REVELATION
PASTOR GREG'S WEEKLY READING NOTES
These notes are meant to be read in conjunction with watching the Revelation series sermon videos.
Week 1
INTRODUCTION
The book of Revelation - John’s letter to the churches of Asian Minor - is full of prophecy, poetry, and promise. Despite the mystery that surrounds it, this final book in the canon of Scripture is an incredibly hope-filled picture of a coming battle that has already been won.
Bible Passage: Revelation 1: 1 - 20
We often think that the Apostle Paul was the most prolific writer in the New Testament, but the Apostle John - who was one of the original 12 - probably takes that honour, having written the Gospel of John, 1,2 & 3 John, and also the Book of Revelation.
John was the only Apostle not to die a martyr. Instead, he was exiled to what essentially was a Roman prison - a rocky island called Patmos, off the coast of Turkey. It was here that he received these visions and wrote what we now call the Book of Revelation some time in the second half of the first century. There are 2 schools of thought, one says it was in the 60s, and one says it was in the 90s. I usually think that the theories that favour an earlier writing of the New Testament are more on the money, but with this book I personally think the evidence favours the 90s.
Who was the original audience? Well, clearly it was the seven churches that are mentioned in chapters 2 and 3. They are all located in what the Bible calls “Asia Minor” and what we now know to be modern day Turkey. 3 things to keep in mind about the recipients:
1) the make up of these churches would be a mix of Gentile and Jew, with probably a pretty high percentage of those from a Jewish background. This is important to note given the strong connection to the Old Testament.
2) the people in these churches are all living under oppressive persecution. Times are very hard. And as a result, their faith is growing weak. The Apostle Peter was equally concerned for these guys, and hence his letters 1 & 2 Peter, which were also meant to encourage them.
3) the temptation is to create a divide between chapters 1 - 3, and chapters 4 - 22, and to think that there is no link between the two. That would be wrong. Chapters 4 - 22 have everything to do with addressing what is going on in these seven churches, so we need to keep that in mind.
4) we are going to look shortly at the great symbolism that is utilised in the Book of Revelation, and I think that there is something symbolic in the number of churches being 7. It is another number of completeness, and so I think there is something to be gained from seeing these 7 churches as representing the complete church - and therefore every congregation.
The Book of Revelation actually contains 3 literary styles. There is Epistle - which is like any of the other New Testament letters written to churches (and this is what we predominantly see in the first 3 chapters). There is Prophecy - similar to what we have in many of the Old Testament books of prophecy. And there is also what is referred to as Apocalyptic - which you may not be as familiar with. This is a lot of the “scary, weird stuff” you find in John’s visions from chapter 4 onwards. Very similar to what we studied in Daniel 7 - 12 last year.
Apocalyptic writing is visual - like giving someone a DVD to watch rather than a newspaper to read. It is to be seen/imagined. They didn’t have video in the first century, so this style of writing came to be popular just like movies are popular today.
There’s a lot of debate about whether John simply chose to use an apocalyptic writing style to convey what God revealed to him in the visions, or whether the visions themselves were apocalyptic. I think the answer is a bit of both. The visions were certainly “out of this world crazy” so John was certainly being given a glimpse into the heavenly realms. But he struggled to convey what he saw and so hence he so often uses the word “like” to try to make some attempt at describing what he was shown. In other words, there was no earthly equivalent, and so he had to keep thinking up things that were “like” what he saw. But they all represented something, which brings us to the next point.
The very strong temptation you face when you read the Book of Revelation, particularly from chapter 4 onwards, is to automatically think of a literal interpretation. Closely related to this is the other temptation to think chronological. But it would be wrong to assume both of these things. The images point to something that has, or will, literally happen, but the images themselves are not literal, but rather symbolic. Just like the numbers mentioned are figurative and not literal. We will get into more of this in future chapters.
There’s not a lot of “heavy” apocalyptic in chapter one. We get into a bit of it from verses 12ff.
The first 2 verses are a short, but economically comprehensive, summary of the Book of Revelation. Everything that is said in these 2 verses gets expanded on in a lot more detail in chapters 5 and 10 (remember, don’t think a linear chronology). These revelations from God are given but only the Lamb is worthy to open them, and they are passed to angels, and then on to John.
In v3 when it says God blesses those who read and obey what they find in the Book of Revelation, this is not a reference to “works based salvation.” The blessing will be received by those whose faith in Jesus is encouraged, and who then endure to the end.
Don’t miss the Gospel burst in v5!
The Old Testament quote in v7 is from Daniel 7 (the first of the apocalyptic chapters in Daniel). v8 is worth committing to memory.
v9 John says he joins with his readers in suffering (some translations use the word ‘tribulation’ here). That is, he’s not writing to them from a holiday camp, but from the first century equivalent of Alcatraz.
Notice in v11 that the idea to write it all down was not actually John’s idea, but God’s.
Some Helpful Explainers...
v1 events that must soon take place - John is borrowing a phrase from Daniel 2 and so is wanting his Jewish audience (at least) to pick up that everything he writes about is simply saying that what you read in Daniel has now come true, or will soon be true.
v4 the sevenfold Spirit - Over the years there has been much conjecture about what is being described at the end of verse four - the sevenfold Spirit (some translations say the seven spirits). But I like what the NLT has done here, because I think this is another example of numbers symbolising something in the Book of Revelation. What number is being used? Seven. What does that usually symbolise? Completion or fullness. So, we are talking about the Holy Spirit in His completeness. BTW - seven is a favourite number for God and His people. God created the world in 6 days then rested on the 7th, making one week - 7 days. All of the Israelite festivals lasted for 7 days. The sprinkling of blood for the sin offering at the Temple had to be done 7 times (Lev 4); the services of ordination took 7 days; the march around Jericho was for 7 days; the period of cleansing from being unclean was 7 days. Nothing was done in its fullness until the 7th time. And we see an OT precedent for understanding the Holy Spirit in terms of the number 7 as well - Zechariah 4: 2 - where 7 lamps represent one Spirit which brings grace for the building of the Temple. And we see similar references in future chapters of Revelation as well.
v13 like the Son of Man - the description “Son of Man” was first used in Daniel 7 and was repeated in Daniel 10. So, yes, the connections to the Old Testament (and particularly Daniel) are coming thick and fast. It was also the way Jesus referred to Himself so often, as recorded in the Gospels. Conclusion: this is Jesus, the one Daniel prophesied.
John was the only Apostle not to die a martyr. Instead, he was exiled to what essentially was a Roman prison - a rocky island called Patmos, off the coast of Turkey. It was here that he received these visions and wrote what we now call the Book of Revelation some time in the second half of the first century. There are 2 schools of thought, one says it was in the 60s, and one says it was in the 90s. I usually think that the theories that favour an earlier writing of the New Testament are more on the money, but with this book I personally think the evidence favours the 90s.
Who was the original audience? Well, clearly it was the seven churches that are mentioned in chapters 2 and 3. They are all located in what the Bible calls “Asia Minor” and what we now know to be modern day Turkey. 3 things to keep in mind about the recipients:
1) the make up of these churches would be a mix of Gentile and Jew, with probably a pretty high percentage of those from a Jewish background. This is important to note given the strong connection to the Old Testament.
2) the people in these churches are all living under oppressive persecution. Times are very hard. And as a result, their faith is growing weak. The Apostle Peter was equally concerned for these guys, and hence his letters 1 & 2 Peter, which were also meant to encourage them.
3) the temptation is to create a divide between chapters 1 - 3, and chapters 4 - 22, and to think that there is no link between the two. That would be wrong. Chapters 4 - 22 have everything to do with addressing what is going on in these seven churches, so we need to keep that in mind.
4) we are going to look shortly at the great symbolism that is utilised in the Book of Revelation, and I think that there is something symbolic in the number of churches being 7. It is another number of completeness, and so I think there is something to be gained from seeing these 7 churches as representing the complete church - and therefore every congregation.
The Book of Revelation actually contains 3 literary styles. There is Epistle - which is like any of the other New Testament letters written to churches (and this is what we predominantly see in the first 3 chapters). There is Prophecy - similar to what we have in many of the Old Testament books of prophecy. And there is also what is referred to as Apocalyptic - which you may not be as familiar with. This is a lot of the “scary, weird stuff” you find in John’s visions from chapter 4 onwards. Very similar to what we studied in Daniel 7 - 12 last year.
