory of premillennialism by bringing a number of things found elsewhere in the Bible in different contexts into this very short section.

Rev. 20:1-10The General ThemeWhat is the general theme of 20:1-10?What has been anticipated in 2:11,26, 27; 3:21; 6:9-11 concerning the blessedness of those who overcome between death & the end of the world comes to its climax here; the one who overcomes & keeps the words of the Lord to the end will win the highest life & union with X and God.

Rev. 20:1-10

The General Theme

Here in essence we have the fulfillment of X’s great statement, “He who loses his life for my sake will find it” (Mt 10:29)

The call for the vindication of God upon the persecutors and the opponenets of this world symbolized by Satan & his agents is now to be fulfilled.

Rev. 20:1-10

The Binding of Satan (20:1-3)

“An angel coming down from heaven” is the 1st thing that John sees.

May seem strange that an angel rather than X is sent from heave to lay hold on the dragon; some have identified this angel with X, but as we have seen in previous discussions, X is never equated with an angel.

Rev. 20:1-10

Instead, he does his work thru angels as his special messengers, & this seems true here.

We have been introduced to the bottomless pit, in 9:1, when the 5th trumpet sounded & the pit was opened & out of the smoke from this pit came the demonic locusts that tormented.

Rev. 20:1-10The Binding of Satan (20:1-3)The pit is the present abode of the Devil & his angels & is not to be confused with the “lake of fire.”The angel has the key of the bottomless put which indicates his power to open & close it; he also has “a great chain” in his hand with which he will bind “the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan.”

Rev. 20:1-10The Binding of Satan (20:1-3)This description definitely identifies the Devil with the dragon of ch 12 who accuses the saints & is the reason for the fall of man in the beginning.The angel binds him “for a thousand years.”He is cast into the pit, it is shut and sealed over him, so that he is not free as he was before.

Rev. 20:1-10The Binding of Satan (20:1-3)What was the meaning of the binding of Satan? Word translated “bound” (Gk edesen) is used a number of times in the Bible, not only for the literal binding of an animal or of a burden upon one’s back, but also in a figurative sense restricting a person’s activities in certain ways while leaving him free in other regards.

Rev. 20:1-10

E.g., Paul says a wife is “bound to her husband” as long as he lives (Rom. 7:2); she has freedom within certain defined limits.

There is only one binding of Satan mentioned elsewhere in the NT; Jesus used this language regarding Satan (Mt 12:29; Mk 3:27; Lk 11:21,22).

Rev. 20:1-10

In the same sense, X’s ministry is described as hiving “despoiled the principalities and powers” through his cross (Col. 2:15); purpose of X’s coming into the world was to destroy the works of the Devil (I John 3:8) & to overcome that one that has the power of death (Heb 2:14).

Rev. 20:1-10The Binding of Satan (20:1-3)

In his farewell address in the upper room Jesus said, “The ruler of this world is judged” (Jno 16:11); Satan is not completely bound, but the meaning of this binding is that he is limited in the sense that “he should deceive the nations no more” during the 1000 yrs; the binding of Satan took place when X died on the cross, provided for our salvation and was raised from the dead for our justification.

Rev. 20:1-10The Binding of Satan (20:1-3)Before this Satan could not only accuse the saints but also deceive the nations; X’s death made the accusations against the saints impossible & also the deception of the nations impossible.This does not mean that Satan is not active; despite the fact X spoke of him as being bound, Peter described him as going about like a roaring lion (I Pet 5:8)

Rev. 20:1-10

The binding of Satan has been interpreted to mean that he no longer is able to deceive the nations into carrying on a persecuting activity to destroy Christianity; this would mean that Satan is limited in his power to persecute and to carry on a world-wide endeavor to blot out Xtianity from the world.

Rev. 20:1-10The Binding of Satan (20:1-3)During this period, symbolically called “the 1000 years,” S. cannot destroy Xtianity through a universal persecution; this may be what the binding of Satan refers to in this context.V. 7 shows that his loosing will be the means of enabling him to deceive the nations, to rise once more & to engage in persecution of the people of God.

Rev. 20:1-10

Just why he must be loosed “for a little while” is a mystery to all commentators.

The 1000 yrs seems to be a symbol for a long period of time (2 Pet 3:8; Ps. 90:4; 50:10; Job 9:3); by the same token, “a little while” appears to be a comparatively short period of time.

