God’s Kingdom Outlasts the Magic Kingdom – Revelation 18

Revelation 18:1-3: “After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, ‘Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.’”

The judgments in Revelation reflect the judgments of God recorded throughout the Bible. In some cases, they are word for word quotes from them.

In Revelation 18:1, “the earth was illuminated with” the glory of the angel that comes down from heaven. He announces the fall of Babylon. In 2 Thessalonians 2:8, Paul wrote of the Lord consuming the antichrist with the Spirit of His mouth and destroying Him with the brightness of His coming. In 2 Peter 2:1-3, Peter wrote of the damnation of false prophets not slumbering but happening suddenly.

In Revelation 18:2, Babylon is fallen and has become a dwelling place of demons. In Isaiah 21:9, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen! And all the carved images of her gods He has broken to the ground.”

In Revelation 18:3, Babylon made all the nations drunk with the wine of her fornications. In Jeremiah 51:7, Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord’s hand, that made all the earth drunk. “The nations drank her wine; therefore the nations are deranged.”

In Revelation 18:3, the merchants of the earth became rich through the abundance of her luxury. In Ezekiel 28:18, the Lord speaks against those who defiled sanctuaries by the iniquity of their trading. He turned them into ashes upon the earth.

The angel from heaven sets the record straight. Babylon is not a great place. Lawlessness is not good. Babylon is run by demons. Her kings and merchants are evil. Her antichrist leader forced people to receive his mark if they wanted to buy or sell.

The kings and merchants gained worldly wealth via dirty deals. In Luke 12:16-20, Jesus spoke of a rich man who said to his soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry.” But God said to him, “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you. Then whose will those things be which you have provided?”

It is likely that “religious celebrities” with much property to maintain, fine clothes to wear, great cuisine to consume, and polished reputations to protect did not speak against Babylon.

In Luke 7:24-28, Jesus said that John the Baptist was more than a prophet and yet John did not wear fine clothes or live in luxury. According to Matthew 3:4, John preached in a wilderness and his diet consisted of locusts and wild honey.

Revelation 18:4-5: “And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.’”

The words of Revelation 18:4 reflect the words of Jeremiah 51:45: “My people, go out of the midst of her! And let everyone deliver himself from the fierce anger of the Lord.” The Lord also said in Isaiah 48:20, “Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans!”

In Matthew 24:15-16, Jesus warned: “When you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” In 2 Corinthians 6:17, Paul wrote, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be separate, says the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.”

The people of Babylon are deceived, defiant and depraved. They refuse to listen to God’s Word. Her sins have piled up like a tower of Babel. God has remembered her iniquities.

Revelation 18:6-8: “Render to her just as she rendered to you and repay her double according to her work. In the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’ Therefore her plagues will come in one day — death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.’”

Revelation 18:7-8 reflect the words of Isaiah 47:8-9: “You who are given to pleasures, who dwell securely, who say in your heart, ‘I am, and there is no one else besides me. I shall not sit as a widow, nor shall I know the loss of children.’ But these two things shall come to you in a moment, in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood. They shall come upon you in their fullness because of the multitude of your sorceries...”

Revelation 18:9-19: “The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’ And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble, and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men. The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all. The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.’ Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like this great city?’ They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping, and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour, she is made desolate.’”

Revelation 18:9-19 reflect the words of Ezekiel 27:30-32 wherein the sea merchants cry bitterly. They put dust on their heads. They roll about in ashes. They weep bitterly. They wail. They lament. The city that made them rich is gone. They mourn over her because no one buys their merchandise anymore.

In Revelation 18:12-13, God lists 27 precious products available for sale and purchase in Babylon, but in one hour they disappear.

In Matthew 24:2, Jesus warned against being fixated on worldly wealth, saying, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

John saw the bodies and souls of men in Babylon. She became rich by exploiting people. Many have made temporary riches by serving products that destroy people, such as tobacco, alcohol, illicit drugs, and pornography. Those who do abortions also destroy lives, as do those who tempt people to gamble their money away.

God’s Law demands the death of people stealers. In Deuteronomy 24:7, “If a man be found stealing any of his brothers of the children of Israel, and makes merchandise of him, or sells him; then that thief shall die; and you shall put evil away from among you.”

How many neglect their relationships with God and family for the sake of selfish ambition? In 1 John 2:16-17, it is written, “The lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that does the will of God abides forever.”

Revelation 18:20-24: “’Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!’ Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, ‘Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore. The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore. The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth.’”

The great millstone being thrown into the sea in Revelation 18:21 reflects the prophecy of Jeremiah 51:63-64 where God’s words against Babylon are tied to a stone and thrown into the sea. The sinking stone symbolizes the cancellation of Babylon.

In Revelation 18:22, the silencing of harps in Babylon due to sin reflects the silencing of harps due to sin in Isaiah 24:8... “The joy of the harp ceases.”

God speaks of the silencing of Babylon’s millstones in Jeremiah 25:10 and in Revelation 18:22. Millstones grind wheat into flour. When millstones stop, bread production stops. Bread is a basic food that is normally inexpensive and relied upon by people for daily survival.

In Jeremiah 7:34 and in Revelation 18:23, the voices of Babylon’s bridegrooms and brides are silenced as a judgment on the empire’s sin.

God’s judgment on Babylon compares with God’s judgment on Egypt in the time of Moses. The Egyptians treated God’s people cruelly. They whipped and beat them. Killed them at will! Made them drown their baby boys in the river! The Egyptians enjoyed comfort, ease and extravagance while others suffered horribly. They preferred sorcerers (Satanists) to servants of Christ. They would have destroyed those who cry out to God for help if God had not stopped them.

In Matthew 18:6, Jesus declared, “whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” Obviously, Babylon was guilty of crimes against little ones.

It is best to align one’s life with Christ and to reject Babylon! Babylon’s pleasures turn into eternal torments. There are eternal pleasures forevermore with God according to Psalm 16:11.

Jesus gives to us who believe in Him an everlasting kingdom. It never ends! It never takes a turn for the worse! Jesus gives us His Holy Spirit. The fruits of His Spirit include love, joy and peace!

God our Father seeks to save us from Babylon’s enchantments because He loves us. “The Magic Kingdom” of Babylon robs its buyers. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, died on the cross and resurrected from the dead to give us a new and better life after we die.

The Lamb Shall Overcome Them – Revelation 17

Revelation 17:1-2: “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, ‘Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.’”

The seven bowl judgments were poured out by seven angels from the temple in heaven in Revelation 16. Now, one of the seven angels shows John on whom the judgments were poured out. The angel verifies to John that the judgments of God were carried out on the wicked kings of the earth who participated in a type of Jezebel spirit against God’s saints and martyrs.

The mindset of the powerful empires in the last days is characterized as that of a harlot. Like Jezebel, their mind is to persecute God’s people, and forcefully promote false beliefs. They will be a crime syndicate of abusive bullies. They put to death those who dare to stand for Christ.

If you are not familiar with Jezebel, her story begins in 1 Kings 16:31 and ends in 2 Kings 9:37. Jezebel outlawed faith in the One true God, and enforced faith in fake gods.

The evil nature of Jezebel reappears in Athaliah. 2 Kings 8:18 and 2 Chronicles 21:6 identify Athaliah as the daughter of Jezebel. In 2 Kings 11:1-3, when Athaliah’s kingly son died, she killed his siblings and took over his throne. But God hid one of her grandsons from her and later installed him as the rightful king. Athaliah, like her mother Jezebel, died a violent death.

In the days of Jeremiah, the people of Judah were worshipping the “Queen of Heaven.” The “Queen of Heaven” refers to the goddess Ishtar (the Babylonian goddess of love and war) or Astarte/Asherah (the Canaanite consorts of Baal). In Jeremiah 7:18, the Lord describes some of the Queen of Heaven worship practices. In Jeremiah 44:17–19, after Jerusalem fell, the people continued to worship her. They credited the Queen of Heaven with their previous agricultural wealth, comfort, and safety instead of giving glory to God.