Apocalyptic writing is visual - like giving someone a DVD to watch rather than a newspaper to read. It is to be seen/imagined. They didn’t have video in the first century, so this style of writing came to be popular just like movies are popular today.
There’s a lot of debate about whether John simply chose to use an apocalyptic writing style to convey what God revealed to him in the visions, or whether the visions themselves were apocalyptic. I think the answer is a bit of both. The visions were certainly “out of this world crazy” so John was certainly being given a glimpse into the heavenly realms. But he struggled to convey what he saw and so hence he so often uses the word “like” to try to make some attempt at describing what he was shown. In other words, there was no earthly equivalent, and so he had to keep thinking up things that were “like” what he saw. But they all represented something, which brings us to the next point.
The very strong temptation you face when you read the Book of Revelation, particularly from chapter 4 onwards, is to automatically think of a literal interpretation. Closely related to this is the other temptation to think chronological. But it would be wrong to assume both of these things. The images point to something that has, or will, literally happen, but the images themselves are not literal, but rather symbolic. Just like the numbers mentioned are figurative and not literal. We will get into more of this in future chapters.
There’s not a lot of “heavy” apocalyptic in chapter one. We get into a bit of it from verses 12ff.
The first 2 verses are a short, but economically comprehensive, summary of the Book of Revelation. Everything that is said in these 2 verses gets expanded on in a lot more detail in chapters 5 and 10 (remember, don’t think a linear chronology). These revelations from God are given but only the Lamb is worthy to open them, and they are passed to angels, and then on to John.
In v3 when it says God blesses those who read and obey what they find in the Book of Revelation, this is not a reference to “works based salvation.” The blessing will be received by those whose faith in Jesus is encouraged, and who then endure to the end.
Don’t miss the Gospel burst in v5!
The Old Testament quote in v7 is from Daniel 7 (the first of the apocalyptic chapters in Daniel). v8 is worth committing to memory.
v9 John says he joins with his readers in suffering (some translations use the word ‘tribulation’ here). That is, he’s not writing to them from a holiday camp, but from the first century equivalent of Alcatraz.
Notice in v11 that the idea to write it all down was not actually John’s idea, but God’s.
Some Helpful Explainers...
v1 events that must soon take place - John is borrowing a phrase from Daniel 2 and so is wanting his Jewish audience (at least) to pick up that everything he writes about is simply saying that what you read in Daniel has now come true, or will soon be true.
v4 the sevenfold Spirit - Over the years there has been much conjecture about what is being described at the end of verse four - the sevenfold Spirit (some translations say the seven spirits). But I like what the NLT has done here, because I think this is another example of numbers symbolising something in the Book of Revelation. What number is being used? Seven. What does that usually symbolise? Completion or fullness. So, we are talking about the Holy Spirit in His completeness. BTW - seven is a favourite number for God and His people. God created the world in 6 days then rested on the 7th, making one week - 7 days. All of the Israelite festivals lasted for 7 days. The sprinkling of blood for the sin offering at the Temple had to be done 7 times (Lev 4); the services of ordination took 7 days; the march around Jericho was for 7 days; the period of cleansing from being unclean was 7 days. Nothing was done in its fullness until the 7th time. And we see an OT precedent for understanding the Holy Spirit in terms of the number 7 as well - Zechariah 4: 2 - where 7 lamps represent one Spirit which brings grace for the building of the Temple. And we see similar references in future chapters of Revelation as well.
v13 like the Son of Man - the description “Son of Man” was first used in Daniel 7 and was repeated in Daniel 10. So, yes, the connections to the Old Testament (and particularly Daniel) are coming thick and fast. It was also the way Jesus referred to Himself so often, as recorded in the Gospels. Conclusion: this is Jesus, the one Daniel prophesied.
Week 2
VICTORY IN DOUBT
John pens the words of Jesus directed at seven specific churches, the theme of each a constant call to faithfulness.
Bible Passage: Revelation 2 & 3
Chapters 2 and 3 detail the specific messages for the seven churches in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). We looked at each of these letters to each of these churches in a sermon series called Revelation - Letters To The Churches. Here is the link if you want to check it out:
The seven churches are ordered in an interesting pattern of what might be described as “perfect” churches, “problem” churches, and “perverse” churches:
Ephesus: Problem
Smyrna: Perfect
Pergamum: Problem
Thyatira: Perfect, Problem, Perverse
Sardis: Perverse
Philadelphia: Perfect
Laodicea: Perverse
While there is something to be gained by drilling down into the historical issues that were present in each of these churches, it is good to remember that this vision that Jesus gave John was not just for the churches of the first century. As Matt Chandler said in his introductory video for us, the letter was written to these churches, but it was written for all churches, even those in the 21st century! How do we know this, because by God’s sovereign providence, this letter was included in the canon of Scripture for us to read.
Some helpful explainers...
Chapter 2
the angels of the seven churches - each section that is addressed to a specific church starts with a reference to the “angel” of that church. You might recall that chapter one finishes with a description of the seven stars that Jesus was holding in His hands as representing these angels. Hebrews 1: 14 says angels are servants - spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation. We can be assured that there are angels watching over us, and our church.
v5 remove your lamp stand - if the church does not change its ways, Jesus will take it out. Our Lord will not let unfaithful churches thrive spiritually. They might still exist physically, but spiritually they are dead.
v10 suffer for ten days - like seven, the number ten is another image for completeness, fullness or totality. The number ten features consistently in the Old Testament - the Ten Commandments, ten righteous people could have spared Sodom, ten curtains enclosing the Tabernacle, and ten men constituted a legitimate community for worship. So, while there may have been some Christians in Smyrna who spent ten days in the local lock-up, there is a sense in which we should understand that our suffering will last until the tribulation of the last days has run its full course.
v11 the second death - the imagery suggests that the “first death” is physical death. The “second death” is the spiritual death of those whose names are not in the Lamb’s book of life (Rev 20: 12, 15).
v13 the city where Satan has his throne - the general consensus is that this is a reference to the fact that Pergamum was the first city in Asia Minor to build a temple for Emperor worship. Later in Revelation we will see how Satan (the dragon) gives the political system (the beast) the power to persecute God’s people, which was undoubtedly happening in this city.
v17 manna that has been hidden away in heaven - the heavenly food (now not visible) to be eaten at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19: 9).
v17 a white stone - citizens of a Roman city were issued a stone with their name on it that they used to cast their votes during meetings. Jesus promises His followers a better stone - a white stone (symbolising righteousness) that comes with a name that only believers will recognise - not the mark of the beast (Revelation 14: 11) - but the name of Christ their Saviour.
v20 Jezebel - like the Jezebel of the Old Testament (1 Kings 16: 31 & 21: 25 - 26) this woman in Thyatira stood for compromise with idolatrous practices. Hence the reference to “adultery” in v22 is probably meant to be understood as “spiritual adultery” similar to what God judged the Israelites for in the Old Testament.
v28 the morning star - this is picking up Old Testament references from Numbers and Psalms and so it symbolises the reign of Jesus, which involves the followers of Jesus, and commenced with the resurrection of Jesus.
Chapter 3
v5 Book of Life - you may be familiar with this phrase, but just in case you’re not, it first pops up in Psalm 69 in the Old Testament with the inference being that “righteous” people have their names in God’s Book of Life (and remember, by righteous we need to understand that it is righteous by faith). Passages such as 1 Peter 1: 2 and Romans 9 say that God chose His people from the very beginning, so we conclude that the names are already in the Book. Hebrews 12: 23 says God’s children have their names written in Heaven. The phrase pops up again multiple times in the Book of Revelation, and has the same meaning.
v18 buy gold from me - no, this is not telling us that DC should start selling gold! (See what happens when you start to take these descriptions literally). So yes, the gold mentioned here is a metaphor. Instead of getting second rate metals from other religions and teachings, get the best - get gold - from Jesus! The gold, the white garments and the ointment all point to one thing - Jesus.