Rev. 20:1-10

During the little while, the specter of persecution & opposition is raised once more against the saints possibly in the very same way in which they experienced such opposition & persecution in the early centuries.

Rev. 20:1-10The Binding of Satan (20:1-3)If the binding means the restriction of his persecuting activities, this would not necessarily involve his being completely bound at the cross but could simply means the limitation set by God upon him to institute a general persecution for the symbolic 1000 yrs; it is true that elsewhere in the Bible S. is limited by the power of God and cannot go beyond certain set limitations (cf. the book of Job).

Rev. 20:1-10The Thousand Years’ Reign (20:4-6)

J. sees thrones & throne occupants with judgment being given to them; the ones who occupy the thrones are identified in the last half of v. 4; these are “the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony to Jesus and for the word of God, and who had not worshipped the beast or its image & had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands.”

Rev. 20:1-10

The Thousand Years’ Reign (20:4-6)

Many would limit this to the martyrs alone, those who had been “beheaded” (literally, beheaded by an axe); to limit this overlooks the fact that the faithful Xtians who came through the trails and difficulties without be martyred & who were overcomers share in this reign with X (2:26-28; 3:12,21; 5:9,10).

Rev. 20:1-10The Thousand Years’ Reign (20:4-6)No mention is made of the place where they are reigning, but it would appear from the context that these are not persons who are living upon the earthy but rather those who have already died.First, they are described as “souls” (Gk psuchai); while this word can mean individuals, it is most often used in John’s writings in the sense of life & is defined as meaning “disembodied souls.”

Rev. 20:1-10The Thousand Years’ Reign (20:4-6)In 6:9 the “souls” are seen underneath the altar, thus being sacrificed lives.It seems best to regard these as the ones who have been faithful Xtians & martyrs & who at their death are sharing with X in the glory of his triumph.Many, like Augustine, have equated these with the faithful ones who are living on the earth as Xtians.

Rev. 20:1-10The Thousand Years’ Reign (20:4-6)An obvious problem with this is the reference to the martyrs, who have already died & the contrast with those who make up “the rest of the dead.”Context would appear to describe the glorious reign of these after death with X; Paul calls his departure from the world a departing to “be with X, for that is far better” (Phil 1:23).

Rev. 20:1-10

The Thousand Years’ Reign (20:4-6)

Most controversial portion of the section are the words “they came to life” translating the Gk verb ezesan; this is used by both historic & dispensational premillennialists as their main argument for a bodily resurrection of the righteous & thus an earthly reign of X for a 1000 yrs before the judgment.

Rev. 20:1-10The Thousand Years’ Reign (20:4-6)Ezesan can refer to a bodily resurrection (Rom. 14:9; 2 Cor 13:4; Rev. 2:8); but is this its meaning in the passage?The “souls” who lived & reigned with X are spoken of in v. 5 as being in “the first resurrection.”; that this is not a physical resurrection is evident not only from the immediate context but also from the description of the general resurrection of the “dead, great and small” from the sea, Death and Hades at the judgment (20:12,13).

Rev. 20:1-10The Thousand Years’ Reign (20:4-6)Premills, in order to make this “first resurrection” a bodily resurrection, must hold to 2 resurrections separated from one another by a 1000 yrs and “a little while”; but Jesus’ words locate the res of life for those who have done good & the res of judgment for those who have done evil in the same “hour” (Jno 5:28,29).

Rev. 20:1-10The Thousand Years’ Reign (20:4-6)J’s Gospel refers to a spiritual res in 5:24 while in 5:28 it refers with the same language to the bodily res at the end; in Rev. 20 the term “dead” in v. 5 refers to the physically dead, while v. 6 speaks of “the second death,” which 20:14 defines as “the lake of fire.”Context must guide; there seems to be no reason why the 1st & 2nd res must describe the same kind of event any more than the 1st & the 2nd death.

Rev. 20:1-10The Thousand Years’ Reign (20:4-6)“The rest of the dead” would appear to refer to those who have died outside of X, & those who have been unfaithful, who have allowed themselves to worship the image of the beast & to bear his mark.A particular blessing is pronounced upon the ones that have part in “the first resurrection.”

Rev. 20:1-10The Thousand Years’ Reign (20:4-6)

These are the ones who are priests of God & X & reign with him a 1000 yrs; the priesthood is not limited to martyrs in the NT but all Xtians are priests (1:6; I Pet 2:9).