In Matthew 14:3-21, Herodias had her daughter seduce King Herod with a dance and afterwards, demand as a reward the head of John the Baptist on a platter.

Catholic Queen Mary of England was blood thirsty! Between 1555-1558, she burned 288 Christians at the stake.

In 1 Kings 21:25, we read, “Surely there was never one like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the Lord, incited by his wife Jezebel.” King Ahab sold himself to do evil for the sake of Jezebel his wife. The kings of the earth will be influenced by a harlot mindset in the last days.

When a nation abandons the true God for idols, it commits spiritual fornication. In Isaiah 23:17, the Lord indicts Tyre for committing fornication with all the kingdoms of the world. Immorality does in fact become rampant in a nation where the people in it are not walking with God.

In Nahum 3:1-6, Nineveh is an example of an ungodly city. The Lord called Nineveh “a bloody city, full of lies and robbery.” “They stumble over the corpses – because of the multitude of harlotries...” Nineveh “sells nations through her harlotries, and families through her sorceries. Behold, I am against you, says the Lord of hosts... I will cast abominable filth upon you, make you vile, and make you a spectacle.”

In Revelation 2:20-22, Jesus warned the church in Thyatira against tolerating a woman named Jezebel to teach and seduce His servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat things sacrificed to idols. The Lord said to them, “Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds.”

In 1 Corinthians 6:16, Paul exhorted the Christians of Corinth, saying, “Do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For ‘the two,’ He says, ‘shall become one flesh.’”

The great harlot who sits on many waters in Revelation 17 makes the inhabitants of the earth drunk with the wine of her fornication. In Jeremiah 51:7, the Lord identifies Babylon as a golden cup in His hand whose wine made all the earth drunk and deranged.

Revelation 17:3-5: “ So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. And on her forehead a name was written: Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and of the Abominations of the Earth.”

The beast that the woman sits on is scarlet. The word in the Greek text is κοκκίνος. Scarlet sits between red and orange on the color wheel, but is closer to red. In Matthew 27:28, Roman soldiers placed a scarlet robe on Jesus to mock Him. Scarlet garments were worn by Roman military officers and emperors. In Revelation 12:3, 9, the dragon Satan is red in color.

In Revelation 17:4, the woman is arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls. In Revelation 18:16, the great city Babylon is clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! She has the appearance of riches, comfort and security, but her goal is to replace people’s devotion to God with devotion to her. In Ezekiel 28:13, Satan is described as at one time being in Eden, the garden of God, with precious stones as a covering, including gold. Babylon is Satan’s puppet

The beast is full of names of blasphemy meaning names against God. In Exodus 28:36, God’s priests wore the words “Holiness to the Lord” on their turbans not blasphemous names.

Revelation 17:6: “I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.”

The goal of this woman is to either seduce or slay God’s holy people.

In Numbers 31:16, Moses indicates that Balaam advised King Balak to send Moabite women into Israel’s camp to seduce the men to sin against the Lord. In Revelation 2:14, Jesus refers to the “teaching of Balaam” saying that he “taught Balak to put a stumbling block before Israel by enticing them to eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality.”

Revelation 17:7-11: “The angel said to me, ‘Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the abyss and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. There are also seven kings, five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.’”

An angel explains a “mystery” to John. In 2 Thessalonians 2:7, the Lord speaks of the mystery of lawlessness. The union of Christ and the Church is a “great mystery” according to Ephesians 5:31-32. People joining with the beast and harlot against God is also a “mystery.”

In Revelation 17:9-10, the beast has seven heads which are interpreted by an angel to John as being seven mountains and seven kings. The beast has ten horns which are interpreted by an angel to John as being ten kings. In Daniel 7:17, 23-24, the Lord explained to Daniel that his visions of great beasts were about present and future kings and kingdoms of the earth.

As the head is the prominent part of the body, so the mountain is a prominent part of the land. A king is a prominent person in a kingdom. Mountains represent seats of power. Physically, Babylon stood in a plain, but spiritually it was called a destroying mountain.

In Revelation 17:8, the beast ascends out of the abyss. In Revelation 9:1-2, the key to the abyss is given to an angel and he opens it, and smoke comes out from it that darkens the sun. In Revelation 9:11, the king of the abyss is an angel whose name is destroyer. In Revelation 11:7, the beast that ascends out of the abyss makes war against the two witnesses of God and kills them. In Revelation 20:1-3, an angel from heaven binds Satan with a chain and locks him up in the abyss for a thousand years. After the thousand years, he is released again for a little while.

In Revelation 17:8, the beast “was, and is not, and will ascend out of the abyss.” In Revelation 17:11, “the beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth.” In Revelation 13:3, one of the heads of the beast “seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast.” In Revelation 20:1-3, Satan is bound in an abyss for a thousand years, but then is released. He uses his disappearance and reappearance to claim that he is resurrected from the dead. And what do the people whose names are not written in the Book of Life do in Revelation 17:8? They do just as the people in Revelation 13:3 did, they marvel at the beast.

In Revelation 17:11, it is prophesied that the beast will go to perdition. In John 17:12, Jesus referred to Judas Iscariot as the son of perdition. Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. 30 pieces of silver was the going price for a slave at that time. Judas believed money could do more for him than Jesus the King of kings and Lord of lords could do.

In Revelation 19:19-20, the beast, his false prophet and their followers are cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. In Revelation 20:10, the devil is cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. “They will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” This is perdition.

The good news of Revelation is that the devil and his accomplices have an expiration date. After a certain moment in time, they will never torment and kill people again.

Revelation 17:12-13: “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast.”

The kings of the ruling empire during the end times are of one mind to render unto the beast their power and authority. Kings who propagate death to unborn babies and destroy the lives of the born through trafficking in sex trades, drug trades and wars, do beastly work.

Revelation 17:14: “These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”

The antichrist sets himself up to be King of kings, but scarcely has he put forth his claim when the true KING OF KINGS appears and dashes him down in a moment to destruction.

Those who appeared to be the losers when the spirit of the antichrist ruled the world, turn out to be the winners when Jesus Christ returns. They are called chosen and faithful.

Revelation 17:15: “Then he said to me, ‘The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.’”

Harlot Babylon rules the nations. Like Jezebel in the Old Testament, she has convinced the people under her that it is better to obey her than to be put to death by her.

Revelation 17:16: “And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire.”

Babylon made the ten kings exceedingly wealthy. They enjoyed a monopoly on commerce. People had to receive the mark of the beast to buy or sell. But when they are convinced that they no longer need her, they hate her, strip her and burn her.

Revelation 17:17-18: “For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the Words of God are fulfilled. And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.’”

According to Proverbs 21:1, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water, He turns it whithersoever He will.” The Lord turns the hearts of the kings against Babylon.

Concerning the seven heads of the beast, they represents the seven kings of seven great earthly empires who opposed God’s people: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome. Satan’s antichrist empire during the last days is the seventh kingdom.

The seventh kingdom has ten kings who rule the world. The ten kings probably allude to a ten-nation confederation personified as ten toes of a great image in Daniel 2:24-45. Whatever their exact identity, their actions are clear. They join with the antichrist in his war against Christ.

We can see aspects of the antichrist already at work as governments pass laws that favor those who defy the Bible and punish those who live by it.

As happened so often in the Scriptures, God causes those who oppose Him to turn against each other and destroy one another. The battle belongs to the Lord!

Revelation 17:14 is the key verse for us who believe in Jesus to remember. The Lord promises us, “The Lamb shall overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”

Don’t marvel at and follow the beast? So many people are marveling and following Marvel comic book heroes nowadays. They are not gods. They are empty imaginations. The true and only Savior and Lord of the world is Jesus Christ. He died on the cross to pay our sin debt, and resurrected from the dead to guarantee a place for us with God when we die.