The seven churches are ordered in an interesting pattern of what might be described as “perfect” churches, “problem” churches, and “perverse” churches:
Ephesus: Problem
Smyrna: Perfect
Pergamum: Problem
Thyatira: Perfect, Problem, Perverse
Sardis: Perverse
Philadelphia: Perfect
Laodicea: Perverse
While there is something to be gained by drilling down into the historical issues that were present in each of these churches, it is good to remember that this vision that Jesus gave John was not just for the churches of the first century. As Matt Chandler said in his introductory video for us, the letter was written to these churches, but it was written for all churches, even those in the 21st century! How do we know this, because by God’s sovereign providence, this letter was included in the canon of Scripture for us to read.
Some helpful explainers...
Chapter 2
the angels of the seven churches - each section that is addressed to a specific church starts with a reference to the “angel” of that church. You might recall that chapter one finishes with a description of the seven stars that Jesus was holding in His hands as representing these angels. Hebrews 1: 14 says angels are servants - spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation. We can be assured that there are angels watching over us, and our church.
v5 remove your lamp stand - if the church does not change its ways, Jesus will take it out. Our Lord will not let unfaithful churches thrive spiritually. They might still exist physically, but spiritually they are dead.
v10 suffer for ten days - like seven, the number ten is another image for completeness, fullness or totality. The number ten features consistently in the Old Testament - the Ten Commandments, ten righteous people could have spared Sodom, ten curtains enclosing the Tabernacle, and ten men constituted a legitimate community for worship. So, while there may have been some Christians in Smyrna who spent ten days in the local lock-up, there is a sense in which we should understand that our suffering will last until the tribulation of the last days has run its full course.
v11 the second death - the imagery suggests that the “first death” is physical death. The “second death” is the spiritual death of those whose names are not in the Lamb’s book of life (Rev 20: 12, 15).
v13 the city where Satan has his throne - the general consensus is that this is a reference to the fact that Pergamum was the first city in Asia Minor to build a temple for Emperor worship. Later in Revelation we will see how Satan (the dragon) gives the political system (the beast) the power to persecute God’s people, which was undoubtedly happening in this city.
v17 manna that has been hidden away in heaven - the heavenly food (now not visible) to be eaten at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19: 9).
v17 a white stone - citizens of a Roman city were issued a stone with their name on it that they used to cast their votes during meetings. Jesus promises His followers a better stone - a white stone (symbolising righteousness) that comes with a name that only believers will recognise - not the mark of the beast (Revelation 14: 11) - but the name of Christ their Saviour.
v20 Jezebel - like the Jezebel of the Old Testament (1 Kings 16: 31 & 21: 25 - 26) this woman in Thyatira stood for compromise with idolatrous practices. Hence the reference to “adultery” in v22 is probably meant to be understood as “spiritual adultery” similar to what God judged the Israelites for in the Old Testament.
v28 the morning star - this is picking up Old Testament references from Numbers and Psalms and so it symbolises the reign of Jesus, which involves the followers of Jesus, and commenced with the resurrection of Jesus.
Chapter 3
v5 Book of Life - you may be familiar with this phrase, but just in case you’re not, it first pops up in Psalm 69 in the Old Testament with the inference being that “righteous” people have their names in God’s Book of Life (and remember, by righteous we need to understand that it is righteous by faith). Passages such as 1 Peter 1: 2 and Romans 9 say that God chose His people from the very beginning, so we conclude that the names are already in the Book. Hebrews 12: 23 says God’s children have their names written in Heaven. The phrase pops up again multiple times in the Book of Revelation, and has the same meaning.
v18 buy gold from me - no, this is not telling us that DC should start selling gold! (See what happens when you start to take these descriptions literally). So yes, the gold mentioned here is a metaphor. Instead of getting second rate metals from other religions and teachings, get the best - get gold - from Jesus! The gold, the white garments and the ointment all point to one thing - Jesus.
Week 3
CENTERING WORSHIP
With the churches addressed, John’s gaze turns toward God on His throne, a majestic sight that demands surrender and submission.
Bible Passage: Revelation 4 & 5
It’s probably good to begin with the reminder of what Matt Chandler has been saying about Revelation being a series of windows that we get to look through. And that each window is not necessarily in chronological order. So, as Matt says, it’s not what happens next, it’s what John sees next. So when a chapter begins with the words “Then as I looked, I saw...” we should keep in mind that this is possibly a new window, with a new vision, and it just might be a totally different time frame from the last window/vision 😊 . Chapters 4 and 5 are a good example... Chapter 4 is a whole new vision, while chapter 5 is a continuation of the vision from chapter 4.
So, this is window number one, and it gives us a look into the throne room of God. And it’s AMAZING! In chapters 4 and 5 John wants to explain in more detail, and with more imagery, the past act of Christ’s exultation upon his throne as ruler over the church and the universe, which was accomplished by His death and resurrection. So we are given an image of Jesus enthroned along with the Father. The vision shows how Christ’s message to the seven churches that they can overcome, is based on the fact that He Himself has already overcome.
The kingship of Jesus is not something for the future, but something that began at the resurrection.
Part of the pastoral purpose of chapters 4 and 5 is that suffering Christians might be assured that God/Jesus is sovereign, and that the events which they are facing are part of His sovereign plan, which will culminate in their redemption and the vindication of their faith through the punishment of their persecutors.
We should note a strong link to the visions in Daniel 7 and also Ezekiel 1. Remember that God sits outside of time. Time is something that God created for us on earth (seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years) but He is not governed by time, He created time. So, to go to the throne room of God, means stepping outside of time as we know it, into the timeless dimension of God’s heavenly council. And so John joins in seeing what Old Testament figures such as Isaiah, Micaiah, Daniel and Ezekiel also were given visions of.
Some helpful explainers....
Chapter 4
v4 twenty-four elders - specifically represent redeemed humanity’s purpose to praise and glorify God, which is usually carried out, not only by them in heaven, but also by the true community of faith on earth.
v6 four living beings - represent the whole of created life. They are performing the function which all of creation is meant to fulfil. That is, all things were created to praise God for His holiness and glorify Him for His work of creation.
Chapter 5
v1 the scroll - a scroll is a long piece of paper with writing on it that has been rolled up and sometimes sealed - as in the case of this scroll in John’s vision. But there isn’t just one seal on John’s scroll, but seven. To get to the information in the scroll you have to break the seal/s. Noting the link back to the scroll in Daniel 12 (referred to as a ‘book’ in Daniel) and the contents that are revealed in the coming chapters of Revelation, we can conclude that this scroll in John’s vision is the fulfilment of the prophecy in Daniel, and contains details of the judgments that are to come for unbelievers. Who is worthy to break the seals? Jesus!
v5,6 the Lion... a Lamb... - don’t be surprised if we are singing “The Lion And The Lamb” this Sunday, because this chapter contains both of these descriptions of Jesus. He is the Lion who will come in judgment AND He is the Lamb who brings salvation.
So, this is window number one, and it gives us a look into the throne room of God. And it’s AMAZING! In chapters 4 and 5 John wants to explain in more detail, and with more imagery, the past act of Christ’s exultation upon his throne as ruler over the church and the universe, which was accomplished by His death and resurrection. So we are given an image of Jesus enthroned along with the Father. The vision shows how Christ’s message to the seven churches that they can overcome, is based on the fact that He Himself has already overcome.
The kingship of Jesus is not something for the future, but something that began at the resurrection.
Part of the pastoral purpose of chapters 4 and 5 is that suffering Christians might be assured that God/Jesus is sovereign, and that the events which they are facing are part of His sovereign plan, which will culminate in their redemption and the vindication of their faith through the punishment of their persecutors.
We should note a strong link to the visions in Daniel 7 and also Ezekiel 1. Remember that God sits outside of time. Time is something that God created for us on earth (seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years) but He is not governed by time, He created time. So, to go to the throne room of God, means stepping outside of time as we know it, into the timeless dimension of God’s heavenly council. And so John joins in seeing what Old Testament figures such as Isaiah, Micaiah, Daniel and Ezekiel also were given visions of.
Some helpful explainers....
Chapter 4
v4 twenty-four elders - specifically represent redeemed humanity’s purpose to praise and glorify God, which is usually carried out, not only by them in heaven, but also by the true community of faith on earth.
v6 four living beings - represent the whole of created life. They are performing the function which all of creation is meant to fulfil. That is, all things were created to praise God for His holiness and glorify Him for His work of creation.
