Revealing the symbols in the book of Revelation
The bride of the Lamb
ISBN 0-9664102-0-3
Copyright (C) 1996 by Jack M. Russell
All rights reserved. This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America, and may not be copied or reprinted for commercial gain or profit. The use of short quotations or occasional page copying for personal or group study is permitted and encouraged. Permission will be granted upon request.
This book is a 273-page expository, which gives understanding to the symbols in the book of Revelation. You will find over 900 word and number definitions which will help the reader better understand the symbolism in the book of Revelation. In many instances the symbolic words that are used identify someone or something. "Symbols Unveiled" is a verse-by-verse exposition, so as to make it readable for both the casusal reader and those who want a deeper understanding. For the teacher who wants an in-depth study, he is advised to consult the glossary of terms found in the back of the book, which are referenced according to scriptural cross referencing, Strong's numbering and other reference books.
In the book of Revelation God reveals, identifies and clarifies five major points which are:
Permission is hereby given to print one copy of "Symbols Unveiled" for personal use only!
Get your free copy of "SYMBOLS UNVEILED" and notes in a "PDF" or "MS Word" e-mail format by E-mailing a request to:Jack Russell at jackrussellfive@gmail.com
Scripture quotations unless otherwise noted are from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE (R), (C) Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 "Used by permission."
1 God's purpose for the book of Revelation
2 God's personal evaluation of the church
3 God's personal evaluation of the church
4 Jesus as God Almighty
5 Jesus as the Lamb
6 Seals one though six revealed
7 God seals His church
8 7th seal opened; Sounding of 4 of the 7 trumpets
9 5th and 6th trumpets - 1st woe
10 Mystery of God is finished
11 God measures the church; 2 witnesses; 2nd woe; 7th trumpet
12 The Holy Spirit given to the church; Satan thrown out of Heaven - 3rd woe
13 The trinity of evil is revealed
HOW BEST TO USE SYMBOLS UNVEILED
The Four Principals Schools of Interpretation are as follows: <
The author, Jack M. Russell, looks at the book of Revelation through the Spiritual Scheme of Interpretation. The commonly accepted scheme today is that of the Futurist Scheme of Interpretation.
The chapters of this manuscript align with the chapters in the book of Revelation. Chapter one in the book of Revelation is chapter one in this book and so on. The body of this work is laid out in four parts: 1) The scripture is given. 2) The verse translation of the word meanings from the Greek. 3) The author's explanation. 4) A list of terms used in that set of verses. It is important to know that the book of Revelation has much symbolism in it and it was used to identify someone or something. Please note that Numbers are a language of their own. They need to be addressed in that manner to get the correct interpretation. Some numbers do reflect a quantity and some can reflect both identification and a quantity. "Symbols Unveiled" is laid out to make it readable for both the casual reader and those who want a deeper understanding. For the student who wants an in-depth study, he is advised to consult the glossary of terms found in the back of this book. The book of Revelation is a book to be understood. God's word is to His church and the church needs to understand His plan. I asked the Holy Spirit to give to me the understanding of the book of Revelation, so that the enemy would not be able to deceive me. Over the last ten years, the Lord has given this understanding and permission to share all insight with the church. Please understand that the book of Revelation is like the rest of scripture and has many facets to it. The hope for us all is that we will better see and understand the mind of God as we seek Him, and as He chooses to reveal His word to us. Revelation is written like the book of Daniel. It delivers an overview of God's plan and then in later chapters, explains such in detail. It is also written to the spiritual man and not the natural, for it is spiritually appraised, as is all the word of God. May you find many blessings in "Symbols Unveiled"? His desire for all of the saints is that they would not be ignorant as to give the enemy an opportunity.
THE REVELATIONS OF THIS BOOK ARE:
Chapter one will establish God's purpose for the book of Revelation. It reveals where His heart lies, that is with His church whom He conformed to the image of His Son Jesus, who is identified by many symbols in this and subsequent chapters.
1-3 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must shortly take place; and He sent and communicated {it} by His angel to His bond-servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, {even} to all that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things, which are written in it; for the time is near.
The first three verses of the book of Revelation reveal what the primary purpose of this book was and to whom it was written. First, it is the revelation of Jesus Christ given to His bondservants [the saints]. His desire is that they would know and understand, in a deeper way, who He is and what is taking place in the spirit world, so that they will not be deceived. The person who reads and does the things written in this revelation will be blessed. It is important to note that the word "angel" can and should be interpreted "messenger" for ease of identifying who is speaking throughout the book of Revelation. Sometimes it is Jesus speaking and sometimes it is an angel, a servant of God.
4-6 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne; and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood, and He has made us {to be} a kingdom, priests to His God and Father; to Him {be} the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen
The Apocalypse is written to the seven churches in Asia, which are a representation of all the churches [saints] in this the last dispensation. Jesus who is God, was God-man, and is God to come, and not from seven but one and the same divine Spirit manifesting Himself in seven energies or operations, gives grace and peace to the church. The greeting words such as grace and peace are used at the start of every New Testament book, from Romans on, except the book of Hebrews. This is an indication that grace and peace are the desire of Jesus for every believer. Fear and anxiety are not for those who understand this prophecy. Jesus throughout Revelation uses many different identifiers to describe who He is, who His church is, who Satan and his kingdom are, and who the unbelievers are. These terms comprise much of the symbolism used in the book. Jesus Christ is called the faithful witness because He cannot lie [Prov 14:5. Col 1:18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything. Heb 2:14-15 And because the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil; and might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives]. He is the ruler of the kings of the earth, [those who oppose Christ] in that He rules over all mankind. [Mt 28:18 And all authority has been given to Jesus in heaven and on earth. Rv 5:10 for Christ has released us from our sins by His blood and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and we will reign upon the earth].
7-8 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. Even so. Amen. "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
Behold, Jesus is coming with His angels and the glorified church. Every living thing will recognize Him for who He is, the Almighty. Moreover, the church, those who pierced Him [Isa 53:5], and for whom Christ had to die to redeem them, will be like Him [1Jn 3:2]. All of His earthly kingdom [tribes] will continue to grieve to be with Him until He comes [Matt 9:15 for the attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast]. Jesus is the first and the last [Isa 43:10 Before me there was no God formed, and there will be none after me]. Jesus is God, was God-man, and is God to come.
9-11 I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance {which are} in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos, because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like {the sound} of a trumpet, saying, "Write in a book what you see, and send {it} to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea."
John, our brother, is a fellow partaker in the tribulation. The Greek word used here for tribulation is used also in "Rev 7:14" [And I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb]. All Christians enter the kingdom of God, the kingdom of verse six, through tribulation and perseverance [John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." Acts 14:22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and {saying,} "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God"].
Perseverance in the New Testament reflects the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings. [Rev 12:11 "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death].
John is on the island of "Patmos," meaning "my killing"; a rugged and bare island in the Aegean Sea, because God wanted him to receive this prophecy of Jesus and of future events. He is there in a state of inspiration and sees these things as without time, indicated by his being there on the Lord's day, the final day of this age. He is in the presence of God and hears God's voice begin to give revelation for the seven churches, which will be seen individually in chapters, two and three.
12-16 And I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His breast with a golden girdle. And His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire; and His feet {were} like burnished bronze, when it has been caused to glow in a furnace, and His voice {was} like the sound of many waters. And in His right hand He held seven stars; and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.
Jesus' authority is revealed by the identifiers in these five verses starting with the seven golden lampstands, which are the seven churches and among them stands Jesus the Son of Man, the Elder Brother, providing truth. The Messiah was obligated to do some things and He has done them. On His head are the symbols of His heavenly Lordship, holiness, wisdom, purity and the ability to know how to bring about cleansing. He is a God of jealousy, vengeance, and He is a consuming fire. He is under the control of the Father and is the anointed One who refines by fire and when He speaks, He speaks as God. He has all authority over the angels of the church, the word of God comes out of His mouth, and His countenance is the light of the knowledge of the glory of God. The righteous Christ therefore sends to His church the word of God, which fills His heart. [2Cor 4:6 For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ].
17-20 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as a dead man. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. Write therefore the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall take place after these things. As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches."
John falls lifeless, the general result of being in the presence of God. Jesus lays His hand on him, which is a gesture of comfort from Christ the comforter, saying "do not be afraid," because there is no fear in love. [IJn 4:18 but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love].
"I am the first and the last," is the same phrase used in verse eight when He says "I am the Alpha and Omega." He is the "Living One; and was dead, and behold, He is alive forevermore" [Rom 6:9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him]. Jesus now has the power over death and the fear of death [Rom 14:9 For to this end Christ died and lived {again}, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living]. Christ was dead and came to life defeating the fear of death and the power of Hades to hold Him or anyone He chooses to have released.
John was then instructed to write down the things that were being revealed to him, so they will be available to the church down through this age. That is, the things that are established by God and the things that will come later. Some things have always been, some were established at the time of creation and some have yet to be fulfilled. God's intention is to reveal the things the church needs to understand so that Satan cannot overcome her with his deception. Throughout the book of Revelation God gives understanding to the symbols, as here He reveals the meaning of the seven stars and the seven golden lampstands.
TIMING: Verses one through three are ongoing; four through six have been established; seven through eight are ongoing, with Jesus coming at the end of the age; nine through twenty have happened.
Chapters two and three are God's personal evaluation of the seven churches, who are symbolic of all churches, throughout this the last dispensation. He identifies their strong points and their weaknesses, which in general are idolatry, fornication, following false teachers, and lusting after worldly possessions.
1-7 "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: the One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this: 'I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot endure evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them {to be} false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name's sake, and have not grown weary. But I have {this} against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you, and will remove your lampstand out of its place-- unless you repent. Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.'
"Ephesus," meaning "permitted", was a maritime city of Asia Minor. The One [Jesus] of "Lev 26:12" [I will also walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people] who rules over the angels of the church and lives in the people of the churches, knows their acts of righteousness and by the experience of their efforts, that they are steadfast. They put to the test false apostles whose doctrines are deceitful, and are patient and have kept the faith, and have not lost heart in doing good. [Heb 6:10 For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints].
However, they left their earliest love [Luke 10:27 "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself"]. For they had declined from a height of Christian knowledge and attainment, and needed to do again the conduct of righteous men, who love God. If not, Jesus will remove His light from within them. Yet, they hated the unrighteous conduct of the Nicolaitans, a sect who were charged with holding to the error of Balaam. These were casting a stumbling block in front of the church of God by upholding the liberty of eating things sacrificed to idols as well as committing fornication. [Acts 21:25 "But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we wrote, having decided that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication."].
He who has the faculty of perceiving the word of the Spirit with the mind, and the faculty of understanding and knowing, listen to what God speaks to His church. [1Cor 2:10 For to us God revealed {them} through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God”]. This part of this verse is written to each of the seven churches. God would not have the church to be ignorant.
The one who comes off victorious will eat from the Spirit man of life, Jesus, in the abode of God and the heavenly beings. [John 6:53 Jesus therefore said to them, "Truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves”]. God gives a different exhortation to each church.
8-11 "And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this: 'I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.' "
"Smyrna," which means "myrrh"; an Ionian city of Asia Minor, on the Aegean Sea. The terms "first and last" and "who was dead and has come to life" are a repeat of verses seventeen and eighteen of chapter one which again are identifiers of who is speaking, i.e., Jesus. He is aware of their oppression, affliction, tribulation, distress, and straits, but they are spiritually rich. This church is being reproached by those who call themselves [Jews] God's people but are not [Rom 2:28-29 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God].
Fear not, for Satan is about to hold down some of you by temptation, that you may be tested, but the distress will be completed in a short time. Be faithful even if you have to give up your physical life and you will receive the reward of the righteous, the crown of life. [James 1:12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which {the Lord} has promised to those who love Him. Rev 12:11 "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death].
He who has the faculty of perceiving the word of the Spirit with the mind, and the faculty of understanding and knowing, listen to what God speaks to His churches.
He who is victorious in Jesus, suffers no violence from that death which results in the lake of fire which is reserved for those who do not belong to Him. [Luke 17:33 "Whoever seeks to keep his life shall lose it, and whoever loses {his life} shall preserve it. Rev 20:15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire].
12-17 "And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: The One who has the sharp two-edged sword says this: 'I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith, even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit {acts of} immorality. Thus you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 'Repent therefore; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give {some} of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.' "
Pergamum was the chief city of Mysia in northwest Asia Minor. The identifier in this verse is the Word of God, producing the Spirit and Truth, which fills the heart of Jesus. This church, is symbolic of churches which are in areas of heavy idol [Satan] worship, but in spite of that they hold their faith. [2Tim 2:12 If we endure, we shall also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He also will deny us]. Antipas, a Christian of Pergamos who suffered martyrdom was taken out of the way to discourage the church.
The weakness of this church is that some support the teachings of Balaam who was a native of Pethor, a city in Mesopotamia, endowed by Jehovah with prophetic power. He was hired by Balak to curse the Israelites, and was influenced by the love of reward. He wished to gratify Balak, but was compelled by Jehovah's [Yahweh's] power to bless Israel. Hence, later the Jews saw him as a deceiver. Balak "a devastator or spoiler" was a king of Moab. In this church, we see those who exceed grace by the eating of things sacrificed to idols because of false teachings, as the Nicolaitans did. Some were probably Nicolaitan converts. They also committed acts of immorality such as entertaining or allowing idol worship. Although the eating of meat sacrificed to idols in itself is not ungodly, the intent and extent of encouraging others, especially those who are weak, is not pleasing to God. [Acts 15:20 but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood].
We see God's willingness to forgive, but for those who continue, those of the church, He will fight against them with His word, resulting in shame for them. Listen, church, to your God, for he who comes off victorious will be given concealed food, the bread of life [John 6:48-50 "I am the bread of life. "Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. "This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die”], and a white stone [a verdict of acquittal], and a name given for the first time, unknown to anyone else [Rev 19:12 And His eyes are a flame of fire, and upon His head are many diadems; and He has a name written upon Him which no one knows except Himself].
18-29 "And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this: 'I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first. But I have {this} against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray, so that they commit {acts of} immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent; and she does not want to repent of her immorality. Behold, I will cast her upon a bed {of sickness} and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. And I will kill her children with pestilence; and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them-- I place no other burden on you. Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come. And he who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces, as I also have received {authority} from My Father; and I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' "
"Thyatira," meaning "odor of affliction," was a colony of Macedonian Greeks. Jesus is identified by a consuming fire of justice and vengeance, reflective of His heavenly Lordship. His holiness, wisdom, purity and ability to know how to bring vengeance are the focus. He has a sacred anointing, refined by fire [tested], under the control of the Father.
This church had all the Christian attributes and was growing in them, but there were persons, especially one, Jezebel, who was a false prophetess. She instilled false doctrines into the true worshippers, that fornication and eating of things sacrificed to idols were liberties of Christians. This church allowed this teaching, but was not married to it. God, gave them sufficient time to withdraw from these practices of idolatry, and warned that if they continued to disobey the Apostles, that He would bring great physical disease leading to death, probably diseases associated with sexual intercourse. There is revealed here God's judgment upon these false doctrines, in the form of physical death for those who continue in these teachings. Spiritual judgment will be weighed in the heart. This is a warning to all churches to turn away from such practices.
To those not holding to these teachings, the deep things of Satan, i.e., idolatry, Jesus' puts no other injunction upon them, which might be difficult to observe. Hold fast! [1Thes 5:21 But examine everything {carefully}; hold fast to that which is good]. For he who comes off victorious and does the work I commanded [John 6:29 Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." i.e., love God, love the brethren], will receive Me [Rev 22:16 "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star"]." Jesus, being the bright morning star, makes us into His image. The Holy Spirit is given to those who obey.
To Jesus will be given authority over the nations to preside with the most rigorous and severest rule, and He shall tread down those who are earthly minded, those who accomplish evil. [Rev 14:20 And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses' bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles].
Listen, those who have insight.
1-6 "And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. Remember therefore what you have received and heard; and keep {it,} and repent. If therefore you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you. But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white; for they are worthy. He who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' "
"Sardis" means "red ones"; a luxurious city in Asia Minor, the capital of Lydia. Jesus is identified here as having the Spirit and having authority over the angels of the churches. This church, calling itself Christian, is doing works that are not of faith, and they are therefore close to being spiritually dead. Jesus tells them to take heed, lest they fall into sin; and establish that which remains for they were sluggish in their walk of faith. They are told to return to the gospel they have knowledge of and to hold fast to it. If they do not, He will come and they will not be ready; like the ten virgins of Matthew chapter twenty-five. [2Tim 1:13 Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus].
Some in Sardis kept themselves pure from the defilement of sin and were innocent and pure of soul. Their names are in the Lamb's book of life and will come before the Father and His angels with the Lamb, for they are worthy. [Rev 13:8 And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, {everyone} whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. Matt 10:32 "Everyone therefore who shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. Rev 12:11 "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death].
Let those who understand hear God.
7-13 "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this: 'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Behold, I will cause {those} of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews, and are not, but lie--behold, I will make them to come and bow down at your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that {hour} which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth. I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, in order that no one take your crown. 'He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' "
"Philadelphia," which means "brotherly love"; a city of Lid in Asia Minor. Jesus identifies Himself as Holy and True, and as having the authority to open and shut. He gives access to the blessings of God's kingdom and controls the entrance into the kingdom of heaven. This church, because they have fully trusted in the power of the Holy Spirit and profess the name of Jesus, and have not denied Christ because of the fear of death or persecution or deserted His cause, have access to heaven which no one can take away. And because of their faith, the assembly of men whom Satan governs, who call themselves true believers and are not, but are living a lie, will come to understand by force that God loves these, of the true church. Because they are steadfastly awaiting for the return of Christ from heaven, the time of trial and testing will not come on them because their minds are set on God and not on earthly things. The test that Satan brings, is designed to get men to receive the mark of the beast and worship his image; which is idolatry. [Rev 14:9-10 And another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or upon his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb]. This church knows Jesus' and their authority in Him, and the Devil will not overcome and deceive them for they are sealed in the Holy Spirit of Truth. The deception of Satan will be revealed in later chapters in detail.
"Don't let go of your faith lest you lose your salvation for I [Jesus] am coming soon. He who is victorious I will assign him a firm and abiding place in the everlasting kingdom of God in the new Jerusalem, and I will mark him as mine and he will never leave this place. [Rev 14:1 And I looked, and behold, the Lamb {was} standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. Heb 12:22-23 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect]. Listen to what God says.
14-22 "And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich, and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and {that} the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me. 'He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' "
Laodicea was a city in the fertile Lycus Valley of the province of Phrygia. Jesus identifies Himself as faithful one worthy of trust, nourishing the soul unto life everlasting. [Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it {is} called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war], He is that one by which anything begins to be, the origin, of the sum or aggregate of things created.
This church is neither destitute of warm Christian faith and the desire for holiness, nor full of fervor and zeal. Because they are not one of these, specifically the latter, He must reject them with extreme disgust and grief because of the condition of their souls, which wretchedly fluctuate between torpor and a fervor of love. [Matt 6:24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon].
They think because they abound in material resources, they are rich, i.e., have obtained the eternal spiritual possessions; but they are afflicted and to be pitied. For they are lowly, destitute of Christian virtues and eternal riches, mentally blind and unclad pertaining to spiritual things. [1Cor 10:12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall].
They are advised to purchase redemption, through genuineness of faith, melted by fire and purged of dross that they would obtain eternal spiritual possessions and be clothed in innocence and purity of soul, that their shame would not be seen. [Rev 16:15 ("Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his garments, lest he walk about naked and men see his shame"]. They are called to anoint themselves with the light-the eyes of-the mind. [2Cor 1:21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God].
"Those whom I love, I call to account, and chasten by affliction of evils and calamities, so pursue good, the conduct worthy of a heart changed and abhorring sin. I, Jesus, stand in the mist of you seeking entrance into your soul. Yield obedience to My voice and give entrance into your soul and I will come into your house, to you, and I will make you to share in My most intimate and blissful intercourse. He who is victorious will be as a dead man restored to life and will reign with Me as I also reign with My Father. [2Tim 2:12 If we endure, we shall also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He also will deny us]. Listen to what the Spirit says.
TIMING: Is ongoing in that God is still speaking to His church about these things.
1-5 After these things I looked, and behold, a door {standing} open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like {the sound} of a trumpet speaking with me, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things." Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. And He who was sitting {was} like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and {there was} a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. And around the throne {were} twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones {I saw} twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads. And from the throne proceed flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And {there were} seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God;
After John had written the things he had seen, access to God's kingdom in heaven was opened and John perceived a call to God's presence in heaven. What is revealed to him is established by the counsel and decree of God, that which shall happen in a proper sequence. At once John was in the power of the Holy Spirit, in the abode to which Christ ascended after His resurrection, and saw the dwelling place of Jesus, the Governor of the world.
