Living and Reigning with Christ – Revelation 20

Throughout the Book of Revelation, the Lord reveals to us events in the spiritual and physical realm. He is revealing to us both that which can be and cannot be perceived with the human eye. Romans 15:4 says, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”

Revelation 20:1-3: “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. And he cast him into the abyss, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.”

The abyss and the chains in Revelation 20 are referred to in other places in the Bible. For example, in Luke 8:31, demons begged Jesus not to command them into the abyss. Peter and Jude wrote of fallen angels being in chains of darkness. In 2 Peter 2:4, it is written, “God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.” In Jude 1:6, we read, “The angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, He [God] has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.”

The demons fear this place. In Luke 8:31, demons begged Jesus not to command them to leave a man and “to go into the abyss.” In James 2:19, it is written, “You believe that there is one God, you do well, the demons also believe and tremble.”

While Satan is in the abyss, he is unable to deceive the nations. Deception is his tool of choice against people. 2 Corinthians 11:3 says, “I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted...”

In Revelation 9:1-2, 11 and 11:7, the Lord Jesus revealed a star falling from heaven. In Isaiah 14:12-15, the Lord reveals that the fallen star is Lucifer or Satan. In Luke 10:18, Jesus said that He saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. In Revelation 12:9, Satan and his angels were cast down to earth. In Revelation 20:2-3, Satan is locked up in an abyss for a thousand years.

Jesus made reference to Satan’s demise in the Gospels. In John 12:31, He said, “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.” In John 16:11, the Holy Spirit convicts the world “of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.”

Jesus Christ plans to put the devil away for good. In Isaiah 27:1, Isaiah prophesied long ago, saying, “He shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.”

In 1 John 3:8 we read, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.”

In Revelation 11:7, the Lord reveals that Destroyer (Satan) is the king of the Abyss. In Revelation 17:8 the beast (the antichrist) comes out from the abyss but is shortly destroyed thereafter. As he sows so he reaps.

In Romans 16:20, Paul wrote, “The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.” In Hebrews 2:14, it is written, “Through death He [Jesus] might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.”

When the abyss is reopened, darkness comes out from it. In 2 Corinthians 4:4, it is written that “the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the Gospel that displays the glory of Christ.” In Romans 1:21, we learn that when people know God but don’t glorify or give Him thanks, their hearts become dark. In 2 Chronicles 12:5-8, a prophet told a king that because he abandoned God, God placed him in the hand of his enemy. The first commandment is to love God. A lack of love for God is a symptom of darkness.

Revelation 20:4: “And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the Word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”

In Daniel 7:21-22, Daniel wrote, “I was watching, and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.”

In Daniel 7:26-27, while speaking of the fourth kingdom with ten horns that are ten kings, Daniel wrote, “But the court shall be seated, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it forever. Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.”

The Lord revealed to John and Daniel a pattern. A brief season of defeat and death of the saints followed by a long lasting era of victory, resurrection, and reign with Messiah.

In Matthew 19:28, Jesus said to His followers, “Verily I say to you, that you which have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of His glory, you also shall sit on 12 thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel.” In 1 Corinthians 6:2-3, Paul wrote, “Do you not know that the saints shall judge the world? ...Know you not that we shall judge angels?”

Psalm 149:5-9 indicates that the saints will execute vengeance on the nations, punishments on people and bind kings and nobles with chains — “This honor have all His saints.” It will be like the day when the Lord gave Mordecai and Esther the victory over Haman! Like the day the Lord helped Joseph to interpret Pharoah’s dream! Afterwards, they were granted authority to rule.

Jesus shares His reign with overcomers. In Revelation 2:26-27, Jesus promised overcomers authority over the nations, to rule them with an iron rod which shatters earthen pots, even as He received authority from His Father. When Jesus rules, righteousness is enforced. As an iron rod easily breaks clay pots, so Jesus easily breaks the strength of evildoers.

