Revelation 18 - 22-Terry Gilpin

CITY OF WEALTH AND WICKEDNESS

Revelation 18:1-8

At the zenith of his pride and power, Nebuchadnezzar the Great looked over ancient Babylon and boasted, “Is not this Babylon that I have built?” One day the earth will see a rebuilt city of Babylon, ruled over by the last of the world rulers. This is the city described in this chapter. The fact that many prophecies about Babylon have not yet been fulfilled, make it imperative that it should rise again from the dust in order to meet its final doom.

Babylon was once the world’s capital, and will once again become its central city. False religion was once organized there, and will once again become the home of occultism, demonism, and false religion. We are not told how this great city will be built. It only tells of its fall.

Chapters 17 and 18 both deal with the subject of Babylon and both are the subject of judgement. Chapter 17 deals with the Babylonian religious system, the woman identified as the harlot, “Babylon the Great.” This is the judgement of the great ecclesiastical system of apostate Christianity. Chapter 18 deals with the Babylonian commercial system, called “that great city.” Commerce, not religion, is the subject of this chapter.

Babylon in this chapter refers to a literal city ruled by the Beast, who will see the need for a compact, computerized, central control centre for the commerce of earth. Small in comparison with the great metropolitan capitals of earth, this city would rapidly outrank all others as it represents the financial control that makes the Beast such a mighty power. The city is destroyed by a great earthquake, as seen in chapter 16.

In 1788 Edward Gibbon published his three-volume classic “The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire” in which he clearly identified the seeds of destruction sown long before the barbarians finally sacked Rome. Significantly, they are the same seeds which have been sown and their fruits reaped repeatedly through history as other empires have successively risen and fallen. Those seeds are:

a) Undermining the sanctity of the home – the basis of society.
b) Higher and higher taxes – the spending of public money for free bread and circuses for the populace.
c) Mad craze for pleasure. Sports becoming more brutal, exciting and immoral.
d) Building of great armaments to fight outside enemies, when the real enemy is within.
e) Decay of religion: faith fading into form.

1. THE ANNOUNCEMENT (18:1-2)
After the awesome events of chapter 17, John sees another angel come down from heaven with another message.

a) The Herald (18:1)
“After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory.” The angel comes from heaven, as if commissioned directly from the throne. He carries great power and authority. His coming is so brilliant that “the earth was illuminated with his glory.” The earth is lit up with the reflection of God’s own radiant glory.

b) The Horror (18:2-3)
The descriptive words trip over each other as they tell the story of this city: “devils…foul…unclean…hateful…fornication…luxuries.” This is sin as God sees it.

(i) Its Demonism. “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!” (18:2).

Demon worship will have its home there, as it did in ages past. Babylon was the home of magicians and astrologers who were official counselors of the king. All the world’s cults of Satanism, spiritism, occultism, witchcraft, and astrology will gravitate towards Babylon. Even today people are turning more and more to these things. Babylon will be the natural home of all such cults.

(ii) Its Depravity. “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” (18:3).

Babylon will be toasted by “all the nations” around the world as the enlightened, liberated city, not bound by the foolish fads of prudish outdated religious quacks. Her constitution will permit all forms of immorality. As well as that, wealthy beyond words, Babylon will attract the world’s commerce to itself.

It seems as thou there is unlimited luxury – just like the “pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness” that characterized Sodom so many years before (Ezek 16:49).

2. THE WARNING (18:4-6)
“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” (18:4).

Some true believers, while refusing the mark of the Beast, are resident in the city, or associated with the commercial empire. They are warned to have nothing to do with it.

a) The Certainty Of Her Judgement
God always warns and waits before His judgement falls. He waited long enough to allow Noah to build his ark, and Lot to escape from Sodom. The warning echoes the call of Jeremiah to the people of Israel in Babylon after the 70 years, “Flee out of the midst of Babylon and deliver every man his soul, be not cut off in her iniquity” (Jer 51:6).

Today many are enmeshed in Babylon – its greed, lusts, emptiness. Sadly, such things characterize many Christians also. Yet God’s call in 2 Cor 6:14-17 is clear, “Be not unequally yoked together….” They are to leave the city and the system it represents.

b) The Enormity Of Her Judgement
“For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities” (18:5).

As with Noah’s day, Sodom and Gomorrah, and Nineveh, there comes a time when the sins of a nation or city reach to heaven and cry aloud for God to act. God at times seems deaf, but eventually always acts. Babylon’s sins are seen as glued together, like a tower of sins which demands divine action.

c) The Finality Of Her Judgement (18:6)
“Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her” (18:6).

In ancient times Babylon trampled down Jerusalem and perpetrated on it all the horrors of war. Now the cup which she had mixed for others finds its counterpart in the cup mixed for her. Heaven’s sentence is symbolized in the cup – a cup of intoxicating spiritual and sensual depravity of which the nations had drunk Now that same cup holds a mixture of judgement.

3. THE JUGEMENT (18:7-8)
“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 shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire; for strong is the Lord God who judges her” (18:7-8).

Babylon’s punishment corresponds exactly to the self-glorification and luxurious lifestyle she had displayed. She enjoyed the good life, and her message has always been, “I have much goods laid up for many years.” She constantly mocked at the thought of judgement. But then it comes “in a single day.” God’s vengeance, dammed up through the millennia of time, comes howling through her streets, sweeping her markets with death, and leaving an anguished mourning in her wake.

a) Her Pride
“In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously” (18:7). What a contrast to Christ who glorified not Himself. She reveled in self-glory – the magnificence of her buildings, and wealth of her resources.

b) Her Presumption
“I sit as queen and am no widow, and will not see sorrow” (18:7). This deep-seated attitude was both:

(i) A Defiant Challenge. Judgement could happen to others, but not to her. It is foreshadowed by the defiant attitude of those of our own age who say, “Where is the promise of His coming?” (2 Pe 3:4).

(ii) A Deceitful Illusion. The city assumes that the same happy state will continue – the illusion or the materially prosperous in every age.

c) Her Promiscuity
“She lived luxuriously.” This reflects her hedonistic life style. Anything goes. She enjoys the good life, and mocks at the thought of judgement. But then it comes in a single day.

d) Her Prospects
“Therefore her plagues will come in one day.” Babylon’s judgement will be sudden and total. This reminds of the fall of Babylon in Daniel 5, which fell in the same hour that the finger wrote on the wall. Death, mourning, and famine suddenly hit the city which is “utterly burned.” All that is left is a smoking ruin.

THE DAY COMMERCE CRASHED

Revelation 18:9-24

The 1920’s in the U.S. were times of unbelievable prosperity. They were known as “The Roaring Twenties.” The stock market was going through the roof and the country seemed to have the formula for limitless prosperity.

Amazingly, the same formula that generated such profit and wealth would also be the cause of Black Tuesday. Investment during the 1920’s was based on money borrowed from brokers, who went to banks for that money. When stocks failed and investors needed to default, the money was permanently lost. That led to Black Tuesday, October 29th, 1929, the worst day in the U.S. stock market. The headlines of the day tell the story: “Stocks Plunge in Heavy Trading.” “The Party Is Over!” “Commerce Crashes!”

In just two months investors lost $100 billion, and the stock market lost 40 percent of its value. Billionaires became paupers overnight. Dozens committed suicide. Those who believed in the strength of the economic bubble and invested everything they lost all they had. The Roaring Twenties were over; the Great Depression of the thirties had begun.

This chapter describes the world’s reaction to the fall of Babylon which involves the crash of all man’s commerce and financial security. There are two basic reactions, both opposite. There are those who are grieved by it, and those who are gladdened by it.

The whole earth is affected by the fall of this city. The commercial and economic systems of the nations are so closely linked with the empire of the Beast that this capital city is the hub of world trade. Its sudden overthrow causes cries of anguish from earth’s monarchs (18:9-10), then from the merchants (18:11-17), and finally from the mariners (18:17-19) whose livelihood depended on the trade of Babylon.

Verses 1-8 summarised the reasons for Babylon’s fall. The rest of the chapter describes the world reaction, and details the results of her fall.

1. THE REACTION TO BABYLON’S FALL (18:9-20)
Babylon’s destruction is total, sudden, and unexpected. “For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.” She had demanded the very best things in life and created the wealth to achieve them. Men caught her spirit and sold themselves “body and soul” to become slaves to it. Now they weep as “in one hour” all is swept away and “comes to nought” (18:17).

The catastrophe generates two basic reactions:

a) Those Who Are Grieved (18:9-19)
These are those who have profited from the city’s wealth and enjlyed its wickedness. Three groups are easily recognizable by the repetition of the words “Alas, alas!”

(i) The Monarchs (18:9-10). “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 afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour is thy judgement come.”

“The kings” are those allied to the Beast, who helped sponsor the founding and building of the city, and whose power was centred there. They are seen “standing afar off,” watching with helpless horror the “smoke of her burning” like a great funeral pyre. Nothing can save the city, as the vast system suddenly collapses without warning.

(ii) The Merchants (18:11-17). “And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore” (18:11). The merchants of earth, who have so much to lose, join in this universal mourning out of selfish self-interest. What a catalogue of opulence.

Here is “the merchandise of gold, and silver,” the precious metals of the bullion market. Also the “precious stones, and pearls,” priceless jewels of the gem trade. These are man’s hedges against inflation. Also seen are the “fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet,” finest fashion imports from China and Rome. Also the rich furnishings made with hard, fragrant, pretty woods, esteemed by cabinet makers. Ornaments of every kind made of ivory, bronze, iron and marble. Everything speaks of opulence, ease, comfort, and the ultimate in luxury. See the expensive perfumes, the “cinnamon, incense, fragrant oil and frankincense,” and the gourmet foods of “wine and oil, and find flour, and wheat, beasts and sheep.”

Babylon’s markets are empty. Her Rothchilds and Rockefellers are dead. She had brought prosperity to many, but with Babylon gone, world commerce collapses, and the things of the good life are gone for ever to be found in Babylon “no more at all” (18:14).

On top of everything are “the bodies and the souls of men.” Millions have sold themselves to the system, “body and soul.” Unwittingly, they have cut a deal with the devil. There is also a total disregard for persons, as people become a mere commodity sustaining the life of luxury. That flashes back to the King of Sodom’s invitation to Abraham, “Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself” (Gen 14:21).

(iii) The Mariners (18:17-19). “Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance.” The kings were those who controlled the system; the merchants benefited directly from it, and the mariners are those who serviced it.

Like the previous the mariners, they stand afar off. Their livelihood has gone in one hour. All the sea ports of the world will be outstripped by Babylon – London, Hong Kong, Tokyo. All sea lanes converged on her. The astonished seamen, “the shipmasters” – the ship owners, “all who travel by ships” – the passengers, and “as many as trade on the sea,” the sailors, all watch in horror the last agony of the city and join the kings and merchants in standing “afar off.”

b) Those Who Are Glad (18:20)
“Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles saints and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!”