The identifiers here reveal who the One is. The One sitting on His throne, is the mysterious One. [Col 2:2-3 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and {attaining} to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, {resulting} in a true knowledge of God's mystery, {that is,} Christ {Himself} in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge]. The One who had been tested by fire, and who had flesh and blood, and was a stumbling stone. The covenant of God was before Him. [Gen 9:13 I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth].
Around the Governor of the world is His heavenly government, the twenty-four members of the heavenly court seated on thrones around the throne of God. Each was clothed in innocence and purity of the soul, and their exalted rank was established through their holiness. They had come from earth, as revealed by the crown of life on their heads. It appears they are the twelve apostles and twelve from the Old Testament.
The voice of the Godhead proceeded from the Governor of the world, and the divine Spirit manifested Himself in seven energies or operations. They are; The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Strength, Knowledge, and Fear of the Lord [Isa 11:2-5].
6-11 and before the throne {there was,} as it were, a sea of glass like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. And the first creature {was} like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature {was} like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, "Holy, holy, holy, {is} the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come." And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, "Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou didst create all things, and because of Thy will they existed, and were created."
Before God was the fixed purity and holiness of all that appertains to the authority and judicial dealings of God by which the saints escape into safety and rest. [Rev 15:2 And I saw, as it were, a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had come off victorious from the beast and from his image and from the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God]. In the mist of God's throne are the symbol of redeemed creation and the knowing mind of God. The first cherub is symbolic of the Lion of Judah; the second, is symbolic of a sin offering; the third, is symbolic of a man; the fourth, is symbolic of God's great love and care for His people. Through the faces [which the cherubim in Ezek. chapter ten also had] God is revealing the Messiah [Ezekiel's man in linen]. The face of man symbolizes a man of flesh [lowly man]. The calf symbolizes an offering for sin [Jesus being the only atonement for sin]. The eagle symbolizes God's great love and care for His people [He gave His only Son]. The lion symbolizes the great strength of the Lion of Judah [all authority has been given to Jesus in heaven and on earth]. The number four is representative of creation [four creatures]. This is why there were two cherubim ["two" the number of Christ] over the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies; they revealed the promise of the Messiah through God's mercy toward mankind. So, Jesus, who is the Lion of Judah, was a man given for redemption [the Lamb who purchased of Rv 5:9] because of God's great love and care for His people. He is the Savior of His people, i.e., of His creation. He was also revealed through a cherub in Ezek 10:20.
The cherubim's wings are symbolic of imperfect man [six] under the protection of God [wings] who sees all things [eyes]. Wings also reflect worship of the Lord God Almighty [Jesus], the Ruler of the universe, who was [in heaven] who is [the one who came to earth] and who is to come [come again at the end of the age]. These cherubim were created to worship God and to watch over His creation.
These cherubim trust His promises and they give Him honor because of who He is, and for His blessings. When they worship, as we will numerously see, the heavenly government worships also. They have laid their lives before Him, and are saying "You deserve to be God because Your promises are true and You created all things out of Your own will." [Col 1:16 For by Him all things were created, {both} in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created by Him and for Him].
TIMING: Is ongoing.
1-6 And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?" And no one in heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, was able to open the book, or to look into it. And I {began} to weep greatly, because no one was found worthy to open the book, or to look into it; and one of the elders said to me, "Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals." And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.
From the place of authority of the Governor of the world, a volume is seen written within and behind, on the back [hence on both sides]. Its contents are a complete secret. Two sides mean: matters determined by God, i.e., blessings and curses [Deut 30:19 "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you, life and death, the blessing and the curse. So, choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants]. We see in Jesus' right hand [the one who has the authority to open it] a scroll written on both sides, which had not been revealed, because it was kept secret until now by God who had sealed it up. The writings in the scroll are the full revelation of the book of Revelation, which is about to be given.
It appears the strong messenger is Jesus [see chapter ten, verse one]. He challenges all of heaven and earth and those under the earth to open the book. No one has the power, whether by virtue of one's own ability and resources, or of a state of mind, or through favorable circumstances, or by permission of law or custom to open the book. John is in great sorrow. There is no one to open this book or break its seals, from the areas previously mentioned.
One of the court, seated on the thrones around the throne of God said, "stop grieving." Jesus, from the tribe of Judah, the offspring of David, has so conquered that He now has the right and power to reveal the understanding in this book. No one but Jesus understands what is about to be revealed, that which has been hidden.
In the middle of cherubim and the court seated around the throne of God, stands Christ. He is the perfect and complete Messiah who innocently suffered and died to expiate the sins of men, the One who sees all and sent His Spirit of Truth out to all the inhabitants of the earth. [Rom 1:19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them]. Jesus the Lamb is here identified as the Christ, the Messiah. In chapter four, verse eight, we saw God in Christ revealed as God Almighty. In the same chapter, verse five, we saw the seven Spirits of God as lamps of fire burning before the throne; here we see them as horns and eyes.
7-14 And He came, and He took {it} out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. And when He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood {men} from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. "And Thou hast made them {to be} a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth." And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing." And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, {be} blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever." And the four living creatures kept saying, "Amen." And the elders fell down and worshiped.
Jesus, the Messiah and God Almighty being manifested as the Lamb of God, is taking the book out of the right hand of "God the Father." The triune Godhead is reflected here where One member takes the book out of the hand of the other, to identify the member of the Godhead who is functioning. When Jesus took the book, the cherubim and the court seated around the throne began to offer up adoration, supplication and thanksgiving to Him through praises that are sung in heaven. They sang a song that had not been sung before, for it is a song of God, created for a certain occasion [new songs as these should be part of worship here on earth]. The occasion in this scroll is that God is to reveal Himself and His plan for the church, the false church and Satan. The book was about to be opened, and the one opening the book had a right to open it. He was put to death by violence, [crucified for sin] and through His blood He atoned for the sins of all the people on the earth. [I Jn 2:2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for {those of} the whole world]. Those who belong to Jesus, are made to be His kingdom on earth, this earth and the new earth to come, for they devote their lives to God alone and to Christ. [Rev 1:6 and He has made us {to be} a kingdom, priests to His God and Father; to Him {be} the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen].
There were multitudes of angels around the Governor of the world, for they did not know what the book contained, and God was revealing the contents to them. The cherubim and elders were identified by myriads, myriads, and "thousands of thousands" which means: "testing is over, fullness of God dwells in His seed, God's seed in the fullness and image of God." "Two of each" [myriads and thousands], reflects the number of Jesus [two] who regenerated the elders. The cherubim were not fallen and did not need to be rescued. All agreed, saying that the Lamb who had a violent death for sin should receive praise, glory, and honor. For He is exalted to the right hand of God and has supreme intelligence, with the power to heal. He has all authority. [Matt 28:18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth].
Every created thing, where God dwells in heaven, and all the men on the earth and all those who are in the grave [spiritually dead] and those who dwell in Satan’s dwelling place [the sea] were in agreement. They were saying to the Lamb, the one who innocently suffered by dying to expiate the sins of men, “You have all authority”. The cherubim are in agreement with the others, and the court seated around the throne fell down and worshiped Him. [Phil 2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth].
TIMING: Verses one through ten have happened; eleven, twelve, fourteen are ongoing; thirteen happens at the end of the age. However, God sees it as completed and John does too.
1-2 And I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, "Come." And I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him; and he went out conquering, and to conquer.
The first seal is unsealed, one being the number of God, revealing His plan to send His Son to redeem man. "To break" means, "to show or reveal to the church." This is the purpose of the book of Revelation. [Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must shortly take place; and He sent and communicated {it} by His angel to His bond-servant John]. One of the four cherubim spoke with the voice of God [authority]. The word "come" means "appear," and the first four spirits are seen and recognized by the church, so they are not a revelation but a confirmation of something already known. The reason the four creatures are used here is that they are symbolic of redeemed creation [number four].
John saw a Spirit worthy to patrol the earth [Zech 1:10 And the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered and said, "These are those whom the LORD has sent to patrol the earth"]. The first is the Spirit of prophecy, Faithful and True, who is Jesus ["two" the number of Jesus] [Rev 19:10-11 For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war]. His purpose is to produce deliverance, or bring forth the eternal blessedness, which will be given as a prize to the genuine servants of God and Christ. This is the crown, which is the reward of the righteous, i.e., eternal life. The Holy Spirit went out to bring forth those who are Christians, those who held fast their faith even unto death against the power of their foes, and temptations, and persecutions. [Rev 12:11 "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death].
3-4 And when He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, "Come." And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that {men} should slay one another; and a great sword was given to him.
When Jesus unsealed the second seal ["two" the number of Jesus], He revealed Satan, the false Christ. The second creature, which represents redeemed creation, said, "appear!" The spirit which takes peace from the earth, the spirit of Antichrist [red is the color of fire, blood, the dragon, and Satan who end up in the lake of fire] was granted by God to remove the state of national tranquility and to instigate the rages and havoc of war. Spiritual war ensues. [Eph 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual {forces} of wickedness in the heavenly places. Luke 12:51 "Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division].
The word "men" was added in the English translation in exchange of "one another." "One another" is a better translation because although men are involved in this war, it is a spiritual war between God and Satan. To "mortally wound", and to struggle with the opposition now refers to spiritual life and death. Yet, Satan is also responsible for all the blood of the saints, [for physical death because of sin and spiritual death because of Satan's will]. The battle of the saints is to die to Satan's will, the lust of the flesh, and be re-born into Christ's image, so that their spirit will become holy. As will be seen in chapter eight, there is a spirit of bitterness that comes forth into the men of the world, those who belong to Satan. They will hate and kill one another physically, but this is just part of the manifestation of the spiritual warfare going-on upon the earth. [Rev 18:24 "And in her [Babylon] was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth"].
5-6 And when He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, "Come." And I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard as it were a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine."
When Jesus unsealed the third seal ["three" the number of the Holy Spirit and His function as the Judge], the third creature, who represents redeemed creation, said "appear," and the spirit of judgment and justice appeared. [Prov 16:11 A just balance and scales belong to the LORD; all the weights of the bag are His concern. Isa 40:12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and marked off the heavens by the span, and calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, and weighed the mountains in a balance, and the hills in a pair of scales?].
The voice in the center [Jesus] of the four creatures is measuring the peoples of the world; the church [wheat], those of iniquity [barley] who belong to another [slaves of sin] because of their iniquity. The oil and the wine refer to the redeemed. One of wheat and three of barley equals four, the number of creation.
The wheat was a sin offering, a soothing aroma in the Old Testament; and in the New Testament, it symbolizes that which belongs to the Lord. [Matt 3:12 "And His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire"]. Barley, symbolic of iniquity and fear, was the food of slaves [slaves of sin]. It was a grain held in low esteem. [Num 5:15 the man shall then bring his wife to the priest, and shall bring {as} an offering for her one-tenth of an ephah of barley meal; he shall not pour oil on it, nor put frankincense on it, for it is a grain offering of jealousy, a grain offering of memorial, a reminder of iniquity].
Jesus spoke of the denarius as indicating something that belongs to another [Luke 20:24-25 "Show Me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?" And they said, "Caesar's." And He said to them, "Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's"]. Moreover, the Spirit of judgment does not act unjustly against the saints sealed in the Holy Spirit, for there is no judgment for them. [Jn 3:18-19 "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. "And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil]. This judgment is upon the men of the earth and is ongoing. For those sealed in the Holy Spirit, who are revealed in the next chapter, there is no judgment. For those not sealed, they are judged already because they did not repent and come to Christ and make Him Lord.
7-8 And when He broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, "Come." And I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. And authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.
When Jesus unsealed the fourth seal [the number four is symbolic of creation and what creation's destination is], the fourth creature, who represents redeemed creation, said "appear." The spirit of death and Hades appeared, symbolized by a yellow-pale color [color of brimstone, God's wrath]. Those of Hades, the place of lost souls conformed to his example, i.e., became dead [spiritually dead].
The power to subdue or destroy was given to, Death and Hades, according to the four kinds of doom for mankind. [Jer 15:2-3 "And it shall be that when they say to you, 'Where should we go?' then you are to tell them, 'Thus says the LORD: "Those destined for death, to death; And those destined for the sword, to the sword; And those destined for famine, to famine; And those destined for captivity, to captivity."' "And I shall appoint over them four kinds of doom, "declares the LORD: "the sword to slay, the dogs to drag off, and the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy]. This is a preparation for the destruction of men by the wild beasts of the earth, who are the Antichrist's church, including his false prophets and teachers, who will be revealed in later chapters. This false church is killed by spiritual warfare and they go to the place of the lost souls because they are a scarcity of harvest, i.e., unfruitful spirits. Of the four dooms listed above only three, apply to the unsaved, death [spiritual, separation from God], sword [by the Word of God], famine [unfruitful]. The other belongs to the saints, they go to captivity [Eph 4:8 Therefore it says, "When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, and He gave gifts to men"].
In the last set of verses, we saw God sorting mankind according to whether they were wheat or barley. In this set, we see the judgment of the unsaved [barley], and in the next set, we will see the resting-place of the saints [wheat].
TIMING: These Spiritual forces have been active and will continue until Jesus returns. Christians should be aware of them.
9-11 And when He broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, wilt Thou refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until {the number of} their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, should be completed also.
At the unsealing of the fifth seal [five being the number of atonement, the results of which are revealed here], the altar of incense which stood in the sanctuary of the Holy Place appeared. The souls, freed from the body, which were put to death by violence, because of the doctrine of salvation through Christ, were standing underneath the altar. [Rv 7:9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands. Rev 12:11 "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death]. And they asked God, "When will the inhabitants of the world, [those who "co-habit," which means "hearts and minds set on earthly things"], be brought to judgment, to exact from them the penalty for our death?" [Rev 18:24 "And in her [Babylon] was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth"].
Each was given by God a covering. [Rev 3:5 `He who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels]. They were told to stay calm and wait with patient expectation until the number of their comrades, those who acknowledge the same Lord, Jesus, and obey His commands and are exalted to the same heavenly place, is made complete. [Matt 27:51-52 And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth shook; and the rocks were split, and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised]. This is the resting-place for all the departed saints until the marriage of the Lamb.
TIMING: Ongoing until the marriage of the Lamb.
12-13 And I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth {made} of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind.
Verses twelve and thirteen are better understood by looking at Rv 12:7-9: "And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. As the dragon and his angels waged war, they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him."
When the sixth secret is revealed [six, the number of imperfection], the imperfection of fallen angels and fallen men is dealt with. Earthquake is seen here as a change of, or a casting down of authority from heaven. In verses fourteen through seventeen, it symbolizes the bringing down of earthly kingdoms. The righteousness [sun] they had, they lost [black]. Grief was included and it was shed by violence through the One who expiates sin [Isa 50:3 "I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering"]. The angels who sinned [hypocrites], were thrust down to earth as opposed to heaven [actually into the sea, Satan's dwelling place], through violence, the war in heaven, because they were worthless fruit. [Rv 12:3-4 And another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven, and threw them to the earth]. God divorces His fallen angels.
TIMING: Has happened already.
14-17 And the sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come; and who is able to stand?"
All those who lift themselves up and are coveters are removed from their rightful place in heaven, as one being divorced. And all men who are against Christ, those who worship the beast, including men from every station in life, will conceal themselves in their rock [like Jesus, our rock], their safe place of hiding from the wrath of God. [Isa 2:10 Enter the rock and hide in the dust from the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty. Luke 23:30 "Then they will begin to say to the mountains, `Fall on us,' and to the hills, `Cover us']. Their stronghold is the "god of fortress" spoken about in Daniel eleven, verse thirty-eight, which are the worldly kings and kingdoms, along with earthly riches and falsehood. They said to them, "Keep us from the sight of the One who is enraged, that is, Jesus the Lamb who judges righteously for Their [the Godhead] day of wrath has come and who is able to escape in safety?" [John 3:36 "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." Rom 1:18-19 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them]. The wrath of God will be revealed in later chapters.
TIMING: Verse fourteen has happened, fifteen through sixteen is still going on, and seventeen is yet to come.
1-3 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind should blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads."
After what was revealed in the last chapter, the four [number of new creation] angels who are identified in verse two, those who were given to harm the earth, were standing in a secret place holding back the four harms; the four kinds of doom. They were doing so, that no harm [judgment] should come to those of hardened hearts, earthly men, or the sea [dwelling place of Satan] or any of those who will be righteous men. The four angels are released in chapter nine and their further purpose is revealed there.
Another angel, coming about something unfavorable, who was an angel of God, said to the four angels who had permission to apply the vengeance of God. "Do not harm the unbelievers and Satan's dwelling place. Do not harm the men who will become righteous, until we give God's private mark to the one who gives himself up to another's will, those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing His cause among men. Those who have the private mark of God on their foreheads [knowledge of God, name of God] as destined for eternal salvation, and by this means to confirm their hopes." These are the saints. [Ezek 9:4 And the LORD said to him, "Go through the midst of the city, {even} through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst"].
4-8 And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand {were} sealed, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand, from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand, from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand, from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand {were} sealed.
John heard the number sealed. This number is not a quantity but an identifier of those who are sealed. The number one hundred and forty-four thousand, is symbolic of the complete quantity of the body of believers. The meaning of the number is: "A seed in the fullness and image of God, under His divine government, the matter determined by God." This body of believers will be seen again in chapter fourteen, verse one, on Mount Zion. "Mount Zion" means, "church triumphant." "Twelve thousand" means, "fullness of God is in His seed in perfection." In chapter twenty-one, these "twelve tribes" are referred to as the "twelve foundation stones," and so the true church is seen as the twelve tribes. They are the sons of Israel, Christians, and the Israel of God. For not all those who draw their bodily descent from Israel are true Israelites, that is, are those whom God pronounces to be Israelites and has chosen to salvation. [Rom 9:6 But {it is} not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are {descended} from Israel. Rom 9:27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, "Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved]. So, we see here the church of God, sealed in the Holy Spirit of promise, able to overcome the world through faith in God who has provided atonement and the power to be victorious over Satan. Satan will copy God's plan in chapter thirteen when he establishes his false church and gets men who are not sealed by God to worship his image and receive his mark. The identification of this church is made clearer in chapter fourteen, verses one through five, and many other verses in the book of Revelation.
9-12 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation and {all} tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches {were} in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." And all the angels were standing around the throne and {around} the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, "Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, {be} to our God forever and ever. Amen."
After the last revelation, that of the saints being sealed, John saw all the saints, who will be seen again in chapter nineteen, verse one. They are a great multitude that came from the Gentiles, and the offshoots [Israel], and all other groups of people abiding before the Governor of the world [God] and the Lamb [Jesus]. Their clothing and palm branches are an indication of those who overcame the mark of the beast, through Christ. [Rev 3:5 'He who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels]. They cried out; "The salvation, which is bestowed on us, belongs to God and to the Lamb." Then all of heaven is seen abiding before Jesus, and they fall on their faces and are worshiping Him. This outburst of adoration was also seen at the end of chapters four and five, and each consecutive outburst is greater in diversity of words. This not only reveals the hearts of the heavenly saints but the earthly ones also.
13-17 And one of the elders answered, saying to me, "These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and from where have they come?" And I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne shall spread His tabernacle over them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; neither shall the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb in the center of the throne shall be their shepherd, and shall guide them to springs of the water of life; and God shall wipe every tear from their eyes."
One of those seated on thrones around the Governor of the world asked John if he knew who these were and where they came from. These are the righteous saints, the church [Rev 19:8 And it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright {and} clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints]. For these come out of the oppression, affliction, distress, straits or anything that burdens the spirit, of which in chapter one, verse nine, we see the writer as a fellow partaker in. They have by faith so appropriated the results of Christ's expiation of sin as to be regarded by God as pure and sinless. [1Cor 6:11 And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God]. They are clothed in garments for men extending to the feet, worn by kings, priests, and persons of rank, white in color, symbolic of worthiness because of the atoning blood of the Lamb. This tribulation is of the spirit, and part of Satan's testing of the saints, who wants us to turn away from Christ. To turn our desires to the things of the world, which in turn makes us worship him [Satan] rather than God, which is idolatry.
Because of who they are, they occupy the area in the presence of God and worship Him continually in the new Jerusalem. Jesus the Lamb, will make it so they may dwell in safety and security under its cover and protection. In chapter twenty-one and twenty-two the new Jerusalem will be revealed in greater depth. They have no need of salvation, or do they long to have their souls refreshed, and no more testing by fire through affliction or persecutions will come upon them. [Acts 14:22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and {saying,} "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God"]. Once we are in the new Jerusalem, we will no longer hunger to be there because we will never leave His presence and the afflictions and persecutions we now suffer, which drives us to Him, will end.
Jesus, the supplier of the soul's needs, shall bring the saints by the Holy Spirit to be in God's presence forever. He does this by pardoning sin through the anointing with oil; and will remove our grief and mourning of sin from our minds. [Rv 21:3-4 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them, and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away"].
TIMING: The sealing and worship are ongoing until Jesus comes again. Then only the worship will continue.
