54-Revelation 12 – 22

Revelation 12 – 22

Jan 2, 2010

We will begin our study this week in the Book of Revelation. Last week we looked at the letters of John, and Jude then began the Book of Revelation. In Revelation we covered the letters from Jesus to the churches in Asia Minor and the seal and trumpet judgments of God on the earth. This week, in Chapter 12, the seal and trumpet judgments were complete and the scene shifted to an illustration of Israel, Satan, and Jesus Christ. Verse 1 gave a picture of a great woman who was pregnant and about to give birth. This picture was of Israel, the chosen people of God, and the twelve tribes that were ready to produce the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ. The next sign was of a great dragon with seven heads, ten horns, and seven crowns. This picture was of our adversary, Satan and the earthly kingdoms under his control that were represented in the Old Testament Book of Daniel. Next was an illustration of Lucifer’s rebellion in heaven and his fall to earth with a third of God’s angels he deceived into following him. From this point on Satan’s goal was to prevent the birth of God’s Son. Satan and his angels were unsuccessful and Jesus Christ was born and fulfilled His ministry on earth and redeemed sinful man back to their Creator. The text records that Israel then fled into the wilderness to a place of protection God prepared for them during the final three and one half years of tribulation on the earth. The text then described a war in heaven between Satan with his angels and Michael, the angel we learned from the Book of Daniel stood for Israel, and God’s angelic army. Satan was not strong enough to prevail and was cast to earth to persecute God’s people. Satan was ferocious in his persecution because from verse 12 he knows “he has only a short time.” Satan attempted to harm Israel with a flood of water, but God opened the earth to spoil his plans. Chapter 13 started out with a terrible beast that rose out of the sea of people. This beast was the Antichrist, the world dictator under the control of Satan who mimicked the acts of Christ but turned against a deceived Israel during the time of the Great Tribulation on the earth. At this time the old Roman Empire will be revived and consist of ten kingdoms or countries. The Antichrist was fatally wounded but rose again and was worshipped by the whole world as Jesus should have been. The text says in verse 7-8 “It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.” Satan and his followers were against all who believe and follow the Lord. Another beast then came out from the earth that compelled, by the authority of the first beast, the world to worship the Antichrist who had come back to life after being slain. This false prophet created an image of the first beast that he breathed life into that man was forced to worship. Under his doing all who worshipped the beast were given on their right hands or their foreheads the name of the beast or his number. Without this mark of the beast men were unable to buy or sell and participate in society. The number of the beast was 666. No one knows exactly what this number represents, but it is believed to have something to do with numerology, or the representation and associations of words with numbers. John then witnessed another awesome sight in Chapter 14. Jesus was standing on Mount Zion along with the one hundred forty four thousand sealed evangelists from Chapter 7. They sang a new song before the throne of God, the Cherubim, and the twenty four elders. These sealed were purchased as the first fruits of men offered to God. There was then an angel that flew over the earth to preach an eternal gospel to those who remained and would listen. The angel said the hour of judgement had come. Another angel then said in verse 8 “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality.” A third angel then said that all who worship the beast and wear his mark will experience the full wrath of God. The time had come to harvest the earth. Angels then swept their sharp sickles over the earth and threw those they picked into the great winepress of the wrath of God. The text records that for two hundred miles around the press the blood rose to a horses bridle. Chapter 15 shifts back to heaven where there were seven angels with the seven plagues of God. These were the last and final judgments of God’s wrath upon the earth. Those who had victory over the beast and refused his mark stood on a sea of glass mixed with fire holding the harps of God and sang in verse 3-4 “Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations! “Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU, FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED.” The seven angels were then given seven bowls filled with the wrath of God. In Chapter 16 the angels were told to pour out the wrath of God on the earth. The first bowl caused loathsome and malignant sores to appear on those who had the mark of the beast. The second bowl caused the sea to turn to blood and kill everything in it. The third caused the rivers and springs of the earth to also change to blood to avenge the blood of the saints that had been poured out. The fourth bowl caused the earth and its people to be scorched with fire. In their agony the people blasphemed the name of God and did not repent of their evil acts. The fifth bowl dried up the Euphrates River to prepare a