Chapter 5
v1 the scroll - a scroll is a long piece of paper with writing on it that has been rolled up and sometimes sealed - as in the case of this scroll in John’s vision. But there isn’t just one seal on John’s scroll, but seven. To get to the information in the scroll you have to break the seal/s. Noting the link back to the scroll in Daniel 12 (referred to as a ‘book’ in Daniel) and the contents that are revealed in the coming chapters of Revelation, we can conclude that this scroll in John’s vision is the fulfilment of the prophecy in Daniel, and contains details of the judgments that are to come for unbelievers. Who is worthy to break the seals? Jesus!
v5,6 the Lion... a Lamb... - don’t be surprised if we are singing “The Lion And The Lamb” this Sunday, because this chapter contains both of these descriptions of Jesus. He is the Lion who will come in judgment AND He is the Lamb who brings salvation.
Week 4
SEVEN SEALS
The ultimate meaning of history is revealed as John watches the Lamb open the scroll. Mystery moves toward fulfilment.
Bible Passage: Revelation 6: 1 - 8: 1
So, last week we looked at the throne room of heaven, where Jesus - since his resurrection - is now ruling and reigning. And we read that Jesus was the only One worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals, and then read it.
This week’s chapters look at what each of the seals on the scroll represent, and what happens as King Jesus breaks those seals. It describes the four horseman (of the apocalypse), who are the major players in the suffering, pain and death of human kind - and I think Matt Chandler does a great job of unpacking what these horses represent, so I won’t go into detail on that now.
A big question is posed at the end of chapter 7 - who can survive the wrath that is to come? And the answer is: God’s people! Since the time of the resurrection, the time the Bible describes as “the last days,” Christians have been persecuted and faced with all kinds of suffering and trials. and so the “horses” have been riding since then. But God’s people are not defeated, and they are not destroyed. Through faith in Christ, all Christians will prevail.
Commentator Greg Beale says “...the trials that purify God’s servants result in hardening the ungodly in their response to God.” And we see this all the time, don’t we? People are upset that God isn’t being their great “sugar daddy in the sky” giving them everything they want (despite the fact they don’t worship and obey Him) and so they turn on Him, rather than submitting to Him. All the while, the Christian endures the trials, focussing on the victory Christ has won and looking forward to Heaven... “where God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”
Some helpful explainers....
Matt covers pretty much everything you might get snagged on, so I’m happy to leave it to Sunday’s sermon. One thing though (and Matt does explain this), just in case you can’t wait until Sunday...
Chapter 7
v4 144,000 - this is not meant to be taken literally. It is a number representing the complete number of people “a vast crowd , too great to count” (7v9) who are in the Kingdom of God. Why is this number symbolic? Again, Greg Beale is helpful... “In Revelation 21: 13 - 14, the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve Apostles together form the foundational structure of the new Jerusalem. Multiplying twelve by twelve equals one-hundred-and-forty-four, representing the entire people of God through the ages. Multiplying that figure by 1,000 reinforces the notion of completeness.”
and just one more...
v14 the great tribulation - in your NLT bible you will find an asterisk after this and a footnote that says this could also be translated “...the great suffering.” Rather than a specific time of intense tribulation, this is a reference to the suffering that will be par for the course for Christians in The Last Days. This is why we should, as Christians, expect that suffering will be a part of our lives now, and that we should not interpret suffering as God having it in for us, but rather seeing it as God’s refining of us, knowing that if we persevere, ultimate victory is ours in Christ.
This week’s chapters look at what each of the seals on the scroll represent, and what happens as King Jesus breaks those seals. It describes the four horseman (of the apocalypse), who are the major players in the suffering, pain and death of human kind - and I think Matt Chandler does a great job of unpacking what these horses represent, so I won’t go into detail on that now.
A big question is posed at the end of chapter 7 - who can survive the wrath that is to come? And the answer is: God’s people! Since the time of the resurrection, the time the Bible describes as “the last days,” Christians have been persecuted and faced with all kinds of suffering and trials. and so the “horses” have been riding since then. But God’s people are not defeated, and they are not destroyed. Through faith in Christ, all Christians will prevail.
Commentator Greg Beale says “...the trials that purify God’s servants result in hardening the ungodly in their response to God.” And we see this all the time, don’t we? People are upset that God isn’t being their great “sugar daddy in the sky” giving them everything they want (despite the fact they don’t worship and obey Him) and so they turn on Him, rather than submitting to Him. All the while, the Christian endures the trials, focussing on the victory Christ has won and looking forward to Heaven... “where God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”
Some helpful explainers....
Matt covers pretty much everything you might get snagged on, so I’m happy to leave it to Sunday’s sermon. One thing though (and Matt does explain this), just in case you can’t wait until Sunday...
Chapter 7
v4 144,000 - this is not meant to be taken literally. It is a number representing the complete number of people “a vast crowd , too great to count” (7v9) who are in the Kingdom of God. Why is this number symbolic? Again, Greg Beale is helpful... “In Revelation 21: 13 - 14, the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve Apostles together form the foundational structure of the new Jerusalem. Multiplying twelve by twelve equals one-hundred-and-forty-four, representing the entire people of God through the ages. Multiplying that figure by 1,000 reinforces the notion of completeness.”
and just one more...
v14 the great tribulation - in your NLT bible you will find an asterisk after this and a footnote that says this could also be translated “...the great suffering.” Rather than a specific time of intense tribulation, this is a reference to the suffering that will be par for the course for Christians in The Last Days. This is why we should, as Christians, expect that suffering will be a part of our lives now, and that we should not interpret suffering as God having it in for us, but rather seeing it as God’s refining of us, knowing that if we persevere, ultimate victory is ours in Christ.
Week 5
SEVEN TRUMPETS
Idols which were once revered on earth turn to destroy their worshippers as God enacts His justice. John receives a bittersweet message of judgment and mercy.
Bible Passage: Revelation 8: 2 - 11: 19
This week, Pastor Matt is taking a break, and so I will be preaching this next section in our study of the Book of Revelation. Once again, we are going to be looking at quite a chunk of Scripture, and so I won’t have time for a line by line, verse by verse explanation. So, hopefully these notes will help you to understand anything I might just brush over in the course of the sermon.
Last week, we looked at the seven seals that surrounded the scroll that John saw in the throne room of God. Two weeks ago, we learned from chapter 5, that Jesus - the Lamb of God, the Lion of Judah - was the only one worthy to open these seals. We saw in chapters 6 and 7 that these seals, when opened, unleashed various forms of judgment on the earth. We were encouraged to read that only those with saving faith in Jesus would prevail, and that a vast crowd - too great to count - from every nation, tribe and language, would stand before the throne clothed in the white robes of their Saviour.
It is with the hope of this promise that we Christians get to live our lives.
Chapters 8 to 11 deal with the trumpets - 7 of them in fact. And while the seals gave us an insight into judgment from the perspective of the Church, the trumpets give us an insight into judgment from the perspective of the world. And it’s an awful spectacle, but it is not without mercy, as God uses this judgment to constantly call people to repentance and faith.
I will do my best to unpack the trumpets and their corresponding “terrors” on Sunday.
In between the sixth and seventh trumpets is an interesting little interlude described in chapters 10 and 11. It mirrors a similar interlude (all of chapter 7) between the sixth and seventh seals. And as with the first interlude, it is given as “background information.” It’s like someone has pressed “pause” in the trumpet descriptions so some extra information can be provided. And what is the extra information? It’s a reaffirmation of the commissioning of John to prophecy the vision given to him by Jesus. John’s task is two-fold: he is to prophecy about the persevering witness of Christians which brings them suffering, and about the destiny of those who react antagonistically to the Gospel message. Basically, it’s about the relationship between believers and unbelievers in the time of the Last Days (which is now), and how unbelievers are punished for their persecution of Christians.
What is very cool is that we see here a link to the prophecy of Daniel that we looked at last year. While I believe the prophecy of Daniel 12 spoke of the time of Israel’s persecution under Antiochus Epiphanes (from second century B.C. this guy set up his own monument at the site of the Temple), this event is picked up in Revelation 11 and defined in terms of the Last Days. The “when” and “how” that Daniel didn’t even understand about his own prophecy, is now explained to John. The “time of the end” prophesied to Daniel has now begun, and this has been set in motion through the “mysterious” manner of Christ’s death and resurrection (the part that Daniel was forbidden to say anything about).