What’s at stake? Eternal salvation! Heaven or hell! Life with God or eternal suffering with the devil. The greatest loss is to lose one’s soul. The greatest gain is to be with God forever.

The Seven Bowl Judgments – Revelation 16

Revelation 16:1-2: “Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, ‘Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth.’ So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.”

The seven angels are commanded to pour out the bowls of God’s wrath on earth. These seven angels are also present in Revelation 8:3-5, when an angel takes incense mixed with the prayers of the saints and offers them before God. Then, he fills a censer with fire and throws it to the earth, and it causes noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.

In Isaiah 66:6, Isaiah wrote of hearing a voice from the temple! He declared, “The voice of the Lord fully repays His enemies!”

In Jeremiah 10:25, Jeremiah prayed to God, saying, “Pour out Your fury on the Gentiles, who do not know You, and on the families who do not call on Your Name. For they have eaten up Jacob. Devoured him and consumed him, and made his dwelling place desolate.”

In Zephaniah 3:8, the Lord promised, “My determination is to gather the nations to My assembly of kingdoms, to pour on them My indignation, all My fierce anger. All the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy.”

When the first bowl of wrath is poured out on the earth, foul and loathsome sores breakout on people who have the mark of the beast and worship his image.

God brought a similar plague on Egypt in Exodus 9:10. The Lord caused boils to break out in sores on man and beast. God judges the end times empires of humanity as He judged Egypt.

In Deuteronomy 28:35, one of the curses that God promises to lawbreakers is severe boils from head to foot which cannot be healed.

Images from Israel’s Exodus are prominent in the bowl judgments. In Exodus 7:14-10:29, God sent plagues upon Egypt that included plagues of boils, waters turning to blood, and darkness.

In Isaiah 1:6, the Lord points out to Israel that they have wounds, bruises and putrefying sores from the sole of the foot even to the head due to their rebellion against God.

In Job 2:7, “Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.” Satan struck Job to destroy his faith in God, but failed. God’s plagues strike people who have shed the blood of His servants to bring them to repentance and salvation. In Revelation 7:14, John sees a multitude of worshippers in heaven who came out of the great tribulation. They made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb.

Revelation 16:3-4: “Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man. And every living creature in the sea died. Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.”

The bowls of the second and third angels turns sea, river and spring waters to blood. In Revelation 8:8, the second angel sounded a trumpet and a third of the sea became blood.

In Revelation 11:6, the two witnesses have power over waters to turn them to blood.

In Exodus 7:17-21, Aaron stretched out the rod of Moses over the waters of Egypt, and streams, rivers, ponds, pools of water, water in buckets of wood and pitchers of stone turned to blood. “The fish that were in the river died, the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink the water of the river. So there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.”

The Egyptians had no qualms about shedding innocent blood. Pharoah commanded Israelites to drown their baby boys. In these lasts days, many governments are in cahoots with the abortion industry that profits from the destruction of preborn babies.

Revelation 16:5-7: “And I heard the angel of the waters saying: ‘You are righteous, O Lord, the One who is and who was and who is to be, because You have judged these things. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due.’ And I heard another from the altar saying, ‘Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.’”

In Deuteronomy 32:43, God promised Moses that He would avenge the shed blood of His servants: “Rejoice, O nations, with His people: for He will avenge the blood of His servants, and will render vengeance to His adversaries, and will be merciful unto His land, and to His people.”

After Babylon is destroyed in Revelation 18, in Revelation 19:1-2, a great multitude gives glory to God. Babylon corrupted the earth with her fornication. She shed the blood of God’s servants.

Revelation 16:8-9: “Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the Name of God who has power over these plagues. And they did not repent and give Him glory.”

The fourth angel’s bowl of wrath scorches people with fire. In Leviticus 21:9, any daughter of a priest who practices harlotry is to be burned with fire. In the prophets, God compares idolatry with adultery. Though scorched by the sun, people did not repent and give God glory.

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

The plague of the fifth bowl is like the ninth plague on Egypt in Exodus 10:21-22. The ninth plague on Egypt brought thick darkness on all their land for three days.

In Isaiah 8:19-20, when people said to Isaiah the prophet, “Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,” God asked, “Should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living?” In Isaiah 8:22, God promised, “They will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into darkness.”

In Luke 10:15, the people of Capernaum perceived themselves as being exalted to heaven. Jesus warned them that they would “be brought down to Hades.”

In Revelation 13:2, the dragon gave his throne to the beast. The beast enjoyed his throne for a season until he began to gnaw his tongue in pain due to sores breaking out on him.

The darkness of the fifth bowl is a preview of hell itself, which is described by Jesus as a place of outer darkness, and gnashing of teeth. In Matthew 25:30, Jesus said to “cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Revelation 16:12-14: “Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.”

The plague of the sixth angel releases evil spirits that convince kings to gather armies against God’s people in Jerusalem. The sixth bowl judgment dries up the Euphrates River so that kings and their armies led by Satan can advance against Israel. This mighty army’s advance on Israel is reminiscent of Joshua 8, where God’s army appeared to retreat before an advancing troop only to rise up from ambushes and destroy them.

In 1 Kings 22:19-23, a lying spirit led evil King Ahab to his death. Micaiah the prophet had a vision of a spirit saying to the Lord “I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.” Micaiah told Ahab, “The Lord has declared disaster against you.”

In 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12, people who refuse to love the truth are granted a strong delusion from the Lord to believe a lie. They are condemned with those who delight in wickedness.

In Joel 3:2, the Lord promised, “I will also gather all nations, and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. I will enter into judgment with them there on account of My people, My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations...”

In Ezekiel 38:16, God prophesied to Gog, saying, “You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me, when I am hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes.”

In Zechariah 12:2-3, 9, God prophesied, “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples. All who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it. It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.”

Many nations are deceived to think that war will make them rich. It will destroy them.

The devil’s goal is to deceive people into doing evil against God and one another. He uses signs and wonders to lead people astray. Jesus warned us in Matthew 24:24, “False christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”

Thus, we should pray to the Lord, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

In Acts 13:8-12, a sorcerer tried to turn a Roman proconsul away from faith in Christ. “Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, ‘O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?’” Immediately, a dark mist fell on the sorcerer and he was blind for a season.

In 1 Timothy 4:1, “the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.” In 2 Timothy 3:13, the Lord warned, “Evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.”

In 1 John 4:2-3, the Lord tells us which Spirit to heed, saying, “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.”

Revelation 16:15: “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.”

Thieves break in when people least expect it. Traps trap prey when they least expect to be trapped. In 2 Peter 3:10, Peter prophesied saying, “The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.”

“Blessed is who watches and keeps his garments. In Galatians 3:7, 27, and Isaiah 64:6, garments are metaphor for the righteousness of Christ. We who believe in Jesus are clothed in His righteousness. Without His atonement, we are “naked” because our sins are not covered.

Revelation 16:16: “And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.”

The great battle happens at a place called Armageddon (Har-Megiddo or Mount of Megiddo). Megiddo was formerly called the Valley of Jezreel. In Judges 5:19, Deborah’s victory over Sisera happened in Megiddo. In Judges 6:33, Gideon’s victory over the Midianites happened in Megiddo. In 2 Kings 9:27, wicked Ahaziah king of Judah fled to Megiddo, and died there. In 2 Kings 23:29 and 2 Chronicles 35:19-21, we have the story of how Pharaoh Necho killed King Josiah at Megiddo after he warned Josiah not to meddle in his war with Assyria. In the last days, millions of fighting men will die in the valley of Megiddo or Armageddon.

Revelation 16:17-21: “Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, ‘It is done!’ And there were noises and thundering and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.”

The seventh bowl is poured out into the air. Perhaps, because the devil is referred to in Ephesians 2:2 as the prince of the power of the air.