1-6 And when He broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God; and seven trumpets were given to them. And another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel's hand. And the angel took the censer; and he filled it with the fire of the altar and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake. And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them.
When the seventh ["seven" meaning "complete"] and final seal was unsealed there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. A half-hour symbolizes two equal parts. This term is used only once in the whole bible, which speaks of the book in chapter five, verse one, being a scroll with two equal sides. The front side was revealed in chapter six and the backside is now revealed in this and the following chapter.
"Seven angels" reveals the fullness of angels for the job, and may be the angels of the church. They are given seven calls to instruction and judgments which are revealed to the church [Ezek 33:3 and he sees the sword coming upon the land, and he blows on the trumpet and warns the people]. Here the seven angels sound the call for judgment, which will also give understanding to the saints on the earth that they may understand the hand of God in their midst.
Another messenger came and stood before the altar of incense, i.e., the altar of God who is Christ sacrificed, holding a vessel of holiness which holds the prayers of the saints. These particular prayers are the prayers of repentance from the saints for atonement, which is only found through Jesus. The saints receive forgiveness. This sacrifice for atonement and the prayers of the saints went up before God and out of the angel’s hand. The unresponsive are going to receive the wrath and judgments of God that are revealed in the following verses. The vessel of holiness was filled with purification and the purification of the sacrifice was used to smite the land and inhabitants of the earth. This judgment was ordered by the voice of the Godhead, to those in His presence, and a change of authority is coming, which will be revealed in chapter nine. This change will affect how spiritual things are done in this the last dispensation. These are the righteous judgments of Jesus going forth over all the earth. These actions of the Godhead on men and the earth are the fullness of His plan to get men to repent.
The seven messengers who are ready to go forth, possess the judgments and instructions, which are to prepare the minds of men to give the Messiah a fit reception and secure His blessings.
7 And the first sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
The first judgment is a natural judgment against the earth, men, and flesh. Hail and fire mixed with blood are symbolic of judgment, including death. [Ezek 38:22 "And with pestilence and with blood I shall enter into judgment with him; and I shall rain on him, and on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, a torrential rain, with hailstones, fire, and brimstone]. A third of the earth became unfruitful [deserts, drought, famine]; a third of the men became unfruitful [spiritually dead]; "and all flesh is burned up," meaning "that the end result of all flesh is physical death." "Burned up" means, "to consume by fire," and in the Old Testament the term means, "sacrificed." Both hold true here, for these are sacrificed by God, who is a consuming fire. The purpose of God's action is to get men to repent. [Zech 13:8 "And it will come about in all the land," declares the LORD, "That two parts in it will be cut off {and} perish; but the third will be left in it. 1 Pet 1:24 For, "All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls off]. "A third," is symbolic of the three plagues of Babylon. Here in chapter eight, is revealed the quantity and the type of destruction God is using.
8-9 And the second angel sounded, and {something} like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood; and a third of the creatures, which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed.
The second judgment includes the judgment of these verses. [Rev 6:12-13 And I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind]. This begins the revelation of Babylon [Satan's image], which will consume all who receive her image, as a third of the angels did [the quantity of fallen angels]. Those who dwell in Satan's dwelling place. [Jer 51:25 "Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, who destroys the whole earth," declares the LORD, "And I will stretch out My hand against you, and roll you down from the crags and I will make you a burnt-out mountain]. Those angels who were holy, but lost their holiness because they sinned, are now spiritually dead. A third, which were divinely appointed, [created] died, i.e., left their abode. This verse reveals that Satan and his angels left their abode. [Rev 12:4 And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven, and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth, he might devour her child]. Babylon will be explained in detail in chapters seventeen and eighteen.
10-11 And the third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters; and the name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood; and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.
In this third judgment, Satan's spiritual condition is revealed. He is fallen and was cast out of heaven [after Jesus' return] with great anger and is full of destruction; "destruction" is one of his names. [Isa 14:12 "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations!]. His anger and bitterness [wormwood] killed the effects of the operation of the Holy Spirit, the source of supply for rain [water of life]. Because of this, a third of the nation's became embittered and many humans’ perished because they became bitter at God.
Satan, here named as Wormwood, deceived a third of mankind and made them bitter toward God. This caused them to lose the witness of the Holy Spirit who is the source of eternal life, which was intended for their inheritance. In other words, they rejected the Holy Spirit because of Satan's deception. [2Pet 2:17 These are springs without water, and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. Rom 1:25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen].
12-13 And the fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were smitten, so that a third of them might be darkened and the day might not shine for a third of it, and the night in the same way. And I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven, saying with a loud voice, "Woe, woe, woe, to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!"
What is revealed in the fourth judgment is a clearer interpretation of verses ten and eleven of this chapter, and of chapter three, verse sixteen. A third of the fathers, mothers and brothers are deprived of light and shrouded in darkness by God, and they have no spiritual light for the period of opportunity for service and are alienated from God. [1Th 5:4-6 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. Zec 13:8-9 "And it will come about in all the land," Declares the LORD, "That two parts in it will be cut off and perish; But the third will be left in it. "And I will bring the third part through the fire, Refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them; I will say, 'They are My people,' And they will say, 'The LORD is my God]. A third of mankind is spiritually dead, cold. A third saved, hot; and a third the Holy Spirit is still calling, the lukewarm. [Rev 3:16 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth].
The figure of the eagle [an angel] is used to represent the great powers of Egypt and Babylon, being employed to punish corrupt and faithless Israel. It will be revealed to all, the interjection of grief or of denunciation on those who co-habit the earth [hearts and minds set on earthly things] because of the remaining judgment of those things which will come to pass by fixed necessity or divine appointment. The punishment of unbelieving Israel in chapter nine, the rejection of Christ in chapter eleven, and Satan cast to the earth in chapter twelve are the three things that are about to be revealed, which grieved God.
TIMING: All of these judgments are ongoing and will continue until Jesus comes again.
1-6 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. And he opened the bottomless pit; and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. And out of the smoke came forth locusts upon the earth; and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And they were told that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; and they will long to die and death flees from them.
This fifth judgment is also the first woe. The fallen angel who was cast out of heaven is Satan. He is identified in verse eleven as the one that is given the authorization to unlock the very deep gulf or chasm in the lowest parts of the earth. This is the common receptacle of the dead, also being the abode of demons.
When he opened the pit of the abyss, the anger and displeasure of God came out of it to consume; and the words of the doctrine for the expiation of sin became obscured. What is coming out of the abyss will be the judgment of God against false doctrines; the false doctrines and teachings concerning the one who expiates sin, that is Christ. This is God's judgment upon unbelieving Israel, because of their false doctrines, for God sent Jesus to reveal the truth and they rejected Him.
Because of God's displeasure, He releases the locusts. Locusts are symbolic of being cut off from the kingdom of God. These demonic spirits, who have a poisonous sting like a scorpion, make people sick, but do not kill them, even though that person might desire death because of the pain. This is the knowledge of being cut off from God, it was revealed to unbelieving Israel, and it made them sick at heart. It is of interest to note that in nature, the locusts of Israel die by falling into the sea. These locusts were commanded not to hurt any flesh or the bride of Christ, i.e., men of righteousness, but only those who had not received the gospel and God's mark. What these men were doing, were the works of the Law for their salvation, which results in self-righteousness, rather than works of faith. [Rom 10:3 For not knowing about God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God].
These demons [locusts] were not allowed to cause physical death, but to torment with grievous pains. The Law's sacrificial atonement for sin is rejected. The act of torment was a single blow, like a scorpion's sting. The time of the new moon, the first day of each month, when the new moon appeared, was a festival day among the Hebrews. The sins committed and not expiated during the previous month were covered by the offerings of the "New Moon" sacrifice. Thus, sinners received atonement and were reconciled with the Lord. But now Jesus is the only atonement for sin [Heb 10:12 but He [Jesus], having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God]. These men were going to be sick in their spirits when they realized that their monthly, new moon, sacrifice for sin was unacceptable to God.
In the days of this understanding men will seek that separation, whether natural or violent, of the soul and the body by which life on earth is ended. They will not find it. They will lust after and covet that which is forbidden, that is to die, in order to get away from this revelation. [Job 3:20-21 "Why is light given to him who suffers, and life to the bitter of soul; Who long for death, but there is none, and dig for it more than for hidden treasures]. They knew death would not end their plight. This happened to the Pharisees. [Matt 23:13-15 "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from men; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows' houses, even while for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore, you shall receive greater condemnation. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel about on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves]. The word woe is used in Matthew twenty-three indicating griefs for the Pharisees.
7-12 And the appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads, as it were, crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. And they had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like {the teeth} of lions. And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle. And they have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months. They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek, he has the name Apollyon. The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.
These demonic spirits were fit to accomplish this fight. Their false doctrines had the appearance of eternal life, but were in actuality the precepts of men. [Matt 15:9 'But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men. 1Tim 4:1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons].
What these spirits were saying through men and what the men were doing under their influence was dishonorable, devouring and violent, in the eyes of God. [Prov 30:14 There is a kind of {man} whose teeth are {like} swords, and his jaw teeth {like} knives, to devour the afflicted from the earth, and the needy from among men].
Their defense was harshness, strength and oppression. They were very definite and hasty with their actions to fight the expiation for sin. We see here a strong spiritual fight to devour the complete satisfaction for sin, Jesus. These false prophets are full of poisonous lies that make men spiritually sick. These demons have the ability to get those who believe in their new moon sacrifice for atonement, to believe all their lies and empty doctrines. [Isa 9:15 The head is the elder and honorable man, and the prophet who teaches falsehood is the tail].
Their prince was the angel of the abode of the spiritually dead and demons [Satan]. His name in Hebrew is "destroying angel, Destruction" and in the Greek "Destroyer." The name of the king is given both in Hebrew and in Greek so that both Jew and Gentile might recognize him. These false prophetic spirits working in the unbelievers of Israel, who came to the understanding that they were cut off, had as their head, Satan, the prince of the abyss. [John 8:44 "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies]. The first interjection of grief or of denunciation has ended. This happened to the unbelievers of Israel.
13-16 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they might kill a third of mankind. And the number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them.
In the sixth judgment, John hears a voice, probably the voice of God, from within the altar of incense which is revealed to have four apexes representing redeemed creation. The voice said to the messenger of the sixth judgment, "Send out the angels of redeemed creation who are called to harm and are under the control of the Holy Spirit." Revealed here is a chain of command, orders passing from one group to another. The term "bound at" is rendered "bound in" in the King James Version, which better describes what is happening here. The Godhead is in control of setting the times and avenues of judgment, as will be seen again in chapter sixteen, verse twelve. The great river Euphrates symbolizes the Holy Spirit; the word "river" means "the effects of the operation of the Holy Spirit in and through the believer and the word." In the Old Testament, the boundary between Israel and the east, believers and gentiles; was the river Euphrates. It was the life-flow of Babylon and flowed through the Garden of Eden. Therefore, it symbolizes the river of life separating believers from non-believers.
The angels who were to bring harm at certain times of history [times and harm set by the Godhead], were released at those times to kill [spiritually] in any way whatsoever. They were to destroy and allow a third of mankind to perish. This is the cold third [spiritually dead] of mankind, which is spoken about in chapter three, verse fifteen. The second third is the church [hot], and the last third are those who think they are saved, but are not [lukewarm]. God is still interested in the lukewarm, knowing that some of them belong to Him. "A third," is symbolic of the three plagues of Babylon. Here in chapter nine God reveals the quantity and the type of destruction He is using.
Their description is one of insufficiency, which are the carnal inclinations in their spirits. "I heard the number of them," was used in chapter seven, verse four, in reference to identifying the church. Here it is used to identify what these people are like, i.e., all of this third are carnal. "Two hundred million" means, "the insufficiency of the seed in man [carnal man], who is opposed to God."
17-21 And this is how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them: {the riders} had breastplates {the color} of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone. A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone, which proceeded out of their mouths. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents and have heads; and with them they do harm. And the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.
John is now going to define the appearance of the spirits, and those who receive them. Their covering was judgment, affliction, calamity, and the wrath of God. These spirits have as their lord, Satan, who is like a lion. Moreover, what came out of their hearts and souls produced the torment of God upon them. John saw what the spirits of men [riders] and what the spirits that carried them [horses, Antichrist spirit and false prophet] were doing. Their king was Satan, who is like a roaring lion, trying to devour someone. The things coming out of their mouths, that which was in their hearts and souls, brought judgment by affliction and calamity, producing the torment of God. God has allowed this, to execute His purpose, which is to get some to seek Him and repent.
A third of mankind, those mentioned earlier in this chapter, were put to death [spiritual death] through the torment of God [fire, smoke and brimstone are symbolic of the lake of fire] because of what was in their hearts and souls. They are "carnal". The destruction of these spirits is the lies in their hearts and souls. Their lies are like Satan's, for his image is in them, and they act unjustly.
The rest of mankind, the lukewarm third, who were not killed [spiritually] by these torments of God did not turn to God to receive forgiveness. They were helped by Satan, the Antichrist spirit, to worship demons, the gods of the unbelievers, and the image of heathen gods made of things which cannot hear the voice of God or have life. They worshiped dead things instead of the Living God! [Isa 2:8 Their land has also been filled with idols; they worship the work of their hands, that which their fingers have made].
And the unbelievers did not turn away from causing men to be slain or from their poisoning, or idolatry, or of stealing from God [Jer 5:3 O LORD, do not Thine eyes look for truth? Thou hast smitten them, {but} they did not weaken; Thou hast consumed them, but they refused to take correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; they have refused to repent]. These people were led by the false prophets' lies, and did not have any remorse to repent from stealing God's rightful place as Lord.
There is a third of mankind [cold] who are the false prophets, false teachers and kings of the earth. They are opposed to Christ, and are called "the beast of the earth, the false church." The other two thirds, of which God's church are a third [hot], either belong to Christ or are serving the lust of their flesh. However, God has not killed [permanent spiritual separation] the lukewarm third yet.
TIMING: Verses thirteen through twenty will go on until Jesus comes again.
1-7 And I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire; and he had in his hand a little book which was open. And he placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land; and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars; and when he had cried out, the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices. And when the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; and I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken, and do not write them." And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, that there shall be delay no longer, but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets.
"Another" does not always mean a different angel that has not been seen before. This messenger was "strong" and "came down out of heaven," terms used only in the New Testament and most often in reference to Jesus. He is clothed in a cloud, the cloud that led the Israelites in the wilderness. His covenant [rainbow] is an identifier of His type of Lordship. His face was one of a man, that of righteousness, a person who expiates sins. He was the light of the world. By the identifiers, we know this messenger as the Lord Jesus. So, there is no confusion here about angels and who they are, let me clarify this subject by saying the word "angel" often refers to a messenger and can be any person. The word "angel" can also mean "pastor." Really, anyone who brings a message or is an envoy of God can be called an angel. Jesus is referred to here as an angel only because He is the messenger, not because He is a created being, or less than God is.
This book was apparently smaller than the book of the seven seals, and this one was already open. The "foot on," reflects something overcome, which here is the area between heaven and the earth, Satan’s dwelling place and the world. He spoke as the Lion of Judah and the Godhead when they speak. After the Godhead had spoken, John was about to write, as he had been earlier instructed to do; but he was told not to write these things spoken by the Godhead.
Jesus, who created heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things in them and who overcame the sea and the world swore by Himself, that there should be no more delay. [John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." I Jn 2:14 I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. Heb 6:13 For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself]. Now the mystery of God [Jesus] has been revealed to His servants the prophets. His prophets then revealed Him to the saints by speaking or writing the word under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. [Col 2:2-3 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Luke 24:44 Now He said to them, "These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled"]. The mystery revealed by the prophets is that Jesus is God, came to earth as man [God manifested in the flesh] and is now God the Almighty in heaven.
8-11 And the voice which I heard from heaven, {I heard} again speaking with me, and saying, "Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land." And I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. And he said to me, "Take it, and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth, it will be sweet as honey." And I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it, and it was in my mouth sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. And they said to me, "You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings."
John was instructed to go and take the book out of Jesus' hand, the one who overcame Satan and the world. John was then instructed "to eagerly take" its entire contents into his innermost soul, digesting it as the Word of God. "To make bitter" is figurative of severe political or providential events. "Honey" is figurative of the Word of God, and is described as spiritually delectable to the heart and soul. Honey is also a symbol of abundance.
This is the Word of God given to and rejected by some of the people of Israel. [Ezek 3:1-4 Then He said to me, "Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel." So, I opened my mouth, and He fed me this scroll. And He said to me, "Son of man, feed your stomach, and fill your body with this scroll which I am giving you." Then I ate it, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth. Then He said to me, "Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them. Ezek 3:7 yet the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, since they are not willing to listen to Me. Surely the whole house of Israel is stubborn and obstinate. Ezek 3:14 So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away; and I went embittered in the rage of my spirit, and the hand of the LORD was strong on me]. This did happen, as is revealed in the next chapter. John was told by the Godhead, to write of Jesus to all peoples. Those who have an ear to hear, hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
TIMING: Verses one through ten have happened. Eleven is ongoing until Jesus comes again.
THOUGHT BREAKS HERE
SUMMARY: An overview of spiritual and natural forces on the earth has been revealed in chapters one through ten. Some started at Adam's time and will continue until the end of the age. Others started at Jesus' time and will continue until the end of the age. In addition, some were only for a season. The rest of the mystery of God will be revealed in the next chapters. God speaks of the time between Jesus' birth and the new heaven and earth, i.e., Jesus’ birth and the end of the age.
1-2 And there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, "Rise and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and those who worship in it. And leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread underfoot the holy city for forty-two months.
John was given a measuring rod to judge [measure] by a standard. The standard, called "the staff of God" in the Old Testament, is Jesus, who is revealed later in this chapter. He measured all in the Holy of Holies, where only priests can go, and the priests [the church] got there through the cross on which Christ suffered an expiatory death. To eat of this altar, that is, to appropriate to oneself the fruits of Christ's expiatory death, reveals those who belong to Christ. Christ's people are the temple of God, the dwelling place of God, His church [2Cor 6:16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people]. Those who enter give homage to God and the ascended Christ. [Isa 28:17 "And I will make justice the measuring line, and righteousness the level; then hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the secret place].
In chapter seven the church was sealed and numbered. Now the church is being measured to see if they meet the standard set by Christ, which is to be holy. They pass the test because they have taken on His image, which is one of holiness. [1Pet 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for {God's} own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light]. The temple is the dwelling place of God. The altar [Christ], symbolizes the sacrifice [Jesus' death] made for those who came through Him both in heaven and on earth. These people are spoken of as being under the altar, as seen in chapter six, verse nine.
"And leave out the uncovered, the faithless Christians, for they have been given to those not worshiping the true God, to treat with insult and contempt. They will desecrate the holy city, which is the abode of the blessed, normally referred to as Jerusalem, by devastation and outrage for the total time the church is on the earth [symbolized by forty-two months]. The altar of God's temple, Jesus, and the church will be tried by those who are outside the covering of God, the unbelievers, who throughout history have tried to destroy the dwelling place of God, His people, and their city. [Dan 8:13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to that particular one who was speaking, "How long will the vision {about} the regular sacrifice apply, while the transgression causes horror, so as to allow both the holy place and the host to be trampled?].
3-6 "And I will grant {authority} to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth." These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. And if anyone desires to harm them, fire proceeds out of their mouth and devours their enemies; and if anyone would desire to harm them, in this manner he must be killed. These have the power to shut up the sky, in order that rain may not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to smite the earth with every plague, as often as they desire.
The two witnesses are the faithful interpreters of God's counsel [John 8:17 "Even in your law it has been written, that the testimony of two men is true]. They are the two prophets of verse ten of this chapter. They will act like prophets for the days of Jesus' ministry [twelve hundred sixty days], mourning for those of Israel who are being cut off. These are not two men, but two members of the Godhead functioning here: The Spirit [Holy Spirit] and the Word [Jesus]. They are the "two" ["two" number of Jesus] olive trees [that which produces oil for the lamps, oil being symbolic of the Holy Spirit]. These two are Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The "two" [number of Jesus] lampstands, [that which holds the oil] are Jesus and the church, [the two anointed ones of the New Testament] who stand before the God of the earth. Earth symbolizes people who can be cultivated, i.e., saved. [Acts 10:38 "{You know of} Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and {how} He went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed by the devil; for God was with Him. 2Cor 1:21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God]. So, the words of Jesus are confirmed by the written word of God in the Old Testament and the witness of the Holy Spirit. The church, which is also called "a lampstand," becomes just that after Jesus ascended to heaven and the Holy Spirit is given to them. The happenings in the first part of this chapter occurred before Jesus' death.