There are a number of ways of unpacking and understanding Chapter 11 verses 1 to 13. In my view, I think it is best to understand that everything that is described here happens at the same time as what happens during the first six trumpets, and hence why it is included in the interlude section, before we get to the seventh trumpet.
Summary: Like the Jews at certain times of their history, Christians are faced with suffering (indeed Paul says we join Christ in His sufferings), but in the end we will prevail, and those who persecute us will meet a terrifying and God-defying end if they do not repent and believe.
Some helpful explainers....
Chapter 8
v4 the smoke of the incense, mixed with the prayers of God’s holy people - the fact that incense is offered from the altar shows that the prayers (for judgment) by those Christians who were martyred for their faith in Jesus (remember chapter 6: 9 - 10) have been found acceptable to God.
Chapter 10
v1 mighty angel - given the description of this angel in the following verses we are I think meant to identify this angel with Yahweh/Christ.
v2 a small scroll - is a new description of the same purposes symbolised by the previous scroll (of chapter 5) and it is smaller because these purposes are confined to the accomplishments of the people of God (rather than the big redemptive plan of God in the earlier scroll).
v9 take it and eat it - eating the scroll symbolises John’s complete identification with its message. It is sweet because it contains God’s life-giving words. The bitterness comes from the scroll’s purpose, which is to announce judgment.
Chapter 11
v1 Temple of God - all the people of God.
v2,3 42 months, 1,260 days - literally the time of the persecution under Antiochus Epiphanes but
figuratively the time of the entire last days.
v3 my two witnesses - tricky one this. I am persuaded by commentators such as Greg Beale that this is a reference to the witness of the church corporately. Why two witnesses? They are referred to as “two lampstands” in the next verse, which is the same way he referred to the churches back in chapters one and two. In verses 9 to 13 it describes the testimony of the witnesses which mirrors things that the church is commissioned to do, and also their persecution, death and resurrection - again, a picture of the Last Days.
Last week, we looked at the seven seals that surrounded the scroll that John saw in the throne room of God. Two weeks ago, we learned from chapter 5, that Jesus - the Lamb of God, the Lion of Judah - was the only one worthy to open these seals. We saw in chapters 6 and 7 that these seals, when opened, unleashed various forms of judgment on the earth. We were encouraged to read that only those with saving faith in Jesus would prevail, and that a vast crowd - too great to count - from every nation, tribe and language, would stand before the throne clothed in the white robes of their Saviour.
It is with the hope of this promise that we Christians get to live our lives.
Chapters 8 to 11 deal with the trumpets - 7 of them in fact. And while the seals gave us an insight into judgment from the perspective of the Church, the trumpets give us an insight into judgment from the perspective of the world. And it’s an awful spectacle, but it is not without mercy, as God uses this judgment to constantly call people to repentance and faith.
I will do my best to unpack the trumpets and their corresponding “terrors” on Sunday.
In between the sixth and seventh trumpets is an interesting little interlude described in chapters 10 and 11. It mirrors a similar interlude (all of chapter 7) between the sixth and seventh seals. And as with the first interlude, it is given as “background information.” It’s like someone has pressed “pause” in the trumpet descriptions so some extra information can be provided. And what is the extra information? It’s a reaffirmation of the commissioning of John to prophecy the vision given to him by Jesus. John’s task is two-fold: he is to prophecy about the persevering witness of Christians which brings them suffering, and about the destiny of those who react antagonistically to the Gospel message. Basically, it’s about the relationship between believers and unbelievers in the time of the Last Days (which is now), and how unbelievers are punished for their persecution of Christians.
What is very cool is that we see here a link to the prophecy of Daniel that we looked at last year. While I believe the prophecy of Daniel 12 spoke of the time of Israel’s persecution under Antiochus Epiphanes (from second century B.C. this guy set up his own monument at the site of the Temple), this event is picked up in Revelation 11 and defined in terms of the Last Days. The “when” and “how” that Daniel didn’t even understand about his own prophecy, is now explained to John. The “time of the end” prophesied to Daniel has now begun, and this has been set in motion through the “mysterious” manner of Christ’s death and resurrection (the part that Daniel was forbidden to say anything about).
There are a number of ways of unpacking and understanding Chapter 11 verses 1 to 13. In my view, I think it is best to understand that everything that is described here happens at the same time as what happens during the first six trumpets, and hence why it is included in the interlude section, before we get to the seventh trumpet.
Summary: Like the Jews at certain times of their history, Christians are faced with suffering (indeed Paul says we join Christ in His sufferings), but in the end we will prevail, and those who persecute us will meet a terrifying and God-defying end if they do not repent and believe.
Some helpful explainers....
Chapter 8
v4 the smoke of the incense, mixed with the prayers of God’s holy people - the fact that incense is offered from the altar shows that the prayers (for judgment) by those Christians who were martyred for their faith in Jesus (remember chapter 6: 9 - 10) have been found acceptable to God.
Chapter 10
v1 mighty angel - given the description of this angel in the following verses we are I think meant to identify this angel with Yahweh/Christ.
v2 a small scroll - is a new description of the same purposes symbolised by the previous scroll (of chapter 5) and it is smaller because these purposes are confined to the accomplishments of the people of God (rather than the big redemptive plan of God in the earlier scroll).
v9 take it and eat it - eating the scroll symbolises John’s complete identification with its message. It is sweet because it contains God’s life-giving words. The bitterness comes from the scroll’s purpose, which is to announce judgment.
Chapter 11
v1 Temple of God - all the people of God.
v2,3 42 months, 1,260 days - literally the time of the persecution under Antiochus Epiphanes but
figuratively the time of the entire last days.
v3 my two witnesses - tricky one this. I am persuaded by commentators such as Greg Beale that this is a reference to the witness of the church corporately. Why two witnesses? They are referred to as “two lampstands” in the next verse, which is the same way he referred to the churches back in chapters one and two. In verses 9 to 13 it describes the testimony of the witnesses which mirrors things that the church is commissioned to do, and also their persecution, death and resurrection - again, a picture of the Last Days.
Week 6
COSMIC BATTLE
The unseen war behind all wars is won as the sower of deceit is thrown from heaven. A desperate and defeated Enemy turns his attention to the people of God.
Bible Passage: Revelation 12
To start with, let me draw your attention to the NLT’s use of the word “then” to indicate that John is now seeing something different. In Revelation 12 we open a new window. Once again, it is not linear. In fact, this window takes us back 2,000 years to the incarnation of our Lord, Jesus.
Naturally, we might straight away deduce that the woman introduced in verse 1 is Mary, the mother of Jesus. Catholic theologians certainly go this way. However, a closer study of the imagery employed in this chapter reveals that the woman does not only represent Mary, but rather the faithful people of God, which ultimately yielded a kingly offspring (Jesus). This identification is based on the Old Testament precedent, where sun, moon, and eleven stars metaphorically represent Jacob, his wife, and eleven of the tribes of Israel, who bow down to Joseph, representing the twelfth tribe (Genesis 37).
The woman, representing God’s covenant people, gives birth to the One who will take back what was lost in the Garden of Eden.
As the chapter progresses we understand that the faithful community represented by the woman, existed both before, and after, the coming of Christ.
The dragon represents Satan (and the world powers he influences). The intention of the dragon is not only to attack God’s people but to destroy the Messiah Himself, once the woman has given birth.
But as Satan is defeated by Christ and then turns his attention to Christ’s followers, God is faithful to care for and protect His people (the woman).
Some helpful explainers...
v6 fled into the wilderness - alludes to the time Israel fled from Egypt into the wilderness and was protected and nourished by God. Christians post the resurrection of Jesus are in the “wilderness” before entry to the “promised Land” (Heaven) and are also protected by God.
v6 1,260 days - have been established as the time of tribulation predicted by Daniel 7: 25 and 12: 7, which commences at Christ’s ascension and continues until His return.
v7 Michael and his angels - Christ’s resurrection and the beginning of His rule are immediately reflected in heaven by the defeat of the devil and his hosts by Michael and his angels. Michael’s actions on behalf of true Israel (which in Revelation 12 is Jesus) must be linked to Daniel 12: 1, in which he is prophesied to “stand guard” in the latter-day tribulation as Israel’s heavenly representative to defend faithful Israel from the ultimate harm of the final tribulation.
v9 the ancient serpent - this is the serpent of Genesis 3. The ancient foe of God is also called the devil and satan, which respectively mean “slanderer” and “adversary.”
v11 And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die - Christians can be assured that the serpent begins to battle against their bodies only after he has lost the battle over their souls. This expresses one of the major themes of Revelation: the suffering of Christians is a sign, not of Satan’s victory, but of the Christian’s victory over him because of their belief in the victory of the cross, with which their suffering identifies them.
v15 water that flowed from his mouth - the picture is figurative. The devil attempts to destroy the church from within (using deception) and without (using persecution). Just as the serpent deceived the first woman with words, so he attempts to deceive the latter day woman with a flood of words.