So, those who were beheaded for refusing to worship the beast and to take his mark live and reign with Christ. They are priests of God and of Christ. They reign with Christ a thousand years.

Revelation 20:5-6: “But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”

Jesus spoke of two resurrections in John 5:28-29, saying, “Do not marvel at this, for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth – those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.”

The first resurrection is to eternal life. The second resurrection is to eternal condemnation.

Concerning the thousand year reign of the saints with Christ, the Lord tells us in Isaiah 2:2-4 that in the latter days all nations shall flow to the Lord’s house. “Many people shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the Law, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations and rebuke many people. They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” The vision here is of Jerusalem being a place where people of the world travel to learn God’s Word.

When Jesus destroys the antichrist and sets up His throne in Jerusalem, people from the nations will come to learn from Him. Weapons of war will be converted into agricultural tools. Nations won’t learn war anymore. Goodwill will prevail.

During the Millennium, the Lord will reign over the nations from Jerusalem. In Revelation 20:9, the Lord speaks of “the camp of God’s people” and “the city He loves.” New Jerusalem is the “capital” of Messiah’s kingdom on the earth.

In Zechariah 8:3 the Lord says, “I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain.” What a difference the Lord’s reign on earth makes! From darkness to light. From persecution to promotion for His people.

In Zechariah 14:4 the Lord says, “On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east...” The Messiah is back in town. He rules with His saints.

In Zechariah 14:8, the living waters flowing out from Jerusalem refers to the work of His Spirit.

In Zechariah 14:16-17, we read, “Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain.” Did you catch that? The tables are turned. Jesus worshippers “have” and non-worshippers “have not.”

In Isaiah 11:6-9, it is written that the wolf will dwell with the lamb. The leopard shall lie down with the young goat. The calf and the young lion together. A little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze and their young ones shall lie down together. The lion will eat straw like an ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole. The weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in God’s holy mountain. “The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”

Sounds incredible, doesn’t it? It is! It’s God’s amazing grace.

Nations that previously behaved as wild beasts towards one another will live in harmony with one another. For example, Isaiah 19:23-25, speaks of there being “a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will serve with the Assyrians. In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria—a blessing in the midst of the land, whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, ‘Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.’”

During the Messiah’s reign many of sin’s curses will be reversed. Isaiah 35:1 says, “Desert places will blossom like a rose.” When Christ sets up His millennial kingdom on earth, it will be the nearest earth has been to paradise since the time of our first parents, Adam and Eve.

During the millennium, the devil won’t deceive nations, but that does not instantly make everyone a saint. Remember the passage from Zechariah 14:16-17, where the Lord withholds rain from those who refuse to worship Him? People will still have free will.

At first, many Christians believed in the millennium. They had seen Jesus open blind eyes, make the lame to walk again, and raise the dead back to life. Anything was possible with Jesus!

The Early Church historian, Bishop Eusebius wrote that millennialism was a majority view at that time. It was taught by well-known authors and speakers such as Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tertullian. Papias and Cyprian, among the earliest Church Fathers, held to the doctrine of a millennial kingdom on earth. The millennium is mentioned six times in Revelation 20. There are more than 400 verses in the Old Testament about the rule of Christ on the earth. [1]

Some Jewish Rabbis thought, as the world was created in six days and on the seventh day God rested, so there would be six thousand-year periods, followed by a sabbatical thousand year period. As one year out of seven years is a Sabbath year, so one thousand years out of seven thousand years is a Sabbath millennium. A tradition in the house of Elias, who lived in 200 AD, states that the world is to endure 6,000 years: 2,000 years before the Law, 2,000 years under the Law, and 2,000 years under Messiah. During the millennial Sabbath, Christ will reign on earth via His people and Satan will be bound. [2]

In Matthew 24:36, when asked about the timing of His return, Jesus said, “Of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” So, people can speculate about the time of the Lord’s returns, but no one but God the Father knows the exact hour.