The sob of earth is followed by the song in heaven. Earth is grieved by Babylon’s fall, but heaven is gladdened. This is not a vindictive outcry demanding vengeance, but a longing for justice to be done. John and other believers had staked their lives on the truth of the Christian faith. Paul said that if they had nothing to look for other than the things of this life, they were more to be pitied than all men (1 Cor 15:19). But John was passionately convicted that they were not to be pitied. Their suffering was great now, but the day of vindication and retribution would come.

2. THE RESULTS OF THE FALL OF BABYLON (18:21-19:6)
The results re far-reaching, both in heaven and in earth. The holocaust on earth will be answered by the Hallelujahs Chorus of heaven. With the appearing of a “mighty angel,” the desolation of Babylon’s fall is described.

a) The Violence Of Babylon’s Fall (18:21-22)
The angel’s symbolic action is followed by a deathly silence.

(i) The Symbol. “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” (18:21). The hurling into the sea of a great millstone vividly symbolizes the violence of Babylon’s overthrow. Suddenness, violence, and completeness are all portrayed.

The angel’s symbolic action and recalls the days of Jeremiah when Seraiah was taken captive along with king Zedekiah to Babylon. Jeremiah had written in a book the doom of Babylon shown to him by God and had instructed Seraiah, “And it shall be, when thou hast made an end of reading this book that thou shalt bind a stone to it, and cast it into the midst of the Euphrates; And thou shalt say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her” (Jer 51:61-64).

(ii) The Silence. “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” (18:22). A deathly silence settles over the city. All normal noises of life are stilled. City life is always noisy with its traffic, machinery, and entertainment. The various groups mentioned characterize the life of the city. “Harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters,” who entertained the population,” The craftsmen, who produced the ultimate in fine goods, and even “the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore,” as normal daily life with its preparation of food grinds to a halt.

b) The Vastness Of Babylon’s Fall (18:22-23)
“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” (18:23).

Three reasons are now given for Babylon’s judgement:

(i) Her Pride. “For thy merchants were the great men of the earth.” Pride in the might of her empire always characterized Babylon. As it was with Nebuchadnezzar, so it will be with the Beast. Her vast transactions so enriched the traders that they proudly exalted themselves as the great ones of the earth.

(ii) Her Power. “For with thy sorcery were all the nations deceived.” Babylon’s power base was not merely her military night, but Satan himself. Note the word “sorcery,” (pharmakeia) which means “drug.” It often had a link with the occult, and is sometimes translated “witchcraft.” The combination of drug addiction and the occult may be in view.

(iii) Her Persecutions. “And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints” (18:24). Babylon is charged with guilt for the blood of the many thousands of martyrs who died under her persecutions

c) The Validity of Babylon’s Fall (18:23b-24)
“And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth” (18:24). Note the obvious parallel in the rise and fall of Babylon in its varied forms in Scripture:

(i) Babylon Historically – symbolized by the Tower of Babel, prepared to maintain the union of the world through a common worship and a common tongue. God defeated the purpose by confusing the language and scattering the people.

(ii) Babylon Religiously. Symbolized by the woman in Revelation 17, proposes a common worship and religion through uniting in a world church. This is destroyed by the Beast in Rev 17:16, who in doing so was God’s instrument of judgement (17:17).

(iii) Babylon Politically. Symbolized by the great city of Revelation 18, attempts to achieve its world domination by a common world market and world government. These are destroyed by Christ as His second coming.

With the total destruction of Babylon in chapters 17 and 18, the way is cleared for the major theme of the book of Revelation – the Second Coming of Christ and the establishment of His Kingdom.

HEAVEN’S HALLELUJAH CHORUS

Revelation 19:1-10

Chapter 19 marks a dramatic change in the tone of Revelation. The overthrow of Babylon, capital of the Beast’s evil empire, is celebrated in heaven with a Hallelujah Chorus. Four times the words ring out, “Hallelujah! Amen!” Heaven’s delight is followed by exultant joy in the union of Christ and His Bride just prior to the return of Christ to earth. This Second Coming is the world’s greatest event, and forms the bridge between the Great Tribulation and the Millennium.

Two men once met on an ocean liner: the one was white, the other black. They had never met before. Both were Christians, and both felt out of place amongst the pleasure-seeking crowds on deck. Each carried a Bible in his hand. They met, shook hands, and tried to exchange a few words of Christian greeting. But the barrier of language was total. Then one of them had an idea. “Hallelujah!” he said, to which the other replied, “Amen!” they had found a common tongue of praise.

1. THE HEAVENLY CHORUS (19:1-5)
The Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah is usually considered the most sublime expression of praise in the field of music.

These are the only Hallelujahs in the NT, and we now have four in swift succession. Some enthusiastic saints use Hallelujah constantly, and almost unintelligently. Others are more conservative and restrain ourselves when we should not. How glad we are when there is opportunity to release our full hearts in the singing of “Hallelujah, what a Saviour!”

The word, which simply means, “Praise the Lord,” is first found in the Bible in connection with the installation of the ark in Zion. David appointed a choir, “certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, and to celebrate and to thank and Hallelujah the God of Israel” (1 Chr 16:4). The ark symbolized God’s presence among His people. Christ is the true ark, and when the forces of the evil are destroyed, and He takes His rightful place, heaven breaks out in glad Hallelujahs.

Here in chapter 19 the New Testament is drawing to a close. Four gospels have been written, and no Hallelujah. One book of Church History, with no Hallelujah. Twenty one inspired letters from several Apostles to churches and individuals, and still no Hallelujah. Now four Hallelujahs in six verses! Why? Because the King is coming and is to take His rightful place amongst His people. He is to be vindicated, and to receive His rights and His Kingdom. Earth has been groaning for this moment. Now that it has arrived, it is time for Hallelujah.

The reasons for the Hallelujahs and shouts of joy in heaven are clearly seen:

a) God’s Salvation (19:1)
“After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and honour and power belong to the Lord our God!” (19:1).

“After these things.” Heaven’s joy at the triumph of good over evil is expressed in the fourfold “Hallelujah.” Three majestic motives for praise are sounded by this great multitude:

(i) His Salvation. This is more than mere salvation from sin – it refers to the whole programme of God in bringing a lost world and humanity back to Himself.

(ii) His Splendour. “Glory” is the revealed excellence of deity displayed in Christ.

(iii) His Strength. “Power” is the might required to bring the benefits of redemption to earth, conquer evil, and bring men into blessing.

b) God’s Severity (19:2,3)
“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, Hallelujah! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!” (19:2,3).

At times God, in love and patience, stays His hand so long that it seems He does not care for the wrongs done on earth. Evil seems to ripen, flourish, and bear fruit. In the end, He always acts. When at last it is unleashed, His severity acts according to standards of truth and righteousness against all that is false and wrong. A second “Hallelujah” bears tribute to God’s righteous judgement. No longer will His justice be questioned, as it is poured out on those who know not God and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

c) God’s Sovereignty (19:4)
“And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, Amen! Hallelujah!” (19:4).

The elders, who represent the church in heaven between the rapture and apocalypse, and the living creatures are mentioned. They add their heart-felt “Amen” to God’s judgement on His enemies and the glorious triumph of His throne. “Amen” is the word “Verily,” often spoken by Christ. It is a solemn statement of truth.

d) God’s Supremacy (19:5,6)
“Then a voice came from the throne, saying, Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great! 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!” (19:5,6).

Babylon is destroyed, Satan in full retreat, and the Lord God omnipotent is supreme. Every being in the universe, from the humblest saint to the mightiest cherubim, joins in the swelling chorus which crescendos and reverberates around the universe, until it is a thunderous waterfall of sound – “Hallelujah!”

“Hallelujah, the Lord God omnipotent reigns.” The motive for this mighty chorus of praise is two-fold: evil and sin have been dealt with, and Christ is now supreme. The child of God can identify with this. He shouts Hallelujah because sin has been dealt with through Christ’s death. He also shouts Hallelujah because He lives and reigns in his heart.

2. THE HEAVENLY MARRIAGE (19:7-10)
Two great events are now to be described. One is a wedding in heaven (19:6-10), the other is a war on earth (19:11-21). Joy, long delayed, is the happy portion of the one; judgement, delayed even longer, is the portion of the other. The Lord Jesus fills both scenes.
At the wedding the Groom is “the King’s Son” (Mt 22:1-14), Christ. The Bride is the church (Eph 5:32). Paul said his ministry was to espouse believers to Christ so that, as the church, they might be presented to him as a pure virgin (2 Cor 11:2). All believers from Pentecost to the Rapture are included.

a) The Bride Described (19:7-8)
Two things are recorded about the bride.

(i) She is Ready (19:7). “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.” At conversion believers are espoused to Christ and receive the “engagement ring” of the Holy Spirit. But the wedding is still future. The Bridegroom, presently in heaven preparing a place for us, has promised to return and take his Bride to be with Himself. That will be the Rapture.

But one important event, the Judgement Seat of Christ, must take place before she is “ready.” In one sense she has always been ready – the moment a person is saved he is ready. But lives and service have to be reviewed at the Judgement Seat of Christ. During the Tribulation period, the saints themselves are judged by Christ, when lives and works are reviewed. Those who have faithfully lived for Him will be richly rewarded. Carnal Christians will have to give an account before Him, and some will get no rewards.

(ii) She is Robed (19:8). “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.” This “fine linen” robe is embroidered with “the righteous acts of the saints.” While waiting for her as yet unseen Bridegroom, she had been weaving the fine white linen garment in which she is now attired. In accord with eastern custom He has come for her, and brought her to His Father’s house. In the peace and joy of that house, the Marriage has taken place. Now the Judgement Seat of Christ is past, and the outcome reflected in the dress.

b) The Banquet Described (19:9-10)
We are told two things:

(i) The Blessing of the Saints (19:9). “Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!” Here the wedding guests, friends of the Bridegroom, are presented. They are the patriarchs, the prophets, the priests, the saints – all those whose names are written down in glory.

(ii) The Blunder of the Seer (19:10). “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, carried away by the wonder of the revelations, fell at the angel’s feet to worship him. That blunder has often been repeated in the professing church.

“The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Note the name “Jesus,” referring to His humanity. In His humanity He is the sum and the substance of prophecy. As Son of Man He came to earth, conquered death, and ascended into heaven. At God’s right hand, though Son of God, He is yet a glorified Man. He retains humanity with His deity. It is “at the name of Jesus” that every knee will bow to confess him Lord (Phil 2:10).

THE KING IS COMING!

Revelation 19:11-16

This account of the revelation of Jesus Christ is what John set out to describe at the beginning of the book (1:1). Everything before this has been introductory; everything afterwards is epilogue. None of earth’s past or present crises compares with this moment. Her armies are gathered around Jerusalem from Armageddon to Edom in a battle line almost twenty miles long. Then God acts. Heaven is opened, and Christ revealed at the head of the armies of heaven.

The event takes place against the background of collapsing cities in the earthquakes under the seventh bowl (16:17-21). In the heavens there are astronomical signs as foretold by the Lord Jesus. On earth there will be conferences, consultations, and all the media coverage of the gathering of the world’s biggest and best armies gathered around Jerusalem. It is of this moment that John simply writes, “I saw heaven opened.”