If any man desires to damage them, the word [knowledge] of God, which is in the heart and soul, will destroy the hostile one in many different ways. The two witnesses have the power to cause heaven to withhold rain [salvation, to be washed by the word] during the days of Jesus' ministry. [Luke 24:44 Now He said to them, "These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled"]. They have power over the people, to take their life and to sting the inhabitants of the earth with torment sent by God as punishment, as they desire. As the Holy Spirit in Jesus reveals the truth for twelve hundred and sixty days [the same as in Elijah's time] many of Israel will reject it and God will smite them as He sees fit. Jesus chooses whom to withhold life from by shutting up the rain [the Holy Spirit] from heaven to those who are perishing. [John 5:21 "For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes]. It is important to note here that the torment of God is a tormenting of the soul.
7-10 And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them. And their dead bodies {will lie} in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. And those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations {will} look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. And those who dwell on the earth {will} rejoice over them and make merry; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth
When the witnesses fulfilled their duty of testifying; Satan, who fought against Christ, killed Him by force. It should be noted here that when things are done by force that they are not always what God prefers. Sometimes they are allowed so those doing these things can be held accountable, as in this case. This verse reflects Christ's death on the cross. Satan, at that time thought he had won. God's plan was to give His power to the church. The slain body of Christ was in an open place of the city of Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit gave revelation regarding these cities. It is where Jesus was crucified. Jerusalem rejected Jesus, as Sodom and Egypt had rejected God. When they rejected Christ, they rejected the Holy Spirit of promise, whom they had been looking for, but could not see because of their self-righteousness. [Ps 79:2 They have given the dead bodies of Thy servants for food to the birds of the heavens, the flesh of Thy godly ones to the beasts of the earth].
All the unbelieving peoples will discern the meaning of the slain One's death for three and a half days, actual time, ["three and one half" means "matter determined by the Godhead"]. They would not let Him be put in a place of remembrance. These people would not allow the Spirit and the Word to have a place of remembrance in their hearts. And those who have their hearts and minds set on earthly things will be glad, and will send gifts [of their mouths, saying good riddance] to one another because the Spirit and the Word in Jesus are gone. He brought spiritual torment to them. Those of the Pharisee and other unbelievers who rejected Jesus as the Messiah were glad when He was crucified because they thought His doctrines would die off with His death. They actually thought they had killed an enemy of God [Jn 16:2 "They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God].
11-14 And after the three and a half days the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were beholding them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies beheld them. And in that hour, there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; and seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe is past; behold, the third woe is coming quickly.
After three and a half days the Spirit entered into and remained in the two witnesses and great fear came upon those who saw them. They are not two individuals, but two members of the Godhead [the Holy Spirit and the Word] functioning together through Jesus. A voice, of the Father in heaven, said "Come up here" and they went into heaven in the cloud, which led the Israelites in the wilderness. Those whom they were hostile to, discerned clearly who they were. His enemies beheld Him. This was revealed in chapter nine where the unsaved of Israel came to the knowledge of who He was and that they were cut off. The Pharisees are an example.
At that time, actually the time when Christ was crucified and again at His resurrection, there were great natural earthquakes. [Mt 27:54 Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they felt the earthquake and saw the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!" Matt 28:2 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it]. Earthquakes are symbolic of the change of authority in the spirit realm. There were seven thousand killed; the number "seven thousand" means, "the fullness of God with this seed [people] is completed," i.e. the lost of Israel. Seven thousand is not a quantity necessarily, but an identifier of those of unbelieving Israel who are cut off. The number killed may well have been an actual number, along with identifying what God was doing in the spirit. The remnant of Israel was filled with great fear because they understood what was taking place and they glorified God.
The second interjection of grief and denunciation has ended. It was similar to the first and dealt with the same people, unbelieving Israel. The third grief is coming soon. It will be revealed in the next chapter.
15-19 And the seventh angel sounded; and there arose loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become {the kingdom} of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever." And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, "We give Thee thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who art and who wast, because Thou hast taken Thy great power and hast begun to reign. "And the nations were enraged, and Thy wrath came, and the time {came} for the dead to be judged, and {the time} to give their reward to Thy bond-servants the prophets and to the saints and to those who fear Thy name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth." And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm.
The seventh judgment [seven the number of completion] is introduced by the last trumpet. Voices in heaven proclaimed Jesus as the triumphant Messiah of the universe including, the world. He is God the Messiah and the Son of God who will reign as Messiah forever, as seen in verse seventeen. The heavenly court of elders, who sit on their thrones, worshiped God, proclaiming thanks to Jesus because He has begun to reign. When we see the twenty-four elders, they are most often worshiping God. Here the exultation of the twenty-four elders is in response to verse fifteen.
TIMING: This has happened.
The people who are not worshiping the true God, the kings of the earth who are the false church are angry. God's retribution and punishment, has come. The time has come for the dead to be judged according to their righteousness or unrighteousness. The time to give the fruit resulting from toils and endeavors, to the bride of Christ, regardless of their stature in the body has come. The killing of the men who inhabit the earth, the outer court of verse two has also come. The "nations" referred to in this verse are all the unbelieving nations [Gentiles], and those of Israel who are not part of the remnant. This section is an overview of things to be revealed in detail in later chapters.
"God's wrath came" will be explained in chapters 14, 16 and 20. "Time for the dead to be judged" will be explained in chapters 17, 18 and 20. "Saints to receive their reward" will be explained in chapters 19 and 20. "Destroy those who destroy the earth" will be covered in chapters 18 and 20.
The temple of God [the new Jerusalem] was opened which normally means judgment is coming. God has left the earthly Jerusalem. God's covenant [Jesus] appeared with His church and the presence of God and the voice of the Godhead were heard. There was a change of authority, which was divine judgment. The results of this judgment will be seen in later chapters.
TIMING: Still to come.
THOUGHT BREAKS HERE. EXPLANATIONS COMING.
1-6 And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads {were} seven diadems. And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven, and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth, he might devour her child. And she gave birth to a son, a male {child} who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she might be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
A remarkable event, which is soon to happen appeared in heaven; a wife, the bride of the Lamb, "the righteousness of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit." [Hosea 2:19-20 "And I will betroth you to me forever; yes, I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in loving kindness and in compassion, and I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. Then you will know the LORD], clothed in righteousness [Gal 3:27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ]. Her Lord came through the twelve tribes. Here the "stars" are persons in exalted stations who are symbolized by the twelve tribes. Twelve the number of "God's divine government" is represented by the twelve tribes.
The bride of the Lamb is travailing in birth to bring forth fruit from the seed. Jesus is the seed [I Jn 3:9 No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God]. The remarkable thing that is about to happen is a woman, i.e., the church, is about to be give birth to Jesus. Jesus, the seed, was being birthed because the church needed a Savior, someone Holy to atone for her sin. The church becomes righteous because she takes on the righteousness of her husband, Jesus, and will be ruled by Christ [through the Holy Spirit] who is the divine perfecter of creation.
Another remarkable event that is soon to happen appeared in heaven: a red dragon, Satan, having the color of fire, i.e., judgment, which is where he goes in the end, into the lake of fire. The seven kingdoms [heads] and ten kings [horns] will be examined in chapter seventeen. All these kings and kingdoms have some authority; "head" reveals lordship and "diadems" authority. His lies drew away a third of the angels and they fell to earth, being first revealed in chapter six, verse thirteen. Satan was waiting for the church to birth Jesus, so he might consume Him. In the last chapter this was exactly what Satan tried to do, kill the Spirit of Truth. Satan was able to sell his lies to a third of the angels and they were forced to leave heaven along with him. He tried to destroy Jesus at birth as seen in Matthew chapter two, verses one through sixteen. [Matt 2:13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise and take the Child and His mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him." Matt 2:16 Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its environs, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the magi].
The church gave birth to the Son of God, who has all authority in heaven and on the earth and will rule over the unbelieving nations with the severest and most rigorous rule. Jesus was caught up to God, the Governor of the world. The previous chapter revealed that Jesus is crucified and rose from the dead. He goes to be with the Father so he can send the Holy Spirit into His church. The church needed atonement for sin, [Jesus], so God birthed His Son just for that purpose. Therefore, in this chapter where it appears the church did the work, they did not, but actually God did the work because the church had the need and was His bride. The bride of the Lamb sought safety in the spirit realm, which was ordained by God as a blessing, that she might be supported for the time of Jesus' ministry. It is not revealed here exactly what God did during this time but we know He later, after Jesus' resurrection, gave the church the Holy Spirit in power and comfort.
7-12 And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. And the dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God, day and night. And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death. For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has {only} a short time."
It appears that when Jesus returned to heaven, there was a war between the guardian angel of Israel and his angels, and Satan and his angels. Satan's group was conquered, and the place they once had a right to, which is heaven, was taken away. Satan who leads away from the truth and leads into error, the deceiver was forced to stay within a certain area where one sets his foot, which is with the habitation of men, and his angels went with him. This is a detailed explanation of chapter six verse thirteen [and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind]. It is also an explanation of verse eleven of chapter nine [they have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is "Abaddon", and in the Greek he has the name "Apollyon"]. We also see the fulfillment of John twelve, thirty-one ["Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world shall be cast out]. What happened here is just part of Satan's and his angel's judgment. Their final judgment is the lake of fire, which has been pronounced by God but not carried out yet. "Now" means "something beginning." The nature of Christ is conferred on Christians and the authority of influence and the rights of privilege are given to the church. For the Devil, who accused the Christians before God continually, has been thrown down to the earth. Now the saving grace of God has come to the church, which will now walk in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Devil will no longer accuse them before the Father, because he has been cut down from heaven to earth, and Jesus now makes intercession for the brethren. [Heb 7:25 Hence, also, He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them]. This kingdom of Christ has been established.
The saints, overcame, those who hold fast their faith even unto death, against the power of their foes and temptations and persecutions. The saints are victorious because of the blood of Jesus, which atones for their sin and because Jesus testifies for them before the Father. Their hearts are not set on earthly things, and they are slain, even as Jesus has been slain. [Rev 6:9 And when He broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained. Rom 8:36 Just as it is written, "For Thy sake we are being put to death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered"]. This is ongoing and will continue until Jesus comes again.
Heaven is rejoicing over Satan and his angels' departure. The inhabitants of the earth, the unsaved and those of the sea, Satan's dwelling place, are going to be involved with his fierceness for he only has a short time until Jesus comes again at the end of the age. Those who dwell in heaven may include the church, for that is where the hearts and minds of the church are set. [Col 3:2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth]. Here the word "devil" is used for Satan, who has had some judgment pronounced upon him by being cast out of heaven. He is aware he has only a short time until he goes into the lake of fire. JESUS CAN COME AGAIN AT ANY TIME!
13-17 And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male {child.} And the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, in order that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth. And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
When Satan understood that he could not return to heaven, he hostilely pursued the church. The church brought forth the Son of God through their need for Him. Jesus ["two" the number of Jesus], through the Holy Spirit, gave the protection of God to the church because of God's great love and care for His people. She went swiftly into the spiritual realm, her place ordained of God for blessings, to have support for a time and times and a half time [forty-two months] to be away from the presence of Satan. The number forty-two is symbolic of the amount of time the church is on the earth. This verse helps us better understand verse six, where God had given special help to the church during the ministry of Jesus, twelve hundred sixty days, and after that time the Holy Spirit was given to the church. That special help was that God kept the serpent [Satan] from being able to see His church. The term "time, times and half a time " reflects both twelve hundred sixty days and forty-two months. The first being the time of Jesus ministry, three and one-half years, and the second symbolizing the amount of time the church is on the earth. "Forty" meaning "the time of testing," and "two," the number of Jesus, which reflects the testing of Jesus' body, the church. In the last three verses, Satan has been called the devil, dragon, and serpent, establishing his name as any one of the three.
The Devil spoke out false doctrines that sound like the true inheritance, so the church might drown in his deceptive lies. Satan was using the Pharisees and false prophets and teachers of false doctrines about salvation to lead men away from the water of life to the water of deception. [John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me]. It is very important to note that there is no other way to salvation except through Jesus Christ. The false doctrines that the Antichrist spirit [Satan] puts forth, all deal with this one precise point. He will get men to believe there are many ways to receive atonement for their sin, i.e., such as good works. The inhabitants of the earth, unbelievers, helped the church by opening their hearts and souls to drink the false river of inheritance which Satan, the Antichrist spirit spoke. The unbelievers grossly exercised their false inheritance, so the early church could easily discern between the true inheritance and the counterfeit.
Satan was enraged with the church and went off to war with the remnant, which includes converted Gentiles, who believe in Jesus. [Eph 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual {forces} of wickedness in the heavenly {places.} Rev 13:7 And it was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome [slay] them; and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him] [I Jn 3:23 And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us]. They have the Spirit of prophecy, i.e., the Holy Spirit of promise.
TIMING: Verses one through sixteen have happened. Seventeen is still ongoing until Jesus comes again.
The Beast of the earth, is the Antichrist [false] church of the earth.
Chapter thirteen begins to reveal the Antichrist spirit, the man of lawlessness spoken of in 2Thes 2:1-12. "Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him, that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness [sin; see 1Jn 3:4] is revealed, the son of destruction [Satan], who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God displaying himself as being God. ["Temple of God" = man; See 1Cor 3:16. The Holy Spirit dwells in us]. Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he may be revealed. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he [the Holy Spirit] who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. And then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one who's coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. And for this reason, God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.
Chapter thirteen also explains the war mentioned in chapter twelve, verse seventeen. The first ten verses reveal a spiritual kingdom. Verses eleven through eighteen reveal the emergence of an earthly kingdom of false prophets, teachers and men who receive the mark of the beast, which is explained in detail in following chapters. Satan's overall plan is to copy God's plan, which is establishing an earthly kingdom of men backed by a spiritual personage. God uses the Holy Spirit. Satan uses the Antichrist spirit [himself].
1-4 And he stood on the sand of the seashore. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns {were} ten diadems, and on his heads {were} blasphemous names. And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like {those} of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. And {I saw} one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed {and followed} after the beast; and they worshiped the dragon, because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?"
John sees an innumerable multitude. As one who would stand and look into the vastness of the sea. Coming out of the sea [the dwelling place of Satan] a beast [Satan] having ten kings [horns] and seven kingdoms [heads] and the kings had ten [number of testing] diadems [symbol of authority] and the kingdoms were against God. The beast, who is spiritual [Satan], is the anti-God personage referred to in scripture as the Antichrist. The Antichrist's kingdom is being established according to Daniel's vision. [Dan 7:23 "Thus he said: 'The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the {other} kingdoms, and it will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it"]. The only purpose of this kingdom is to speak injurious doctrines [false doctrines] against the Word of God [Jesus] and get the nations to worship Satan. The beast, which is the Antichrist spirit, intends to deceive men. [1Jn 4:3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; and this is the spirit of the Antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world]. We will see this Beast [the Antichrist spirit] carrying Babylon in chapter seventeen. These kings and kingdoms are also explained there. The Antichrist spirit is already in the world and is known as the spirit of the Antichrist, i.e., Satan. As the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, so is the Antichrist spirit the spirit of Satan.
The beast [the Antichrist spirit, Satan] was as a leopard [was like peace, but was not real peace but a false peace, i.e., the peace the world gives]. His feet were like a bear [suffice for sin, false salvation] and his mouth spoke what was in his heart and soul, which was to devour by lies. The dragon gave the beast his authority, the authority God has allowed Satan to exercise while he is on the earth. The Antichrist spirit is carrying a message of false peace, along with a false suffice for sin, which are lies that will devour those who receive his doctrines. Satan gives this his full support, symbolized by the "throne and authority," to this spirit of lies. This is the deception mentioned by God in Rv 18:4. [And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, that you may not participate in her sins and that you may not receive of her plagues]. Deception is Satan's plan for he is a deceiver and a liar. [Rev 20:3 and threw him [Satan] into the abyss, and shut {it} and sealed {it} over him, so that he should not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time].
John saw one of the kingdoms as if it had been smitten to death [final judgment]. But this kingdoms final judgment was delayed for a time, and the whole earth, those whose names are not written in the book of life, follow the beast [the Antichrist spirit] in wonderment. This is one of the seven kingdoms', actually the last, [five have fallen, one is Roman]. The Roman kingdom was still in power during the time the book of Revelation was written, but later fell. The seventh is a spiritual kingdom different from the others. See chapter seventeen, verses nine through fourteen, in this manuscript. The beast [Satan], which is himself also an eighth, rules over all seven kingdoms [known as beast of the earth]. These six previous kingdoms and the last the seventh, have all been under the spiritual influence of the beast [Satan] as the first six were Anti-God kingdoms and the seventh is an Antichrist kingdom. It is important to note here that the word "beast" refers to the name of Satan, and / or to any action, he is behind. Satan's final judgment was determined when he was cast out of heaven, but has been delayed for a season. He was given some authority, which God has purposed, to establish this earthly kingdom of deception, which again is formulated after Jesus' kingdom; a physical kingdom of men backed by a spiritual personage. The earth [the inhabitants of], whose names are not written in the Lamb's book of life, follow the beast in wonderment, not because they saw him healed, but because his deception is so great. [Matt 24:24 "For false Christ's and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect]. The number ten, in reference to "the horns" of verse one, identifies that this is the hour of testing for the earth as mentioned in chapter three, verse ten.
They worshiped Satan because he gave his power to the beast. And they worshiped the Antichrist spirit by mocking God in saying "Who is like the beast and who is able to overcome him." This is the heart and mind-set of those who worship the image of the beast [Satan] rather than the image of God [Jesus]. These doctrines were very strong because they appealed to man's sin nature, i.e., fleshly lusts. [1Tim 4:1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons. James 4:1 What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? 1Pet 2:11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul].
5-10 And there was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies; and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, {that is} those who dwell in heaven. And it was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them; and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, {everyone} whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. If anyone has an ear, let him hear. If anyone {is destined} for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.
And there was given, by God, authority to the Antichrist spirit to speak proud [presumptuous] things, full of arrogance, things derogatory of God for forty-two months [symbolic of the time the church is on the earth]. The things, which were in Satan's heart and soul were impious and reproachful speech against God and His sacrifice for sin, Jesus, who dwell in heaven. God allows Satan the authority to speak against Him and the church through the Antichrist spirit of the false prophets, demons and Satan's image [Babylon]. This is allowed for the allotted time the church is on the earth as is mentioned in the book of Daniel. [Dan 7:25 'And he will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time [i.e., forty-two months]].
The Antichrist spirit fought against the saints and killed them [physical death]. This physical death comes about because of the sin nature in every person. This authority to kill men [physical death], because of sin was given to him over all of mankind. The war made with the saints that overcomes them [physical death], is the requirement of God for sin. Flesh cannot enter the kingdom of heaven because God has condemned sin in our flesh, that the requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us [Rom 8:3-4], and because we are crucified with Christ. [Rom 6:6-8 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with {Him,} that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him]. We die physically because our flesh is sold into bondage to sin and it cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. Because of this, God holds Satan responsible for our death. [Rev 17:6 And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. And when I saw her, I wondered greatly. Rev 18:24 "And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth"]. This fact of death was spoken about in chapter six, verse nine, where all saints are slain because of the word of God. Satan is not strong enough to keep the saints from salvation, as seen in verse eight, but he does have the authority to try. [I Jn 5:19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in {the power of} the evil one. Rev 12:11 "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death]. Those who do not belong to God will be deceived and suffer spiritual death, the lake of fire, and the second death, of chapter twenty, verses six and fourteen.
"All those who dwell on the earth," which means "co-habit" [implies their hearts and minds are set on the earthly things], will worship the Antichrist spirit [Satan]. They are those, whose names have not been written in the Lamb's book of life, who was put to death by violence. For those who belong to Christ set their minds on the things of God, i.e., the things of heaven. Those who do not belong to Christ will worship Satan by receiving his image and the number of his name on their foreheads. [Rev 15:2 And I saw, as it were, a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had come off victorious from the beast and from his image and from the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God]. Those who belong to God will not receive Satan's mark, but will receive God's name on their foreheads which will be revealed in the next chapter. The church was numbered and identified in chapter seven, measured in chapter eleven according to God's holiness, and in chapter fourteen will be seen with God's name on their foreheads.
"If anyone can understand, let him yield obedience to the voice." This term has not been used since the messenger had John write it to the churches in chapters two and three, and so is a message for the church. If anyone is destined for captivity, the victory of Christ over the enemies of Himself and His kingdom, to the kingdom he goes. [Eph 4:8 Therefore it says, "When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, and He gave gifts to men"]; if anyone puts to death by attacks [on the kingdom], with the sword [word of God] he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and faith of the saints, i.e., to be slain for the kingdom [Rev 14:12-13 Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, "Write, 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!'" "Yes," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them"]. The saints of God are going into His captivity, His victory. In addition, judgment, the sword, is coming for those who cause their death. [Rev 19:21 And the rest were killed with the sword [Word of God] which came from the mouth of Him who sat upon the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh]. The perseverance of the saints is to die in the Lord.
TIMING: The Antichrist spirit is here now. He is at work deceiving those whom he can, and warring with the saints as to be the cause of their physical death. He has the right to lie, to test them. The world will continue in this mode until Jesus comes at the end of the age.