The 2nd death (defined later) will have no power over them; they judge (in the sense of judgment as the expression of the justice of God upon evil) the wickedness of the world as they share in the glory of God.

Rev. 20:1-10

Loosing of Satan (20:7-10)

One of the more difficult sections to understand.

When the 1000 yrs are finished, he is released; his coming forth is described as having the purpose “to deceive the nations which are at the 4 corners of the earth, that is Gog & Magog, to gather them for battle.”

Rev. 20:1-10

His binding had prevented him from deceiving the nations, whereas his loosing enables him once more to deceive them; for that reason, we think it more likely that this loosing must free him to arouse them to persecute the people of God once more.

Rev. 20:1-10Loosing of Satan (20:7-10)

Any attempt to try to identify the location of “God & Magog” is doomed to failure; in the OT Magog was listed as one of the sons of Japheth (Gen 10:2), while in Ezek. 38:2, Magog becomes the land over which the prince, God, rules; in 39:6, Magog seems also to be the name of a people; Gog in the Tell el-Amarna letters is a designation for the nations from the north.

Rev. 20:1-10Loosing of Satan (20:7-10)Some identify Gog & Magog in OT with the persecutions the Jews suffered under Antiochus Epiphanes during the intertestamental period.Here they probably symbolize the nations of the world as they go aginst the Lord & his people; they are led by Satan in this final onslaught, which is spoken of as a “battle.”

Rev. 20:1-10Loosing of Satan (20:7-10)Their number is innumerable as the sands of the seashore.In ch 16 the demon-like frogs gathered at Armageddon; in ch 19, the Son of God goes forth to war against the hosts of the beast; here the battle is described as a siege of “the camp of the saints,” which is also spoken of as “the beloved city.”

Rev. 20:1-10Loosing of Satan (20:7-10)Just as Sodom & Egypt were spiritualized in 11:8, so Gog & Magog and the battle are spiritualized here; one should not think in terms of a literal war.As one would expect, there is a progression to be seen throughout this book in the description of this conflict; kings are gathered in 16:16; the 2 armies are ready in the open field 19:14; here the enemies encircle the camp of the holy city.

Rev. 20:1-10Loosing of Satan (20:7-10)This describes a kind of 2nd coming of Satan & his hosts after his being bound & put in the bottomless pit; yet the end is swift & sure for the fire of God’s judgment comes down to judge & destroy the evil hosts.The Devil who is responsible for deceiving all men is then cast into the same lake of fire where the beast & the false prophet are cast; they continue to be “tormented day & night forever and ever.”

Rev. 20:1-10

From this language it would be difficult to draw the conclusion that some do that the Devil is destroyed & ceases to exist.

One thing is sure; the certain overthrow of Satan with all his agencies is guaranteed.

Rev. 20:11-15

In this section we come to judgment before the “great white throne.”

Throughout the Bible the concept of God’s judgment plays a prominent role.

NT speaks of judgment in at least 2 senses. Is a sense in which God’s judgment is

passed upon men while they live in this world (cf. John 3:18).

Rev. 20:11-15Judgment also refers to the day that God

has appointed in which judgment will be passed on all men (Ax 17:30,31; 2 Cor 5:10; Heb 9:27)

How Many Judgments Are There?

Many dispensationalists hold that there are 4 different judgments described in the Bible.1) that of believers

Rev. 20:11-152) that of Israel3) that of the living nations at the time X

comes to set up his millennial reign; and4) that of the great white throne (this

passage).

There are 3 groups of passages that are relied on to describe these “separate judgments”; the question is: are they really separate, or are they different ways of describing the same great event?

Rev. 20:11-15Mt 25:31-46 describes what is sometimes called the “sheep & goat” judgment; dispensationalists refer this to the judging of the nations to see which nations would be allowed to remain on earth during the millennial reign of our Lord; but when one looks at Mt 25, it is apparent that all men are gathered before X and are judged as individuals, not as nations; “them” in Gk is masculine plural, not agreeing with “nations” which is neuter plural.

Rev. 20:11-15

In addition, the things that the righteous did are things normally done by individuals.

Nothing seems to distinguish the judgment in Mt 25 from that in Rev 20.

The next 2 passages: Rom 14:10-14; 2 Cor 5:10, are applied by dispens to the judgment on believers during the 7 yrs of rapture.