Naturally, we might straight away deduce that the woman introduced in verse 1 is Mary, the mother of Jesus. Catholic theologians certainly go this way. However, a closer study of the imagery employed in this chapter reveals that the woman does not only represent Mary, but rather the faithful people of God, which ultimately yielded a kingly offspring (Jesus). This identification is based on the Old Testament precedent, where sun, moon, and eleven stars metaphorically represent Jacob, his wife, and eleven of the tribes of Israel, who bow down to Joseph, representing the twelfth tribe (Genesis 37).
The woman, representing God’s covenant people, gives birth to the One who will take back what was lost in the Garden of Eden.
As the chapter progresses we understand that the faithful community represented by the woman, existed both before, and after, the coming of Christ.
The dragon represents Satan (and the world powers he influences). The intention of the dragon is not only to attack God’s people but to destroy the Messiah Himself, once the woman has given birth.
But as Satan is defeated by Christ and then turns his attention to Christ’s followers, God is faithful to care for and protect His people (the woman).
Some helpful explainers...
v6 fled into the wilderness - alludes to the time Israel fled from Egypt into the wilderness and was protected and nourished by God. Christians post the resurrection of Jesus are in the “wilderness” before entry to the “promised Land” (Heaven) and are also protected by God.
v6 1,260 days - have been established as the time of tribulation predicted by Daniel 7: 25 and 12: 7, which commences at Christ’s ascension and continues until His return.
v7 Michael and his angels - Christ’s resurrection and the beginning of His rule are immediately reflected in heaven by the defeat of the devil and his hosts by Michael and his angels. Michael’s actions on behalf of true Israel (which in Revelation 12 is Jesus) must be linked to Daniel 12: 1, in which he is prophesied to “stand guard” in the latter-day tribulation as Israel’s heavenly representative to defend faithful Israel from the ultimate harm of the final tribulation.
v9 the ancient serpent - this is the serpent of Genesis 3. The ancient foe of God is also called the devil and satan, which respectively mean “slanderer” and “adversary.”
v11 And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die - Christians can be assured that the serpent begins to battle against their bodies only after he has lost the battle over their souls. This expresses one of the major themes of Revelation: the suffering of Christians is a sign, not of Satan’s victory, but of the Christian’s victory over him because of their belief in the victory of the cross, with which their suffering identifies them.
v15 water that flowed from his mouth - the picture is figurative. The devil attempts to destroy the church from within (using deception) and without (using persecution). Just as the serpent deceived the first woman with words, so he attempts to deceive the latter day woman with a flood of words.
Week 7
EARTHLY BATTLE
A false Trinity attempts to mimic holy God but falls short of His glory. The saints are called to endure.
Bible Passage: Revelation 13
For the second week in a row we have slowed the series down so we can spend some time pushing into just one specific chapter - this week, it’s chapter 13. And because the passage is just 18 verses, there’s not a lot that Pastor Matt doesn’t address in his sermon (that we will watch this Sunday).
In chapter 13 there are two beasts and the dragon. This is Satan’s attempt to mimic the Holy Trinity. One beast comes out of the sea. The second beast rises out of the earth.
The beast in v1 - 10, sounds very similar to the beast in Daniel 7. This beast, both in Daniel and in Revelation, represents the empires that rule over the known world. These are human kingdoms that have rejected God. They are “dragon-related” political power.
The second beast in v11 - 18 makes it very difficult for those who have not bowed down to the first. This beast is a false prophet. It is a “dragon related” religious power. The false prophet leads people to worship the State - putting your hope in human means and institutions.
Some helpful explainers...
v16 a mark on the right hand or on the forehead - figurative for the way in which the state keeps check on whether people are submitting to compulsory idol worship. It is a parody of and opposite to the seal which is the divine name written on the foreheads of true believers. Both are not literal, physical marks, but are spiritual in nature, and bear themselves out in the life of the person.
v18 666 - is a symbol, it is not a code to be cracked. 7 in the Bible is the number of completeness. 6 therefore is incomplete. 3 is another number of completeness, so three 6’s is completely incomplete!
In chapter 13 there are two beasts and the dragon. This is Satan’s attempt to mimic the Holy Trinity. One beast comes out of the sea. The second beast rises out of the earth.
The beast in v1 - 10, sounds very similar to the beast in Daniel 7. This beast, both in Daniel and in Revelation, represents the empires that rule over the known world. These are human kingdoms that have rejected God. They are “dragon-related” political power.
The second beast in v11 - 18 makes it very difficult for those who have not bowed down to the first. This beast is a false prophet. It is a “dragon related” religious power. The false prophet leads people to worship the State - putting your hope in human means and institutions.
Some helpful explainers...
v16 a mark on the right hand or on the forehead - figurative for the way in which the state keeps check on whether people are submitting to compulsory idol worship. It is a parody of and opposite to the seal which is the divine name written on the foreheads of true believers. Both are not literal, physical marks, but are spiritual in nature, and bear themselves out in the life of the person.
v18 666 - is a symbol, it is not a code to be cracked. 7 in the Bible is the number of completeness. 6 therefore is incomplete. 3 is another number of completeness, so three 6’s is completely incomplete!
Week 8
ARMY OF THE LAMB
The Lamb stands with His army of saints as the harvest of earth is reaped.
Bible Passage: Revelation 14: 1 - 15: 4
When one of the thieves who was crucified alongside Jesus expressed faith, Jesus said to him “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23: 43). You see, when Christians die, we go to be with Jesus. It is not in the “New Heavens & Earth” that Revelation 21 speaks of. That will be when Jesus returns in glory. But in that time in between, we will be with our Saviour.
In Revelation 14 it begins by describing the Lamb and 144,000 who were with Him. The Lamb is Jesus - the risen Jesus - and the 144,000 (not a literal number) are the redeemed people of God who are with Jesus. These are Christians who have persevered to the end, and are now with Jesus, waiting for the final consummation of the Kingdom of God.
The end is close, but not yet. There is a “harvest” happening.
And while the Good News is proclaimed, it is as much a warning of the judgment to come as it is an offer of God’s gracious salvation.
The Last Days will continue until everyone whose name is recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life has been effectually called into the Kingdom.
Some helpful explainers....
Chapter 14
v1 Mount Zion - the word “Zion” is used 155 times in the Old Testament to refer to the true city of God, the place where God dwells. The fuller name “Mount Zion” occurs only 19 times in the Old Testament and alludes to a remnant being saved, in connection with God’s name or God’s sovereign rule or both (see 2 Kings 19: 31, Isaiah 4: 5, Isaiah 10: 12, Isaiah 37: 30 - 32, and Joel 2: 32, just to name a few). Here in Revelation 14, Mount Zion is to be seen as the end-time city where God dwells with and provides security for the remnant who have been brought out from the earth.
v1 144,000 - same as when this number is used in chapter 7 verse 4. It represents God’s people of all ages. 12 tribes of Israel x 12 Apostles x 1000 (a number of completeness).
Chapter 15
v1 his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads - just like we saw in Revelation 13 that the unrepentant bore the spiritual mark of the beast, so God’s people are also marked (spiritually) that they are His.
v8 Babylon is fallen - this is a quote from Isaiah 21: 9 and is used here to show that the idolatrous system of the world has been judged and will be destroyed ( just as Babylon was).
v12 This means... - a wonderful little explainer verse here in the middle of all the apocalyptic language! Christians are to persevere through all this - which will involve trials and suffering - and by standing loyal with Christ they will receive an eternal reward.
v15 the time of harvest - there are two harvests in this chapter. One of grain (v15-16) and one of grapes (v17-20). The grain representing the harvest of the redeemed people of God, and the grapes representing the rebellious.