11-14 And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. And he performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life.
And John saw another beast [under the dominion of Satan], something natural, the false church made up of men and it had two kings, who had the appearance of the Lamb and they spoke as Satan, i.e., they spoke lies. This beast, known as destruction [the name of Satan], comes up out of the earth, who are men, i.e., the false prophets and false Christ’s. The two horns appear as the Christ, and/or Christians, and carry the message of the dragon, which are lies [John 8:44 "You are of {your} father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own {nature;} for he is a liar, and the father of lies].
This beast is like the first, in that Satan gives his full support and authority to the false church that is under his control, and they worship the Antichrist spirit [Satan]. [Eph 2:2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience]. Satan appeared to be finished when he was thrown out of heaven, but God allowed him to exercise this authority for a time of testing on the earth until Jesus comes again. The false apostles, prophets, teachers and Christ's receive their authority from Satan and are in his presence and under his control. Their function is to get men to worship Satan. Jesus' plan for His church is again copied, for the church of the Lamb receives authority from Christ and they are in His presence and come off victorious from the beast. [Matt 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Luke 10:19 "Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall injure you].
And the false church performs miracles and wonders by the false prophets and false Christ's so that they even make the appearance of purification come down out of heaven in the sight and hearing of men. However, it is a fake. These great signs are best described by Matt 24:24 ["For false Christ's and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect"]. The word "fire" means "to purify," so the false church was saying that they had the authority of heaven in their doctrines to purify men, i.e., to expiate sin. Many cults and religious sects claim this today. Satan leads away from truth, by deception, those whose minds and hearts are set on earthly things. He does this through the miracles and wonders done by the false prophets and teachers who do these things by the authority of the beast. They tell those whose hearts and minds are set on earthly things to make a likeness of the beast [Satan], whose image is Babylon the harlot, who was cast down out of heaven and has been given some authority temporarily. Again, Satan's plan to deceive the world [2Jn 1:7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ {as} coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the Antichrist] is revealed and will be received by men, except for those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. He uses his prophets and teachers under his authority to get those who dwell on the earth to make an image [one in whom the likeness of any one is seen]. To make themselves like him, and take on his image, just as the followers of Jesus, take on Jesus' image. [Rom 8:29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined {to become} conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren. 2Pet 1:4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of {the} divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust].
15-18 And there was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast might even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the freemen and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand, or on their forehead, and {he provides} that no one should be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, {either} the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.
SATAN'S INTENT: Verses 15-17
Dan 7:25 "And he will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time."
There was given, by the false church, life to Satan's representation. They took on his image, the image of Babylon the harlot [who will be revealed in chapters seventeen and eighteen]. So that the personality of Satan might even receive authority to speak and cause all those who do not worship the beast to be killed. Mankind either takes on Satan’s image or is crucified with Christ and takes on His image. Life was granted to the image of the beast by God. The beast used this authority to try to get men to worship him, and those who would not, had to give up their lives to God and be crucified [slain] with Christ. [Rom 6:6-8 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with {Him,} that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him].
The beast, Satan, causes all stature of men to receive his mark stamped on their foreheads [symbolic of the mind] and their right hands [symbolic of authority] as the badge of the followers of the Antichrist. This mark is like the mark Christians receive, the name of God on their foreheads and the mind of Christ. They think and act like Jesus and are given authority by Him. [Rom 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Deut 11:18 "You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontals on your forehead]. Likewise, Satan's church receives his name on [in] their foreheads [think and act as he does] and move according to the authority which has been granted to him by God. [Ps 144:8 Whose mouths speak deceit, and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood].
Satan provides that no one should be redeemed or to sell [ultimately purchase from God by selling themselves to Him] except those who have the mark of his name or his number [both mean identities]. His lie is that his doctrine is ordained from heaven and is God's plan for salvation, and to think and act like he does will make you righteous. Self-righteousness is his cry! [Rom 10:3 For not knowing about God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God]. However, God's plan is just the opposite, as we might suspect. One which says, " I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich, and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see" Rv 3:18. SELL OURSELVES TO GOD IS GOD'S CRY! [Rev 14:9-10 And another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or upon his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. Rev 15:2 And I saw, as it were, a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had come off victorious from the beast and from his image and from the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God].
This is wisdom: the intelligence evinced in discovering the meaning of some mysterious number or vision. Let him who understands, who has the intellectual faculty to understand, calculate the number, the identifier of this false church; it is that of man identifying himself as God. [Rev 1:3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near]. Satan's plan is to get men to act like God themselves. This was his plan for himself from the beginning. [Isa 14:14 'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High']. In desiring to accomplish that, he has established his seat in the temple of God, that is the bodies [minds] of [unbelieving] men, which God had originally purposed, as His temple. [1Cor 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?]. His number, 666, identifies his plan, meaning "man as God."
TIMING: Is ongoing, ending when Jesus comes at the end of the age.
1-5 And I looked, and behold, the Lamb {was} standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard {was} like {the sound} of harpists playing on their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth. These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. These {are} the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. And no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless.
This chapter is a further explanation of chapter eleven verse eighteen.
John saw Jesus the Lamb with the church triumphant [Mount Zion]. Those who had escaped to safety and are saved, are identified by the number one hundred forty-four thousand [identifies who they are, not a quantity]. They have Jesus' name and the name of His Father written on their minds, symbolic of being sealed, i.e., those sealed in chapter seven. [Rev 7:4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel. Rev 7:9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation and {all} tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches {were} in their hands]. John saw the triumphant church standing with the Lamb, who was the slain Lamb of chapter five and is now seen as the victorious Lamb, Jesus. All the church was with Him, and the name of the Father, and Jesus' new name were written on them, establishing whom they belonged to.
He heard a voice like the voice of God, and it was a voice of song, praise and worship. The church sang a new song, [probably the song of chapter fifteen, verse three], before the Governor of the world, Jesus. They sang before the symbol of redeemed creation, the four creatures, and the members of the heavenly court, the elders. No one could understand the meaning of the song except the one hundred forty-four thousand who had been purchased, by the blood of the Lamb, from the earth
The church's singing sounds like the voice of God, angelic voices, because they are in unity and have taken on His image. They show their gratitude for Jesus shedding His blood by singing a song only they could sing, because it was a song of redemption and they were the ones redeemed from the earth by the blood of the Lamb . The church are those who have not been defiled with Babylon. [Rev 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, that you may not participate in her sins and that you may not receive of her plagues; Rev 17:2 with whom the kings of the earth committed {acts of} immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality"]. They have abstained from all uncleanness and whoredom [of Babylon] attendant to idolatry. This church goes wherever Jesus goes for they have been purchased, by the blood of the Lamb, from among mankind as a sacrifice, the best, given to God and to the Lamb. [Num 18:12 "All the best of the fresh oil and all the best of the fresh wine and of the grain, the first fruits of those which they give to the LORD, I give them to you. Rom 8:23 And not only this, but also, we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for {our} adoption as sons, the redemption of our body]. In addition, no intentional falsehood was spoken by them. They are without blemish, faultless and unblameable. These are the saints who have come off victorious from the beast, as seen in chapter fifteen, verse, two and who were not defiled by the great harlot [Babylon] of chapter seventeen. They are the first fruits of God, those that are the best of God's creation, redeemed though a sacrifice [Christ the sacrificial Lamb]. They will follow the Lamb and be with Him forever, there is no falsehood in them, and they are blameless. [Zeph 3:13 "The remnant of Israel will do no wrong and tell no lies, nor will a deceitful tongue be found in their mouths; for they shall feed and lie down with no one to make them tremble." Eph 5:27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless. Jude 1:24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy]. The church has been made blameless because God has reconciled her through Christ.
6-7 And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; and he said with a loud voice, "Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters."
A messenger who occupies the area where what is done can be seen and heard by all, announces the saving purpose, which was decreed by God from eternity to all mankind. The eternal gospel is given from a place where what is done can be seen and heard by all. This gospel has everlasting salvation in an everlasting kingdom brought forth through an everlasting covenant and has been proclaimed to all mankind throughout the ages. God's desire is for all men to be saved. Some received, others suppressed the truth of this gospel. [Rom 1:18-19 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them].
The messenger declares, so all will hear, that men should reverence God and give Him thanks, because the season of His judgment has come. They should pay homage to Him who made those in heaven, those of the earth [unbelievers], those of the sea [Satan and his angels], and those who have eternal life. This eternal gospel message is from the Father, spoken so all can hear and see, but only the church will respond because they are the only ones who have ears to hear and eyes to see. The things that are revealed in the gospel are for the church so she will know and understand God's plan. This will be seen in the next thirteen verses of this chapter. The church is worshiping God, just as the angel proclaims men should do, as seen in chapter fifteen, verse two. The judgment of God is ongoing. [John 3:19 "And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil]. The word "flying" in verse six implies darkness. The Father is telling the church that the world is in darkness and He is light, so His gospel of light is given to those who are in darkness. This is the gospel of the Holy Spirit proclaimed to all men!
8-11 And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality." And another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or upon his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. "And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; and they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name."
A second messenger followed, proclaiming that Babylon, the image of Satan, had been overcome. Babylon is the one who makes all unbelievers partakers in her idolatry "A second one" symbolizes Jesus, the overcomer and judge ["two" the number of Jesus]. "Fallen, fallen" ["two" here means "matter determined by God"] identifies the status of Babylon, the image of the beast, who has fallen from God's grace and is being identified for the church as something unclean. She has been overthrown [overcome], caused to fail, defeated and cast down from a state of prosperity [a state of uprightness], which describes God's purpose for throwing Satan out of heaven
A third one, ["number three" the identifier of the Holy Spirit] says so all can hear. "If anyone pays homage to Satan and his image, Babylon, and receives a mark of his ownership, that person will receive God's wrath, which He gives to the drinker. His anger boils up and soon subsides again, in the fullness of harsh treatment, which is His divine penalty because of man's disobedience and sin." The result of God's wrath is that those who worship Satan will end up in the lake of fire before the eyes of the holy angels and the Lamb. The Holy Spirit proclaims that if anyone receives the mark of the beast he will end up in the lake of fire. [Rv 19:20 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. Rv 20:15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire].
The anger of God, which boils up and then subsides again reflects two thoughts. First, that God does not allow anger to be the principal attribute of His kingdom, and second, that the God of all things, who is righteous in His judgments, is also quick to forgive. It grieves God when He has to remove from His presence those who reject Him. Jesus felt this grief, as He spoke about Jerusalem, during the time that the unbelieving Jews were rejecting Him and were being cut off from His kingdom [Mt 23:37].
The displeasure of their deeds brings grievous pains to them forever, and there is no Sabbath rest, i.e., peace, because they are separated from God; that is, those who worship the beast. God remembers His displeasure with those who belong to Satan, and their torment is to be away from the presence of God forever and ever, for they will never enter His rest. It is important to note here that these are not just men who openly worship Satan, but all that do not belong to God, for those who belong to God enter His rest while still on earth. The breakdown in quantity appears to be one third of mankind saved, belonging to God, and two thirds, unsaved, who belong to Satan. [2Thes 1:9 And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power].
12-13 Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, "Write, 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!'" "Yes," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them."
This is the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings, including death. [Rev 12:11 "And they overcame him [Satan] because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death]. The voice, probably Jesus, says to write, make known to the churches. "Blessed are those who are destitute of a life [a life that recognizes and is devoted to God] because their life is given up to trespasses and sins, but who from now on fellowship and trust in the Lord." [1Pet 4:6 For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to {the will of} God]. "Yes" agrees the Holy Spirit, "that they may be given rest and refreshment from their travail for their acts are righteous now." [Rev 6:11 And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until {the number of} their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, should be completed also].
This is an ongoing happening of those who are dead in sin [spiritually dead] and then repent and die [crucify themselves to Jesus]. These are those who enter into God's rest and rest from the travail of sin, for their deeds [righteous acts] follow with them. These are those who responded to the eternal gospel preached in verses six and seven, and will be seen again, in their blessed state, in the first part of chapter fifteen. [1Pt 4:1-2 Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 1Thes 4:13-18 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of {the} archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words].
14-16 And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud {was} one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head, and a sharp sickle in His hand. And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, "Put in your sickle and reap, because the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe." And He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth; and the earth was reaped.
John looked and saw the cloud, which led the Israelites in the wilderness, the glory of God. Abiding in the cloud was Jesus, having a mark of holiness, with a sharp pruning hook in His hand such as reapers and vinedressers use. The Son of Man, Jesus, comes in His glory [clouds], for He is worthy [white], and He has the authority [crown], to judge righteously. He is the judge of the earth. [John 5:22 "For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son]. Another messenger of the sanctuary spoke, so all could hear, with a message from the Father, one of distress. Said to Jesus who is worthy, "Thrust your pruning hook into another because the time to cut off has come, because the time to destroy the wicked of the earth is here."
Jesus, who is worthy "swung his sickle," a term used of cutting off. The unbelievers of the earth, were cut off. In chapter, sixteen we will see the ongoing cutting off from God of those who do not respond to the gospel. In verses seventeen through twenty of this chapter, we will see their final demise laid open. Jesus swings His sickle over the earth [the ongoing reaping], next the angel swings his sickle to the earth [final reap]. This is the ongoing judgment of Jesus over the earth, the bad fruit; the unsaved who are cut from the vine and die [spiritual death].
17-20 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. And another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, "Put in your sharp sickle, and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe." And the angel swung his sickle to the earth, and gathered {the clusters from} the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses' bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles.
Another angel, with a swift pruning hook, appears with a message from the Father. Yet, another angel, one who had authority to execute the wrath of God, came from the altar of incense, which stood in the sanctuary, the Holy Place. He called with a voice to be heard by all, to the one with the swift pruning hook. Saying "Put in your sickle and gather the bunches, the fruit of the vine of the world, for the fruit of her vine has come to maturity, i.e., their time has come." It appears Jesus does the reaping of the tares in verse fifteen, and now his angels do the reaping of mankind in the final reap at the end of the age. This final reap of the vine of the earth, those who did not receive the gospel, is being revealed and we know them by their fruit and the vine they came from. [Matt 13:37-39 And He answered and said, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, and the field is the world; and {as for} the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil {one;} and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels].
The angel swung this pruning hook to the earth and gathered the vine not of heaven, and it was brought to naught by God's fierce wrath. [Isa 63:3-6 "I have trodden the wine trough alone, and from the peoples there was no man with me. I also trod them in My anger, and trampled them in My wrath; and their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, and I stained all My raiment. "For the day of vengeance was in My heart, and My year of redemption has come. "And I looked, and there was no one to help, and I was astonished and there was no one to uphold; so My own arm brought salvation to me; and My wrath upheld me. "And I trod down the peoples in My anger, and made them drunk in My wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth. Deut 32:32 "For their vine is from the vine of Sodom, and from the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of poison, their clusters, bitter].
The fierce wrath of God came in a single blow, and receivers of the wrath were outside the new Jerusalem. Death [spiritual death and here physical death] came because of His wrath, for they had curbed [rejected] the Holy Spirit, and are identified by their insufficiency to run the race. [Heb 12:1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us]. These people were outside the city [didn't measure up to the standard of chapter eleven, verse two] because they were insufficient in the race [of life] because they curbed [rejected] the Holy Spirit's calling, bringing spiritual death to themselves. This gathering of the tares, are those that did not respond to gospel preached in verses six and seven. This reaping is ongoing with a final reap at the end of the age. [Matt 13:30 'Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn]. This is a foreshadow of chapter nineteen, verse twenty-one, and a further explanation of chapter eleven, verse eighteen; along with what is happening from the beginning of time until Jesus comes at the end of the age.
TIMING: This whole chapter reflects ongoing events, except for verses eighteen through twenty, which are end of the age happenings.
1-4 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels who had seven plagues, {which are} the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished. And I saw, as it were, a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had come off victorious from the beast and from his image and from the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God. And they sang the song of Moses the bond-servant of God and the song of the Lamb, saying, "Great and marvelous are Thy works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Thy ways, Thou King of the nations. Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? For Thou alone art holy; for all the nations will come and worship before Thee, for Thy righteous acts have been revealed."
John saw another remarkable event that is soon to happen, one of amazement joined with terror. Seven [the number of satisfaction] angels who have seven plagues, which torment and cause men's bodies to be destroyed, are sent by God as punishment. These torments are the last trumpet, because in them the anger of God is fulfilled. In this chapter there is revealed a third sign. The first sign was the revelation of the church in chapter twelve, verse one. The second sign was the dragon, revealed in chapter twelve verse three. This third sign reveals the seven plagues of God, which will be examined in chapter sixteen. The understanding is given so the church will know what is happening in the spirit world. This verse also helps us to understand Rv 6:15-17. [And the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come; and who is able to stand?].
There was a multitude of saints at rest [sea of glass], those who had overcome Satan's deception and had not received his likeness or his identification. They had safely escaped through the authority and judgment of God. They are before Him singing songs of praise. The sea of glass is now mixed with fire, symbolic of purification. Seen here, are those who come off victorious from the beast, i.e., those of Rev 7:14. [ And I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Rev 12:11 "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death. Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them. And I {saw} the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years]. They are ready to sing a song of God, which is found in the next two verses. These are the one hundred and forty-four thousand of chapter fourteen, verses one through five.
They sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, the song of the law, and the song of the Lamb, the song of grace. "Great and marvelous are Thy works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and True are Thy ways, Thou King of all nations." This is reflective of Jesus, in chapter one verse eight; who executes the laws of his government, and therefore the law concerning the pardoning of sin as nourishing the soul unto life everlasting. "Who will not reverence, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? For Thou alone are Holy; for all the unbelievers will come and worship in Thy presence [Isa 25:3 Therefore a strong people will glorify Thee; cities of ruthless nations will revere Thee] For Thy judicial decisions have become known." This song is one of the Old Testament saints, incorporated with New Testament saints, proclaiming the forgiveness of sin through the Christ.
5-8 After these things I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened, and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, clothed in linen, clean {and} bright, and girded around their breasts with golden girdles. And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.
After the last revelation the Holy of Holies was seen; the innermost sanctuary, that Christ gave Himself as a ransom [for the church, so she can enter] testified to by the gospel which is in heaven. The Holy of Holies is symbolic of the new Jerusalem, which is the city Abraham was looking for, and all of Christendom yearns for. It is the city of God where He dwells with His people. See chapters twenty-one and twenty-two. Jesus, the ransom for sin, is the tabernacle of testimony which can be seen by those looking for Him. In the Old Testament, Israel has a pattern or foreshadow of Christ [the ransom] in the "tabernacle of the wilderness." [Heb 11:8-10 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign {land} dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. Rev 21:2-3 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them. Acts 7:44 "Our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses directed {him} to make it according to the pattern which he had seen]. The temple [the Lamb] will be among men in the new Jerusalem. [Rev 21:22 And I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple].
The seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the innermost sanctuary, clothed in righteous acts and they were obligated to provide these torments to reveal the truth. These torments were ordained by God because of His promises. And one of the cherubim, symbolic of redeemed creation, gave to the angels seven golden bowls, something that is holy to the Lord, full of the torment of God who lives forever. These bowls will be poured out in the next chapter.
The Holy of Holies, the dwelling place of God, was filled with a bright cloud by which God made manifest to men his presence and power on earth, that is, the Kingly power of God. In addition, no man was able to enter the Holy of Holies until the torments of God were fulfilled. God's presence in His temple, the new Jerusalem, will not be entered by the saints until the seven plagues of chapter sixteen are brought to a close at the end of the age. The saints seen under the altar will all come into the new Jerusalem together at the end of the age when the Holy Spirit is withdrawn from the earth and the plagues stop. [Rev 6:9 And when He broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained]. All life on earth will then end. [Rev 19:21 And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat upon the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh].
TIMING: This whole chapter is ongoing until Jesus comes again at the end of the age.
Rev 14:6-10 And I saw another angel flying in mid-heaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; and he said with a loud voice, "Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters." And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality." And another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or upon his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
1-2 And I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the seven angels, "Go and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God into the earth." And the first {angel} went and poured out his bowl into the earth; and it became a loathsome and malignant sore upon the men who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image.
John heard something that needs to be heard by the church, coming from the Holy of Holies, i.e., the new Jerusalem, saying to the seven angels “Pour out the torment of God into the unbelievers.” The seven plagues, which were revealed in chapter fifteen, verse one, are now poured out, all at the same time, into the occupants of the earth. This is God's last attempt to get men to repent, as we see in verse seventeen. This is an ongoing process until Jesus returns at the end of the age [Ps 79:6 Pour out Thy wrath upon the nations which do not know Thee, and upon the kingdoms which do not call upon Thy name].
The first judgment was poured out and it was a distressing, grievous and disgusting rebellion against God who had made a complete satisfaction for sin. He was rejected by those belonging to Satan. These sores are spiritual, not natural. God has a plan to make a complete satisfaction for the sin of man. What causes distress to these souls, those who belong to Satan, is that they rejected God's plan, and believe a lie, and so they received the mark of the beast. [Rm 1:25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever]. These terms are identifiers of who they are and what their spiritual condition is.