Rev. 20:11-15Some also refer to this time as a time during which Israel on earth will be judged & sifted between the unfaithful & the faithful to X; they teach this will be at a different time from the judgment of the wicked, which will come at the end of the millennium.

While Paul does use “we” & is addressing these remarks to Roman Xtians, he follows Rom 14:10 with a quotation from Isaiah which includes all men (Isa. 45:23).

Rev. 20:11-15Nothing in the passage indicates that there is some special judgment that will take place during a special time known as the “rapture.”In 2 Cor 5:10, the emphasis is upon the certainty of the judgment seat of X; there is nothing in the passage that would make it impossible for it to refer to the general judgment, “the day appointed.”

Rev. 20:11-15God, the Judge (20:11)This passage presents the throne, described as “great” because of its universal sovereignty & “white” because it is the holy throne of God.There are passages from X & from the rest of the NT that emphasize X as the judge; there is no contradiction; God is in X, judging through X, who is pictured in the scenes of judgment.

Rev. 20:11-15Standing Before the Throne (20:12,13)J. sees the dead, both the mighty and small, standing before the throne; no one escapes; those who died in the sea comes forth from the sea and Death & the realm of the grave, here called “Hades,” give up the dead in them.V. 15 indicates that anyone (not just the dead) whose name was not written in the book of life would share in the same condemnation.

Rev. 20:11-15

Standing Before the Throne (20:12,13)

Ax 10:42; 2 Tim 4:1; I Pet 4:5, etc., speak of God as judging “the living and the dead.”

“Books were opened,” although just what books are referred to here is not clear; some think these books to be the records of all the deeds of men, symbolized here in the terms of “books.”

Rev. 20:11-15

Others think they refer to the will of God contained in the Bible which will be the standard by which men will be judged.

Twice in vv. 12 & 13 the expression “according to their works” is used to describe the basis on which the judgment will take place.

Rev. 20:11-15

The book of life is based on the Roman practice of enrolling the citizens of the city in a master list; see comments on 3:5.

Rev. 20:11-15The Second Death

The 2nd death is described as death in the lake of fire, the lake into which the Devil was cast (10) & into which the beast & the false prophet were cast (19:20).

Into the lake of fire are also cast Death & Hades, the realm of the dead; death and the state of the dead are annihilated because they are expressions of the power of the evil one (Heb. 2:14,15).

Rev. 20:11-15

The Second Death

A NT promise is that the last enemy to be destroyed is death (I Cor 15:26).

Sharing in the 2nd death is everyone not written in the book of life; the 2nd death then becomes symbolic of eternal punishment, that which those on the left hand receive as they go away from the Lord (Mt 25:46).

Rev. 20:11-15

The Second Death

The thought of judgment & the responsibility that each man has to decide the eternal destiny of his own life are among the most solemn that can confront any individual.

Rev. 21:1-22:5

A New Heaven and New Earth (21:1-8)

After the conclusion of judgments, how appropriate that the next vision is that of the new heaven and the new earth, the new world and glorious blessedness of God’s triumphant people!

Rev. 21:1-22:5

J. explains, “For the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.”

Both OT & NT told of the coming of a new heaven & a new earth (Isa. 65:17; 66:22; 2 Pet. 3:10-13; CF. Mk 13:31).

Gk word translated “new” (Gk kainos) indicates something new in quality or kind, a new kind of heaven and earth.

Rev. 21:1-22:5A New Heaven and New Earth (21:1-8)To this announcement is added, “And there was no more sea”; no doubt this is symbolic of the rest of the picture; as the dragon had used the waters to try to engulf & drown the radiant woman (12:15) & the horrible beast had arisen from the waters of the sea (13:1,6,7), so the sea symbolizes the power of evil, which is now no more.

Rev. 21:1-22:5A New Heaven and New Earth (21:1-8)

In this new creation J. saw the holy city here called “New Jerusalem”; idea of a heavenly Jerusalem that is the perfect counterpart of the imperfect earthly Jerusalem, the holy city, if found several times in Bible (Gal. 4:26; Heb. 11:10; 12:22; 13:14).

This city came down from God, & J. saw the city “prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

Rev. 21:1-22:5A New Heaven and New Earth (21:1-8)Not only in the words of Jesus, but also in ch 19, the consummation of the Xtian faith is described in terms of a wedding, with the ch as the bride adorned for her bridegroom; same imagery comes again in v. 9 & in 22:17.This is in contrast to the city of evil, Babylon the great, described as a drunken harlot.