One Coming – Two Phases
We need to remember the two phases of the second coming.

a) The Rapture
This takes place when Christ comes for His church, and signals the commencement of the Tribulation (1 Thes 4). His coming in this chapter is not the Rapture; it is His coming to earth with His church to

b) The Revelation
This is His coming after the Tribulation, when He comes with His church to set up His kingdom on earth, deals with His enemies by force of arms, and imposes on mankind an era of peace. It is this event which is described in this chapter.

These two phases explain why some Bible passages describe the return of the Lord as a secret event, like a thief in the night. This is the Rapture. Others speak of a public event where every eye shall see Him. This is the Revelation. The Old Testament prophets saw only the glory of His public coming, the Revelation, and knew nothing of the secret coming of the Rapture.

A Startling Contrast
Christ’s coming in glory is in marked contrast to His first coming in humiliation. Both John 19 and Revelation 19 have as their theme the words “Behold your King.” But in John 19 the King is a King in rejection. He has ridden into Jerusalem on a donkey, with a mere handful of disciples, and they gave Him a crown of thorns, a mocking purple robe, and a reed as a sceptre, and a wooden cross as a throne. Those bowing before Him did so in derision.

Now, in Revelation 19 we have royal robes, many diadems, a white charger as a horse, a rod of iron as a sceptre, and the armies of heaven in attendance.

The Focus of History
All history has been moving towards this point. From the time sin entered the earth, man’s history has been one of rebellion against God. When Christ first came they rejected Him, and gave him a cross. Another man of different character, the Beast, deceived men and marshalled them under his banner in the great gathering of armies around Jerusalem. It is this rebellion on earth that is now answered by the Revelation of Christ from heaven

The Fulfilment of Prophecy
Prophecies in both Old and New Testaments looked forward to the day when Christ will return in glory. Isaiah, Zechariah, Jude, Paul, and the Lord Jesus Himself all described it. Zechariah announced, “Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives … and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south” (Zech 14:3-4).

The Lord Jesus told of the sun, moon, and stars not giving their light, as all attention is of focussed on “the sign of the Son of Man in heaven.” All “the tribes of the earth will mourn” because they have not prepared themselves for that day. Paul said, “The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thes 1:7-8).

1. HIS COMING (19:11)
“I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse.” John was about to see the greatest event of all history, the Revelation, the great unveiling, of Christ’s glory. At His first coming that glory was veiled, but this time it is openly displayed and visible to all. At His first coming, Christ entered Jerusalem on a donkey, an animal of peace. This time He rides a white horse, symbol of victory and conquest over evil. His mission is not now to make peace, but “to judge and make war.”

John sees Christ in two main roles:

a) As a Rider
“He who sat on him was called Faithful and True.” This is His character. We have become familiar with the deceptions of the world’s great aggressors who are unfaithful to those whom they serve, and untrue to what they profess Here is a King who is faithful and true, for that is His nature.

b) As a Ruler
“In righteousness He judges and makes war.” The Prince of Peace is a man of war! Every nation taking up arms seizes on some pretext to convince its people that is cause is just and righteous. Hitler claimed his aggressions were the just and righteous redress of the grievances of Versailles. In WWI the total number of war-related deaths was 40 million. In WWII it was 60 million. Most wars are unrighteous wars. This will be the first truly righteous war in history. There is no hint of any vindictiveness or lust of conquest – just righteousness.

2. HIS CHARACTER (19:12)
“His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.” John’s description of Christ comments on:

a) His Eyes
“His eyes were like a flame of fire.” These same eyes were seen in the vision of Christ in 1:14. Nothing is hid from them. When the sixth seal was opened, men tried to hide from the wrath of the Lamb. But He sees everyone everywhere. None can escape.

b) His Head
“…on His head were many crowns.” These crowns, or diadems, speak of dignity and sovereignty. Through history kings have worn crowns as the traditional symbol of sovereignty. Earlier the Dragon had diadems on his seven heads (12:3), and the Beast had diadems on his ten horns (13:1). Now Christ is uncontested ruler of the world.

c) His Mysterious Name
“He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.” What is this mysterious name? His human name of Jesus has been used as a curse by godless men. Now He bears a new name of mystery, and they cannot know Him even if they would. In the Bible names express character. This mysterious name indicates that there are hidden depths in His character beyond our puny ability to understand.

3. HIS CLOTHING (19:13)
The outstanding characteristics of Christ’s first coming were that He came to shed His blood for sinful man, and that He was God’s Word to man. At His second coming the blood and the Word are again prominent.

a) The Warning of His Blood
“He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood.” When Christ came the first time, He came in agony and blood. It was there in the garden in the great drops of sweat. It flowed in the judgement hall as he was scourged. It flowed from the crown of thorns, from His pierced hands and feet, and from the spear wound in His side. That blood characterised his first coming. We may reject it, despise, ridicule it, tread it underfoot, but it remains the witness of God either for or against us. It we receive Him, that blood will cleanse from all sin. If we reject that blood now, we will have to face it later.

Now His garment is graphically described as being “baptised” in blood, as though plunged into it. This is not now the Saviour offering forgiveness on the basis of His shed blood. His coat is stained with the blood of His enemies. Isaiah described the awesomeness of this vision when he wrote, “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? … Why is Your apparel red, and Your garments like one who treads in the winepress?” (Isa 63:1).

b) The Witness of the Word
“His name is called The Word of God.” The Word comes from the Greek logos and means He is the expression of God. Just as words are expressions of thoughts, so Christ is the expression of God. God was revealed in Christ at His first coming, acting in grace and revealing God’s purpose in salvation. All He had to say was said in His Son. Now that same God is revealed in Christ acting in truth and revealing God’s purposes in power and judgement.

4. HIS COMPANIONS (19:14)
“And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.” The splendour of this event was glimpsed in early history when Enoch preached, “Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints” (Jude 14). Paul also wrote of “the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints” (I Thes 3:13).

Behind the Lord come heaven’s armies, also mounted on white horses and clothed in fine, white linen. White linen? Armies are normally issued with military fatigues for battle dress, not only for camouflage, but also because war is so dirty. White clothes are reserved for ceremonial occasions. They are dressed in white, because they will not do battle. The battle will be consummated by the spoken word of the Lord.

Note the whiteness and brightness of the scene, so different from the world which lies under a darkened sun, a stricken moon and falling stars (Mt 24:29-30).

5. HIS CONQUEST (19:15-16)

a) His Unique Description
Three figures are used to describe the impact of Christ’s coming:

(i) The Sword. “Out of His mouth goes a sharp sword.” The Roman sword symbolised civil authority backed up by military power. Christ’s sword is His word, which is why it in His mouth and not in His hand. This sharp sword shows Christ acts against the rebel armies of earth by His Word.

(ii) The Rod. “He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron.” Ruling as a shepherd involves care for the sheep, but also includes ruthless destruction of the sheep’s enemies. That it is a “rod of iron” indicates the severity of the punishment, without any danger of it breaking (Ps 2).

(iii) The Winepress. “He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” In a wine press grapes are crushed to nothing. The gathered armies around Jerusalem are but as grapes in the winepress and Christ is about to tread them as the executor of God’s fierce anger. This is Joel 3:13, “Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe …. the winepress is full, the vats overflow, for their wickedness is great.”

b) His Undisputed Designation
“He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (19:16). In the place where the sword should be, there is a name written. Pilate asked, “Art thou a king then?” and wrote contemptuously, “This is Jesus the King of the Jews.” Pilate’s question is now answered. He is not just King of the Jews, but undisputed “King of kings, and Lord of lords” for the next 1000 years.

THE WORLD’S BIGGEST BATTLE

Revelation 19:17-21

Earth’s armies stare in amazement as Christ, the King of glory, appears from heaven at the head of His army. The battle has not yet been fought, but the omens are awful, with enormous flocks of birds circling and wheeling overhead. Satan’s armies are doomed; the fowls of the air know it, and await with awesome anticipation the impending slaughter.

This closing battle before Christ sets up His kingdom is often called the “Battle of Armageddon.” This is misleading because Armageddon means “Mount of Slaughter,” and refers to the valley to the east of Mt Megiddo. The word “battle” here literally means “campaign” or “war.” No war is won by a single battle. The battle of Armageddon will be just one of the battles in that war which will encompass more than just the Valley of Megiddo, but will cover all the land of Palestine.

1. THE COMMAND OF HEAVEN’S ANGEL (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.”

a) An Awesome Summons (19:18)
John saw the angel standing in the light of the sun summoning the birds of prey to this awful supper of death.

b) An Awful Supper
This is the second supper mentioned in this chapter.

(i) The Marriage Supper of the Lamb. This is seen in verses 7-8, where an invitation is extended to saints of all ages to a time of overwhelming joy and blessing as God provides a marriage for His Son and His bride.

(ii) The Supper of the Great God. What an awesome contrast. The guests here are the birds of prey, invited to a macabre table spread with human flesh. The greatest men on earth are just “pieces of flesh.” Leaders, kings, captains, ministers, are all there. Their followers are there; slaves and masters, small and great. So it will be. All of earth will be united against the Lamb; all will be united again in the doom they share.

c) An Appalling Slaughter
The full picture of what happens at this time is seen by putting together several passages.

(i) Armageddon. This is seen in Revelation 16. The Euphrates will dry up to make possible the way of the kings of the east. The satanic trinity of Antichrist, the False Prophet, and Satan himself send out “three unclean spirits like frogs” deceiving the kings of the earth to bring them to this great battle of Armageddon, where they will fight against Christ.

(ii) The Battle of the Valley of Jehoshaphat (Joel 3:1,2,9-17). In this great battle there are “multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision. For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.” This battle is also described in Revelation 14. As a result of this conflict the blood came out of the winepress , even unto the horse bridles by a space of 1600 furlongs.”

(iii) The Battle of Jerusalem. This will be the final battle in the war of “the great day of God Almighty” (16:14). The Antichrist will storm Jerusalem in this last conflict between Satan and Christ until after the millennium. Satan will order his armies to destroy Jerusalem, but Christ will come to deliver her at the last moment (Zech 12:1-9).

2. THE CONGREGATION OF EARTH’S ARMIES (19:19)
“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.”

a) The Mobilisation
John saw two armies, a confrontation between the Beast with his army on earth, and Christ with His army from heaven. What amazing military hardware will be amassed on land, sea, and air. The Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, and the eastern Mediterranean will be filled with ships, And the sky dark with aircraft. The air will be filed with the strains of stirring martial music, and the ground will shake to the beat of marching feet. The final commands are given.

b) The Motivation
As was shown in chapter 16, some of these kings initially gathered together to attack the Beast. Others gathered to defend him. However, the appearance of heaven’s army pulls them all together in a common purpose. Suddenly there is:

(i) A Common Enemy. As the crisis deepens, earth’s armies recognise that their common enemy is Christ. Animosities are forgotten as all unite in a great confederation against Him (Ps 2:1-3).