3 And the second {angel} poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood like {that} of a dead man; and every living thing in the sea died.
The second judgment was poured out into Satan's dwelling place, and that of the fallen angels. The seat of life was taken away [spiritual separation from God] and every living soul [spirit] suffered spiritual death. This same picture is revealed in chapter eight, where the angels became spiritually dead, i.e., separated from the presence of God, when they were thrown out of heaven, as in chapter twelve, verse four. [Rv 8:8-9 And the second angel sounded, and {something} like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood; and a third of the creatures, which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed. Rv 12:4 And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven, and threw them to the earth].
4-7 And the third {angel} poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters; and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters saying, "Righteous art Thou, who art and who wast, O Holy One, because Thou dist judge these things; for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and Thou hast given them blood to drink. They deserve it." And I heard the altar saying, "Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Thy judgments."
The third judgment was poured out and the source of inheritance of eternal life [the witness of the Holy Spirit] was withdrawn, from those who receive the mark of the beast. The cause of inheritance, the Holy Spirit, will be cut off to those with the mark of the beast and this is the righteous judgment of God as the next two verses explain.
The angel of the living waters [saints], said to Jesus "Your judgments on the deeds and words of others are right. For they have slain the saints and the prophets and Thou has given them spiritual death to receive into their souls, this is righteous judgment." God, the Savior Jesus, prefers that all men would repent and come to salvation. [1Tim 2:3-4 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Rom 2:5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God]. Jesus is going to hold Satan and those of his kingdom responsible for all the sufferings of His people. [Luke 11:49-50 "For this reason also the wisdom of God said, 'I will send to them prophets and apostles, and {some} of them they will kill and {some} they will persecute, in order that the blood of all the prophets, shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation].
The altar of incense, symbolic of Jesus, agrees with Himself that His opinions or decisions given concerning anything, especially concerning justice and injustice, right or wrong, are right and without error. [Rev 19:2 because His judgments are true and righteous; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bond-servants on her]. This proclamation of Jesus is part of the song in chapter fifteen, verse three; and is seen in many other verses throughout God's word.
8-9 And the fourth {angel} poured out his bowl upon the sun; and it was given to it to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues; and they did not repent, so as to give Him glory.
The fourth judgment was poured out, [the way to the complete satisfaction for sin, the gospel] and it tortured men, the unsaved, because it was holy and pure. The unsaved were scorched with fierce heat, [conviction], and they do not give reverence to God who has authority over these judgments. They did not change their minds [hearts] for the better, [to amend heartily with abhorrence of one's past sins], and worship God. This is part of the testing of chapter three, verse ten, in which the Holy Spirit is going forth over all the earth with the gospel message. Those persons whose names are not written in the book of life will be tortured by the call to repentance. [Jonah 4:8 And it came about when the sun came up that God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah's head so that he became faint and begged with {all} his soul to die, saying, "Death is better to me than life." Matt 13:6 "But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. Rev 9:20 And the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk]. In verse eleven this same thing happens again; unbelievers will reject God's truth [Jesus] and not honor Him as God or be thankful, but will worship the beast because they are deceived, sick in their spirits. [Rom 1:21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened].
10-11 And the fifth {angel} poured out his bowl upon the throne of the beast; and his kingdom became darkened; and they gnawed their tongues because of pain, and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores; and they did not repent of their deeds.
The fifth judgment was poured out upon the power of Satan and that which he ruled over, darkening the minds of men, and because of this, those of his kingdom were always blaspheming God and were full of anguish. In addition, they did not give God due reverence because of their anguish and rebelliousness against God and they did not change their hearts and ask for forgiveness for their unholy acts. "The sore" of verse one is revisited along with "the pain" of verse ten, but those of this kingdom who were given an opportunity to repent chose not to, and continued to blaspheme God by word and deed. [Isa 8:22 Then they will look to the earth, and behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish; and {they will be} driven away into darkness. Dan 12:10 "Many will be purged, purified and refined; but the wicked will act wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand]. Satan's kingdom is being judged, identified, as one of darkness and sorrow. It is important to note again that God is revealing these things to the church so that she will understand.
12-16 And the sixth {angel} poured out his bowl upon the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, that the way might be prepared for the kings from the east. And I saw {coming} out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. ("Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his garments, lest he walk about naked and men see his shame.") And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon.
The sixth judgment is poured out on the cause of inheritance [the Holy Spirit, the water of life], and the water of life, i.e., His witness to them is removed, those of Satan's kingdom. [2Thes 2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains {will do so} until he is taken out of the way]. This is to allow for the unfavorable kings, those of chapter seventeen, verse twelve to be established for a season. [Rev 17:12 "And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour]. The Holy Spirit, the one who restrains, is taken out of the way so that the ten kings of chapter seventeen, who hate the harlot, an inference to making her desolate, will come and make war with the Lamb and be defeated.
Out of the mouth of Satan [those things which are in his heart and soul] and the Antichrist spirit [the intent of Satan] and the false prophet [the spirit of fallacy] come three evil spirits, like serpents. They are evil spirits of the devil which go out to the kings of the earth [those who are against Christ, i.e., those who worship the beast] to call them together. They have a common purpose, to have an ongoing series of battles until the last day of this present age. The trinity of Satan's kingdom is brought forth and they agree just as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one. They speak as one, the Antichrist spirit, yet individually through men teaching false doctrines, i.e., doctrines of demons. These demons perform great signs and they get the kings of the earth to join Satan against God. [2 Th 2:9-11 {that is,} the one who's coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. And for this reason, God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false]. God has a plan and purpose for this, which will be explained in chapter seventeen. Satan has been deceiving the nations through the beast of the earth [false prophets, teachers and kings of the earth], and has been working his deception all the more since he was cast down to the earth. The finality of this war is found in chapter nineteen, verses nineteen through twenty-one.
"Listen" Jesus says "I am coming unannounced. "Blessed is the one who takes heed, [lest through remission and indolence some destructive calamity suddenly overtakes him] and keeps his covering [faith] lest he be unclad. Have this understanding, Jesus is coming and His church knows not when. She is to be clothed in faith and expectation, always ready for His return lest she is caught uncovered. [1Cor 16:13 Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 2Cor 5:2-3 For indeed in this {house} we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven; inasmuch as we, having put it on, shall not be found naked].
They [the false doctrines] gather those of Satan's kingdom to a place called Har-Magedon. This is not as men would see it, a tangible place, but rather an identifier of something or someone. Here the word "Armageddon," which means "mountain" in Hebrew, is a symbolic word-- "trodden" [in Arabic] which identifies the demise of the unsaved. These kings of chapter seventeen, verse fourteen, who are symbolic of all the unsaved, are those trodden outside the city in chapter fourteen, verse twenty, and their final destruction will be seen in chapter nineteen, verse twenty-one. This is not a physical war but one of the spirits. [Eph 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual {forces} of wickedness in the heavenly {places.}]. All men will die [physically] at the end of the age as revealed in Luke 17:36-37 ["Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other will be left." And answering they said to Him, "Where, Lord?" And He said to them, "Where the body {is,} there also will the vultures be gathered"].
17-21 And the seventh {angel} poured out his bowl upon the air; and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, "It is done." And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake {was it, and} so mighty. And the great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nation's fell. And Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, came down from heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, because its plague was extremely severe.
The final, seventh, judgment is revealed upon the devil [and his kingdom], the prince of the demons who fills the realm of the air. [Eph 2:2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience]. The voice of God spoke [so all can hear, those who have ears] out of the Holy of Holies [the new Jerusalem] saying "It has come to pass." This announcement, that God's wrath is done in this final act has been given to the church so they will understand the judgments of God on Satan's kingdom, so that they will not be ignorant. [Rev 15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels who had seven plagues, {which are} the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished].
In the presence of God, the Godhead spoke; and there was a great judgment, one, which changes authority by destroying it. The great city, Babylon, is split into three parts. "Three parts" means "three separate judgments." The first is that of the beast of the sea, the Antichrist spirit who is the spiritual power of the false church, i.e., the "false prophet." These [the beast of the sea and false prophet] are judged together. The kings of earth who make up the false church [the beast of the earth] are those men who received the mark of the beast. They are killed [physically, those who are still alive] at this time and judged later with all those who have gone before them. The third judgment is on Satan and his angels. These judgments are all explained in chapters nineteen and twenty. The false spiritual covering of the unbelievers was destroyed when Babylon, the seat of idolatry, was destroyed. Her fate is the fiery winepress of God's wrath [anger, punishment] given to those who He is about to punish according to their own folly and madness. This is God's punishment for sin. A further explanation is given in the next two chapters.
All the coveters and unbelieving kingdoms disappeared, i.e., go to judgment. [Job 9:5 "{It is God} who removes the mountains, they know not {how,} when He overturns them in His anger]. The judgments of God have been completed which came from heaven upon the unbelievers, and yet they continued not to reverence God because of the torment of His judgments, the finality of which is death, both physical and spiritual.
TIMING: Verses one through sixteen are ongoing until Jesus comes at the end of the age. Verses seventeen through twenty-one are an overview of things yet to come at the end of the age.
1-5 And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I shall show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed {acts of} immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality." And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality, and upon her forehead a name {was} written, a mystery, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."
One of the seven angels who had the bowls of judgment came and talked with John to give him explanation. "Come and I will expose to you, for the church, the condemnation passed on Babylon which dwells in the unbelievers. With whom those who are against Christ, idolater's, who have their hearts and minds set on earthly things, shedding blood and murdering profusely through being drunk with idolatry." The kings of the earth, those who worship the beast [men of the false church, i.e., all unbelievers], are drunk with idolatry and make all men whose names are not written in the book of life drink of idolatry. [Rev 13:12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. Rev 18:3 "For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed {acts of} immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality"]. It is important to note again that men either worship Satan or are regenerated and worship God.
John being under the control of the Spirit, went into the spirit realm and saw the harlot who is the image of Satan, identified by red, the color of blood, and her destination, which is the lake of fire. Satan is called a "beast," which means "destruction," which is one of his names. He is full of names by which God is blasphemed and he has seven kingdoms [heads] and ten kings [horns], which will be examined in verses nine through seventeen. [Rev 12:3 And another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads {were} seven diadems]. The seven kingdoms and ten kings have been referred to several times before, which is an indication that they are all part of Satan's earthly kingdom. John, under the anointing of the Holy Spirit is shown what is happening in the spirit realm in reference to what Satan is like and what methods of deception he has planned. The purpose behind this is so the church will understand and not be deceived.
The harlot was completely invested in mocking Jesus, who atones for sin by His blood. She makes herself to look like He who atones, Jesus, by using the identifiers of Jesus. She covered herself with gold, symbolic of holiness, and precious stones, symbolic of the esteemed Christ. She is intoxicating all the earth with idolatry through thought and life. The harlot has invested completely in this mockery; it is her only way of life. Her self-proclaimed holiness and wisdom have a sense of value, and makes sense to the natural mind [it is what carnal men do and think]. She is intoxicating the earth through men's minds to engage them in idolatry by thought and deed. She gets men to worship the beast by encouraging them to believe that they are holy because of what they may think is right, i.e., self-righteousness. [Rev 13:12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed].
On her forehead [identifies whose image she is] is written, "confusion," the most corrupt seat of idolatry, and the enemy of Christianity which produces and harbors harlots, those who commit idolatry. Upon her forehead is the identification of who she serves, and her service is a thing hidden that needed to be revealed to the church. She is confusion personified and the producer of idolatry among men who have received the mark of Satan. She represents all that is unclean [unholy].
6-8 And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. And when I saw her, I wondered greatly. And the angel said to me, "Why do you wonder? I shall tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. The beast that you saw was and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and to go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth will wonder, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come."
John saw the harlot who has shed blood and murdered profusely. She is responsible for the bloody death of the saints. These are those who, after Christ's example, have proved the strength and genuineness of their faith in Christ by undergoing a violent death, and he marveled greatly. [Rev 18:24 "And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth. " Ps 44:22 But for Thy sake we are killed all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered]. All men are slain [physically die] because of sin, the church included, but some [witnesses] of the church are killed in the name of Christ. God holds Babylon [Satan's image] responsible for this. The idea that she is drunk with the blood of the saints infers she is desirous and driven to kill, not only physically but also spiritually if she can. She brings this about by getting men to receive the mark of the beast and worship his image. John is unsure of what he is seeing.
The angel, discerning John's wonderment about this mystery says "I will reveal the hidden image," i.e., the image of Satan, the Antichrist spirit. Satan sustains her through his earthly kingdom of kings, i.e., men of lawlessness, those who oppose Christ. This is the mystery of lawlessness, which is being revealed in a deeper way to the church, so that she will understand and not be afraid. [2Thes 2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains {will do so} until he is taken out of the way].
Satan who you saw in heaven and is not there now, is about to go into the abyss for a time, and then into the lake of fire. Those who dwell on the earth, and set their minds and hearts on earthly things, will marvel, when they see Satan's image. He is the one who was in heaven and is not now, and will come up out of the abyss and go into the lake of fire. It is through the lust of the eyes that men are deceived. These are those with names not written in the Lamb's book of life. Satan, who was a cherub of God is not in heaven any longer, but has been given a kingdom on the earth for a time. He will be put into the abyss during the marriage of the Lamb [in chapter twenty], and then he will come out of the abyss and go into the lake of fire. [Ezek 28:16 "By the abundance of your trade you were internally filled with violence, and you sinned; therefore, I have cast you as profane from the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire." The saints will not wonder because they know him and his deception. However, the rest of those who dwell on the earth will worship him.
9-12 "Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits, and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while. And the beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth, and is {one} of the seven, and he goes to destruction. And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour."
Here is the intelligence evinced by discovering the meaning of some mysterious number or vision. [Matt 13:11 And He answered and said to them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted]. The seven heads are seven mountains, which the harlot occupies and they are seven kingdoms; five have fallen, and one is, and the other comes after the fall of Rome. The last one must remain a short time, i.e., according to God's time. The harlot controls these kings by getting them to worship the image of Satan and they bring their subjects to do the same. [Rev 17:18 "And the woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth"]. Those names that are written in the Lamb's book of life will not participate. Of the seven kings, [kingdoms], Egypt, Old Babylon, Nineveh [Assyria], Darius and Persia, and Greece have ended; Rome is still operating at the time of the writing of this book, but Rome fell. These kingdoms were all anti-God kingdoms, kingdoms of idol worshipers. Now Daniel had prophesied that there were two earthly kingdoms to be established, just like the kingdoms of the Old Testament except they are spiritual. These two kingdoms war in the spiritual realm, rather than in the natural realm. Jesus and Satan each have a kingdom of men controlled by either the Holy Spirit or the Antichrist spirit. These two kingdoms have been prevalent throughout history as physical kingdoms but now they have taken on a different look, a hidden one, which is spiritual. Satan's plan is to have men worship him, as was revealed in chapter thirteen, just as God desires men to worship Him. Satan accomplishes this by using Babylon, the harlot [Satan's image], to call men to idolatry through the false teachings of the false prophets, who are men, and through the lust of the eyes and flesh.
Satan who was in heaven, and is not there any longer, is the eighth [eight is the number of a new series, this referring to a spiritual war]. He is one of the seven [the number of completeness], and Satan goes into the lake of fire. Satan is counted as separate because he has been the spiritual personage behind these other kingdoms of men, and is judged separately.
The ten horns ["ten" the number of fullness of testing] are ten kings who have yet not received a kingdom nor given a territory to rule, but are under Satan's authority for a season. The ten horns symbolize the complete number of people in Satan's plan who have permission, from God, to follow after and act like the beast and his image. Their purpose is to put a test before men so God can determine whom man will choose. This is the hour of testing mentioned in chapter three, verse ten. Satan's kingdom is likened unto Jesus' kingdom, which is a kingdom of priests to God, and which reigns upon the earth for a season, until the end of the age.
13-18 "These have one purpose and they give their power and authority to the beast. These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him {are the} called and chosen and faithful." And he said to me, "The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire. For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God should be fulfilled. And the woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth."
These kings are of one mind and totally committed to Satan [Ps 83:5 For they have conspired together with one mind; against Thee do they make a covenant]. These unbelievers are totally committed to one purpose, to wage war with the Lamb. Their one view is to get as many people to worship the beast as they can. Just as Christians try to lead as many people to Christ as they can. They will carry on war against the Lamb, including His church; and Christ, the conqueror of his foes, shall be victorious over them for He is Lord of all. Those who are with Christ have obtained salvation through Him and they are called the "chosen" or the "elect" of God, i.e., they are the saints. [Isa 24:21 So, it will happen in that day, that the LORD will punish the host of heaven, on high, and the kings of the earth, on earth]. The people of Satan will carry on a war against the Lamb, which is also against His church. However, Jesus will destroy them through the ongoing judgment of God. This was seen in previous chapters. Then a final judgment in chapter nineteen, verse twenty-one will occur, through the word of His mouth [the way all judgment has come], because all authority belongs to Him. [1Cor 15:24 then {comes} the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power]. The church is seen here with Him because they are partakers in the spiritual warfare, which at times may become a physical war.
The messenger said to John, "The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. The ten kings without a kingdom which you saw, and Satan, will hate the harlot and will reduce her to naught and leave her unclothed, without a covering, and will devour her earthly nature, which is apart from divine influence. Her nature is prone to sin and opposed to God, which brings Christ's judgment on her." The way the horns and beast hate the harlot is that they bring God's righteous wrath against her. They do this by giving their power to her so she can carry out her desires, which enrages God and will bring her to destruction quicker. [Ezek 16:37 therefore, behold, I shall gather all your lovers with whom you took pleasure, even all those whom you loved {and} all those whom you hated. So, I shall gather them against you from every direction and expose your nakedness to them that they may see all your nakedness]. Her judgment is found in the next chapter. These kings have power and authority to bring the nations [unbelievers] to the image of the beast, and into the great city [Babylon], which causes the harlot to become an abomination to the Lord and He destroys her with fire. For God has put into their minds to do the things pre-ordained by God. They will execute His decrees, by waging war with the Lamb and His church and by giving their power to Satan until the mandates of God are accomplished. God instilled this in their minds that His will and pleasure would come forth. [2 Th 2:10-12 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. And for this reason, God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness].
The harlot whom John saw is Babylon, the image of Satan, who possesses the minds of those who are against Christ, those who worship the beast. This harlot, who is a deluding spirit of idolatry, has the ability, through the mind, to lead those who worship the beast into idolatry. [Acts 4:26 'The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against His Christ']. This Babylon is like the new Jerusalem. She is a group of people who have a common lord, the Antichrist spirit [Satan]. They are against Christ's holiness, and have their minds and hearts set on the things of the earth, i.e., the lust of the flesh, which is idolatry. They are just the opposite of the saints, who have God's Spirit, set their hearts and minds on the things of heaven, and belong to the new Jerusalem. These are not cities as men would think of cities, but rather groups of people who are liked-minded and take on the image of their lord.
TIMING: this entire chapter is ongoing, except that the six kingdoms are already gone, and the destruction of the harlot has not yet come. It is important to note that all the judgments of God have been established, but not all have been carried out in their finality. Not all judgment is accompanied by the wrath of God, but some is unto blessings.
1-3 After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory. And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! And she has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird. For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed {acts of} immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality."
After the things of the previous chapter, John saw another messenger. This is Jesus, [because of the identifiers that follow]; coming from heaven to earth, having the authority of God, and the earth was illumined with the glory of the Lamb. He cried out with a mighty voice revealing that Babylon, which is an entity of darkness, has been caused to fail because He, Jesus [fallen, fallen, "two" the number of Jesus] has overcome her. She is the habitation of evil spirits and a place where captives are kept, held captive in their minds, by doctrines of demons. She is a place where captives are kept in idolatry-- which is detested by God, because they lift themselves up to be God, as Satan does. This messenger, Jesus, who is the light of the world has great authority. [John 8:12 Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life"] [Matt 28:18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth]. He reveals to His church, His destruction of worldly forces. [Isa 13:11 Thus, I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud, and abase the haughtiness of the ruthless].
All the unbelievers have received idolatry into their souls, and the wrath of God is for those who worship idols and for all those who are against Christ. They have been given to idolatry through Babylon and the merchants of death, who exert an eager desire for this deceptive food. [Prov 23:3 Do not desire his delicacies, for it is deceptive food]. All unbelievers have been under the influence of idolatry, that is the Antichrist spirit, to get them to worship the image of the beast. The kings of the earth, those who are against Christ, are consumed by this idolatry. They eagerly participate in it through their deceptions [lies, Satan father of lies] Their function is to get men to worship the image of the beast [enter idolatry], which results in spiritual death, which is attributed to Babylon. The reason, men are so readily drawn to this image, is because she represents the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life, which is the root of sin.