The great voice that came out of heaven announced “The dwelling of God is with men”; this refers to the ancient tabernacle where God’s presence dwelt in the midst of his people; in the fullest way, there is realized the promise made in the OT that God would be their God & they should be his people (Jer 31:33; Ezek 37:27).

God is with them throughout eternity.

Rev. 21:1-22:5

Because God dwells with his people, he “will wipe away every tear from their eyes”; this calls to mind the earlier promise (ch 7) where the innumerable company is seen round the throne of God clad in white garments of victory & God’s protection is given to them; he wipes away every tear from their eyes.

Rev. 21:1-22:5A New Heaven and New Earth (21:1-8)Naturally, the things the produce tears are taken away; no more death, mourning, crying or pain.This belongs after the putting down of the last enemy of mankind, “which is death” (I Cor. 15:25,26); while in this age the faithful are comforted in their mourning, in that new heaven & new earth there will be no reason for sorrow nor crying, nor pain, for these things are past.

Here for the 1st time God speaks & his declaration is that all things are made new.

The command to J. is to write this, since these words are trustworthy & true; one need not doubt the promises of God.

Then God signs his name, as it were, to the fact that it is done & all is made new by saying, “I am the alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end” (cf. 1:8).

Alpha is the 1st letter of the Gk alphabet & Omega is the last; this is another way of saying God is the author & the finisher of things.

To every thirsty soul he gives the right to drink “from the fountain of the water of life without payment; he is able to satisfy the longings of men who long for him “as a hart longs for flowing streams” (Ps. 42:1).

Rev. 21:1-22:5

He promises to the one who who conquers that he shall inherit all things, for this is his right as a true son of God.

Only the sons of God can inherit along by the side of his faithful and true son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Rev. 21:1-22:5

However, there are those who will have no part in this great inheritance, & God lists them.

Like the description of judgment, he reminds of the ones who will have their lot “in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur” & identifies this as “the second death.”

Rev. 21:1-22:5A New Heaven and New Earth (21:1-8)Who are they? The cowardly, the faithless, the polluted (those who participate in the abominations of the idolatry of the world & defile themselves with evil worship); murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolators, liars.God condemns unfaithfulness, all kinds of immorality, false worship & false religion, & compromise with the world.

Rev. 21:1-22:5The New Jerusalem (21:9-22:5)Here, the New Jerusalem is described as the “Bride, the wife of the Lamb.”Premills try to make this a description of the city of Jerusalem that will be set up in the midst of the world over which X will rule for 1000 yrs; but it is obvious that this city is not intended to be a literal city but symbolic of the glory of God’s people.

Rev. 21:1-22:5The New Jerusalem (21:9-22:5)

One of the angels with the 7 bowls of plagues invites J. to see the Bride; same angel also invited him to see the “judgment of the great harlot,” Babylon the great; in contrast to that awful scene this scene is beautiful.

Being carried away to a high mountain, J. was able to see “the holy city Jerusalem” descending out of heaven from God.

Rev. 21:1-22:5

The New Jerusalem (21:9-22:5)

The glory she possessed was the glory of God & her light was luminous, “like jasper, clear as crystal”; in the great throne scene of ch 4, God had been described as a jasper stone, flashing & brilliant; it is appropriate that the city is described as giving off the same light of the same stone.

Rev. 21:1-22:5

The stone described probably finds its counterpart in the modern diamond; God’s people will share the glory of God, will radiate the light of God, because they will be like God; after all, it contains those who are “the light of the world,” sharing the glory of him who is the light of the world (Mt 5:44; J 8:12).

Rev. 21:1-22:5

Its walls are described in vv. 12-14; ancient cities always had walls; it was a distinguishing mark of the ancient city over against the defenseless village.

The wall is great & high with 12 gates, at the gates 12 angels, & every gate bears the name of one of the 12 tribes of Israel (cf. Ezek. 48:30-34).

Rev. 21:1-22:5The New Jerusalem (21:9-22:5)These are the spiritual children of Israel.This was a 4-square city with the same number of gates on each side of the city; the wall had 12 foundations with the names of the 12 apostles written on them.In what better way could there be conveyed the fact that all of God’s people (OT & NT) are involved here.

Rev. 21:1-22:5

Reminds us of the 24 elders (representatives of both Old Covenant & New Covenant).