(ii) A Common Unity. Psalm 2 tells us how the nations will unite and fight against Christ. At the Lord’s first advent, the nations united against Him. They will do so again. The first time they united against Him, they only succeeded in accomplishing God’s purposes. So this time. They think they are working out their own schemes, but are simply marching in step with God’s will as they are drawn to Armageddon.

3. THE CONDEMNATION OF GOD’S ENEMIES (19:20-21)
“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.”

Suddenly it will be over. In fact, there will be no war at all, as we think of war.

a) The Leaders Judged
The Beast, with his blasphemy and the miracle-working False Prophet are stricken where they stand. The victory is not the result of massive fire power or clever strategy. It is the result of “the sword which proceeded from His mouth.” There will be just a word spoken from Him who sits astride the white horse. Once He spoke a word to a fig tree, and it withered away. Once He spoke to the howling winds and the heaving sea, and they faded away. Once He spoke to a legion of demons filling a demented demoniac, and they fled. Now He speaks a word, and the war is over.

(i) The People Who Are Banished. The satanically empowered leaders in whom men had placed their trust are arrested and hurled headlong into the Lake of Fire.

(ii) The Place Of Their Banishment. “The lake of fire.” This is the first of five mentions of this awesome place. It is the final and eternal abode of those who have refused God’s grace in salvation. First to enter are the Beast and the False Prophet, followed 1000 years later by their master Satan (20:10). The full complement will only be realised after the Great White Throne judgement is over (20:15). The terror of this place is presented, not only by the reference to its size being a “lake,” but also to its intensity as “burning.” Is this symbolic? Perhaps, but if the symbol is so terrifying, what will the reality be? This is the reality behind the “hell fire” about which Christ warned so solemnly (Mark 9:47).

b) The Followers Judged
“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” (19:21).

“The rest,” the armies gathered around Jerusalem, are left leaderless and exposed to the wrath of the approaching Christ. No thunder, or gunfire. Just the Word of Christ. At that word the armies stagger and fall down dead. Field marshals and footmen, generals and GIs, rank and file, all fall, and earth’s armies are left to lie still in death. It is a scene of deathly stillness, with the only moving things being the birds or prey hovering over the scene. Thus ends the battle of Armageddon.

THY KINGDOM COME

Revelation 20

This chapter presents a summary of a series of events relating to the golden age of the Millennium. The military machinery of war has been melted down and converted into implements of peace. The millennial temple has been built in Jerusalem the world’s capital. Prosperity is everywhere from pole to pole. Poverty is unknown. There are no prisons, no hospitals, no barracks, no shebeens, no red light districts, no casinos. The wolf and the lamb, the calf and the lion, the cow and the bear are all at peace. From East to West Jesus Christ reigns as undisputed Lord, and He does so with a rod of iron. Sin and rebellion are visited with sure and certain judgement.

1. SATAN’S INCARCERATION (20:1-3)
“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand” (20:1).

The last time the key to the abyss was mentioned, Satan had it, and was permitted to open that dread prison and release swarms of found fiends on the earth. Now the angel has the key. With God’s authority, he seizes Satan, chains him, and hurls him into the abyss for 1000 years.

John makes a number of important statements in connection with the binding of Satan:

a) The Personality (20:2)
“He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan.” Satan is here given all four of his titles – the Dragon (cruelty), the serpent (subtle deception), the Devil (deceiver and tempter), and Satan (adversary).

b) The Period (20:2)
“…and bound him for a thousand years.” For 6000 years Satan’s malignant influence in the affairs of men has been all too evident. For 1000 years, the duration of the Millennium, there is heaven on earth as the world will be free of his lies. The length of this period, 1000 years, is stated six times in this passage, so it is clearly meant to be taken literally.

c) The Place (20:3)
“and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him.” Throughout the Tribulation era, Satan has opened the abyss to plague mankind. Now he himself is consigned to that condemned cell, and sealed in by an act of God. This is the abyss of 9:1,2,11, and also “the deep” of Lk 8:31; Rom 10:7. The word occurs seven times in Revelation, and always as the abode or prison of demons.

d) The Purpose (20:3)
“That he should deceive the nations no more.” For years Satan has deceived and influenced the world’s leaders and nations. No wonder the Bible says he was a liar, and the father of lies. There is no place for him in Christ’s kingdom founded on truth and righteousness.

We will see that at the end of this 1000 year period, Satan will be loosed again. He immediately turns to lead the nations in rebellion against God, giving incontrovertible proof that a perfect environment is no cure for man’s naturally sinful heart.

2. THE KINGDOM’S INTRODUCTION (20:4)
This is the long-promised Golden Age of the Kingdom, when Christ will be undisputed Sovereign, and His rule will be characterised by the twin themes of righteousness and peace. John does not consider the details of the kingdom – only the fact of it, its time, and its duration. Then in 20:7 he takes us to the end of period when Satan is loosed.

Some of the details of this 1000 year period are:

a) Its Time
Revelation 19 and 20 form a continuous prophetic picture. The kingdom thus comes between the present age and the eternal state.

b) Its Length
Six times in chapter 20 it is said to be “a thousand years.” Much else in Revelation is literal, so why not the kingdom?

c) Its Purpose
It will be a final testing of mankind before the beginning of the eternal state. Man often excuses himself on account of his environment. In the Millennium under Christ’s rule mankind will have a perfect environment. Today billions of dollars are spent on changing the environment, but man is still no better. It proves that even God never changes a man’s nature – He gives him a new one.

d) Its Nature
John does not describe it, but it is fully described in the Old Testament. Jerusalem will be the capital (Isa 2:3), and war will be no more (Isa 2:4). Every nation will be under Christ’s control. Some of the features of the Millennium will be:

(i) A Perfect Spiritual Environment resulting from Satan being bound.

(ii) A Perfect Moral Environment. Only believers who have accepted Christ as Saviour will be able to enter the kingdom. It starts with a saved society. No wickedness will be tolerated. Holiness will be manifest in every place of society. Everywhere the words, “Holiness unto the Lord” shall appear.

(iii) A Perfect Physical Environment. With the curse lifted, numerous changes in the animal and botanical world take place. The earth produces fruitfully, the desert blossoms as the rose, and the ploughman overtakes the reaper. The wolf and the lamb, the leopard and the kid, the calf and the young lion all lie down together, and “a little child shall lead them” (Isa 11:6-9). Even death will be rare.

e) Its Population
All unbelievers who are alive when Christ returns at the end of the tribulation period are dealt with, and do not enter the Millennium. All who enter the Millennium are believers.

However, children will be born during the Millennium, and under perfect conditions a population explosion could take place. These children will conform to authority, but their hearts will still be sinful and unchanged. By the end of the Millennium, when Satan returns to once again walk over the earth, millions will follow him. The fact is that, even after a thousand years of perfect righteous rule, they love darkness rather than light, and Satan’s final offer of power and pleasure proves irresistible.

3. THE FIRST RESURRECTION (20:4-6)
“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 that hath part in the first resurrection” (20:5).

a) What It Is
In what sense is this “the first resurrection”? A number of resurrections have already taken place. Christ was the first to be raised – the firstfruits from the dead (1 Cor 15:20). At the end of the church age, the rapture and resurrection of those who “sleep in Jesus” takes place (I Thes 4). Then at the end of the Tribulation, saints who have died or martyred during that time are also raised.

Hence this “first resurrection” is not a single event, but includes all raised at different times before the millennial kingdom. “First” implies another to follow. All others wait until after the Millennium when they appear before God’s Great White Throne.

b) Who Is Involved
“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” (20:4).

The context here concerns those who made a definitive decision for Christ and against the Beast during the Tribulation when they had opportunity to do so. They are the Shadrachs, Meshachs, and Abednegos of a future day. Many will suffer awesome deprivation and be beheaded for their testimony. But their sacrifice has been noted in heaven. Now it is time for God to bring them from the dead as part of the first resurrection, and publicly honour and reward them.

Note what this verse says about those who partake in the first resurrection.

(i) They Are Blessed. “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection.” Happiness and holiness always go hand in hand. There is so little happiness today because there is so little holiness.

(ii) They Have Eternal Life. “Over such the second death has no power.” They have eternal life – the second death, eternal separation from God, has no power over them. They are safe and secure forever.

(iii) They Are Priests. “They shall be priests of God and of Christ.” In the administration of the kingdom they will speak to God on behalf of men, and speak to men on behalf of God.

(iv) They Are Rulers. “and shall reign with Him a thousand years.” They will share Christ’s rule. When the Millennium finishes, the reign of Christ and His saints will continue – this reign will never end.

4. MAN’S FINAL REBELLION (20:7-10)
The rest of the chapter deals with the release of Satan (20:7), the final rebellion (20:8-10), the resurrection of sinners (20:11-15).

a) Satan’s Release (20:7)
“Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison.” Satan suddenly reappears on earth. He is like a caged lion suddenly set free. For 1000 years he has plotted his revenge. Men are still men, and sin is still sin. He knows how to bring the two together. He will strike out at both God and man; he will make a mockery out of the Millennium. Sin once more can blaze in human hearts. Like kindling, stacked and dry, the bonfire is ready.

b) Satan’s Activity (20:8)
“…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.”

(i) Their Decision. The Millennium begins with a population of soundly saved people who survive the Tribulation. The descendants of these believers will have sinful natures, needing to be saved, just like today. Through the ages, countless children are born, and the same basic choices and decisions for or against Christ will confront them, just as they confront young people today.

Today many young people, children of Christian parents become gospel-hardened. Then they will be glory-hardened. They will submit to Christ’s rule only because to rebel will mean punishment. Sin will reign in secret in their hearts, and they will long for a relaxation of the kingdom’s strict rules. Satan will find fertile soil in their hearts.

(ii) Their Distance. Many, “whose number is as the sand of the sea.” ignore the warnings, and retreat as far away as possible from the central glory at Jerusalem to “the four corners of the earth,” where they congregate.

(iii) Their Description. They are called “Gog and Magog,” names used to describe the deceived nations. The same names are found in Ezekiel 38 and 39 (although referring to different incidents), and from that passage we learn that Gog refers to the ruler, and Magog refers to the people. Hence the nations of the world follow Satan, including the rulers (Gog) and the people (Magog) under them.

c) Satan’s Attack (20:9)
“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.”

Satan is no coward. Like a gambler, he stakes all on a single throw. The surging tide of the enemy from the four quarters of the earth, converges on the camp and the “beloved city, ” Jerusalem. It seems as though Satan is about to triumph and Christ must sue for terms. But appearances are deceiving, and there is no battle. God dramatically intervenes, as fire comes down from heaven.

The rebellion cannot succeed, and is only permitted by God in order to bring to light the hidden works of darkness of the human heart. What happens is described in two stages:

(i) The Fiery Death Of The Rebels (20:9b). “Fire came down and devoured them.” Not a shot is fired. The fire of God falls, and it is all over. Like Sodom and Gomorrah nothing remains but a heap of ashes. Thus is shattered Satan’s last attempt to claim prominence and worship in attempted usurpation of God. Thus ends also the false theory that man under perfect environment will willingly serve God. Those who followed Satan in his last war against God, die physically in the fire that devoured them. Their souls join the wicked dead in hades until the Great White Throne.