Six of the seven bowl judgments brought plagues and deception on the followers of the beast and his false prophet. The seventh and last bowl judgment quakes the earth so that cities of nations fall, and islands and mountains disappear.

In Isaiah 24:20, the Lord foretold of a day when the earth would “reel to and fro like a drunkard and shall totter like a hut. Its transgression shall be heavy upon it, and it will fall, and not rise again.” In Hebrews 12:26, God says, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.”

The seventh bowl judgment brings hailstones weighing about 75 pounds each on earth. In Exodus 9:24, unusually large hail was a plague that God used to humble Egypt. The hail was “so very heavy that there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.” In Joshua 10:11, God used hail against the Canaanites. In Isaiah 28:2, God used hail against the idolatrous Israelites. In Ezekiel 38:22, God uses hail against the hordes of Gog and Magog.

“The great city was divided into three parts.” The capital of the antichrist’s political empire (Babylon) falls under the wrath of God. God holds Babylon accountable for her crimes.

The seven bowl judgments bring about a great city’s collapse just as seven priests blowing seven trumpets in the days of Joshua brought about Jericho’s collapse. All great things bow and serve God Almighty. God alone is the greatest of all time. He deserves our praise and worship.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is Faithful to His Suffering Saints

Our Lord Jesus Christ reveals His faithfulness to those who suffer for His Name’s sake in the Book of Revelation. In Revelation 1:9, John wrote, “I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

The sufferings of our Lord’s witnesses is noted throughout the Book of Revelation.

Revelation 2:10 – Smyrna Christians imprisoned 10 days
Revelation 2:13 – The Lord’s faithful witness Antipas martyred
Revelation 5:9-11 – Christ’s own suffering on the cross is referenced
Revelation 6:9 – Martyrs slain for the Word of God
Revelation 11:7 – The two witnesses slain by the beast
Revelation 12:17 - The dragon wars with keepers of God’s Word
Revelation 13:7 - The beast overcomes the saints
Revelation 16:6 – They have shed the blood of saints and prophets
Revelation 17:6 – Woman drunk with blood of saints and martyrs
Revelation 18:24 – Babylon killed prophets, saints, and others
Revelation 19:2 – God avenges the shed blood of His servants
Revelation 20:4 – The beheaded for Christ Jesus reign with Him

God gives us a “why” for His severe judgments in 2 Chronicles 36:15-16, “The Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, till there was no remedy.”

God’s vineyard keepers did not want to yield unto Him a harvest. In Matthew 21:34-41, Jesus compared earth’s managers to vinedressers who take God’s servants, beat one, kill one, and stone another. When He sends His Son to them, they say among themselves, ‘This is the Heir. Come, let us kill Him and seize His inheritance.’ They kill Him. Thus, God’s plan is to destroy these wicked men and “lease His vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to Him the fruits in their seasons.’”

The Book of Revelation ends well because God answers the prayers of those who cry out to Him. Prayers like the one in Revelation 6:10: “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

In Psalm 79:10, Asaph prayed to the Lord in a similar fashion as the martyrs in heaven. He prayed, “Why should the nations say, ‘Where is their God?’ Let there be known among the nations in our sight the avenging of the blood of Your servants which has been shed.”

In Matthew 21:34-35, Jesus said that all the righteous blood shed on the earth would come upon the murderers of His servants.

Most Biblical holidays are celebrations of victory over abuse. The Passover Festival originated with God freeing His people from slavery. The Purim Festival originated with God reversing the plot of Haman to wipe out the Jewish race. Hanukkah originated with the victory of Judas Maccabeus in 165 BC over Antiochus IV Epiphanes.

Incarnation and Resurrection Day celebrations originate with the Son of God coming down to earth, being born in a manger, suffering among us, being slain by our sins and then, resurrected by the power of God.

Praise God, Hebrews 4:14-15 says, “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

In Romans 8:34, Paul wrote, “Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” In Romans 8:38-39, he added, “I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Victory Over The Beast – Revelation 15

Revelation 15:1: “Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete.”

The Lord was gracious to John and to us to give us so many revelations of His kingdom. In Revelation 12:1, John wrote, “Now a great sign appeared in heaven...” In Revelation 12:3, he wrote, “And another sign appeared in heaven...” In Revelation 15:1, the seven last angels having the seven last plagues of God is another “great and marvelous” sign.

The word for sign in the original Greek text is σημεῖον. In the New Testament, a sign is an extraordinary phenomenon or portent that points beyond itself to a deeper spiritual reality or divine authority. In Modern Greek, the word transitions to σημείο which commonly translates to point, spot, or site. The “sign” notifies those who see it that something is about to happen.

In Joshua 6, when the Lord had seven priests blow seven trumpets for seven days as they marched around the city of Jericho, God was indicating to the people of Jericho that they needed to surrender to Him lest they perish. Rahab saw the sign, acted upon it, and was spared from destruction. She ended up in the genealogy of Jesus while the majority of her people perished on the seventh day when the seven priests blew their trumpets for the seventh time.

Jesus completes what Joshua began. Joshua’s commission was to remove idolators from the Promised Land and take possession of it. Joshua was unable to completely rid the land of idolators. Jesus, however, succeeds. He clears the entire planet of idolators when He returns.

In Revelation 10:7, the Lord says, “In the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.”

In Revelation 21:9, “one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to” John and told him, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.”

In Leviticus 26:14-17, the Lord said to Israel, “If you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments, and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant, I also will do this to you: I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.”

Then, in Leviticus 26:18, the Lord says, “And after all this, if you do not obey Me, I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.” Then, He issues more plagues.

In Leviticus 26:21, the Lord says, “If you walk contrary to Me, and are not willing to obey Me, I will bring on you seven times more plagues, according to your sins.”

In Leviticus 26:23-24, the Lord says, “if by these things you are not reformed by Me, but walk contrary to Me, then I also will walk contrary to you, and I will punish you yet seven times for your sins.”

In Leviticus 26:27-28, the Lord says, “‘And after all this, if you do not obey Me, but walk contrary to Me, then I also will walk contrary to you in fury, and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.”

In the Book of Revelation, there are seven seal judgments, seven trumpet judgments and seven bowl judgments. The Lord releases a series of hardships to persuade people to repent, and then, lets up, and gives humanity time to respond. If people don’t respond, He releases another set of judgments. His goal is to save souls from the greatest disaster which is eternal hell.

Revelation 15:2: “And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God.”

How did these people gain the victory over the beast, his image, his mark and the number of his name? According to Revelation 12:11, people overcome Satan and his cohorts “by the blood of the Lamb and by the Word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”

The sea of glass alludes to the water basin before the entrance of Solomon’s temple mentioned in 1 Kings 7:23. In Exodus 30:17-21, it was used for the purification of the priests. They washed in the water before entering the holy temple.

In the New Testament, the sea of glass symbolizes the baptismal water in which a person who believes in Jesus and professes Him is baptized. In John 3:4-6, Jesus spoke of the necessity to be born of water and the Spirit. Some denominations refer to the baptismal waters as the womb of the Church from which a new life in Christ springs forth. A person’s physical birth begins with the flow of embryonic water. A person’s spiritual rebirth happens as he or she professes faith in Christ and is baptized with water in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The fire in the sea symbolizes the baptism of fire by the Holy Spirit mentioned in Acts 1:8 and 2:4. They overcame evil spirits by the power of a greater Spirit. Thus, they play harps in worship unto the Lamb and unto God Almighty. In Exodus 15:20-21, after God gave Israel the victory over Pharaoh and his army, Miriam led Israel’s women to play timbrels, dance and sing praise to the Lord. The Spirit-filled life is characterized by lively and joyful worship unto the Lord.

The vision of the sea of glass confirms the importance of baptism. In Exodus 30:17-21, the Lord warned Aaron and his sons (the priests) to wash in the basin before entering the tabernacle lest they die. The goal of Christ is to make us priests and kings unto God so we should happily be baptized in water.