John was not seeing two separate harvests, but rather seeing two sides of the same harvest. Just as in Jesus’ parable the wheat and the weeds are harvested together, so John’s vision portrays a single action of God that has two different results. The righteous are “harvested” into God’s eternal realm; the wicked are “harvested’ into eternal torment.
v20 outside the city - when Jesus took our punishment on the cross He was crucified where? Answer: outside the city of Jerusalem. The wrath of God is poured out, outside the city. The city itself is to be understood here as the Kingdom of God, or Mount Zion from v1. Jesus went outside the city to redeem us. Judgment will happen “outside the city” for all who do not repent and believe.
v20 180 miles - much has been made of the fact that this is the approximate distance from the northern border of Israel to the southern border. But while the NLT (and in fact most English translations) make the conversion to miles, in the original Greek it actually says “1,600 stadia”. So the number we are to understand is 1,600 not 180. Again, the number is thought to therefore be figurative for complete, worldwide judgment. This is based on the idea that 1,600 is the product of the squares of 4 and 10, both of which are figurative for completeness elsewhere in the book (the 4 living creatures representing all animate life 4v6, the four corners of the earth 7v1, the ten horns of the dragon and the beast 12v3 and 13v1, and the 10 horns and kings of 17v12). The number could also have been thought of as the square of 40, which is also a traditional number of punishment.
v20 high as a horse’s bridle - basically this is hyperbole to get across the point that much blood will be shed in the judgment.
In Revelation 14 it begins by describing the Lamb and 144,000 who were with Him. The Lamb is Jesus - the risen Jesus - and the 144,000 (not a literal number) are the redeemed people of God who are with Jesus. These are Christians who have persevered to the end, and are now with Jesus, waiting for the final consummation of the Kingdom of God.
The end is close, but not yet. There is a “harvest” happening.
And while the Good News is proclaimed, it is as much a warning of the judgment to come as it is an offer of God’s gracious salvation.
The Last Days will continue until everyone whose name is recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life has been effectually called into the Kingdom.
Some helpful explainers....
Chapter 14
v1 Mount Zion - the word “Zion” is used 155 times in the Old Testament to refer to the true city of God, the place where God dwells. The fuller name “Mount Zion” occurs only 19 times in the Old Testament and alludes to a remnant being saved, in connection with God’s name or God’s sovereign rule or both (see 2 Kings 19: 31, Isaiah 4: 5, Isaiah 10: 12, Isaiah 37: 30 - 32, and Joel 2: 32, just to name a few). Here in Revelation 14, Mount Zion is to be seen as the end-time city where God dwells with and provides security for the remnant who have been brought out from the earth.
v1 144,000 - same as when this number is used in chapter 7 verse 4. It represents God’s people of all ages. 12 tribes of Israel x 12 Apostles x 1000 (a number of completeness).
Chapter 15
v1 his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads - just like we saw in Revelation 13 that the unrepentant bore the spiritual mark of the beast, so God’s people are also marked (spiritually) that they are His.
v8 Babylon is fallen - this is a quote from Isaiah 21: 9 and is used here to show that the idolatrous system of the world has been judged and will be destroyed ( just as Babylon was).
v12 This means... - a wonderful little explainer verse here in the middle of all the apocalyptic language! Christians are to persevere through all this - which will involve trials and suffering - and by standing loyal with Christ they will receive an eternal reward.
v15 the time of harvest - there are two harvests in this chapter. One of grain (v15-16) and one of grapes (v17-20). The grain representing the harvest of the redeemed people of God, and the grapes representing the rebellious.
John was not seeing two separate harvests, but rather seeing two sides of the same harvest. Just as in Jesus’ parable the wheat and the weeds are harvested together, so John’s vision portrays a single action of God that has two different results. The righteous are “harvested” into God’s eternal realm; the wicked are “harvested’ into eternal torment.
v20 outside the city - when Jesus took our punishment on the cross He was crucified where? Answer: outside the city of Jerusalem. The wrath of God is poured out, outside the city. The city itself is to be understood here as the Kingdom of God, or Mount Zion from v1. Jesus went outside the city to redeem us. Judgment will happen “outside the city” for all who do not repent and believe.
v20 180 miles - much has been made of the fact that this is the approximate distance from the northern border of Israel to the southern border. But while the NLT (and in fact most English translations) make the conversion to miles, in the original Greek it actually says “1,600 stadia”. So the number we are to understand is 1,600 not 180. Again, the number is thought to therefore be figurative for complete, worldwide judgment. This is based on the idea that 1,600 is the product of the squares of 4 and 10, both of which are figurative for completeness elsewhere in the book (the 4 living creatures representing all animate life 4v6, the four corners of the earth 7v1, the ten horns of the dragon and the beast 12v3 and 13v1, and the 10 horns and kings of 17v12). The number could also have been thought of as the square of 40, which is also a traditional number of punishment.
v20 high as a horse’s bridle - basically this is hyperbole to get across the point that much blood will be shed in the judgment.
Week 9
SEVEN BOWLS
John catches another glimpse at the throne before the wrath of God is poured out on the earth.
Bible Passage: Revelation 15: 5 - 16: 21
So this is the last of the "7's" - seven seals, seven trumpets, and now seven bowls.
Each of these are looking at the same happenings of the Last Days but from a different perspective.
The 7 Seals see the Last Days from the perspective of the suffering church. The 7 Trumpets see the Last Days from the perspective of the rebelling world. The 7 Bowls see the Last Days from the perspective of Heaven.
Commentator/Theologian Greg Beale says “The trumpet visions may be compared to incomplete snapshots and the bowls to fuller photographs. The bowls reveal more clearly that the trumpets are predominantly plagues directed against unbelieving humanity.”
Remember, the Book of Revelation is not linear. It is not what happens next, it’s what John sees next. 😊
Some helpful explainers....
v16 Armageddon - the demonic spirits deceiving the kings gathered them together to the place which, in Hebrew, is called Har-Magedon where the war is to occur. The outcome of the war is found in Rev 17: 14, Rev 19: 14 - 21, and Rev 20: 7 - 10, where the forces of the dragon and beast are portrayed as destroyed by Christ and God. Har-Magedon, or Armageddon as it is usually called, like the place names “Babylon” and “Euphrates,” does not refer to a specific geographical location, but rather has global application. That Amrageddon is not to be taken literally is shown by the fact that the plain of Megiddo is about a two days’ walk north of Jerusalem, whereas Old Testament prophecy generally places the last battle in the vicinity of Jerusalem and Mount Zion or its surrounding mountains.
Each of these are looking at the same happenings of the Last Days but from a different perspective.
The 7 Seals see the Last Days from the perspective of the suffering church. The 7 Trumpets see the Last Days from the perspective of the rebelling world. The 7 Bowls see the Last Days from the perspective of Heaven.
Commentator/Theologian Greg Beale says “The trumpet visions may be compared to incomplete snapshots and the bowls to fuller photographs. The bowls reveal more clearly that the trumpets are predominantly plagues directed against unbelieving humanity.”
Remember, the Book of Revelation is not linear. It is not what happens next, it’s what John sees next. 😊
Some helpful explainers....
v16 Armageddon - the demonic spirits deceiving the kings gathered them together to the place which, in Hebrew, is called Har-Magedon where the war is to occur. The outcome of the war is found in Rev 17: 14, Rev 19: 14 - 21, and Rev 20: 7 - 10, where the forces of the dragon and beast are portrayed as destroyed by Christ and God. Har-Magedon, or Armageddon as it is usually called, like the place names “Babylon” and “Euphrates,” does not refer to a specific geographical location, but rather has global application. That Amrageddon is not to be taken literally is shown by the fact that the plain of Megiddo is about a two days’ walk north of Jerusalem, whereas Old Testament prophecy generally places the last battle in the vicinity of Jerusalem and Mount Zion or its surrounding mountains.
Week 10
CONQUEST
A mysterious woman appears, but her true nature is revealed and her downfall is assured.
Bible Passage: Revelation 17: 1 - 19: 10
I hope by now that your are starting to get the hang of the Book of Revelation a bit, and that the weird and sometimes scary imagery is not as daunting for you as maybe it may have been in the past. As you should be starting to see by now, this imagery symbolises things that we need to be aware of as we continue to live in this broken and fallen world - and things we need to be encouraged by as we look forward to the consummation of the great victory that our Lord Jesus has won for us.