4-8 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, that you may not participate in her sins and that you may not receive of her plagues; for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Pay her back even as she has paid, and give back {to her} double according to her deeds; in the cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her. To the degree that she glorified herself and lived sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, 'I sit {as} a queen and I am not a widow, and will never see mourning.' For this reason in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong."
John heard another voice from heaven, probably the Father, saying. "Choose to leave her midst, Christians that you may not share in that which needs to be expiated or receive her wrath, for her sins have come to the knowledge of heaven and she will be punished for her misdeeds." [2Cor 6:17-18 "Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate," says the Lord. "And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you. "And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me," says the Lord Almighty]. God's call to the church is to come off victorious from the beast and not to receive his deception or participate in his idolatry. [Rev 15:2 And I saw, as it were, a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had come off victorious from the beast and from his image and from the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God]. For those who do not heed the call, the plagues of verse eight await. Her sins and misdeeds are the enticement of men to worship the beast and she [Babylon] is held responsible for all those of God who are slain because of sin.
"Reward the harlot back as she has rewarded, an eye for an eye [she gave destruction], and return to her double ["two" matter determined by God] the acts of reward. In the fate that she poured out give her double. [Jer 16:18 "And I will first doubly repay their iniquity and their sin, because they have polluted My land; they have filled My inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable idols and with their abominations]. She will receive [drink of the cup] both judgment and wrath, with eternal torment, fire and brimstone. [Rev 19:20 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone]. The word twice would reveal her judge, Jesus; number "two" is the symbolic number of the Son.
To the degree she magnified herself and provided deceptive food, to that degree give her torment and grief. [Obad 1:3 "The arrogance of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, in the loftiness of your dwelling place, who say in your heart, 'Who will bring me down to earth?']. She says to herself, "I reign as a queen and I am not stripped of my inhabitants and riches and I will never see grief, i.e., an end." She believes that she will live, reign, and never see sorrow or death. She has magnified herself [like Satan's heart] through deception, but she will receive sorrow, death, and torment in the lake of fire and brimstone. [1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world].
Because of her arrogance [pride], on the last day of this present age, the day Christ will return from heaven, her torments, sent by God as punishment, will be upon her. They are death [destruction], sorrow of death, destitution [forsaken]; and she will be consumed in judgment, for God who condemns her is forceful, i.e., it will happen. [Jer 50:31 "Behold, I am against you, O arrogant one," declares the Lord GOD of hosts, "For your day has come, the time when I shall punish you]. Because of her deeds, God will end her reign, when his purpose for her is fulfilled. [Rev 17:17 "For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God should be fulfilled].
9-13 "And the kings of the earth, who committed {acts of} immorality and lived sensuously with her, will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come.' And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes anymore; cargoes of gold and silver and precious stones and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, and every {kind of} citron wood and every article of ivory and every article {made} from very costly wood and bronze and iron and marble, and cinnamon and spice and incense and perfume and frankincense and wine and olive oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and {cargoes} of horses and chariots and slaves and human lives."
Those against Christ, who have been given to idolatry and are partakers of her deceptive food, will mourn over and beat their breasts in grief when they see God's judgment of her. [Rev 19:2 because His judgments are true and righteous; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bondservants on her]. They stand in separate judgment, and they don't fear the one doing the judging, saying "Grief, Grief, ["two" matter determined by God] for Babylon, the inhabitants are of violence. For the hour of your condemnation is here."
The merchants of death [identifies their purpose] mourn over the harlot because no one purchases their merchandise [lies]. The merchants of death will not be able to sell any more because they lost their source of supply. They lie about who is holy to God, the esteemed Christ. Jesus is identified by the following terms; wisdom, righteous acts, covering of God, mocking of Jesus, blood, woods of the throne made into idols, strength, marble use in God's temple. Their cargo is to sell a lie [Rom 1:25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen] which is a counterfeit of the real satisfaction for sin, Jesus, which these items identify. These items God used in His temple and were holy to Him. Satan turned these items into idols to be worshiped. [Rev 9:20 And the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk].
The ingredients of the anointing oil, cinnamon and spice, and incense and perfume and frankincense that burned before the altar of God, and wine [symbolic of the blood of the Lamb] and olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep [used in the sin sacrifice before God], were all used to carry human lives [the soul, mind, and body] to slavery. The merchants' [of death] cargo is idolatry and sensuality. By these items, that are holy to God and used as anointing oil and for sin offerings before God, the harlot has made them appear as the fullness of life for those who seek them. In reality, they worship them instead of the God of heaven. She enslaves men to them [spiritual death], in their mind, by getting them to believe that these things are the fullness of life. So, these men end up worshiping the beast [Rom 1:21-23 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Rev 3:17 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked]. These items are all things of the world which appeal to the eye and the lust of the flesh. The Antichrist's spirit in men is saying that the fullness of life is in the things of the earth. This is idolatry. The real fullness of life is in Christ. He has released us from sin, including from lusting after the things of the world. Besides the lust of the flesh, those things that appeal to the carnal person, Satan is trying to sell a counterfeit Jesus, i.e., a way of atonement for one's own sin.
14-20 "And the fruit you long for has gone from you, and all things that were luxurious and splendid have passed away from you and {men} will no longer find them. The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, she who was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls; for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!' And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance, and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ' What {city} is like the great city? ' And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!' Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her."
"The men of idolatry that you lust after have gone from you. All the things of the earth, the sumptuous and delicate style of life, the luxuries in dress and style have been put to an end and will no longer be obtainable." The fruit she lusted after were men who would commit idolatry by lusting after the things created, rather than the Creator. That power is done away with when Babylon and the false prophet are put into the lake of fire in chapter nineteen. [1Cor 10:6 Now these things happened as examples for us, that we should not crave evil things, as they also craved].
The merchants of death through idolatry and fleshly lusts, who have false riches, will stand in separate judgment because they do not fear the One judging, and they mourn over the harlot. Saying "Grief, grief, Babylon was completely invested in a false replacement for righteous acts, a mockery of Jesus; full of blood, having a false appearance of holiness of the esteemed Christ and wisdom. For in the hour of judgment such abundance of external possessions are reduced to naught." This is a recap of verse ten in this chapter. Moreover, every government and everyone who sails anywhere and seamen, those that are employed on or make a living by the sea, who stand in separate judgment, were mocking God. These are identifiers of the men of Satan's domain; sea is his dwelling place. They saw God's displeasure by the judgment of Babylon, saying, "What is like Babylon?" The smoke of Babylon's torment goes up forever and ever out of the lake of fire. "What city is like the great city," is a mocking of the new Jerusalem. Their hope is in the Antichrist spirit, i.e., their worldly possessions and themselves. Our hope is in Christ! [Matt 16:26 "For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?].
They had the deepest grief and were mocking God, mourning over Babylon. The great city Babylon, whose hour of judgment has come, has been reduced to naught; which was a divine act against Satan's domain of earthly riches, the abundance of external possessions. Those who receive the mark of the beast will mourn over her with the deepest of grief, because she has been denounced by God and reduced to naught by the things God put in Satan's and their hearts. [Rev 17:16 "And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire].
"Be glad, you of heaven and all of the body of Christ, for God has vindicated your right by taking vengeance on her." God’s entire kingdom rejoices as He pronounces judgment against the image of Satan, who deceives the earth. [Luke 18:7 now shall not God bring about justice for His elect, who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?].
21-24 And a strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "Thus will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will not be found any longer. "And the sound of harpists and musicians and flute-players and trumpeters will not be heard in you any longer; and no craftsman of any craft will be found in you any longer; and the sound of a mill will not be heard in you any longer; and the light of a lamp will not shine in you any longer; and the voice of the bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you any longer; for your merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery. "And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth."
A strong messenger, the stumbling stone [Jesus] that brings great hardship, comes into Satan's dwelling place, declaring that Babylon will come to naught with sudden force and will exist no longer. Her end will come suddenly by force through Jesus, the stumbling stone, who is a great hardship on Satan's plan. When Jesus comes in judgment, the Truth is revealed and all deception and darkness will be seen as they really are, a lie. [Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it {is} called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war].
And the song of hardship and the skilled players of death who are heard, will now perceive a different state of things which has begun to exist. No artificer, one who fakes with difficulty, will be perceived in you any longer. The word of God will not bring forth light because Jesus [John 3:29 "He who has the bride is the bridegroom] and the church will not speak to the ears of your merchants of death, who were against Christ. These merchants led away from the truth the unbelievers. They led them into error and sin through deceptions and seductions of idolatry. The word of God, which comes through Jesus and the Holy Spirit in His church, will cease in Babylon's kingdom, because they are removed from the earth, and her kingdom ceases. Babylon brought death [spiritual death] to men because she got them to worship the beast.
In Babylon was found the guilt of the murder of the prophets and saints and all that have been put to death by violence on the earth. Babylon [Satan's image] is responsible for all death because Satan established sin in man. [Jer 51:49 Indeed Babylon is to fall {for} the slain of Israel, {as} also for Babylon the slain of all the earth have fallen.] [Gen 3:2-4 And the woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, lest you die.'" And the serpent said to the woman, "You surely shall not die!].
TIMING: The deception of Babylon is still going on; her judgment has already been proclaimed and awaits her, and will come when Jesus comes at the end of the age.
1-10 After these things I heard, as it were, a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; because His judgments are true and righteous; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bond-servants on her." And a second time they said, "Hallelujah! Her smoke rises up forever and ever." And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, "Amen. Hallelujah!" And a voice came from the throne, saying, "Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great." And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude and as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready." And it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright {and} clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. And he said to me, "Write, 'Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'" And he said to me, "These are true words of God." And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said to me, "Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."
After the things John saw in the last chapter, he heard the voices of all of heaven saying, "Power belongs to our God because His judgments are true and righteous. He has judged Babylon who was corrupting the character of the inhabitants of the earth with her idolatry and He avenged our blood on her; blood of His saints, prophets and apostles."
The second time, they say "Hallelujah! The judgment of her displeasure rises up for eternity." The members of the heavenly court, and the four living creatures, symbolic of redeemed creation, fall prostrate to render homage to God who resides in the seat [throne] of Christ, the Partner and Assistant in the divine administration, the Judge.
And a voice came from the throne of Christ, the Partner and Assistant in the divine administration, saying "Give praise to our God all you saints, prophets and apostles, all men who reverence Him." The call here is to prepare the church for the marriage of the Lamb, coming in chapter twenty, verse four.
John hears the voices of the bride of the Lamb and the voice of God as the voice of the Godhead saying, "Hallelujah! Jesus the Messiah is in control." This was revealed earlier in chapter eleven. "Let us rejoice with exceeding gladness and give Him worship for the everlasting union of Christ and His church has come and the church has made Herself ready." [Rev 14:4 These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. These {are} the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb]. The bride [the church] has become ready by making Jesus their Lord that in Him they should not perish, but have eternal life. [John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes [the word "believes" in the Greek means; "in faith to give one's self up to Jesus"]. The Church also was victorious over the testing [tribulation] of the beast. [Rev 15:2 And I saw, as it were, a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had come off victorious from the beast and from his image and from the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God].
It was given to the church, who invested completely in righteous acts, to wear their acts as their covering [Rom 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to {its} lusts]. She receives this ability to do righteousness through purification by the Holy Spirit and fire. [Matt 3:11 "As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire].
And he said "Write to the churches, ‘Blessed are those who are called to the everlasting union of Christ and His church,"' "which is symbolic of salvation in the kingdom, and he said "These are true promises of God." John fell prostrate to do homage as rendered to Christ and God. The angel said "Don't do that for I am a servant of yours and the other saints who persevere in Jesus, the One who gives evidence for the saints before the Father; worship God. [Exod 34:14 for you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God]. For the legal evidence of who Jesus is, by the rules of prophecy by which the prophets are subject; who are to have a divine mind, and their words must come to pass or be true." [2Pet 1:21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God].
11-16 And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it {is} called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war. And His eyes {are} a flame of fire, and upon His head {are} many diadems; and He has a name written {upon Him} which no one knows except Himself. And {He is} clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white {and} clean, were following Him on white horses. And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may smite the nations; and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh, He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."
John saw heaven open [usually something coming in or out], and he saw a worthy Spirit to patrol the earth and He was called Faithful and True. He is trustworthy to nourish the soul unto life everlasting; and with justice, He decides between the righteousness and unrighteousness of men as He carries on war. This white horse is the same Spirit of Truth that was revealed in chapter six, verse two, and now He is coming in judgment. By His ability to know all, He jealously, with vengeance, consumes, because He has the authority to do so. [2Thes 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (KJV)]. His mantel is completely suffused with blood and He is called Jesus. Jesus is going to war against the unrighteous, those who would not repent but received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. [Rev 6:16 and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb].
The angels of warfare [good angels in heaven], are going with Jesus [the Person on the white horse] because they are worthy to carry on these righteous acts of judgment. From Jesus' mouth came the word of God, so He might afflict the unbelievers and rule them with the most rigorous and severest rule, crushing them with His feet [symbolic of bringing to submission]. He brings them to naught by His angry vengeance. [Rev 14:20 And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses' bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles.] [Rom 12:19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath {of God,} for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord].
On His mantel, suffused with blood, and on His thigh [emblematic of His strength to tread down His foes] were written King of Kings and Lord of Lords, i.e., one who overcomes.
17-21 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, "Come, assemble for the great supper of God; in order that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great." And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, assembled to make war against Him who sat upon the horse, and against His army. And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat upon the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.
John saw an angel standing in the east [unfavorable], and the angel spoke so all could hear. He spoke to those with the pride of darkness who can now be recognize by all, "gather yourselves together for the feast of God; you of human nature, the earthly nature of man apart from divine influence, and therefore prone to sin and opposed to God. You who are the "kings of the earth" [those against Christ], and chief commanders, and boisterous men, and the spirits of all men who are unrestrained [don't have the Holy Spirit]. Moreover, those who go at pleasure, slaves [of sin]. All are carnally minded men. These are the men of earth [worldly], who received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image, those who were lifted up in pride and walked in darkness. They are the unsaved. [Job 41:34 "He looks on everything that is high; He is king over all the sons of pride"].
John saw the beast of the sea [the Antichrist spirit], and those who are against Christ [identifies all unbelievers who are the false church, i.e., the beast of the earth]. They come together because they are like-minded [Ps 83:5 For they have conspired together with one mind; against Thee do they make a covenant], to make a series of encounters against Jesus and His army of good angels. This war has been going on since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, and became a spiritual war when Satan was cast down to the earth. The next two verses record the finality of those involved: the beast and false prophet go into the lake of fire. The unsaved men, kings of the earth, are killed with the sword [word of God] and then put into the lake of fire as seen in chapter twenty, after Satan is placed there.
The beast [of the sea], and the false prophet [spirit of fallacy, "Jesus being the True Prophet"] who perform signs by which men are deceived [ascribed to false teachers, prophets, and demons], by which they led astray from the truth those who received the name of Satan on their foreheads and are of his image [likeness], are thrown into a place of judgment, i.e., the lake of fire. The beast of the sea [the Antichrist spirit, the spirit of lawlessness] and the false prophet [the spirit of fallacy, who is also of Satan], are put into the place of judgment and wrath [the lake of fire]. These are the spiritual forces carrying the harlot.
The rest [the kings of the earth, i.e., all the unbelievers], are destroyed by the Word of the Lamb. [Isa 24:21 So it will happen in that day, that the LORD will punish the host of heaven, on high, and the kings of the earth, on earth]. They are full of pride [that which satisfies them having an earthly nature apart from divine influence], and are therefore prone to sin and opposed to God. These men were destroyed by the Word of God. [John 3:18-19 "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil]. They did not judge properly, and they suppressed the truth because they were filled with carnality and satisfied by the lust of the flesh [earthly things], which results in pride, the same thing that caused Satan to fall. [2Thes 2:8 And then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming]. The order of these events is as follows. Babylon is destroyed [earth ends]. The beast of the sea [the Antichrist spirit] and false prophet go into the lake of fire. The “kings of the earth” are killed [physical death for unbelievers]. This all happens in an instant, at the end of the age when Jesus comes again. Then Satan is bound. The marriage of the Lamb is consummated. Satan is loosed. He gathers his angels together for war and they are all judged by God and put into the lake of fire. Then all unbelievers are judged and put into the lake of fire.
TIMING: All judgment is ongoing with the final judgment coming when Jesus returns at the end of the age.
Chapter twenty is a further explanation of things in chapter eleven, verse eighteen, and chapter nineteen.
1-3 And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the abyss, and shut {it} and sealed {it} over him, so that he should not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.
John sees an angel coming down from heaven, having the power to open and shut the receptacle of the spiritually dead, the abode of demons. The angel, who has a chain and authority to bind, seized the dragon; who is the serpent of Genesis; the devil and Satan. Four names are used here to identify Satan, he has also been revealed as the Antichrist spirit, the beast, destruction, father of lies, the deceiver, and the prince of the power of the air. Like Jesus, he has many different names, which identify him and his functions. Satan is bound so he cannot deceive for a thousand years [the day of the marriage of the Lamb]. He is violently closed up in the prison so that he cannot lead away any into error or sin, until the marriage of the Lamb is finished. Then Satan must be released, for a short time, for God's purpose to be fulfilled. There are no longer any men alive to deceive and so the nation of unbelievers spoken about later in this chapter will be addressed there, as well as the reason for Satan's release. Satan will be held in the abyss for the time of the marriage of the Lamb to His bride, the church, who are spoken about in the next verses. The term "a thousand years" appears to be a day [an identifier of the time during which the marriage of the Lamb takes place]. Remember this is God's time [2Pet 3:8 But do not let this one {fact} escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. Ps 90:4 For a thousand years in Thy sight are like yesterday when it passes by, or {as} a watch in the night]. The number "one thousand" means; "God's seed [church] in the fullness and image of God."
4-6 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them. And I {saw} the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
John saw the place of honor, and they [twenty-four elders] who sat upon them, and a decision was given to them. [Matt 19:28 And Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel]. The spirits of those who had been slain because they received the gospel [the evidence and sayings of God], and had not believed the lies of Satan as to follow him or live and act like him and had not received his name on their forehead or right of ownership marked on their hand [did not belong to him] became lively and ruled with Christ until the marriage of the Lamb was completed. This is the first resurrection. The judgment that is given to the twenty-four elders [some of which are the twelve apostles], is a decision they make, one that agrees with Christ the Judge, in which they agree that the saints are worthy to belong to the Lamb, i.e., all of heaven is in agreement. In this verse the word "life" means "lively," which refers to never being dead or separated from the presence of Jesus, for the saints have been under the throne of God. [Rev 6:9 And when He broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained]. They are with Christ awaiting the marriage of the Lamb, which is consummated at the end of the age, when all the saints are gathered into heaven with Jesus. They now become lively, which indicates they are given their reward and right place of function, which God had planned for them before the foundation of the earth.
The unbelievers [spiritually dead men] were not revived [to come into the presence of God] until the marriage of the Lamb was completed. When they come before God for judgment, out of the abyss, they will be sent to the lake of fire. These are the ones killed in chapter nineteen, verse twenty-one, i.e., the kings of the earth. This, the first resurrection, is the resurrection spoken about in verse four [Acts 24:15 having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked].
Blessed and holy [holiness is the qualification of the one invited] are those who are a part of the marriage of the Lamb; over them the second death [lake of fire] has not the power to destroy. They will devote their lives to God and Christ [as they did on earth] and will be at the marriage of the Lamb, for they are the bride of Christ. [Rev 1:6 and He has made us {to be} a kingdom, priests to His God and Father; to Him {be} the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen]. What was prophesied in chapter one, verse six, is manifested here in its fullness and completeness. [1Pet 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for {God's} own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light]. Now the seed planted on earth has reached its maturity at the marriage of the Lamb. Their life in Christ on the earth is now life with Christ the Lamb forever, as prophesied by Daniel. [Dan 7:18 'But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come. Rev 2:11 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death].
7-10 And when the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
When the thousand years is completed, Satan is released from the abyss, and he comes out to those, which were led away into error and sin. They are in a secret place of the earth, a place of holding [the sea], as opposed to heaven. Antichrist [Gog], and Antichrist party [Magog] are their identifiers, along with "they have fallen grievously and are a multitude of the sea [Satan's dwelling place], and they have a like mind as to war against Christ." This nation of the Antichrist spirits can only be the fallen angels, all others have died or gone into the lake of fire except Satan. No mention has been made of the fallen angels and judgment would not be complete without their judgment. [Jude 1:6 And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day. 2Pt 2:4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment].
Satan and his angels come up from the earth, within sight of the castle of the saints, the beloved city, the new Jerusalem, and judgment comes from heaven and destroys them. Satan and his angels have been judged already, God is waiting for the Day of the Lord to bring to pass their final judgment, which is the lake of fire. [John 16:11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged].