The redeemed of all ages, God’s true people, those who have kept his covenants, are the ones who make up this city.

Rev. 21:1-22:5

The angel had a golden rod to measure the city; this a dramatic device to impress upon us the measurements which follow; it was a cube; to the ancients this was a perfect mathematical figure.

Length, breadth, height—12,000 stadia, ca. 1500 miles.

Rev. 21:1-22:5

The measurements are given “according to the measure of a man” but the intent is to symbolize the greatness of the city.

Since in the OT the holy of holies had been a cube (I K 6:20), so here the perfect sanctuary where God lives is a cube.

Rev. 21:1-22:5The New Jerusalem (21:9-22:5)The size is ample for all who have conquered through faithfulness to God.Walls of jasper; city of gold pure like clear glass; foundations are listed according to the precious stones; these stones those highly valued in ancient world, but difficult to identify with their modern counterparts; 8 of them appear in OT in the high priest’s breastplate.

Rev. 21:1-22:5

Notice how often 12 & its multiples occur in this section; 12 is the combination of the # of the Godhead & the number of the earth multiplied.

In addition, were 12 gates made of 12 huge pearls, each gate being one pearl.

Its street “was pure gold, transparent as glass.”

Rev. 21:1-22:5The New Jerusalem (21:9-22:5)One cannot miss the fact that everywhere is beauty & wealth untold.Strangely, there was no temple there; the reason is apparent; “For its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.”Their presence is temple enough, since a temple is the place where God & his people meet.

Rev. 21:1-22:5The New Jerusalem (21:9-22:5)No earthly light is needed; the glory of God and of the Lamb light this city.Even in this world we recognize that the ch is not a building nor a specific point on a corner, but rather the body of those who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ; under the symbol of a city the redeemed in heaven are described.

Rev. 21:1-22:5

The gates of this city are never shut by day, “and there shall be no night there.”

No darkness mars this city for darkness belongs to evil; there is no sin & evil; there is no need to shut the gates against the enemies; there are none; they have been destroyed.

Rev. 21:1-22:5

Nothing enters in that in any way will defile or mar the perfection of this holy city; just as in Rome the master list of Roman citizens was kept, enrolled upon a special book, so God has the roll of those whose names are “written on the Lamb’s book of life.”

Rev. 21:1-22:5The New Jerusalem (21:9-22:5)

A pure river of water of life flows out of the throne of God & of the Lamb; heaven is here pictured as the garden of God; just as in the ancient Garden of Eden a river flowed, so in the heavenly city, there is a river of water of life that quenches the thirst of men.

“The tree of life” is here; a tree that bears 12 kinds of fruit & yields every month & men eat of it and live forever.

Rev. 21:1-22:5

Sinful man was driven out of Eden for fear he would eat of the tree of life (Gen 3:22-24); now the way to the tree has been opened through X.

The leaves of the tree heal, so that the diseases of the spirit that have afflicted men are gone.

Rev. 21:1-22:5

Once more the reader is reminded that here is no more curse; God’s throne is in the middle of the city & all see him in his glory, face to face, the One “whom no man has seen at any time” (J 1:18).

His name is stamped on their foreheads.

Rev. 21:1-22:5How Are We To Understand This Section?It has been interpreted several ways.Premills, looking for an earthy reign of 1000 yrs, apply all this section to the millennial reign with the exception of the 1st 8 vv. of ch 21; this enables them to have the temple city of Jerusalem set up & described as a heavenly city that will come down to earth

Rev. 21:1-22:5

How Are We To Understand This Section?

Others have seen this as a glorified picture of the ch on earth itself.

Is difficult to talk about the ch in the present age being a group of people who have no sorrow, no sighing, no crying, and having no curse on them.

Rev. 21:1-22:5

How Are We To Understand This Section?

Only when death has been overcome will this scene be a reality.

Rev. 22:6-21With the visions now ended, we come to the closing admonitions.

Sometimes the speaker is J., sometimes the Lord, & sometimes the angel; the 1st person pronoun does not always refer to the same speaker.

The book is attested in this section, its genuine revelational character affirmed, & its immutability set forth; X’s coming is affirmed once more & a call is given to faithfulness.

Rev. 22:6-21The Angels’ Attestation (22:6,7)

Angel affirms, “These sayings are trustworthy and true”; this attests to the truthfulness of what has been said in the book; the Lord God, the God of the holy prophets, sent his angel to reveal to his servants “what must soon take place.”