Revelation 15:3-4: “They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: ‘Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your Name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been manifested.’”

In Revelation 14:14-16, “One like the Son of Man... thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.” This was the ingathering of the people of God. What do they do when they reach the shore of the crystal sea? They sing “the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb.” They are not singing their own praises. No, they are giving all the glory to God.

Jesus Christ deemed those around the crystal sea to be good grapes. They feared the Lord. They believed that God’s ways were just and true. They did not take the mark of the beast. They glorified the Name of the Lord. People from every nation were with God worshiping Him. They leaned upon the Lord and He saved them.

“They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb.” Joyful songs of worship and thanksgiving unto God are the proper response to all of His goodness.

They sing, “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty.” In Psalm 111:2, the Psalmist wrote, “The works of the Lord are great, studied by all who have pleasure in them.”

In Deuteronomy 32:4, some of the words in the song of Moses about God are: “He is the Rock, His work is perfect. For all His ways are justice. A God of truth and without injustice. Righteous and upright is He.”

They ask, “Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your Name?” In Jeremiah 10:7, the prophet wrote, “Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? For this is Your rightful due. For among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like You.”

The chief purpose of humankind is to glorify God. When we are healed by the Lord from our sin, we take pleasure in worshipping Him. Then, we want to do as Hebrews 13:15 says, “offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His Name.”

Revelation 15:5-6: “After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. And out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure bright linen, and having their chests girded with golden bands.”

The pure bright linen and gold chest sashes match the description of Jesus in Revelation 1:13. White and gold symbolize holiness and righteousness. The coming judgments are holy and just.

The “tabernacle of the testimony” refers to the portable sanctuary built by Moses under God’s direction, which housed the Ark of the Covenant containing the Ten Commandments tablets.

In Exodus 40:24-34, the Septuagint (LXX) uses the same Greek terms as Revelation 15:5 for “tabernacle of the testimony” to describe the finished tabernacle being filled with God’s glory.

In Revelation 11:19, “the temple of God was also opened in heaven.” “The ark of His covenant was seen in His temple.” The Ark of the Covenant was an item in the earthly temple.

In Hebrews 9:24, the Bible states, “Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.” The earthly tabernacle was a temporary, physical teaching tool designed to illustrate God’s holiness. In Revelation 15:5, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven is open.

In Revelation 15:6, the temple of the tabernacle testimony is opened for seven angels to receive the seven golden bowls filled with seven plagues.

Revelation 15:7-8: “Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever. The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.”

In Revelation 15:7, seven bowls full of the wrath of God are mentioned. These seven bowls of wrath are connected to the heavenly censers mentioned in Revelation 8:3-5.

In Revelation 8:3-5, an angel having a golden censer, stood at the golden altar, and was given much incense to “offer it with the prayers of all the saints.” The golden altar of incense was another piece of furniture in the earthly temple. The smoke of the incense is mixed with the prayers of the saints. The smoke and prayers ascend before God. An angel filled his censer with fire from the altar and threw it to the earth. The golden bowls of incense “which are the prayers of the saints” are also mentioned in Revelation 5:8.

In Revelation 15:7, one of the four living creatures gives to the seven angels the seven golden bowls of wrath. The four living creatures are very active in the end times judgments on earth.

In Revelation 4:6-8, the four living creatures are around God’s throne praising God continuously. In Revelation 5:6-14, they worship the Lamb, holding harps and golden bowls of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. In Revelation 6:1-8, each one in succession calls to John, saying, “Come and see” as seals 1-4 are opened. In Revelation 7:11, they worship God with a multitude of people that no one can number. In Revelation 14:3, they are near God’s throne during the song of the 144,000. In Revelation 19:4, they worship God after God avenges the blood of His servants shed by Babylon.

In Revelation 15:7, one of the four living creatures gives to the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God. At that moment, the temple is filled with smoke from God’s glory and from His power. No one is able to enter the temple until the seven last plagues are completed.

In Psalm 18:6-19, David describes God’s response to his prayer as earth shaking. A devouring fire proceeds from God’s mouth. He thunders from heaven with hailstones and coals of fire. His arrows scatter the foe. He delivers David’s soul from hatred. He brings David to a broad place.

Knowing what we know from the Word of God, we need not wait until all these things come to pass to sing a new song to the Lord. If we have been continuously singing songs of lament, we can now switch to songs of victory. The Lord is surely going to bring to pass all that He promised. The crime syndicates of this world are coming to an end. The devil and his cohorts are condemned. Christ is coming! Our Lord Jesus Christ shall reign forever and ever. This life is comparable to a vapor that appears for a moment and is gone in the next, it will soon be over, and we will live forever and ever in paradise with God.

Ripe For Harvest – Revelation 14:8-20

Revelation 14:8: “And another angel followed, saying, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”

Babylon forced nations to drink of her fornicating ways. What did her drink do for the nations? It brought upon them the wrath of God.

In Revelation 18:19, those who became rich by Babylon’s wealth lament and say, “In one hour she is made desolate.” Revelation 18:20 states that Babylon’s merchants were the great men of the earth because by her sorcery all the nations were deceived. According to what I see happening nowadays, people were likely deceived to buy and sell goods and services that they didn’t need, and that were actually harmful to their wellbeing.

God had a similar message for the Babylon of Jeremiah’ day. In Jeremiah 51:6-8, he prophesied, “This is the time of the Lord’s vengeance. He shall recompense her. Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord’s hand that made all the earth drunk. The nations drank her wine. Therefore the nations are deranged. Babylon has suddenly fallen and been destroyed. Wail for her!”

In Revelation 18:20, heaven, holy apostles and prophets are told to rejoice because God has taken vengeance on Babylon on their behalf. In Revelation 18:24, the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth were found in Babylon.

In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus said that a wise man hears His sayings and practices them. A fool does not. A wise man’s house is comparable to a house built on a rock while a fool’s house is comparable to a house built on shifting sands. The fool’s house will not stand during times of storms but wiseman’s house will. Babylon’s prideful pomp will fall quite suddenly like a house made of cards. Those who stand with Christ will stand forever.

Revelation 14:9-11: “Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall 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 ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.’”

A cup filled full strength with God’s wrath (not diluted with mercy) is poured out on those who worship other gods. In Psalms 11:6, David wrote that God shall rain fire and brimstone on the wicked. “This shall be the portion of their cup.” Psalms 75:8 says, “In the hand of the Lord there is a cup... all the wicked... shall drink...” In Jeremiah 25:15, the Lord said to Jeremiah, “Take the wine cup of this fury at My hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send you, to drink it.”

In Matthew 20:22, Jesus asked, “Are you able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of?” In Matthew 20:26, Jesus prayed, ‘O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me. Nevertheless not as I will, but as You will.’” Jesus drank the cup of God’s wrath that was meant for us sinners. When we believe in Jesus, the wrath we deserve for our sin, is paid in full by Him.

God’s wrath against sin is great. In Matthew 13:41-42, Jesus prophesied, saying, “The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity ... and shall cast them into a furnace of fire. There shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”

Revelation 14:12: “Here is the patience of the saints. Here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”

The Lord gave a similar word to John in Revelation 13:10. He said, “Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.” He said this in lieu of His judgments on the kingdoms of the world. As God’s plagues on Egypt were a series of events culminating with Israel’s freedom, so God’s end times plagues on the world will culminate with Christ followers being freed from evil to be with God.

It is likely that just as people mocked Noah for building a boat on dryland, so they will mock last days Christians for holding to “that old time religion, that was good enough for Paul and Silas.”

Revelation 14:13: “Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, ‘Write: blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.’”

In Hebrews 4:11, the Lord encourages us in His Word to make every effort to enter the rest. We enter the rest of God by believing what He has taught us. We trust in His ability, not our own.