Revelation 20:7-10: “Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

In Genesis 10:2, Magog is a general name for northern nations of Japheth’s posterity whose head is Gog. Both Gog and Magog signify high or lifted up. Pride precedes a fall. In Ezekiel 38:1-22, The Lord revealed to Ezekiel the attacks of Gog and Magog on Israel. In Ezekiel 39:6, the Lord promised Ezekiel, “ I will send a fire on Magog... and they shall know that I am the Lord.”

This last battle ends as quickly as when Pharoah marched out against the Israelites at the Red Sea. This time by fire instead of by water. When Satan’s armies surround the city God loves, fire comes down from heaven and devours them in a moment. Then, Satan is cast into the lake of fire where the beast and false prophet are. He is tormented there forever.

God chooses fire to judge evil. In Revelation 8:1-5, the prayers of God’s people became fire as they were cast down to earth. God’s two witnesses destroy enemies with fire in Revelation 11:7. In Genesis 19:24, the Lord judged Sodom with fire. In Exodus 9:23-24, God brought fire mixed with hail on Egypt. In Numbers 16:35, fire consumed those who complained against the Lord. In 2 Kings 1:10-15, fire consumed two groups of 50 soldiers who sought to arrest Elijah. In 2 Thessalonians 1:6-7, Paul wrote that when Jesus returns from heaven, it will be in a “blazing fire with His powerful angels.” In Matthew 25:41, Jesus spoke of those who are rejected on the last day as being cast into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.

After Satan is cast into the lake of fire, John wrote in Revelation 21:1: “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.” Paradise is restored.

The devil has an expiration date! When his time is up, he is cast into a lake of fire.

Revelation 20:11-15: “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

There are numerous passages of Scripture that speak of God having a judgment throne.

In Psalms 9:7-8, “The Lord... has prepared His throne for judgment. He shall judge the world in righteousness, He shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.”

In Acts 17:30-31, “God commands all men everywhere to repent because He has appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He has ordained; whereof He has given assurance unto all men, in that He has raised Him from the dead.”

The best work to do to avoid being condemned by God is to believe in Jesus. In John 6:28-29, when people asked Jesus, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus replied, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.” Believe in Jesus God’s Son!

In John 3:18, it is written, “He who believes in Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God.”

Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He resurrected for our resurrection. He gives to us His Holy Spirit, His Word, His Church and His angels to help us overcome the world. His part is to restore paradise. Our part is to trust and obey Him. Nothing is impossible with God.

[1] Enduring Word Commentary

[2] Jamieson Fausset Brown Commentary. See also Hebrews 4:9; Revelation 14:13.

I RSVP’d to the Wedding Invitation – Revelation 19

Revelation 19:1-5: “After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, ‘Alleluia! Salvation and glory, honor, and power belong to the Lord our God! For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.’ Again they said, ‘Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!’ And the 24 elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, ‘Amen! Alleluia!’ Then a voice came from the throne, saying, ‘Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!’”

As in 2 Kings 9:7, when the Lord slew Jezebel for shedding the blood of His prophets and His servants, so the Lord destroys the great harlot Babylon for shedding the blood of His servants.

In Psalm 79:10, Asaph wrote, “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.”

Crime syndicates love it when governing authorities do their bidding, but God’s people are most happy when God has His servants running a nation’s government according to His Word.

After Babylon is destroyed, the first word out of the great multitude in heaven is “Alleluia!” “Alleluia” is transliterated from the Hebrew phrase: “Praise the Lord!” The word “praise” appears 259 times in the Bible. The call to “praise the Lord” is a significant theme in the Bible.

The great multitude in heaven praises the Lord with a loud voice for avenging the blood of His servants on Babylon. Babylon was Satan’s kingdom. Satan wanted people to denounce Christ, but God’s servants honored Him. In Revelation 19, Babylon is silenced and God is praised.

Now, that the harlot is gone, it is time for the marriage of the Lamb and His bride to begin.

Revelation 19:6: “And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, ‘Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!’”