path for the kings of the east. Out of the mouth of Satan, the beast, and the false prophet came unclean spirits like frogs that performed signs and wonders to deceive and gather the armies of the nations together at a place called Har-Magedon for battle on the much prophesied day of the Lord. When the angel poured out the seventh bowl a voice was heard from heaven and said “It is done” The earth was full of lightning and thunder. An earthquake greater than the world had ever seen occurred that caused the city of Babylon to be split into three parts. Men were pounded into the ground by huge hailstones that weighed as much as one hundred pounds each. Chapter 17 marked the doom of Babylon, the false world religion that had deceived the world. The men that remained on the earth had only a short time left. They will wage war with Jesus but will be overcome because in verse 14 “These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.” This war will last only until the Words of God are fulfilled. In Chapter 18 an angel cried in verse 2 “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!” The place of sins had been destroyed and judged. The wicked mourn the passing of Babylon and all its lusts because of their greed and sin. A strong angel then threw a great millstone into the sea as an illustration of the future of Babylon and all that had a lust for her. A great multitude was heard from heaven, in Chapter 19, saying hallelujahs to God for His power, wisdom, and mighty works. The multitudes sang in verse 6 “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.” Then according to the text came the marriage supper of the Lamb in heaven. Those that overcame the tribulation and stayed true to the word of God and refused the beast were invited to be guests in heaven where Jesus is joined to His bride, the church. After the wedding Jesus returned to earth as the prophecy said, not meek and mild but as the mighty King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Jesus set foot on the Mount of Olives to finish off the nations of the earth in the battle of Armageddon. During the battle the beast and the false prophet were seized and cast into the lake of eternal fire that had been prepared for the devil and his angels. The text records that the rest of the enemies of God were killed by the sword that came out of the mouth of Jesus. Their remains became food for the scavenging birds of the earth. In Chapter 20 an angel came down from heaven with a large chain with lock and key and bound Satan and locked him in the abyss for one thousand years. During this time Jesus and the saints ruled the earth in the Millennial Kingdom promised to Israel long ago. This was a time of great peace and prosperity on the earth. All of God’s people throughout history were resurrected at this time to be part of the Lord’s kingdom and would have no part in the second death that would come to the wicked. Those who were named among the wicked remained in the grave until the thousand years had passed. When the thousand year reign of Jesus was complete Satan was loosed from the abyss for a short time to deceive the nations. Those offspring of the people in the millennia that did not stay true to the Lord were revealed by this act. They gathered with Satan against Jerusalem and were devoured by fire from heaven. Satan faced his final defeat and was thrown into the lake of eternal fire to join the beast and false prophet from before. After this a great white throne appeared in heaven and Jesus sat on it to judge the wicked from the earth. Those wicked dead from the ages were resurrected from the grave to stand for judgement before the Lord. The books were opened and the men were judged according to their deeds. The text records in verse 14-15 “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” Chapter 21 records the new heaven and new earth that have been created to replace the old. A great city, the New Jerusalem was seen coming down from heaven. The wonderful truth was told in verse 3-7 “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. “He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.” One of the seven angels spoke to John and pointed out the bride of Christ, the church in the new city from heaven. The description of the city and its splendor was unlike anything that had ever been imagined on the old earth. Here God will dwell with His people and be their light. Only those whose names were found in the book of life will be in the city. Chapter 22 showed the rivers of living water and the tree of life from the Garden of Eden inside the New Jerusalem. Here there will be no more curse. Jesus and the Father will reign forever and ever and we will serve Him. John was then told by Jesus in verse 7 “And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.” The final message of the Bible is to heed the warnings of this book and make things right so your name will be found in the book of life. Jesus said in verse 12-13 “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” A stern warning is given to anyone who would add or take away from this book of prophecy. At the end of the book those who hold to these words repeated the words of Jesus in verse 20 “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” This ends our study for this week and also our yearlong study through God’s Word. Congratulations, I pray you have been blessed as I have been blessed by this year of work.