Only God is able to transport a soul from this life to the next one. We must not be like the people in Isaiah’s day. In Isaiah 7:2, they were shaking as trees shake in the wind. So, the Lord gave them a sign: a virgin would conceive a child. His Name is called Immanuel (God with us).

Revelation 14:14-16: “Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, ‘Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.’ So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.”

This first harvest is the harvest of believers in Christ. They are good fruit. The Son of Man on the cloud is Jesus Christ. He brings in the harvest of souls to God His Father.

In Revelation 1:7, it is written, “Behold, He [Jesus] comes with clouds; and every eye shall see Him...” In Luke 21:27, Jesus said, “They shall see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” In Daniel 7:13, it is written, “I saw in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven.”

In Mark 4:29, Jesus said, “When the fruit is brought forth, immediately He puts in the sickle, because the harvest is come.” In Matthew 13:39, Jesus said, “The harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.” They collect what the sickle has cut down.

Revelation 14:17-20: “Then another angel came out of the temple, which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, ‘Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.’ So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for 1,600 furlongs.”

“The vine of the earth” is condemned because its fruit is not from God. Apart from Christ people produce bad grapes. They try to save themselves apart from Christ but fail. In the Gospels, our Lord’s strongest words of condemnation are towards imposters.

In Deuteronomy 32:32-33, the Lord says, “Their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah. Their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter... Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps.”

In Isaiah 5:5, it is written, “He looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit.”

In Isaiah 63:3-4, the Lord says, “I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with Me. For I have trodden them in My anger, and trampled them in My fury. Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, and I have stained all My robes. For the day of vengeance is in My heart, and the year of My redeemed has come.”

In Joel 3:13-14, the Lord says, “Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down, for the winepress is full, the vats overflow—for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.”

A scholar named Bengel believes the 1,600 furlongs area is the valley of Kidron, between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives. His view agrees with Joel’s prophecy that the valley of Jehoshaphat is where the antichrist will be overthrown.

In Jeremiah 25:30, it is written, “‘The Lord... will give a shout, as those who tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.”

In Jeremiah 51:33, the Lord says, “The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor when it is time to thresh her. Yet a little while and the time of her harvest will come.”

Concerning the phrase, “blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for 1,600 furlongs,” the Lord said in Isaiah 26:21, “For behold, the Lord comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth will also disclose her blood, and will no more cover her slain.”

In Revelation 14:13, the Lord gave to John a word for the wise, 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, and their works follow them.” The key to being in the first ingathering, the one that ascends to be with the Lord, is to “die in the Lord.” Be in Him! Be in Christ! Abide in Him and in His Word, and you will rest from your labors and your works will not be burned up. They will follow you. They will yield blessings for you and bring glory to our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Everlasting Gospel – Revelation 14:1-7

Revelation 14:1: “Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him 144,000, having His Father’s Name written on their foreheads.”

Praise the Lord, the Lamb is standing on Mount Zion with His followers. They are a mighty army filled with the Word of God. In Joel 2:1, the Lord says to blow the trumpet in Zion. Sound an alarm in My holy mountain! The day of the Lord is coming. It is at hand. In Joel 2:11, the Lord utters His voice before His army. His camp is great. Strong is the One who carries out His Word.

The 144,000 have the Name of the Lamb’s Father written on their foreheads, not the 666 number of the beast.[1]

In Deuteronomy 6:7-9, God told the people of Israel to have His commandments bound as a sign on their hand, and as a frontlet between their eyes. They have Christ on their minds and they serve Him with their hands. They abide in Christ, who is also called, “The Word of God.” They have submitted themselves to God and resisted the devil in accordance with James 4:7.

In Revelation 3:12, Jesus said to, “Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of My God... and I will write upon him the Name of My God, and the name of the city of My God... and I will write upon him My new Name.”

God’s Name is on everyone who has His Spirit. In Ephesians 1:13-14, we read, “In Him [Jesus Christ] you also, when you heard the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory.”

Revelation 14:2: “And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps.”

In Psalms 93:4, David wrote, “The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.” His voice sounds like tons of water falling. Like thunder!

John hears harpist playing harps. In Psalm 144:9, David wrote, “I will sing a new song to You, O God. On a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You.” God was so good to lead David to play the harp and sing songs to Him. Such songs and music are a foretaste of heaven.

Various musical instruments are used in the Bible for worshipping God. The trumpet (shofar) appears in over 90 verses, and the harp (kinnor) is mentioned 42 times. Other instruments include the lyre, timbrel (tambourine), cymbals, flute (zournas), drum, bells and let’s not forget voices as instruments of praise to God.[2]

Revelation 14:3: “They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders. And no one could learn that song except the 144,000 who were redeemed from the earth.”

The Lord urges us to sing new songs multiple times in the Bible. For example, in Psalm 33:3, He says, “Sing to Him a new song. Play skillfully with a shout of joy.” The Lord has provided so many wonderful songs for us to sing. He gives us songs of deliverance.[3]

No one else could learn the new song that the Lord gave to the 144,000. It was for them.

Revelation 14:4: “These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.”

In 2 Corinthians 11:2, Paul spoke of Christians as virgins espoused to Christ. “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” They are pure via their relationship with Christ.

In Isaiah 54:5, Jeremiah 3:14, and Hosea 2:16, God speaks of being married to His people. In Ephesians 5:25-32, the relationship between Christ and His Church is compared to a marriage between a man and woman. In Revelation 19:7-9, the celebration of Christ being united with His people forever is called, “the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

The 144,000 Messianic Jews follow the Lamb wherever He goes. In Matthew 4:18-20, Jesus said to Peter and Andrew, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” “They immediately left their nets and followed Him.” Those who follow Jesus are also called disciples. They learn from Him and do His bidding.

The 144,000 Messianic Jews are redeemed by the Lord from among men. “They are firstfruits to God and to the Lamb,” which means there will be many more like them as a result of their ministry. In Revelation 7:4, after the Lord introduces the 144,000 to John, He shows John a great multitude of people which no one could number from all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues praising God. They came out of the great tribulation. They have been redeemed unto God by the blood of the Lamb.

Revelation 14:5: “In their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.”

In Zephaniah 3:8-9, the Lord says to wait for Him until the day He rises up for plunder. He says, “My determination is to gather the nations to My assembly of kingdoms, to pour on them My indignation, all My fierce anger. All the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy. For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, that they all may call on the Name of the Lord, to serve Him with one accord.”

In Zephaniah 3:12-13, the Lord promised, “I will leave in your midst a meek and humble people, and they shall trust in the Name of the Lord. The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness and speak no lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth. For they shall feed their flocks and lie down, and no one shall make them afraid.”

The Lord Jesus raises up this army by baptizing them in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth. Jesus Christ is the truth. The meek and humble who trust in the Lord speak truth.

Revelation 14:6-7: “Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people—saying with a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.’”

The angel preaches the everlasting Gospel to people all over the world, telling them to fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come. He urges people to worship God.

Do the terms, “Fear God” and “the Gospel” belong in the same message?

2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 says that when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, He will execute fiery vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. “These” says the Lord, “shall be punished with everlasting destruction.”

Jesus used the words, “unless” and “if” when He shared the Gospel.

In John 3:5, Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” In John 6:53, Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.” In John 8:24, Jesus said, “If you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

The Gospel properly preached is both bad news and good news. It is very bad news for those who reject Christ. In John 3:36, God’s Word says, “He who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” In Matthew 25:32-46, Jesus spoke of separating sheep from goats, meaning those who have no relationship with Him will be castaways. The good news of the Gospel is that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for our sins on the cross. He resurrected on the third day to assure us that everyone who believes in Him receives everlasting life. We rest in His works to save us.

In Matthew 24:14, Jesus foretold, “This Gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Not that all nations shall be converted, but all nations shall have had the opportunity to believe in Christ.