(ii) The Fiery Doom Of Satan (20:10). “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.” That Lake of Fire was prepared for him and his angels (Mat 25:41). His two companions in the crimes of the last days, the Beast and the False Prophet are there waiting for him. “And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” Death is not annihilation. This emphatically teaches the everlasting punishment of the lost.

THE GREAT WHITE THRONE

Revelation 20:11-15

For centuries Satan has persuaded men that there is no future punishment, no final accountability to God. That lie is now fully exposed. The Holy Spirit vividly describes the place of judgement, the person of the Judge, the people who are judged, and the penalty of the judgement.

Note the order of events. Man’s and Satan’s final rebellion (20:7-10) against God has been dealt with. Earth and the material creation have been burned up, and this scene is set on the very verge of eternity when even time ceases. The new heaven and new earth are not yet introduced (21:1).

1. THE PLACE OF JUDGEMENT (20:11-12)
“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.”

With great economy of words, John describes the place of judgement, the Great White Throne. He notes

a) Its Immensity – “great”
The judgement will be great because of the great power to be demonstrated, the great crowds there, the awesome dignity of the Judge – God, and the eternal consequences of the judgement – eternal separation from God. It is a great judgement because they have rejected a “great salvation.”

b) Its Purity – “white”
The decisions of this court are perfectly just and irrevocable. They come from the throne of God, reflecting a purity and holiness so intense that before it the very seraphim shrink. What a contrast to the blackness of sin. Guilty men, summoned to that throne, have no place to hide. All the foolish excuses behind which men hide will be gone.

c) Its Majesty – “throne”
When the Queen of England sits on her throne it is symbolic of all the power, dignity, and authority of her realm. Down through the centuries Caesars and Czars, Emperors and Kings have all sat on their throne. But this throne is different. It belongs to Christ, and represents, not just the authority of the realm, but the power and majesty of all eternity.

d) Its Finality – “from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away”
The terror of the scene is compounded by the fact that before His face the heaven and earth are dissolved. This is the final Big Bang. It is exactly what Peter foretold, “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” (2 Pet 3:10). The binding nuclear energy of the elements are released, and provide the “fervent heat” that engulfs creation. The first creation is gone and will be replaced by another a new one (21:1). They have fled away.

2. THE PERSON OF THE JUDGE
“Him who sat on it” The One sitting on the throne is Christ Himself, to whom the Father has committed all judgement (Jn 5:22).

John, who knew Him so well, has no difficulty in identifying Him as the Lord. The nail prints are in His hands, the scars on His back and brow, the spear wound in His side. Men have ignored Him, denied Him, cursed Him, disbelieved in Him, sold Him. Now He is their Judge.

3. THE PEOPLE WHO ARE JUDGED
“And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God…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” (20:12-13).

John describes the most awesome scene in human history, as the populations of the ages stand gathered before God. He notes:

a) Who They Are
“I saw the dead, small and great…” These are all those from all ages whose dead souls have been united to dead bodies in a fellowship of horror and despair to stand before God. In many ways, they don’t have much in common, coming from different ages, races, cultures, and languages. But they all share one common characteristic: their names are not found written in the book of life.

No believer will be there. All believers will have already been raised at the first resurrection – “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. On such the second death hath no power” (20:6). John notes that:

(i) The “small” will be there, little men and women, whose lives didn’t amount to much.

(ii) The “great” will be there, men and women who sinned with a high hand went for wickedness on a grand scale, and died unrepentant at last. Men like Alexander, Napoleon, Stalin, Hitler will be present. Now they all “stand before God” like prisoners at the bar. They lived and died without thought of God, like those of Psalm 73 who said “How does God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?” Many went for wickedness on a grand scale, and died unrepentant at last. Now they individually stand before God to receive sentence.

b) Where They Come From
“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” (20:12-13).

The Holy Spirit describes how men will be brought before the Great White Throne. There is no hiding place. The first question God put to man was, “Where art thou?” At that word he and his wife came out of hiding to stand ashamed before their Judge. That cry will be heard again, and they will come out of their graves and tombs. Bodies rise up from the dust of death, and souls come up from Hades. Some will come from the depths of the sea, some from the arctic wastes, some from the particulate matter of ashes. God knows every speck of human dust. Back they come to stand before God and be judged for their sin.

How can this happen? Every person is made of two parts. The body is the material part; the soul comprises the mind and spirit, the spiritual part.

(i) “Death” refers to what happens to the body. It undergoes a process of natural corruption. People say that “death is final,” but that is not so. The body that dies and corrupts will one day be resurrected and reunited with its soul and spirit to stand before God.

(ii) “Hades” refers to place where the soul and spirit of unbelievers go at death. It is the place of the unbelieving dead. In the OT, and before Christ’s resurrection, Hades had two compartments: one for believers, and one for unbelievers, separated by a great gulf (Lk 16). At His resurrection Christ emptied hades of all believers (Eph 4:8-10), leaving only unbelievers. At the resurrection of unbelievers, “death” (where the body has gone) and “hades” (where the soul and spirit have gone) give up their dead to reunite body, soul, and spirit.

4. THE PARAMETERS OF JUDGEMENT
“And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books” (20:12).

Two main parameters determine the outcome of the judgement.

a) The Books
“The books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life” (20:12).

Two books are mentioned in particular – the Lamb’s Book of Life, and the Book of Life.

(i) The Book Of Life Of The Lamb. “Anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (20:15). This book contains the names of all those who have been saved through faith in Christ. Names from every nation, tribe, culture, and age group are written there. Some were saved as children, others were saved in life’s final breath. It is now opened to prove to unbelievers that their names are not there. Names cannot be blotted out of this book. The final act of the Judge is thoroughly scan the book of life, heaven’s register from creation of all who have received life through Christ.

(ii) The Book Of The Lives Of The Lost. “And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works” (20:12). The Book of Life seems to contain the names of all living people. The moment a person is born into the world his name is written in the Book Of Life. If by death he has not received Christ, his name is blotted out again – leaving blank spaces. Names can be blotted out of this book (Rev 3:5; Ex 32:33; Rev 22:19). It also contains every work, word, and even the secrets of man’s heart.

b) The Works
“And the dead were judged…according to their works” (20:12). This judgement is:

(i) Personal. “And the dead were judged.” Each individual personal profile is examined with all the facts from birth to death relating to privilege, responsibility and opportunity. Psychologists tell us that nothing we have experienced is really forgotten. The subconscious mind stores it all up, awaiting the appropriate trigger to recall it. God keeps records of everything; it is all written down.

(ii) Proportional. “…according to their works.” Here is a personal profile of each person – what he has done, how he has lived. Salvation is not here the issue. Judgement in the Bible is always according to works. Every sin will be exposed. It is exactly what the Lord warned, “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” (John 5:28).

There are degrees of guilt and grades of punishment. The Lord warned, “That servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required” (Luke 12:47).

3. THE PENALTY (20:14-15)
“Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.”

These awesome closing verses of the chapter emphasise the undying twin truths of man’s guilt and God’s grace. The guilty sinner can either demand a fair trial or ask for a free pardon. To demand a fair trial will land him in the lake of fire. If he asks for a pardon he must plead guilty, cast himself on the mercy of God, and accept the salvation He offers though Christ.

a) Man’s Guilt
“anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire”
(20:14-15). The books have been examined, and the evidence presented. All stand guilty before God, not a single word is spoken in self-defence. The awful words are heard, “Depart from me ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Mat 25:41). All who died physically and were in hades, the intermediate state, are cast into the Lake of Fire, where the Beast and the False Prophet have already gone. “These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thes 1:9). Eternal separation in eternal torment.

b) God’s Grace
God couldn’t be more clear – “He is not willing that any should perish.” He gave us His Son to die for us. He gave us His Word to warn us and tell us how to know Him. For centuries He has striven with man.

“This is the second death.” The Bible leaves it at that. There is no wracking description of the horrors of eternity without Christ, of the torment, damnation. It stands in contrast to the first resurrection, the state of blessing enjoyed by the redeemed.

Oh awful day, who would not be
Sheltered O Lamb of God in Thee
Safe at thy side when, wild and loud,
The shrieks of that unnumbered crowd
Shall rend the heavens and fill the skies,
Till judgement’s doom shall close their cries.

An old Indian in Oklahoma was asked, “How did Christ save you?” The old man took some dead leaves, laid them in a circle, and placed a worm in the centre. Then he set fire to the leaves all around. The worm crawled this way and that seeking a way out, and finding no way, drew as far away from the fire as it could, and curled up to die. The old Indian then reached down, picked up the worm, and placed it safely out and away from the fire. Then he said, “That is what Jesus did to me. I was perishing and dying, and He lifted me up and save me.”

From sinking sands He lifted me,
With tender hands He lifted me.
From shades of night to plains of light,
Oh, praise His name, He lifted me!

A BRIGHT NEW WORLD

Revelation 21:1-8

In these final two chapters of the Bible John is taken out in to an altogether new era and introduced to a “new heaven and a new earth.” This is the everlasting future which we often call “eternity.” Everything is new, and John sees a new Jerusalem, a new relationship between God and man, and new conditions for the family of God. This is the end to which God has been working throughout all time.

This bright new world is not the same as the Millennium. That, too, will be a time of great blessing, but during it sin, death, and corruption will still be present, and God’s ultimate goal will not yet be reached. Only after the Millennium, the dissolution of the present creation, and the Great White Throne, will eternity begin.

Actually, very few Bible passages refer to this eternal state. The most prominent is 1 Corinthians 15:24-27 which refers to the time called “the end” when God will be all and in all. It comes after the Millennium, when all His enemies will be subjugated and the last enemy, death, destroyed.

1. A NEW CREATION (21:1)
“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.”

a) The New Heaven and Earth
“I saw a new heaven and a new earth.” This is not simply the old heaven and earth renovated, but a totally new creation – a new kind of heaven, and a new kind of earth. This new earth and heaven are fixed locations, just as the Lord Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place of you.”

b) The Old Heaven and Earth
“The first heaven and the first earth were passed away.” The first earth, created in Genesis 1:1, so radically changed over the years due to the curse, the flood, and the millennium, will by this time have “passed away,” having fled away from the face of Him that sits upon the throne (20:11). Peter said that the earth is “reserved unto fire against the day of judgement” and that the earth and its works will be burned up (2 Peter 3:7,10). Hebrew 1:10-12 refers to the heaven and earth as being folded up as a garment.

“And there was no more sea.” Today’s world is dependant on the sea and the hydrological cycle. Three-quarters of the globe is covered by it, and it is often presented as a figure in Scripture of the restless and ruthless masses of mankind. The eternal state will not be dependant on the laws of physics and hydrological cycles as we know them now.