The devil that deceived these fallen angels is thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, a place of judgment where the beast of the sea [the Antichrist spirit] and the false prophet [the spirit of fallacy] are. [Matt 25:41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels]. They will receive grievous pain, for eternity, because of their time of indulgence and deeds of sin and shame. The reason the devil has now been put into the lake of fire where he will receive the grievous pain is that he is not only Christ's enemy, but ours too. God has allowed us to be present at his final judgment. [Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him]. [2Thes 1:6-10 For after all it is {only} just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and {to give} relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed-- for our testimony to you was believed].
11-15 And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is {the book} of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one {of them} according to their deeds. And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
John saw a great throne of light, belonging to Christ, and Christ who sits upon it. John, one of Jesus' disciples, never identifies himself as one belonging to Jesus, which is quite normal for things pertaining to a revelation. The universe, as man knows it, vanished and no advantage [purpose] was found for it. The reason there is no need for the universe is that time has ended for which the heavens and earth had been created. A time to hold for separation from God, the spirits of men and fallen angels who are ungodly. [2 Pet 3:7 But the present heavens and earth by His word are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men].
And John saw the spiritually dead, all stature of men, made to stand before the throne belonging to Christ the Judge, and the books were opened. Apparently, they were books with the names of the spiritually dead in them. The other book was that with the names of those who belong to Christ. The spiritually dead were judged according to their deeds [acts], only one, which was written in the books. [John 3:18-19 "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil. John 5:29 and shall come forth; those who did the good {deeds} to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil {deeds} to a resurrection of judgment]. There is only one deed [act] that is necessary for salvation, that is that man belongs to Christ. [Luke 10:41-42 But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but {only} a few things are necessary, really {only} one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her].
The sea [Satan's dwelling place] gave up the fallen angels, and physical death in the place of departed lost souls gave up the spiritually dead and they were judged according to whether they belonged to Christ. They did not belong to Him or they would have been at the marriage of the Lamb. [John 5:28-29 "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; those who did the good {deeds} to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil {deeds} to a resurrection of judgment].
Physical death and the holding place of lost souls [Hades] are thrown into the lake of fire, because there is no longer any need for them. The earth and things of flesh have passed away forever. This is the second death from which there is no resurrection. Those damned will be away from the presence of the Lamb and God, who are the same person. If any created beings' name was not found written in the book of life, he was cast violently into eternal punishment away from the presence of the Lamb. [Rev 3:5 'He who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels. Rev 21:8 "But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part {will be} in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death"].
1-4 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer {any} sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them, and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be {any} death; there shall no longer be {any} mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."
John saw a new heaven [where righteousness dwells] and a new earth [abode of men]. The first heaven, where Satan had fallen from, and the first earth, where he was thrown down to with his angels and the dwelling place of deceived men, have vanished. The sea [dwelling place of Satan] is no longer [Satan and his kingdom are in the lake of fire]. There is now no use for the old heaven and earth, for the old served its purpose. In verse five God proclaims He is making all things new [2Pt 3:13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells].
John saw the holy city [inhabitants], the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven [a thing that has a place in heaven] from God, as a bride, one for One. This new Jerusalem is the bride of Christ; she is called a city, but is actually the church, i.e., the saints as seen in later verses. [Rev 3:12 'He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name].
John heard a proclamation, usually of something new, from the Governor of all things, Jesus, saying "Look, the tabernacle of testimony, Jesus. He is among persons of righteousness, He shall abide with them, they shall be His tribe, nation, and people, and God Himself shall abide with them. [Rev 7:15 "For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne shall spread His tabernacle over them]. He shall pardon all sin by anointing with oil, and remove grief and mourning of sin from their minds. And the necessity of dying is no more and there shall no longer be sorrow of sin, the wailing of those in distress, or toil of hardship, because the former things have passed away." The redeemed will have knowledge of sin no more, or the necessity of dying, and their hardship and distress over sin is gone. God's plan is to release us from the guilt of sin, even while we are on the earth. [Heb 10:2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins [guilt].
5-8 And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And He said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true." And He said to me, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes shall inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part {will be} in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
Jesus, who is the Governor of all things, said "Understand, I am making all things recently created, superior to that which was made." [2Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man is in Christ, {he is} a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come]. In addition, He said “They [the church] are complete. I, Jesus, am the beginning [origin] and the end [eternal]." [Isa 43:10 "You are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "And My servant whom I have chosen, in order that you may know and believe me, and understand that I am He. Before me there was no God formed, and there will be none after me]. There was no God formed before Him and there will be none after Him. Jesus will give the Holy Spirit, gratuitously, to those who painfully feel their want of and eagerly long for those things by which the soul is refreshed, supported and strengthened. The whole church has now completed her journey and received eternal life through Christ without cost; it was a gift to them that received Him, because man could not atone for his own sin. "He who holds fast to his faith, even unto death, shall receive salvation, and I, Jesus, will be His God and he will be My esteemed son, whom I love, protect and benefit above others." [Rev 12:11 "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death].
But for the faithless, unfaithful, idolaters, slayers, fornicators, poisoners, image worshipers, and deceivers, their fate is in the lake of fire [away from the presence of the Lord], which is the second death from which there is no resurrection. The things listed here are the identifiers of Satan and his followers, as listed in previous chapters, and are also known as earthly things, called deeds of the flesh, by which they are judged.
9-11 And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues, came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I shall show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper.
One of the angels who had the bowls of wrath full of the last plagues came and spoke with John. It is not explained why this angel is sent to reveal the bride, but this angel was used before, and it appears that these particular angels are used by God to reveal things to John for the church. Here he reveals God's grace. "Enter and I will show you the betrothed, i.e., the church, the wife, now married, of the Lamb." As John was writing to the church, the marriage of the Lamb had not yet taken place. So, in chapter nineteen the church is revealed as the bride to be, because the marriage hadn't happened yet, but in the timing of chapter twenty-one it is shown to be consummated.
He carried John away into a state of inspiration to Mount Zion, and revealed the holy city, Jerusalem, which has a place in heaven. [Heb 12:22-24 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriad's of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel]. The new Jerusalem, the body of Christ as seen in Rev 14:1 is not a physical place, but is the place that all Christians have been looking for from Abraham's time to the end! [And I looked, and behold, the Lamb {was} standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads]. Abraham was looking for a city; the place where God dwells amongst His people. The new Jerusalem has the bright cloud of God, as one of light, purchased with a great price, through Jesus the pure rock of mystery. The church took on the likeness of Christ who is identified by the costly stone.
12-17 It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names {were} written on them, which are {those} of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. {There were} three gates on the east and three gates on the north and three gates on the south and three gates on the west. And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them {were} the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And the one who spoke with me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, and its gates and its wall. And the city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal. And he measured its wall, seventy-two yards, {according to} human measurements, which are {also} angelic {measurements.}
The city has a great and esteemed seed, and it was produced from that seed, identified as the divine perfection of creation [Jesus]. At the access [angels, ministers of God to the saints]; and the names of the access identified them as the offshoots of the sons of Jacob, i.e., Christians, the Israel of God. This great and esteemed seed, Jesus, who was the seed of Abraham, the Father of all creation, produced seeds of good [saints], and identified these seeds as belonging to the twelve tribes mention in chapter seven. [Gal 3:16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds," as {referring} to many, but {rather} to one, "And to your seed," that is, Christ]. These seeds of righteousness, the saints, have been harvested from the earth as the first fruit to God. This city, as mentioned before, is not a tangible place but rather a group of people, the bride of the Lamb, the church. In the next several verses, these inhabitants are going to be identified through symbols. Jesus is also going to be identified though symbols, and many other aspects of salvation and God's kingdom will be revealed by the same method.
There is access to the new Jerusalem through the Holy Spirit [three gates, "three" the number of the Holy Spirit]. Now the Holy Spirit is identified here as: the east [to bring up]; north [wind which brings rain]; south [wind which is dry]; west [to go down]. He is the wind who goes down to earth and brings up to heaven. He is also the rain [water of life] and the One who judges [the dry] [Acts 2:2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent, rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting]. God's access to this city is through the Holy Spirit [wind], the one who goes down and brings up. He is on "all sides," available to all [Mark 3:29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin"]. The only way to the Father is through Jesus, and the One who calls is the Holy Spirit. If His call is blasphemed [rejected] there is no other call that goes out and a person cannot enter the new Jerusalem.
These inhabitants were produced from a seed, and they are the stones of the foundation stone [Christ the corner stone], known as the twelve tribes. [Exod 28:21 "And the stones shall be according to the names of the sons of Israel: twelve, according to their names; they shall be {like} the engravings of a seal, each according to his name for the twelve tribes]. For this reason-- the purpose of divine government-- the apostles of the Lamb governed them. The inhabitants who are a product of Jesus belong to the twelve tribes, ruled over by the twelve apostles of the Lamb, which is the divine government established by God. [Matt 19:28 And Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel].
The angel who spoke with John had a holy standard by which the inhabitants are judged. They had to be a holy branch, produced by the holy seed [Jesus], to have access. These inhabitants had to meet this standard and then they received access to the new Jerusalem.
The inhabitants, the completion of a new creation, are in a secret place, and the inhabitants who are branches meet the standard and are like Jesus. These inhabitants reflect God's grace to His seeds, which is determined by God, who have all finished the race and receive from Christ a great number of blessings. These are the saints of God. This city is the secret place of God for His creation that has been made into the image of Jesus. They have all entered in the same way, through the gift of God's grace, according to the race they had run. The standard that the inhabitants are judged by is found in John 15:2 ["Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every {branch} that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit]. If the branch runs the race so as to comprehend God's gift of grace they are in this number. [Eph 3:18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of love].
God used the standard, Jesus [His holiness], to measure men, who is also the standard for angels. The perfect spiritual order carried out with all spiritual power and significance by Jesus was the standard required to be an inhabitant and is the same standard for men and angels. The standard is that they be holy as the Father is holy [1Pet 1:16 because it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy].
18-20 And the material of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; the fifth, sardonic; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst.
The makeup of the wall, Jesus, is mystery and fire and the inhabitants are refined by fire, pure like a transparent stone [living stones]. [Rev 4:3 And He who was sitting {was} like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and {there was} a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance]. [1Pet 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ].
The stones of the foundation stones [the twelve tribes, the church] were inhabitants produced by the seed and embellished with honor through the esteemed Christ. He is identified as the Corner Stone through these twelve stones, the first Foundation Stone. The Corner Stone, Jesus is identified by: Jasper [mystery, fire]; Sapphire [serving]; Chalcedony [knowledge]; Emerald [lightning, the presence of God]; Sardonic [flesh]; Saudis [stumbling stone]; Chrysolite [precious thing of gold, holy]; Beryl [body]; Topaz [passing from one medium to another]; Chrysoprase [to shine through]; Jacinth [affliction]; Amethyst [Alpha]. [Eph 2:20 having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone]. The stones, which belonged to the foundation stone, Christ the Corner Stone, took on His image. As the unsaved worshiped, the image of the beast by taking on his image so also has the church taken on Jesus' image. [Rom 8:29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined {to become} conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren. 1Cor 15:49 And just as we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly].
21-27 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. And I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb, are its temple. And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp {is} the Lamb. And the nations shall walk by its light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it. And in the daytime (for there shall be no night there) its gates shall never be closed; and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; and nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.
The access was a word of great value "wisdom" and each one [gates], ["one" the number of God, i.e., wisdom of God], could be seen by all the inhabitants of the city who were holy and pure. They are living stones. The inhabitants of the new Jerusalem had received the wisdom of God unto holiness and eternal life.
John saw no tabernacle of testimony [temple], for the presence of the Godhead is its holy place [temple]. The inhabitants have no need of the truth of expiation of sin or knowledge of salvation for the righteousness of God, Jesus, has enlightened them; and the Lamb, the righteousness of God is their light. The knowledge of and the need for atonement from sin, for the saints, is no longer needed, for they are righteous. [I Jn 3:7 Little children, let no one deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous]. Their righteousness is of Christ, who is the righteousness of God. [Rom 10:2-3 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God].
The saved [Isa 26:2 "Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter, the one that remains faithful], the righteous of the Lamb and those who oppose Christ shall bring dignity [every knee shall bow] unto the new Jerusalem. [Rom 14:11 For it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall give praise to God]. And in this lifetime, for in this time there is no moral stupidity and darkness, the access is never shut up and they shall bring worship and reverence into the new Jerusalem; those who are saved. In eternity, there will be no moral stupidity and darkness because the saints will have full access to the Lamb forever, i.e., will be like Him. [I Jn 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is].
Nothing unholy, i.e., the one who commits idol worship and does acts in accordance with the precepts and principles of idolatry, shall ever reside in the new Jerusalem. However, all whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life will. The unsaved "the nations and kings of the earth" are going to bow their will to Jesus who is the ruler of all, but they will never enter His presence, the new Jerusalem, the place of His blessings.
1-5 And he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. And on either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve {kinds of} fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His bond-servants shall serve Him; and they shall see His face, and His name {shall be} on their foreheads. And there shall no longer be {any} night; and they shall not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God shall illumine them; and they shall reign forever and ever.
The angel revealed to John the inheritance, the life-giving Holy Spirit, coming from the Governor of the world, who is God, and the Lamb. In their midst, to be seen by all, from this place [heaven] and that place [earth] the inheritance, the life of the Spirit [in Jesus] who produced the twelve tribes, the fruit of the vine, for a season. The healing of Jesus, the Spirit man, was to bring the saints to worship God. The Holy Spirit, the inheritance of life is given, for the cleansing of the saints, so they are able to worship God. He, in the midst of all to be seen, and is producing the twelve tribes who are the fruit of the vine every month ["month" means "forty-two months, the fullness of the time the church is on the earth"]. [John 4:23 "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers].
There shall no longer be anything to be destroyed. The Governor of the world, God and the Lamb, shall be amongst their people and His church shall worship Him. [Rev 7:15-17 "For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne shall spread His tabernacle over them. "They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; neither shall the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb in the center of the throne shall be their shepherd, and shall guide them to springs of the water of life; and God shall wipe every tear from their eyes]. They shall be in His presence and they will belong to Him and will know Whom they serve. There shall no longer be a time of moral stupidity and darkness. They shall not have need of the truth and knowledge of the way to go, for Jesus [the expiation for sin] will make them see and they shall rule with Him forever. [1Cor 13:12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known. 2Tim 2:12 If we endure, we shall also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He also will deny us]. This is a recap of verses twenty-three and twenty-five of the previous chapter.
6-9 And he said to me, "These words are faithful and true;" and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must shortly take place. "And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book." And I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. And he said to me, "Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book; worship God."
"And he said to me 'These words are trustworthy and nourish the soul unto life everlasting," The Lord Jesus, and the Father of the souls of the prophets sent His messenger to render the Father visible to us, His believers, the things that are and will soon take place. [1Cor 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God]. This verse is a recap of the first verse of this book and adds that these words are faithful and true. God would have us to know Him and understand [Isa 5:13 Therefore My people go into exile for their lack of knowledge; and their honorable men are famished, and their multitude is parched with thirst].
"And listen [he who has an ear], I am coming soon. Blessed is he who keeps the word of the mind of God written in this book." This verse is a recap of the third verse of this book. The proclamation "coming soon" is spoken of four times in this chapter alone. The church is unable to keep the words of this book if they do not understand the words! What words does God want us to keep in this book? There are two thoughts here. 1) Be not entangled with the things of the world, idol worship and deception [lying]. 2) Keep the faith. [Rev 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, that you may not participate in her sins and that you may not receive of her plagues. 2Pet 2:20 For if after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. I Jn 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world-- our faith].
John is the one who heard and saw the things written in this book. When he heard and saw he fell to worship the angel who showed him these things. This is the second time we see John fall down to worship an angel. [Rev 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said to me, "Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy"]. The angel said not to do this, for he is a fellow servant of John and of the prophets and the saints.
It is apparent that God has a special reason for often mentioning His prophets distinctly from the church. The reason appears to be that the prophets speak the heart of God and was the prime way God communicated to His people in the Old Testament. Jesus, who speaks through the Holy Spirit, is the Prophet of the New Covenant, and yet, He still has prophets delivering the heart of the Father to the church today. John is again told not to worship the angel, but to worship God, because angels are servants of all those who keep the words of this book. [I Jn 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding, in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life].
10-15 And he said to me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and let the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and let the one who is holy, still keep himself holy." "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward {is} with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.
John is told not to keep secret the words of the mind of God in this book for the time is immanent. In chapter ten, verse four, there were some things that God did not want revealed to his church, but all other things in this book are to be understood and kept. "Let the one who acts unjustly or wickedly so as to sin, continue, and the one who is defiled with iniquity remain defiled. Let the righteous do the things of righteousness and let the saints be filled with the Holy Spirit, the divine source of holiness." [Eph 5:27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless]. It has been revealed in this book that the day of the Lord shall come soon and suddenly [2Pet 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Matt 24:40 "Then there shall be two men in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left] and men will continue on until that day comes. When it does come, all the heavens and earth shall pass away. John starts chapter one on the Lord's day and expands the understanding of the meaning of that day in this book. [Rev 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like {the sound} of a trumpet].
"Listen, Jesus is coming suddenly and His rewards and punishment for your fruit are with Him, and He will give to everyone according to their deeds." [John 5:29 and shall come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil {deeds} to a resurrection of judgment]. This was revealed in chapter twenty.
"I, Jesus, am the beginning [origin] and the end [eternal]." [Isa 43:10 "You are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "And My servant whom I have chosen, in order that you may know and believe me, and understand that I am He. Before me there was no God formed, and there will be none after me]. There was no God formed before Him and there will be none after Him. Recaps of chapter one, verse eight and chapter twenty-one, six.
"Blessed are those who by faith so appropriate the results of Christ's expiation as to be regarded by God as pure and sinless. They have this as their covering so that they have a right to Jesus, and have access to and are the inhabitants of the new Jerusalem. Those without access to the new Jerusalem are impudent, poisoners, spiritual fornicators, slayers, image worshipers and deceivers, those of falsehood." This is a recap of chapter twenty-one, verse eight.
16-21 "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star." And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost. I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God shall add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book. He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.
"I, Jesus, have sent My messenger [sometimes He was the messenger], to give evidence of these things to the church, i.e., the saints," which is the purpose of this book. [2Pet 1:19 And {so} we have the prophetic word {made} more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts]. "I am the root of the vine [Rom 11:16 And if the first piece {of dough} be holy, the lump is also; and if the root be holy, the branches are too] the offspring of David, the Christ."
"And the Holy Spirit and the bride of the Lamb say 'Enter,' to anyone who has responded and called others to enter. Let those who are said to thirst, who painfully feel their want of, and eagerly long for those things by which the soul is refreshed, supported and strengthened enter. Enter, you who desires the life giving Spirit as a gift. The Holy Spirit and the church say 'Enter' to those who hear and receive" [Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, {it is} the gift of God].
"I give evidence [the Holy Spirit] to everyone who comprehends or understands these doctrines of God and responds. [Acts 5:32 "And we are witnesses of these things; and {so is} the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him"]. If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues of this book. If anyone takes away from the word of God, His divine mind, God will take away his part from Jesus and the new Jerusalem which are written about in this book." [Rev 2:7 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God']. To heed the words of this prophecy are of the utmost importance, for they are words of everlasting life. [Luke 11:52 "Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered"]. They are established by God throughout the whole of His word and again emphasized in this book in a deeper and clearer way. The word is, that Jesus is the only way to the Father and the only atonement for sin. [John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me]. For those who try to make or establish a different salvation, they will not enter the new Jerusalem, or those who receive their teachings, but will receive the plagues of this book. There has been much written in this book on this subject, i.e., how Satan is trying to deceive mankind on this point. He is saying that there are many different ways to become holy, and that God will accept what man, under the influence of the Antichrist spirit dreams up, and it does not matter what you do or think. Satan and his cohorts say, the things of the earth are the fullness of life; you do not really need God.
He who gave evidence to these things says "I am coming suddenly and soon. So be it. Enter, Lord Jesus [Heb 9:28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time for salvation without {reference to} sin, to those who eagerly await Him]. The favor of God [Jesus] is with all that belong to Him. May it be fulfilled." Therefore, as John started, so shall he end. [Rev 1:4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne. Eph 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, {it is} the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast].
1117 all numbers are from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance.
The coinciding definitions unless otherwise noted are from Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon.
[con] definitions from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance.
[heb] means Hebrew translation of the word.
[dic] from Webster's Dictionary.
[kj] word used from King James Version.
[nis] from Number in Scripture.
[ung] from New Unger's Bible Dictionary.
New Unger's Bible Dictionary; originally published by Moody Press of Chicago, Illinois. (Copyright (C) 1988.) "Used by permission of Moody Press of Chicago, Ill."
Number in Scripture by E. W. Bullinger (Copyright (C) 1967 Kregel Publications) "Used by permission public domain."
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, by James Strong; (Public domain.)
Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament; (Copyright (C) 1977 Baker Book House Co.) "Used by permission of Baker Book House Co." (Public domain.)
The terms listed below are general in nature and particular as noted.
B
C
D
F