As for the angel who preaches the Gospel mentioned in Revelation 14:6, I am amazed that the Gospel is spreading globally nowadays via satellite transmissions. The Holy Spirit is like air and water. He finds ways to enter nations that seem to be closed airtight and watertight.

The Gospel dispels darkness from nations. The era preceding the Reformation is commonly called the dark ages. After the Lord revealed to Martin Luther the simplicity of the Gospel, namely, salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone, he published it, and an age of enlightenment followed. In Psalm 119:130, David wrote, “The entrance of Your Word gives light. It gives understanding to the simple.”

Praise be to God for the promise of a 144,000 Jewish followers of the Lamb. Praise God for the angel who flies amidst heaven preaching the everlasting Gospel. The Lord assures us in Revelation 14:1-7 that even during earth’s darkest days, His light will still be shining brightly to people all around this globe.


[1] For more details about the 144,000, please see my blog entitled, “Sealed in Christ” which covers Revelation 7:1-8. https://21stcenturyjeremiah.blogspot.com/2026/09/sealed-in-christ-revelation-71-8.html
[2] Harp verses: Revelation 5:8; 15:2; 2 Samuel 6:5; 1 Chronicles 25:1-7; Psalms 33:2; 43:4; 57:8; 92:3; 98:5; 147:7; 149:3; 150:3-6
[3] Psalms 32:7; 33:3; 40:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1; Isaiah 42:10

Worshipping the One True God - Revelation 13:8-18

Revelation 13:8: “All who dwell on the earth will worship him [the beast], whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

The Book of Life is mentioned in various verses in the Bible.

In Exodus 32:32, Moses said to God, “Yet now, if You will not forgive their sin, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.”

In Daniel 12:1, God told Daniel, “There shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time your people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.”

In Luke 10:20, Jesus told His disciples not to rejoice that evil spirits were subject to them, but to rejoice because their names are written in heaven.

In Philippians 4:3, Paul urged the Philippian Christians to help his yokefellows who labored with him in the Gospel

In Revelation 3:5, Jesus said to the overcomer, “I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels.”

According to Revelation 21:27, no one enters New Jerusalem whose name is “not written in the Lamb’s book of life.”

Three important truths to remember from Revelation 13:8 are: 1) Don’t worship the beast, 2) God’s plan from the foundation of the world was for Christ to be slain for our sins, 3) The Lamb writes the name of those who are His in the Book of Life.

Revelation 13:9: “If anyone has an ear, let him hear.”

In Revelation, Jesus says to each of the seven churches mentioned, “If anyone has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Are we listening to the Holy Spirit’s guidance?

How did the devil mislead our first parents? In Genesis 3:1, he asked Eve, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?’” He wants to create doubt in us about what the Lord has said to us. Thus, it is important to meditate on God’s Word day and night, to abide in Christ, so that we are not led astray by either forgetting or beginning to doubt God.

Revelation 13:10: “He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity. He who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.”

The above passage contains a quote from Jeremiah 15:1-4: “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Even if Moses and Samuel stood before Me, My mind would not be favorable toward this people. Cast them out of My sight and let them go forth. And it shall be, if they say to you, ‘Where should we go?’ then you shall tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord: such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity. And I will appoint over them four forms of destruction, says the Lord: the sword to slay, the dogs to drag, the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy. I will hand them over to trouble, to all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem.’”

The people of Jeremiah’s day had ignored God’s voice for so long that He determined to let some die by sword, some by famine, and some by created creatures. In Revelation 13, the appearance of the beast is a fruit of the world’s rejection of God.

The phrase, “Here is the patience and the faith of the saints” is a word to the wise. In 1 Corinthians 13:4, the Lord says that love suffers long. When a saint sees people reject Christ and perish in their sin, it grieves his or her heart. Christ died to save sinners. He loves them dearly, but due to pride and hardness of heart, they reject God’s remedy for sin.

Revelation 13:11: “Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.”

The Lord shows John another beast. It comes up out of the earth not the sea. This second beast is called the false prophet in Revelation 16:13, 19:20, 20:10.

The beast has a lamb’s horns and a dragon’s voice. In Matthew 7:15, Jesus warned us against false prophets who look like sheep but inwardly are ravening wolves. In 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, Paul warned us against false apostles who transform themselves into apostles of Christ.

Revelation 13:12: “And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.”

The second beast is a worship leader. He leads people to worship the antichrist. He can also be understood as a minister of propaganda. He publishes lies against God and God’s people. He convinces people to serve the first beast who appeared as dead and then resurrected.

In John 5:43, Jesus told the religious leaders of Jerusalem, “I have come in My Father’s Name, and you do not receive Me. If another comes in his own name, him you will receive.” People tend to want a religion of their own choosing rather than the one God has ordained.

Revelation 13:13: “He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.”

The false prophet makes fire visibly come down from heaven. This miracle answers to the miracle of the two witnesses. In Revelation 11:5, the two witnesses of God had fire proceed from their mouths that consumed their enemies.

The miracle of fire by the false prophet also answers to the miracle of Elijah in 1 Kings 18:24. Elijah told the false prophets of Jezebel, “You call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord; and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” The false prophets in Elijah’s day could not do this miracle, but it seems that the false prophet of the last days is able to do it. Thus, many believe he is a true prophet of God.

God rained down hail and fire on Egypt through the ministry of Moses. In Exodus 7:11-12, 22, 8:7, the magicians of Egypt were able to imitate some of God’s miracles by deceptive means, but bringing down fire from heaven is not mentioned as one they imitated.

In Matthew 24:24, Jesus prophesied of false prophets appearing and performing great signs and wonders. In 2 Thessalonians 2:9, Paul prophesied of a man of lawlessness appearing and performing signs and lying wonders.

Revelation 13:14: “And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.”

In Revelation 16:13-14, the Lord showed John three unclean spirits coming out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. “They are spirits of demons performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.”

The devil deceives people to shift their allegiance from God to him. After that, he deceives people to fight against the saints who are trying to save them from him.

Revelation 13:15: “He [the second beast] was granted power to give breath to the image of the [first] beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.”

In Daniel 3 there is a counterpart to the beast of Revelation 13. In Daniel 3, the king of Babylon set up a golden image to be worshipped. He made a decree that everyone should worship its image or die in a fiery furnace. Three of his officials refused to do so because of their love for God. They were cast into a fiery furnace. They would have perished except that a fourth person appeared with them. The fourth person looked like the Son of God. He was. The three officials came forth from the fire unharmed.

In Revelation 13:15, the false prophet also creates an image. Like King Nebuchadnezzar, he gives people two options in regards to the idol: 1) worship it or 2) die.

The image of the beast is animated to breathe and speak: whether by magic or by technology, the result is impressive. In Psalm 135:15-16, the Psalmist noted that idols are silver and gold. They have mouths but cannot speak not. They have eyes but cannot see not.[1]

This idolatrous image is what Jesus, Daniel, and Paul spoke of as an abomination that causes desolation.[2] It is an idolatrous image set up in the holy place of a rebuilt temple.[3] 

The earliest surviving commentary we have on the Book of Revelation was written by Victorinus of Pettau around 260-290 AD. Commenting on Revelation 13:15, he wrote, “He shall cause also that a golden image of Antichrist shall be placed in the temple at Jerusalem, and that the apostate angel should enter, and thence utter voices and oracles.”[4]

Revelation 13:16-18: “He causes all, both small and great, rich, and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or 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 it is the number of a man: His number is 666.”

Currently, many people are using a number to purchase items. It is the number on their bank or credit card. It is no longer a farfetched concept to have the numbers 666 for buying and selling.

Sometimes slaveowners and kings brand people as a cattle rancher brands his cattle. In this way, the slave, the owner and potential people stealers know without a doubt to whom the slave belongs. The antichrist brands people with the number 666. Some have suggested that this is a trinity of humanism – body, soul and spirit – yielded to the glory of humankind rather than to God. 666 because God created man on the sixth day of creation. 