2. A NEW CAPITAL (21:2)
“Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

a) A Perfect City
“I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.” With the new heaven and the new earth in place, John sees a magnificent city coming down to the new earth. This is New Jerusalem, the great capital of heaven, and the home of the saints for all eternity. Gone are the vice and violence of today’s great cities. Instead John sees a city as holy as heaven itself.

b) A Prepared City
“Prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” The city has the freshness and beauty of a bride. Because the “bride” in the New Testament is associated with the church, some have limited the New Jerusalem to referring only to the church. However, later descriptions in the chapter seem to include all saints of all ages who will have their home there.

c) A Promised City
This city is heaven’s promised answer to millions of believers down through the ages who have given up everything to live for God. Like Abraham, many hard-pressed believers lived their lives convinced “he has prepared for them a city” (Heb 11:16).

3. A NEW COMMUNITY (21:3-4)
Two things are highlighted in John’s description of life in this heavenly city.

a) God’s Glory (21:3)
“And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.”

In Eden, before the fall, God came and walked with Adam in the cool of the day. Now He will dwell with His own for ever. The most significant feature of the new creation is that God Himself dwells there with His people. His purpose in creation is now fulfilled. It was so in Eden, in the Tabernacle and temple, and also the church.

b) Man’s Grief (21:4)
“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

John does not emphasise what there is in the New Jerusalem, as much as what is not there. Perhaps it was beyond his power of description and he can only negatively describe it by focussing on what is not there.

No tears, death, sorrow or pain! What tears of suffering and sorrow have been shed since Eden. Now, with sin fully dealt with, those consequences of sin will be removed forever. No more funerals, graves, hospitals. No more broken homes or broken hearts. What a reversal of the curse of Genesis 3.

4. A NEW CONSTITUTION (21:5-8)
One of a country’s best safeguards is its constitution. Here in S.A. our constitution is the country’s ultimate legal document, and guarantees a number of rights which have revolutionised the country over the last decade. The Constitutional Court is the final court of appeal.

The last two chapters of the Bible tell of another country where the constitution is flawless, and the government perfect. That country is heaven. Three great guarantees are built into the constitution of the New Jerusalem

a) Guaranteed Stability (21:5-6a)
“Then He who sat on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said to me, Write, for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done.”

Here was no flimsy cover drawn over history’s tragedies. The former fallen creation is now history. In the new creation all things will be made new in Jesus Christ. They are stable, strong, and will last for eternity.

In the next breath the Lord says, “It is done!” On the cross the Lord also said, “It is finished.” That was the foundation of what He has done; the new creation is the fulfilment. In this phrase past history is scanned, and the workings of God through the ages have now reached completion. All is done!

b) Guaranteed Satisfaction (21:6b)
“It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.”

It is by this title “Alpha and Omega” that Christ was introduced in 1:8. He will close the book using the same title (22:3). The letters of the alphabet contain all the knowledge it is possible for man to know. So with Christ – He fully reveals God to us.

“I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.” The metaphor of thirst in Scripture frequently expresses man’s awareness of his spiritual need. He has always been quick to seek satisfaction elsewhere. Here Christ alone is seen as the source of this abundant, adequate, and free provision, which speaks of the complete satisfaction of the eternal state.

The new creation guarantees:

(i) Enlarged Responsibilities (21:7). “He that overcometh shall inherit all things.” Just as Adam had special responsibilities in the garden of Eden, so in heaven the overcomers will be heirs to all things and administer that inheritance for God’s glory. If we allow the Holy Spirit to make us overcomers down here, we shall enjoy enlarged responsibilities over there; we shall “inherit all things.”

(ii) Endearing Relationships (21:7b). “I will be his God, and he shall be my Son.” How wonderful is God. First He gives us His Son (John 3:16), then He gives us His Spirit, then at the end, He gives us Himself!

c) Guaranteed Security (21:8)
“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

The safety of the city’s inhabitants is guaranteed by the exclusion from the city of the many criminally guilty people who have made the world’s cities unsafe. Included are “murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, and idolaters.”

Also mentioned are “the unbelieving.” These knew God’s Word, but refused to obey it. It was unbelief that opened the gates of Eden to sin, and has kept men from God and salvation ever since.

All such “shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Those who had part in the first resurrection form a contrast to these whose portion is the lake of fire, described as “the second death.”

* * * * * *

THE PRICE THAT WAS PAID FOR PERFECTION

Heaven! The very word conjures up peace, perfection, glory , all that we could wish for. So it will be. The Bible tells us much about it. It is prepared, perfect, permanent. Most of all, it where Christ is.

Last two chapters tell us much about heaven. We learn that it is a place of:

a) Beauty
“…as a bride adorned for her husband” (21:3).

b) Where God is
“God himself shall be with them and be their God” (21:3).

c) Abundant life
“I will give unto him that is athirst of the water of life freely” (21:6).

d) Light
“The city had no need, of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it; for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof (21:23).

All these are positive. But many of heavens glories are better described by focusing on what is not there.

a) No More Separation
“Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he shall dwell with them” (21:3). Contrast the loneliness of Calvary. “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.”

b) No More Tears
“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes” (21:4). What a wonderful prospect for us! In contrast, Jesus wept over Jerusalem, outside Lazarus’ tomb, and in Gethsemane. Hebrews 5 says “Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death…” In heaven we will not know tears, because He wept for us while here on earth.

c) No More Death
“There shall be no more death” (21:4). That means LIFE! This is what medial science has dreamed of! We will enjoy life because Christ died in order that we might never die, but live eternally.

d) No More Sorrow
“…neither sorrow” (21:4). Christ was here as the “Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” “Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow.” “My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death” (Mk 12: 14). He sorrowed in order that we should never sorrow.

e) No More Pain
“…neither shall there be any more pain” (21:5). The Lord endured indescribable pain – physical, emotional, and spiritual. That suffering is best described in Old Testament prophecies, such as Psalms 22 and 69. “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax, it is melted in the midst of my bowels.” “They pierced my hands any my feet.”

f) No More Thirst
“I will give unto him that is athirst of the water of life freely” (21:6). How often the sufferings of Christ are said to include thirst, as though it symbolized all He endured. “After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scriptures might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.” “My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.”

g) No More Darkness (21:23)
“And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.” What a contrast to “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour” (Mat 27:45). That is where the Saviour found us – sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death.

h) No More Curse
“There shall be no more curse” (22:3). “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangs upon a tree” (Gal. 3:13). This takes us full cycle from Genesis 3. The pain, suffering, thorns, shame, and separation from God were all part of that curse which Christ bore for us.

What wonderful place heaven will be. No more separation -tears – death – sorrow – pain darkness – curse. But what a price was paid!

HEAVEN AND HOME

Revelation 21:9-27

John is now invited to take a closer look at the New Jerusalem. The passage gives lots of clues to what life in heaven will be like, and who will be the city’s inhabitants. He sees the church there, also those saved from Israel and the many Gentiles who do not belong to either Israel or the church, e.g. those saved in Old Testament times, or during the Tribulation period.

Many commentators regard this passage as a final parenthesis in which John is taken back in time to view the city of 21:2, but in the time period of the millennial kingdom. Reasons for this include the mention of “nations” and “the kings of the earth” (21:24) and “the healing of the nations” (22:2). Healing should hardly be needed in heaven.

However, the last part of Revelation from chapter 19 is chronological, and
there is no indication that the text reverts to the Millennium. The vision seems to be an expansion of the city of 21:1-2, which all agree is in the eternal state. The language is similar in both verses. Also there is no such city described in any of the Old Testament prophecies referring to the Millennium, e.g. Ezekiel’s prophecies. Jerusalem, not a new heavenly city, is the capital in the Millennium from which Christ reigns.

WHO WILL BE THE INHABITANTS OF THE NEW JERUSALEM?
Three Classes of people in will inhabit the city: Israel – “Twelve tribes of the Children of Israel (21:12), the Church – “the bride, the Lamb’s wife” (21:9), and Gentiles – “the nations of them which are saved (21:24).

a) The Church in Eternity
The city will be church’s eternal home (21:2,9,10). Also Hebrew 12:23, “the church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven.” The church will have this special position with the Lord Jesus in eternity.

b) Israel in Eternity
God’s plan for Israel will be to fulfill Gen 1:26, and have dominion over everything to do with earth. They will inherit the land forever, and the land at that time will be the new earth.

c) The Nations in Eternity
The “nations” are Gentiles believers who have no part of the church or Israel (e.g. those saved in the OT, or during the Tribulation). They also will walk in the light of the New Jerusalem, and earth’s kings will bring their glory and honour into it (21:24).

1. THE MYSTERY OF THE CITY (21:9-10)
“Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife. And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.”

In verses 1 to 8, John was shown the new creation with its capital, the Holy City, in which God will dwell with His saints. Now he is invited to see “the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” The linking of the Lamb and the Bride in this expression shows the permanence of the relationship established on the ground of redemption.

Who all are in this city? The Bride (the church) is there, also Israel, as shown by the twelve tribes on the gates. Perhaps it is the home of all saints who have been raised from the dead.

2. THE MAGNIFICENCE OF THE CITY (21:11-14)
The city glows with its own light. As we fly over the world’s cities we see their lights sparkling beneath us. This heavenly city will shine through the new universe with a lustre all its own. This is the Shekinah glory that once dwelt in the Tabernacle and temple.

a) Its Glory
“…having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal” (21:11).

John describes the glory of the city as “a stone most precious,” like we would describe a sparkling diamond. Its qualities are “precious” and “clear as crystal.” Jasper is not a clear stone, and perhaps John did not mean jasper as we know it. There is often uncertainty about identification of precious stones of antiquity. The mention of this stone which is costly to men, but used lavishly in the new Jerusalem (21:14) is designed to manifest God’s glory.

b) Its Security
“Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel” (21:12).

The city’s walls and gates speak of security and separation, as in Nehemiah’s wall. Old Jerusalem had twelve gates, and John sees twelve gates in the wall of the city, each directed towards the four points of the compass, and each guarded by an angel.

The number “twelve” is important in the description of the new Jerusalem: we read of the twelve gates and twelve angels (21:12), twelve foundations (21:14), twelve apostles (21:14), twelve pearls (21:21), twelve types of fruit (22:2), 12,000 furlongs (21:16), the height of the walls is 144 cubits (21:17). “Twelve” is the number of government and administration. Here in the perfect city is perfect administration.

“…and names written on them which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.” Ezekiel gives the names of the twelve tribes of Israel as inscribed on the gates of the city at that time, but Revelation does not. Here each gate has a name of a tribe.

c) Its Stability
“The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb” (21:14).

This is the “city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Heb 11:10). Its walls are embedded in twelve foundations, speaking of stability – this city will never be shaken. They are likely twelve horizontal layers under the walls , and likely running under the city, bearing “the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”

These apostles form a link between God’s earthly people (Israel) and His heavenly people (the church). All the apostles were Jews, and were called out of Israel to be leaders of the church. They are thus representative of both Israel and the church. Both groups are share citizenship of the city.

Hebrews 12:22-24 says that the heavenly Jerusalem will include an innumerable company of angels, the general Assembly, the church of the first born (i.e. saints of this present age), and the spirits of just men made perfect (i.e. saints of other ages). Perhaps the fact that the twelve tribes have their names on the gates, and the twelve apostles have their names of the foundations indicates that there will always be a distinction between the church and saints of other ages.