The phrase, “The Lord reigns” is often repeated in the Psalms. For example, in Psalm 93:1, we read, “The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty...” In Psalm 97:1, it is written, “The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice, let the multitude of isles be glad!” Psalm 99:1 says, “The Lord reigns. Let the peoples tremble! He dwells between the cherubim. Let the earth be moved!”

Zechariah 14:9, foretells of a day when the “Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be—‘The Lord is one,’ and His Name one.” In that day, the Lord will bring the governing entities of the people into line with His Word, and they will serve Him.

Revelation 19:7-9: “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.’ And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, ‘Write: blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ And he said to me, ‘These are the true sayings of God.’”

The words of Revelation 19:7-9 reflect the words of Isaiah 61:10, wherein it is written, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord. My soul shall be joyful in my God, for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation. He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”

In the Bible, the union of God with people is compared to a marriage. Isaiah and Jeremiah used marriage language to describe God’s relationship with His people. For example in Isaiah 54:5, it is written, “Your Maker is your husband—the Lord Almighty is His Name.” In Jeremiah 3:14, the Lord said to Israel, “I am married to you.” Jesus used marriage feast imagery in Matthew 22:1-14 and Matthew 25:1-13 to describe God the Father’s plan to marry people to His Son. In Ephesians 5:31–32, Paul described the relationship between Christ and the Church as a marriage. In 2 Corinthians 11:2, Paul told believers in Christ that they are betrothed to Christ.

Those in heaven celebrate the removal of the distance between God and His people. Marriage is a code word for a love relationship that is to be happy forevermore. The bride symbolizes people who love God and are loved by Him.

Clean and bright garments are given to saints. The garments symbolize their righteous acts. The most righteous act is to believe in and abide in Christ. In 1 Corinthians 1:30, Paul wrote, “Christ Jesus became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.”

Revelation 19:10: “And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, ‘See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.’”

John was so caught up in the wonder of the moment that he fell down before the angel to worship him, but the angel forbid him to do so. In Acts 10:25-26, Peter had a man fall down at his feet to worship him. Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up. I myself am also a man.”

No one should worship an angel or pray to one. No one should pray to a saint or to the Virgin Mary. In 1 Timothy 2:5, the Bible says, “There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” In John 16:23, Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My Name He will give you.”

In Deuteronomy 5:7-9, the Lord says, “‘You shall have no other gods before Me... You shall not bow down to them nor serve them...” Thus, the angel told John not to bow and worship him.

The angel tells us that the Spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus. In other words, the entire Bible points people to Jesus Christ. He is the way back to God. In Acts 10:43, Peter testified for Jesus, saying, “To Him give all the prophets witness, that through His Name whosoever believes in Him shall receive remission of sins.”

Revelation 19:11: “Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.”

In Revelation 19:11, John writes that he saw heaven opened. In Ezekiel 1:1, Ezekiel saw heaven opened and visions of God. In Acts 10:11, Peter saw heaven opened and a vision from God. When God opened heaven for them, it was to reveal to them visions of things to come.

John sees Jesus Christ seated on a white horse. “In Biblical times – especially among Israel – most soldiers were foot soldiers. To have a horse in battle was a significant advantage. A horse spoke of honor, of power, and of speed; the color of this horse speaks of victory.”

Jesus is called Faithful and True. These names are applied to Jesus in Revelation 1:5, 3:7, 14. Unlike politicians who make promises to get elected and then don’t keep them, Jesus is faithful and true to His promises.

Jesus makes war to bring about righteousness for those who have looked to Him for help.

Revelation 19:12: “His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many diadems.”

The flaming eyes of Jesus symbolize the intention of His gaze. He is coming to judge the world’s sin. He wears many diadems on His head. A diadem is a victor’s head ornament like a half circle of crafted leaves. He wears many diadems because He has won many victories.

Revelation 19:12-16: “...He had a Name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His Name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a Name written: King of kings and Lord of lords.”

There is one name written on Jesus that only He knows. He is also called the Word of God. He has another name on His thigh and on His robe that reads, “King of kings and Lord of lords.”