In Deuteronomy 6:8, the Lord told the Israelites. “You shall bind them [the commandments] for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.” The devil wants people to wear his brand on their foreheads and hands instead of God’s Word.

According to Revelation 14:9-11 and 19:20, whoever worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, will be cast into a lake of fire.

In Revelation 15:2 and 20:4, those who overcome the beast, his image, his mark, and over the number of his name, are with God. They live and reign with Christ. 

Let us remain faithful and true to the Lord. If our earthly government is one big crime syndicate, we still need to honor and serve the Lord. This life is short. The next life is eternal.


[1] Enduring Word Commentary
[2] See Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15, and 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
[3] Enduring Word Commentary
[4] Ibid

The Lamb Overcomes the Beast – Revelation 13:1-7

Revelation 13:1: “Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten diadems, and on his heads a blasphemous name.”

This beast rises up out of the sea. The sea symbolized a place of chaos in ancient times.

Its seven heads, ten horns and ten diadems represent kingdoms of the world and their leaders. Diadems are what Olympic champions wear after their victories.

It has a blasphemous name on its heads. To blaspheme is to speak against God! It is a blasphemer. It is an antichrist.

Its seven heads and ten horns connect it to the great red dragon that is described in Revelation 12:3. In Revelation 12:9, the great red dragon is identified as Satan. This beast embodies Satan.

In Revelation 17:7, an angel begins to explain to John “the mystery of the beast” which “has the seven heads and the ten horns.”

In Revelation 17:8, the phrase, “was, and is not, and will ascend out of the abyss and go to perdition” connects the beast to Satan as described in Revelation 20:1-3 where an angel binds the “dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan,” with a chain and casts him into an abyss for a thousand years, but afterwards he is released for a short time. He causes more havoc, but then, in Revelation 20:10, the Lord throws him into the lake burning with fire and brimstone “to be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

The phrase, “was, and is not, and yet is” indicates he existed, didn’t seem to exist, and then, exists again. It will seem to die and resurrect to life again.

In Revelation 7:9-10, an angel explains to John that “the seven heads are seven mountains.” In Jeremiah 51:25, the Lord says to Babylon, “Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, who destroys all the earth, says the Lord. And I will stretch out My hand against you, roll you down from the rocks, and make you a burnt mountain.” The angel tells John, “There are also seven kings” which connects them to seven kingdoms which are against Christ.

In Revelation 7:11-14, the angel explains that the ten horns are ten kings who are with the beast. Horns represent strength, power and ability to kill. They also give their power and authority to the beast. They make war with the Lamb [Jesus], but Christ overcomes them.

In 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, Paul wrote, “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” From this Bible passage, we know that the beast is a person who leads a coalition of kings and their nations to make war with Christ and with the followers of Christ.

In Daniel 7:7, the Lord also showed to Daniel this beast with 10 horns. In Daniel 7:24, the Lord told Daniel that the ten horns are ten kings.

The Greek word for beast refers to a “wild beast.” People become “brutish” when they assume that they are invincible like a god. Proud rulers are capable of doing much harm to people. For example, Pharoah was cruel to the people of God.

King Nebuchadnezzar was a beast-like ruler. He made a giant statue of himself and made a law that if people did not worship it, they would be thrown into a fiery furnace. In Daniel 4:30, he glorified himself, saying, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?” In Daniel 4:31-37, at the pinnacle of his pride, the Lord struck him with mental illness so that he acted like an animal, living among the beasts and eating grass like an ox. Then, the Lord restored understanding and reason to his mind, and he remarked, “Those who walk in pride, God is able to abase.”

In 1 Samuel, after King Saul experienced the Spirit’s anointing, he foolishly set up a monument to himself. After that, God’s Spirit departed from him and an evil spirit entered him. Saul tried to kill David seven times. Saul ordered the massacre of God’s priests, as well as their spouses and children. He became an antichrist. He consulted a witch. He ended up committing suicide.[1]

Revelation 13:2: “Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.”

In Daniel 4:4, the Lord showed Daniel a lion which represents the Babylonian Empire. In Daniel 4:5, the Lord showed Daniel a bear which represents the Medo-Persian Empire. In Daniel 4:6, the Lord showed Daniel a leopard which represents the Grecian Empire. In Daniel 4:7, the Lord showed Daniel a fourth beast with ten horns which represents the Roman Empire. In Daniel 4:17, the Lord explains that these four great beasts are four kings which arise out of the earth.

The beast, the antichrist, is a skillful predator. Like a leopard, he blends with his surroundings so he can approach his prey undetected. Like a bear’s paw, he can severely wound his prey with one quick strike. Like a lion’s mouth, his bite is powerful and deadly. The devil’s goal is to empower and enthrone kings to carry out his cruel plans against God’s people.

The Bible tells us that evil leaders gain power and authority via deception. In 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12, Paul wrote that people “perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.” They believe lies and doubt truth.

In 2 Chronicles 12:1-8, after King Rehoboam and his nation abandoned the Law of God, God told him that his people would become subject to Shishak King of Egypt to help them learn the difference between serving God and serving the kings of other lands.

In Jeremiah 5:6, God spoke of wild beasts as His judgment on sin: “Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities. Every one that goes out shall be torn in pieces, because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.”

In Proverbs 28:15, Solomon compared a wicked ruler to a lion and a bear. “As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear, so is a wicked ruler over poor people.” In 2 Timothy 4:17 and 1 Peter 5:8, Peter and Paul characterized evil enemies as lions.

Revelation 13:3-4: “And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?’”

The antichrist seems to resurrect from the dead. Revelation 17:8 describes him as “was, and is not, and yet is.” He existed, no longer exists, and then, exists again. As a result, people exclaim, “Who is like the beast?” They should be saying, “Who is like the Lord God?”

When Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose again, it was to demonstrate God’s love for us, and to give all who believe in Him eternal life. When the beast seems to resurrect, it is to convince people to do his evil bidding. He may reward his faithful followers for a season, but ultimately he leads them to destruction because that is where he himself ends up.

Revelation 13:5-7: “And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for 42 months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His Name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.”

The description of the beast in Revelation 13:5-7 is like God’s description of him in Daniel 7:25: “He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.” The beast is granted a window as he was in the days of Job to attack God’s people of faith for a season... for three and a half years or 42 months.

In Daniel 11:36, it is written, “Then the king shall do according to his own will. He shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished...” He aims to rally people from all nations and languages to be against proclaimers of Christ.

In Jeremiah 27:6-7 and 51:20-24, the Lord called Babylon’s king His servant, saying, “All nations shall serve him, his son and his son’s son. God called the king of Babylon his battle axe to destroy the nations.

In Exodus 9:16, the Lord said to Pharaoh, “I raised you up, to show in you My power; and that My Name may be declared throughout all the earth.”

The devil prefers people to serve him. In Luke 4:6, the devil said to Jesus, “All this power will I give You, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.” In John 19:11, when Pilate was about to crucify Jesus, Jesus said to Pilate, “You could have no power at all against Me, except it were given you from above.”

The good news is that God takes what the devil means for evil and turns it around for good.

In Genesis 37, Joseph’s jealous brothers wanted to kill him, but God preserved him.

God is good! God used Joseph to save the lives of his evil brothers and their families. In Genesis 50:18-21, after his brothers fell down before Joseph, and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” He said to them, “Do not be afraid... you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. ...I will provide for you and your little ones.” God magnifies His love and grace amidst a backdrop of evil.

In Daniel 12:3, the Lord says, “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.”

In contrast with the works of darkness that the beast and his cohorts will be doing in the last days, the followers of Christ will be shining brightly. The Lamb overcomes the beast.


[1] See 1 Samuel 10:10, 15:12, 16:14-20, 22:18-20, 28:6-12, 31:4-6 for the details