3. THE MEASUREMENTS OF THE CITY (21:15-21)
“And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal.”

To show John the vastness of this new city, the angel measures it with a golden reed – a 10 foot long rod. Its length, breadth, and height are equal. The word “foursquare” means “four-angled.” The city is a cube – the shape used to indicate perfection, and the same shape as the sanctuary in the Tabernacle.

The measurements are awesome. It is given as 12,000 furlongs (stadion). A stadion is about 600 feet – so the length, breadth, and height are each about 1500 miles – the distance between London and Athens. It would reach from Rome in the west, to Jerusalem in the east and from the Baltic Sea in the north to the south of Sahara in the south.

a) The Walls
“Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel” (21:17). Compared to the height of the city the wall is low, only 144 cubits (216 ft). Perhaps this is the width rather than the height. The angel measures the wall according to “the measure of a man,” i.e. using ordinary measures understandable by humans.

“The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass” (21:18). The wall is made of jasper, a hard and brilliant stone (perhaps diamonds). The city itself is made of gold. The holy places of Israel’s Tabernacle and temple also contained furniture overlaid with gold which constantly reflected God’s glory. The constant mention of transparency refers to its purity, and indicates that the city transmits God’s glory in the form of light.

b) The Foundations
“The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst” (21:19-20).

The various foundations are represented as layers built on top of each other, each layer extending around all four sides. The ends of each layer under the city are visible from every side in a rainbow spectrum of colours. These stones represent the God’s glory in a dozen different ways. We cannot understand their meaning now, but one day we will know their full significance. The overall impression is one of wealth and magnificence beyond anything known on earth.

Years before, Abraham had turned his back on Ur of the Chaldees to follow the leading of God. He sought “a city which had foundations.” We think of him looking at the foundations of Jericho and shaking his head. In Egypt, he maybe looked at the foundations of Thebes. Perhaps he saw many other cities, but none fitted his dream. To learn about that city we have to read through all 66 books of the Bible till we come to the closing chapters of the last book. There we find it, with its high walls and twelve foundations, each ablaze with the light of precious stones.

“Jasper” – the clear crystal of the city itself seems to merge into this brilliant foundation stone.
“Sapphire” – a stone similar to diamond and a beautiful blue in colour.
“Chalcedony” – a stone from Chalcedon in Turkey, thought to be sky-blue in colour.
“Emerald” – a radiant green colour.
“Sardonyx” – a variety of onyx stone – brownish red in colour.
“Sardius” – a brilliant red quartz , seen also in chapter 4:3,.
“Chrysolite” – a transparent golden colour.
“Beryl” – a sea green coloured stone.
“Topaz” – a deep yellow stone, unlikely the same as our modern topaz.
“Jacinth” – a turquoise-coloured stone.
“Amethyst” – the same purple colour as today.

The precise colours of these stones may be uncertain, but the general picture is one of unmistakable permanence and dazzling beauty, designed to reflect God’s glory through the spectrum of brilliant colour.

c) The Gates
“The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass” (21:21).

All other gems are metals or stones, but a pearl is the only one formed by a living organism. A pearls originates within an oyster, the result of a reaction to some tiny irritant around which layer after layer of pearl is deposited, until the tiny foreign body is obscured by a precious beautiful stone. So Christ took us and our sin and covered it with his righteousness. The beauty is not in the grain of sand, but in what the organism puts around it. God sees us in Christ, and He is lovely.

Pearls may be a reference to the church (Mat 13:45,46). The price which is put on an object determines its value; so the price paid for the church was “all that He had.”

d) The Street
“The street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass” (21:21). Translucent gold of this kind is unknown on earth, as it allows the light to radiate throughout the entire new universe. All the city’s streets will so reflect God’s glory that every step taken will be a step along a path that brings glory to God. Sadly, that is not always true here, as we all wander far away at times. In glory we shall walk along the highway of God’s will and bring pleasure to His name.

Our streets are made of asphalt and concrete for reasons of low cost and durability. The “low cost” materials of that city will be gold on up. The city’s foundations will consist of precious stones today used for ornaments only.

4. THINGS MISSING FROM THE CITY (21:22-27)
The city is distinctive, not only for the things that are there, but also for the things that are absent.

a) No Sanctuary
“I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple” (21:22).

The world’s best buildings are often its sanctuaries, temples and cathedrals, e.g. Westminster Abbey, with its flying arches, intricate carvings in wood and stone, its tapestry, and its heights and spaces. Such masterpieces have been called “frozen music.” From the beginning, God’s primary purpose has been to fellowship with man, e.g. with Adam and Eve in Eden, and with Israel in the wilderness, when the Tabernacle with its sanctuary was the centre of everything. Similarly earthly Jerusalem was dominated by the temple overlooking the city from the temple mount from Solomon’s days. During the tribulation a temple swill stand on the same site, and in the Millennium the great temple described by Ezekiel will dominate the skyline.

Now in this new Jerusalem there is no temple! Instead the city itself is a temple. Access to God goes with citizenship of the city, permitting full fellowship and worship of “the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb.”

The absence of a temple supports the view that this New Jerusalem is in the eternal state. If it were in the millennium, surely there would be a temple.

b) No Sun or Moon
“The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light” (21:23).

The sun and moon, earlier commanded by God to rule the day and the night, have gone with the old cosmos. The heavenly city needs neither, for it is to be lit by the glory of God and the Lamb. The glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ be the sole source of light. Because God is light and there is no darkness in Him, we are exhorted to walk in the light now in keeping with our future in heaven (1 John 1:5-7).

c) No Shadows
“There shall be no night there” (21:25). “No night” – what a triumphant negative! Eternal day has dawned, and everything that belonged to the night has gone for ever.

“And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it” (21:26). This “glory and honour” arise from their association with this city. Their position, power, and prosperity all stem from the grace received from the Lamb on grounds of redemption. The nations are Gentiles, referring to the Gentile glory in contrast to the glory of Israel or of the church.

d) No Sinners
“But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life” (21:27).

This includes all in history who have not received Christ. Only the saved will enter it, whose names are in the Lamb’s book of Life. Salvation depends on what Christ has done, and this applies, not only to the church, but also to all the redeemed or every age.

THEY SHALL SEE HIS FACE

Revelation 22:1-5

The Bible closes as it began, with a description of a new brand new heaven-like earth which God has prepared for them that love Him. The chapter has repeated flash-backs to the Garden of Eden of early Genesis. Like Eden, this new creation is a wonderful garden, a tree of life, and a river running through it. Like Eden, too, it is a place where God enjoys fellowship with the crown of His creation – man. History has gone full circle. All the chapters in between describe the great conflict of the ages as man turned his back on God, and God put in place His plan to draw man to Himself.

Revelation 22:1-5 is a continuation of the previous chapter, which speaks of the New Jerusalem, the eternal home of the saved. Here is a glimpse of what heaven will be like, and who will be three. The description throbs with life, and pictures God’s people fully identified with and happily serving Him without the curse and distractions of sin. It is what God intended away back in Genesis 1. The city’s central feature is God’s throne. Unlike earth’s thrones which eventually totter and fall, this throne is set to last “forever and forever” (22:5).

1. THE RIVER OF LIFE (22:1)
“And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”

a) It is Pure
“A pure river of water of life.” All great cities have been built on rivers, but most become horribly polluted by the populations they support. Here is no muddy stream, but a pure crystal river containing the very essence of life itself.

b) It is Clear
“Clear as crystal.” This conveys the idea of sparkling brilliance. Water and life are inseparable. Here we see water proceeding from the Throne – life with its source in God. It is pure because of its source. It is clear as crystal because it is free from impurities.

c) It Comes From God’s Throne
“The throne of God and of the Lamb.” The river flows from God’s throne. That throne dominates this last chapter, just as it dominates eternity. It has become a symbol of terror to evildoers, but the source of life to those who know and love the Lord.

This is the last mention of the Lamb in the Bible. It comes as a final reminder that all life given to God’s people in eternity is as a result of the Lamb giving His life for them

2. THE TREE OF LIFE (22:2)
“In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”

“The tree of life” may be a collective term. John sees it growing along the street and on both sides of river in abundance, and producing its fruit every month.

a) It Brings Life
In Eden the tree of life was not forbidden before man sinned. But once sin entered, he could no longer be trusted with it. That tree now flourishes in glory, and none is barred from it. It is exactly as God wanted it to be in the first place.

b) It Bears Fruit
“Twelve manner of fruits.” This is the proper rendering, lit. “in each month yielding its fruit” – it is as if each month sees a fresh crop of a different kind of fruit. As there is no sun nor moon, there is no “month,” but John’s expression indicates abundant supply for our pleasure and prosperity.

Satan uses these two great magnets of pleasure and prosperity to draw men away from God. In C. S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters, Screwtape tells Wormwood about hell’s philosophy of pleasure. Although many have been ensnared through it, pleasure is God’s invention, and the powers of darkness have been incapable of producing even one such pleasure. They thus encourage men to take the pleasures God has produced in ways which are forbidden. The formula Screwtape suggests is “an ever-increasing craving for an ever-diminishing pleasure.” Hell’s ultimate aim is to get a man’s soul and give him nothing in return. Life in God’s city is characterized by perfect pleasure and prosperity, because they are directly linked to a right relationship with God’s throne.

c) It Bestows Heath
“The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” The idea of “healing” has the meaning of “health,” or “well-being.” The leaves are not for curing ill health, but for promoting health. The tree promotes well-being and enjoyment of life in the new Jerusalem. It ensures the ills of former days do not recur now or ever.

3. THE PURPOSE OF LIFE (22:3)
“And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him.”

The mention of the curse is another reminder that history has come full circle. Just as Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden with specific tasks to perform and work to do, so God’s children will fulfil His purposes in their service for him. At present our service is influenced by the presence of sin, the influence of the curse on every hand, and our own fleshly natures. In that future day no such hindrances will prevent His perfect purpose being accomplished in our lives

a) Perfect Society
“There shall be no more curse.” In the Millennium there will be a lifting of the curse upon the earth, but not a total deliverance from the world’s travail brought in by sin, as it will is still possible for the sinner to be “accursed” and die (Isa 65:20). Now sin and the curse it brought will have gone for ever.

b) Perfect Service
“His servants shall serve him.” This word for service has liturgical overtones implying priestly service. “Servants” is the word for slaves, but no slave labour or arduous toil is in view. Instead it is glad, happy service of the kind that Paul undertook for his Lord.

Of what will that service consist? How shall we be occupied in eternity? What will life there be like? It will be:

(i) A Life of Fellowship with Him. “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:3).
(ii) A Life of Rest. “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” (Rev 14:13).
(iii) A Life of Full Knowledge. “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known” (1 Cor 13:12).
(iv) A Life of Holiness. “But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life” (Rev 21:27).
(v) A Life of Joy. “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Rev 21:4).
(vi) A Life of Service. “And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him” (Rev 22:3).
(vii) A Life of Abundance. “And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts” (Rev 21:6).
(viii) A Life of Glory. “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor 4:17).
(ix) A Life of Worship. “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying … “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” (Rev 7:9).