This is another way of saying that what this book intended to do it has now accomplished.

Rev. 22:6-21

The Angels’ Attestation (22:6,7)

This simply emphasizes that the God who has inspired the spirits of the prophets is the God who has, through his angel, shown to John, & through J. to his servants, the things that are to come to pass.

The inspiration of the past is the same inspiration John received.

Rev. 22:6-21

Jesus Christ Speaks (22:7)

Like 16:15, so here Jesus X gives his own warning & pronounces his blessing.

Here he declares that he is coming soon; this is the same expression that occurs in 1:1; this same message is again mentioned in v. 12, & again in v. 20.

Rev. 22:6-21

Jesus Christ Speaks (22:7)

The blessing he pronounces is upon the one who keeps the sayings of the prophecy of the book; from ch 1 we remember that this means not only to read, but also to observe it (keep it’s commandments).

Rev. 22:6-21

John’s Attestation (22:8,9)

J. adds his own affirmation; he affirms that he saw & heard the things which are recorded in the book.

He was so overcome by the wonder of it all that once more he fell down before the revealing angel to offer him worship; but once more the angel refused to receive it.

Rev. 22:6-21John’s Attestation (22:8,9)In light of this passage (as well as 19:10), angel worship is condemned in Scripture (Col. 2:18).It is one of the tragedies of later ch history that men turned their attention away from the worship of the one true God & included a galaxy of angels & “saints” among the objects of their veneration.

Rev. 22:6-21

The Unsealed Book (22:10,11)

The command comes not to seal this book; it is to be left open that it might be seen & understood; this is the very reverse of the command in Dan 8:26; 12:4,9).

This is not a book to be kept for a distant future time; it is to be left open, read, and observed.

Rev. 22:6-21

The book begins to be fulfilled & its message speaks to the needs of those who are living.

F. F. Bruce says the end is always near since each generation of Xtians may be the last.

Rev. 22:6-21

V. 11 is a puzzle.

It perhaps means that the man who clings to wrong doing is a man who remains in that despite all of the warnings given, while the man who is righteous remains in his righteousness still.

Rev. 22:6-21Christ’s Promises (22:12-14)Once more X assures he is “coming soon”; in this coming he is bringing his reward with him—reward for the unrighteous and reward for the righteous.He affirms the reward with his own signature, this time using language which elsewhere has been applied to God (perhaps 1:8; certainly 21:6).

Rev. 22:6-21

Christ’s Promises (22:12-14)

There is no problem; terms & figures applied to God in OT have been applied to X in the NT.

God was the alpha and the Omega, the beginning & the end, the first & the last, so also is X.

Rev. 22:6-21Christ’s Promises (22:12-14)Here we have the last beatitude in the book; the ones who have the right to come to the tree of life are those that have “washed their robes” in the redeeming blood of the Lamb.Thought is reversed (for emphasis?); the tree of life is place 1st, since this is the imp thing, & entry into the city through gates comes afterwards.

Rev. 22:6-21Christ’s Promises (22:12-14)Outside the city “are the dogs,” a term which elsewhere in Scriptures denotes that which is polluted, immoral, savage, & unclean (Deut 23:17,18; Mt 15:22f; Phil 3:2); dogs in ancient cities ate up the filth & garbage (I K 21:19); here it probably refers to those who are immoral, along with the sorcerers, harlots, murderers, idolators & liars.

Rev. 22:6-21

The Final Invitation (22:16,17)

Jesus once more attests, saying, “I, Jesus, have sent my angel with this testimony for the churches”; note how many times in this book, where X is set forth in glorious fashion, he is referred to by the name Jesus.

Note again (cf. ch 1) that these things are “for the churches.”

Rev. 22:6-21

X further identifies himself as “the root and the offspring of David,” an obvious reference to Isa. 11:1.

At same time he is “the bright and morning star,” the hope of man; he is the herald of the coming day as the first fruits of them that sleep.

Rev. 22:6-21The Final Invitation (22:16,17)Then the invitation is extended, the last invitation of the scriptures; this is an all-encompassing invitation, as if heaven is not closing this book without making one last appeal to men to come & accept God who is revealed in the book & X whose redeeming love & sovereign lordship over history is powerfully set forth.

Rev. 22:6-21

It is the HS who extends this invitation along with the Bride, the people of God, & both are saying, “Come.”