The robe of Jesus is dipped in blood. This scene draws from the prophecy in Isaiah 63:2-3, where God is pictured as returning from a battle with blood stained garments due to trampling down His enemies. The Lord crushes them like a vineyard worker crushes grapes in a winepress.

Before His crucifixion, Roman soldiers put a scarlet robe on Jesus, a crown of thorns on His head and a reed in His hand for a scepter. They mocked Him. When Jesus returns the second time, the blood of those who rejected and laughed at Him will make His robe red.

The armies of heaven follow Jesus on white horses. Jesus doesn’t need an army to defeat Satan’s followers but He welcomes those who are dressed in clean white linen to join Him.

Those in the Lord’s army wear fine white linen. Their garments are white because they cleansed them in the blood of the Lamb. In Isaiah 1:18, The Lord says, “Come now, and let us reason together... though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” The Lord’s army consists of those He resurrected from the dead. They follow Christ their resurrected leader.

The Word of God proceeds from the mouth of Jesus like a sword. It slays Satan’s forces. The declaration, “He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron” connects Jesus to being the Son referred to in Psalm 2:7-9. His wrath extracts blood from his enemies as a winepress extracts juice from grapes.

The second return of Christ fulfills God’s promise in Psalm 96:13, “For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with His truth.”

In Isaiah 11:4, it is written of the Lord, “With righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth. He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.”

In 2 Thessalonians 2:8, Paul wrote that Jesus will consume the lawless one with the breath of His mouth and destroy him with the brightness of His coming.

Revelation 19:17-18: “Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, ‘Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.’”

In Revelation 19:17, the Lord calls the birds to gather for the supper of the great God. What’s on the menu? It is not people eating birds. It is birds eating people. The cleanup crew is assembled before the battle begins. In Luke 17:37, when the disciples asked Jesus where His second coming would take place, He answered them saying, “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.” Those who are dead in their sins will die terrible deaths.

Revelation 19:19-21, “And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.”

The devil gathers a massive army against God’s people in Jerusalem. The Jamieson Fausset Brown Commentary says this is the battle of Armageddon. The Lord slew the army of the beast with the sword of His mouth. Birds cleaned up the battlefield.

In Ezekiel 39:17-19, God calls for every sort of bird and beast to consume the corpses of Gog who litter the ground on the battlefield of Armageddon.

Those who followed the beast exchanged the throne of God’s grace for His great white throne of judgment. In Proverbs 28:5, it is written, “Evildoers do not understand what is right, but those who seek the Lord understand it fully.”

The beast [the antichrist] and his false prophet are thrown alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. This is what God said He would do in Revelation 14:10, and He kept His Word.

In Genesis 19:24, “The Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire.” In Psalm 11:6, King David prophesied, saying, “Upon the wicked He shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.” In Ezekiel 38:22, the Lord told Ezekiel, “I will rain upon him [Gog], and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.” In Revelation 21:8, God says that the fearful, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, whoremongers, sorcerers, idolaters, “and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone...”

Who was on the invitation list to the Lamb’s marriage feast? The whole world! According to John 3:16, “God so loved the WORLD, that He gave His only Son for us, that WHOSOEVER would believe IN HIM, would not perish but have everlasting life.” All our invited! Will all come?

In Luke 14:16-20, Jesus spoke of a great banquet. Many guests were invited, but many made excuses for why they could not come. How many are excusing themselves from God today?

The wedding banquet of the Lamb and His bride will be grander than all previous banquets! The Lord wants you there! Have you responded to His invitation?

How do you RSVP to the Lord’s wedding invitation? You RSVP by verbally confessing your need for the Lord Jesus Christ to save you from your sins. You believe and confess that Jesus Christ died and resurrected for you, and that He ascended to heaven and is coming back for you. You RSVP to the Lord’s wedding invitation by being baptized in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. You RSVP to His invitation by abiding in Christ via prayer, Bible reading, and service.

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.