4. THE LOOK OF LIFE (22:4)
“And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.”

a) His Face
“They shall see His face!” John has learned from his Master, he keeps the best wine until the last. This vision of Christ is the climax of everything. Seeing His face denotes nearness, unrestricted access and acceptance. There is now nothing between. What Moses desired (Ex 33:18-23) will now be the portion of every saint. Moses was denied the privilege of seeing His face. At present “no man has seen God at any time.” It is heaven’s crowning joy.

b) His Name
“His name shall be in their foreheads.” As in 14:1; 7:3; 2:17;3:12. This is the ultimate “seal.” It indicates authority, ownership, security, and identity. Amazing thought, to think of going out into eternity with our names engraved on the palms of His hands (Isa 49:16), and His name forever engraved on our foreheads.

Of course we have that “sealing” even now in a special sense, as the Holy Spirit indwells and makes the things of Christ real to us.

5. THE LIGHT OF LIFE (22:5)
“And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God gives them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.”

No natural light is required, “for the Lord God gives them light.”

When Saul of Tarsus met the Lord, he was blinded by a light above the brightness of the noonday sun. That glory never left him. To Paul, the Lord was never, “Jesus of Nazareth,” but “the Lord from heaven” (1 Cor 15:47). Paul walked in the glory of that light to the end of his days.

The saints in heaven look into the face of Jesus, the same wondrous face that captivated Paul, and live in the light of that shining countenance.

They reign with Christ forever. So long as He is on the throne, so long as He endures, they endure sharing His position and His power. That should not surprise us, as away back in the perfect world of Eden, Adam was given dominion over all of God’s creation. This work goes on “forever and forever,” lit. “unto the ages of ages.” It is with this eternal reign of God and the Lamb that the visions of John closes.

GOD’S FINAL WORD

Revelation 22:6-21

John has come to the end of his book and the end of the Bible. His visions close with all God’s purposes fulfilled, and a glorious description of the new cosmos in which believers of all ages will live forever and serve Him in the eternal city.

This final chapter contains God’s last words to man, surely of the greatest significance. They include words of dire warning to those who reject God’s gracious invitation, and heart-warming assurances to believers of their bright eternal future. They also contain repeated references to the next event on the divine calendar – the coming of the Lord to the air for His church.

1. GOD’S FAITHFUL WORD (22:6-10)
The Scriptures commence with the story of how sin entered the world when Satan led Eve to question the accuracy and authority of the Word of God. God now concludes the Scriptures with a fresh emphasis on both. Visions and voices may have their place, and John has been receiving communication in both ways. But it is the Word of God, accurate, authoritative, and accessible, that matters.

a) The Accuracy of God’s Word (22:6)
“And he said unto me, These saying are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.”

“These saying are faithful and true.” The immediate reference is to the great truths of the book of Revelation that sooner or later will all come to pass. But the statement is wider, and embraces the whole Word of God. In the original manuscripts, every word, every letter was God-breathed. Men may deride and deny it, but God stands by it as “faithful and true.” It is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. It is faithful in its promises; true in its facts.

b) The Authority of God’s Word (22:7-9)
“Behold I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book” (2:7). John has three things to say about this book’s authority. He points to:

(i) A Promise. “Behold I come quickly” (22:7). The Rapture, the next event on the divine calendar, begins the count-down to the consummation of events on earth set forth in the book. Three times we get this expression in the last verses of the book, and it carries the idea of suddenness and impending imminence.

(ii) A Challenge. “Keep the sayings of this book” (22:7). The spur to holy living is the imminent appearing of the Lord Jesus. “And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming” (1 John 2:28).

(iii) A Blessing. “Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.” The book commenced with a similar promise in “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand” (1:3). These promises are not to those who speculate about the book’s truths, or even expound them, but to those who “keep” them. That means allowing the life to be controlled by God’s Word. The thrust of the book is not the knowledge of future events, but the Revelation of the person of Christ. That revelation, if believed, would control lives. As Peter said, “Since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness” (2 Pet 3:11).

c) The Accessibility of God’s Word (22:10)
“And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.”

Daniel in his day was told to seal up one of his visions (Dan 12:4-9) because another dispensation was to intervene before the vision would be fulfilled. Centuries were to pass before his prophecy was complete, and many other events had to intervene. His prophecy was thus shelved.

In John’s case, all events centred on Christ’s first coming are now history, and his prophecies in Revelation were imminent. No major event had to take place before they could be fulfilled. Instead, “the time is at hand,” when God will bring all things to completion. There is a two-fold purpose in publicizing these prophecies about what lies ahead for earth. They are a warning to sinners, and an encouragement to saints.

2. GOD’S FINISHED WORK (22:11-16)
In Eden God slew an animal to provide skins with which to clothe the first two naked sinners of the human race. That set before them a preview of the finished work of Christ. It was repeated shortly after when Abel brought his lamb to God, a token of his faith in the finished work of Christ. It is the grand theme of the Scriptures. Now, to once again underline its importance, the Holy Spirit closes the book with a last lingering look at it. It settles what, where, and whose we are.

a) It Settles What We Are (22:11)
“He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.”

The Lord Jesus on the cross separated two thieves. One received Him; the other rejected Him. The one died blaspheming, and is no doubt still blaspheming. The other was made righteous, and is still righteous today. The Word of God and cross separate the sinner and the saint for all eternity.

(i) It Can Be Refused. “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still.” To refuse the Word settles a man’s destiny for eternity. The sinner’s sinful condition at the Great White Throne is permanent. There can be no possibility of change. In the lake of fire the lost will be separated from God for ever, and left to their sin.

(ii) It Can Be Received. “He that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” Receiving God’s Word also settles a man’s eternal destiny, and guarantees eternal life. Such a believer in God’s is described in two ways; manward he is described as “righteous”; Godward he is seen as “holy.”

b) It Settles Where We Are (22:12-15)
The permanent states of those who refuse or receive God’s Word are either within or without God’s eternal city.

Those who are within are encouraged to remember:

(i) The Prospect Of His Coming. “Behold I come quickly…” (22:12). The word “quickly” shows how little time men have before the world-shaking events of this book take place. This is the Rapture, since that is the next event on the calendar to introduce the “time” referred to in verse 10.

(ii) The Prize Of His Reward. “My reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be” (22:12). This is the Judgement Seat of Christ. Believers are encouraged to know their suffering for Christ will all be worth while. It is an individual reward to “every man” and is given in light of his “work” done.

(iii) The Presence Of His Person. “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last” (22:13). Alpha and Omega are titles of God. He was outside of history but became part of history. As the Beginning and the End all began with Him and all will be finalised in relation to Him.

(iv) The Promise Of His Blessing. “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city” (22:14). “…do his commandments” is better translated “…washed their robes.” In contrast to those who reject Christ, we see here the state of the blessed. Such have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb, and have access to the Tree of Life. They thus live forever, serve forever, and are blessed, or happy, forever.

Those who are without. “For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie” (22:15). The blessedness of the city’s citizens stands in awful contrast to those consigned to the Lake of fire. The description of such as “dogs” seems hard. Many were refined and cultured people. The point is that by their nature they belonged “without.” They had spurned God’s grace and chosen their own path. They include:

“Sorcerers” – those who use drugs, potions, spells and for links with the occult and magical arts.
“Whoremongers” – those who indulge in sexual licence and lust.
“Murderers” – the family feature of Satan.
“Idolaters” – those who refused to give God the worship that belongs to Him, and give it to another.
“Whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.” Those who love what is untrue, deceitful, and false.

c) It Settles Whose We Are (22:16)
“I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.” That is whose we are. We belong to Him and He is:

(i) Our Saviour. “I Jesus…” This name reminds us of His purpose in coming into the world – to seek and to save. He is the central theme and sum of all “these things” making up the whole of the book and the Bible.

(ii) Our Star. “The bright and morning star.” The sin-darkened night ages of earth are passing and the dawn of day is near. Just as the morning star precedes the day and anticipates the dawn, so Christ will come for His church in the Rapture. As the Sun of Righteousness (Mal 4:2) the Lord will eventually appear when He will be revealed from heaven. But before the sun rises for all to see, “the bright and morning star” shines out in the darkened sky and is seen by those faithful who watch and wait for Him.

3. GOD’S FINAL WITNESS (22:17-21)
There are three last things the Spirit has to say before closing the canon.

a) The Last Welcome (22:17)
“Let him that hears say, Come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (22:17). Men and women everywhere are dying of spiritual thirst, yet here is the water of life, and here is the invitation. Their deepest needs will be met. The rich man in hell wanted just a single drop to ease the torment of his thirst. For all his life he had opportunity to drink deeply, but he never did.

Here is a great all-inclusive threefold invitation. It is to him that heareth, to him that is thirsty, and whosoever will.

(i) To Whoever Hears. “Let him that hears.” We must be prepared to hear and accept what God says in His Word.

(ii) To Whoever Thirsts. The Lord Jesus, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.” It is just as Isaiah said, “Ho, every one that thirsteth!”(Isa 55:1).

(iii) To Whoever Wills. “And whosoever will…” The Lord told the Pharisees, “You will not come to me that ye might have life.” God’s gift of salvation is free, but we need to will and want to have it!

b) The Last Warning (22:18-19)
“For I testify unto every man that hearth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book” (22:18).

The Bible began with a warning to Adam, and ends with a warning to us. This warning applies to the whole canon of Scripture. Eve, when she met the serpent added to and subtracted from what God said. Her sin opened the door for all that followed of curse, of banishment from the tree of life, and of death. God’s anger falls on those who tamper with His Word, cutting out parts that offend them, and adding their own ideas.

Tampering with the content of the book could be done in one of two ways:

(i) By Addition. “If any man shall add…” This is a repeated prohibition in Scripture. Significantly, the common denominator applying to all false doctrines and sects is an addition by someone over and above what is revealed in Scripture.

(ii) By Subtraction. “If any man shall take away…” At times those who should know better excise the parts that they can’t accept or explain. God warns that He will do His own subtraction, and His judgement falls on those who so tamper with His Word.

c) The Last Word (22:20-21)
Just as the Old Testament closed with the announcement of His coming, so does the NT. This last word is about glory and grace

(i) Glory (22:20). “Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so come Lord Jesus.” This is His last word. It is many years since that promise was given. At any moment He might come to take His people home. No wonder the church responds, “Even so come, Lord Jesus!” with what eager longing those suffering saints of John’s day must have anticipated Christ’s coming.

(ii) Grace (22:21). “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” How like God to close His book with a final reference to grace. “Amazing grace! How sweet the sound…” The Old Testament closed with a warning concerning a curse; the New Testament closes with witness concerning a coming.

* * * * *

No other book sets forth more fully the doom and Satan and of sinners. None other describes more fully the destiny of saints in their association with the Saviour. The book began with Him, ends with Him, and is about Him. Now, at its end, the last promise is of Christ’s return. It is also the last prayer – “Even so, Come Lord Jesus!” -194