The one who hears & heeds this great invitation is to take it up himself; every man who receives X’s invitation has the responsibility of passing it on.

Rev. 22:6-21

Further, the one who is thirsty is invited to come, that the deep longing of the heart for God may be satisfied (cf. Isa. 55:1).

Beyond this whoever will is invited to take the water of life that is so freely offered & can be so freely accepted.

Rev. 22:6-21The Warning (22:18,19)

A solemn warning is particularly appended to this book; sometimes this has been quoted & erroneously applied to the whole Bible; it is true that the principle of respecting the authority of the Bible is expressed here, but there are other passages of the Bible where this warning is given a general application (Deut. 4:2; 12:32; Prov. 30:5,6).

Rev. 22:6-21The Warning (22:18,19)The consequence of taking from the words of the book of this prophecy is to have God take away one’s share from the tree of life & the holy city described in the book.The principle of not adding to or taking from is applied to this book specifically; one might through his interpretations add to or subtract from this book.

Rev. 22:6-21

Conclusion (22:20,21)

Here is the final witness given by one who is “the faithful and true witness” (3:14); his message is a final promise, “Surely I am coming soon”; this is the way the Lord once more assures his people that he will fulfill all that is promised.

In answer, J. says, “Amen.”

Rev. 22:6-21

Then he utters the prayer that was undoubtedly often uttered in the early church; in the Aramaic form, we find it preserved in the word “Maranatha,” “Our Lord, come” (I Cor. 16:22).

The prayer responds to the promise; early Xtians yearned & longed for him to come in their prayers and supplications.

Rev. 22:6-21

As the book began with the greeting, “grace and peace,” so it closes with the salutation found often in NT letters, which calls for the grace of the Lord Jesus to abide with his saints.

Practical Lessons From Revelation

Walking Amid His ChurchesThe living Lord walks in the midst of his churches, knowing them, their weaknesses & strengths, & calling them to repent and be courageous.They were weak in comparison to the power of the Roman Empire, yet they had strength & power expressed in this glorious vision; X is not far away but near.

He Hears Their Cries

In times of persecutions & trails, he hears their cries; he strengthens & encourages them to confront the sufferings they must endure for his name’s sake; yet he promises that their sufferings & martyrdoms will not go unnoticed by heaven.

The Sovereign Lord of History

In no book in the NT is the lesson so solemnly impressed that not only is God the sovereign Lord of all creation, but in Jesus X he has displayed that he is the sovereign Lord of all history; history is moving toward its ultimate goal, a goal God has determined himself.

The Sovereign Lord of HistoryOn earth it often looks like failure for God’s people; the ch is not only small & struggling, poor & despised but often beset within with worldliness & compromise, immorality & unconcern, as well as error & false teaching.Yet Jesus X is is not far & without doubt his people will triumph over evil if they are true to him.

The Keynote of Joy

The strong theme of joy expressed in song & triumphant vision is clear in the book; it should be in the life of the Xtian as well.

Joy, praise & thanksgiving for the matchless promises of God constantly comes through in the book; what an antidote this could be for the pessimism in much of modern philosophy and literature.

The Keynote of Joy

Modern generations have sometimes been referred to as “the lost generation.”

One of the ways Xtians can bear witness to the faith they have in X is in exhibiting the joy that the early ch found so meaningful in its new relationship with Jesus X.

Good Works

There is a strong emphasis on obeying the Lord; time & again the call of Rev is to remember “our works,” the good deeds which express the faith & devotion of our lives.

This is not a call to an easy, soft kind of life; it is the call of utter dedication to the will of God.

Judgment

The element of judgment is emphasized throughout Rev; this is not a petty emotion, but an unchanging aspect of God’s own righteous nature; it is the judgment of a just and righteous God who stands above the kingdoms, systems, & conduct of men and brings to bear not only the beauty of his love in the gospel but also the wrath of his righteous judgment against evil.

The Fall of Evil

Rev also teaches that evil will not gradually totter to its own fall but will be overcome by God himself.

There is no optimistic concept of gradual social progress by which the world will become better & better until, solving its own problems, it will read a golden age free from all evil & sin.

The Glorious End

Revelation sees a new heaven and a new earth, a new universe with righteousness dwelling within it, without tears of sorrow, mourning, or death & perfect fellowship with God, X, and the HS.

The Book of Revelation is, then, a message of comfort and hope.

Rev. 17:1-18

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