This week we move on from the bowls (where we see the Last Days from the perspective of Heaven) to the description of “the great prostitute.” Once again, this is not something coming in the future, but something that is happening right now. In fact it has been happening since Jesus ascended to Heaven and will continue until His second coming.
This prostitute is a seductress. She is symbolic of that “pull of the world” which wants to take us away from following Jesus faithfully, and instead see us going after the temporary gratification of things in this world.
She is equated with the city of Babylon - which is symbolic for the Kingdom of darkness - and contrasted with the city of Jerusalem - symbolic for the Kingdom of God.
The beasts, and the heads of the beasts (think Daniel 7), represent earthly kingdoms and empires that will come and go during the period of the Last Days. The prostitute wants to lure us into trusting these kingdoms rather than trusting in Jesus.
The picture painted here encourages us to see not just these chapters, but the whole Book of Revelation, as Christ’s warning to us not to be deceived by the world. Many things in the world look attractive and promise us comfort, satisfaction and happiness, but in the end they only bring pain and emptiness.
In the end, only those in Christ will emerge victorious, and will get to share in the “wedding feast of the Lamb.”
Some helpful explainers....
Chapter 17
v1 the great prostitute - different english translations of the Bible use different words - whore, harlot, etc. All synonymous for a sex worker, who in the context of Revelation is not a literal prostitute but symbolic of a seductress who seeks to lure people to their ultimate destruction while promising the world. There are hints that also point to the Jezebel of 2 Kings (you see, the links to the Old Testament just keep coming) whose fate is the same.
v5 Babylon - there is a connection to Jeremiah here (chapter 51 v13) where the downfall of the literal city of ancient Babylon is prophesied. Here in Revelation, Babylon represents the kingdoms of the world, and yes in the first century they would have applied this to Rome, but in reality it applied to every worldly kingdom that will exist before the return of Christ.
v16 The scarlet beast and his ten horns all hate the prostitute - hang on... weren’t these all allies? Yep. They were. But in the end they turn on her. Let me explain what’s going on here. Do you remember from the Old Testament how Israel and Judah went after the kings and gods of other countries? They tried to forge alliances with them. Rather than trusting in the protection of the Lord, they sought to cosy up to these worldly kingdoms. Well, the prophets of the Old Testament didn’t hold back, did they... They accused Israel and Judah of being promiscuous - pledged to the Lord, but selling themselves to others. Ringing any bells? Just as prophets like
Ezekiel prophesied that Babylon would turn on them and destroy them (eg Ezekiel 23: 25 - 29), this same imagery is now re-applied to our time. What the literal Babylon did to Israel in the Old Testament times is now turned around and applied to the symbolic “Babylonian” world system in the Last Days. And the result will be the same. The literal Babylon was judged by God and destroyed, as will the worldly Babylon of the new covenant age.
Chapter 18
v2 Babylon is fallen - remember the original audience who this Book is being recorded for? Christians who are literally dying because of their faith in Jesus. These are the ones from chapter 6 (where Jesus is breaking the 5th seal) who were asking “How long Lord” until you judge the people of the world and avenge our blood? And so here is the answer. Those who persecute Christians will not get away with it. They will be judged and punished in the end.
v9 And the Kings of the world who committed adultery with her - in those moments in history (and in the future) where the church of Jesus is being persecuted, it is not cool to be a Christian. It’s much cooler to be worldly. Kings, empires, governments reject God and go after the great seductress. Merchants (business people) accumulate their wealth by trading off the desire of people for comfort, pleasure and beauty. But it is all fleeting, and ultimately comes to a terrible end.
Chapter 19
v1 vast crowd in Heaven - God’s people rejoicing. It describes a wonderful picture. The dual theme of reward for the Christian and destruction of their enemies was announced by the seventh trumpet back in chapter 11 (v15-19) and is picked up again here in chapter 19. The entire assembly of the saints praise God at the consummation of history for his judgment of “Babylon” and His accomplishment of salvation for His people by His mighty power. Hallelujah indeed!
This week we move on from the bowls (where we see the Last Days from the perspective of Heaven) to the description of “the great prostitute.” Once again, this is not something coming in the future, but something that is happening right now. In fact it has been happening since Jesus ascended to Heaven and will continue until His second coming.
This prostitute is a seductress. She is symbolic of that “pull of the world” which wants to take us away from following Jesus faithfully, and instead see us going after the temporary gratification of things in this world.
She is equated with the city of Babylon - which is symbolic for the Kingdom of darkness - and contrasted with the city of Jerusalem - symbolic for the Kingdom of God.
The beasts, and the heads of the beasts (think Daniel 7), represent earthly kingdoms and empires that will come and go during the period of the Last Days. The prostitute wants to lure us into trusting these kingdoms rather than trusting in Jesus.
The picture painted here encourages us to see not just these chapters, but the whole Book of Revelation, as Christ’s warning to us not to be deceived by the world. Many things in the world look attractive and promise us comfort, satisfaction and happiness, but in the end they only bring pain and emptiness.
In the end, only those in Christ will emerge victorious, and will get to share in the “wedding feast of the Lamb.”
Some helpful explainers....
Chapter 17
v1 the great prostitute - different english translations of the Bible use different words - whore, harlot, etc. All synonymous for a sex worker, who in the context of Revelation is not a literal prostitute but symbolic of a seductress who seeks to lure people to their ultimate destruction while promising the world. There are hints that also point to the Jezebel of 2 Kings (you see, the links to the Old Testament just keep coming) whose fate is the same.
v5 Babylon - there is a connection to Jeremiah here (chapter 51 v13) where the downfall of the literal city of ancient Babylon is prophesied. Here in Revelation, Babylon represents the kingdoms of the world, and yes in the first century they would have applied this to Rome, but in reality it applied to every worldly kingdom that will exist before the return of Christ.
v16 The scarlet beast and his ten horns all hate the prostitute - hang on... weren’t these all allies? Yep. They were. But in the end they turn on her. Let me explain what’s going on here. Do you remember from the Old Testament how Israel and Judah went after the kings and gods of other countries? They tried to forge alliances with them. Rather than trusting in the protection of the Lord, they sought to cosy up to these worldly kingdoms. Well, the prophets of the Old Testament didn’t hold back, did they... They accused Israel and Judah of being promiscuous - pledged to the Lord, but selling themselves to others. Ringing any bells? Just as prophets like
Ezekiel prophesied that Babylon would turn on them and destroy them (eg Ezekiel 23: 25 - 29), this same imagery is now re-applied to our time. What the literal Babylon did to Israel in the Old Testament times is now turned around and applied to the symbolic “Babylonian” world system in the Last Days. And the result will be the same. The literal Babylon was judged by God and destroyed, as will the worldly Babylon of the new covenant age.
Chapter 18
v2 Babylon is fallen - remember the original audience who this Book is being recorded for? Christians who are literally dying because of their faith in Jesus. These are the ones from chapter 6 (where Jesus is breaking the 5th seal) who were asking “How long Lord” until you judge the people of the world and avenge our blood? And so here is the answer. Those who persecute Christians will not get away with it. They will be judged and punished in the end.
v9 And the Kings of the world who committed adultery with her - in those moments in history (and in the future) where the church of Jesus is being persecuted, it is not cool to be a Christian. It’s much cooler to be worldly. Kings, empires, governments reject God and go after the great seductress. Merchants (business people) accumulate their wealth by trading off the desire of people for comfort, pleasure and beauty. But it is all fleeting, and ultimately comes to a terrible end.
Chapter 19
v1 vast crowd in Heaven - God’s people rejoicing. It describes a wonderful picture. The dual theme of reward for the Christian and destruction of their enemies was announced by the seventh trumpet back in chapter 11 (v15-19) and is picked up again here in chapter 19. The entire assembly of the saints praise God at the consummation of history for his judgment of “Babylon” and His accomplishment of salvation for His people by His mighty power. Hallelujah indeed!
Week 11
FINAL BATTLE
A meal is shared, a millennium unfolds, and Death is defeated forever.
Bible Passage: Revelation 19: 11 - 20: 15
This week our frame of reference (from a time perspective) shifts somewhat. It involves the here and now of the Last Days, and it also takes in the very end of the Last Days (so we finally get our first taste of something from the future).
The millennium (see below) is a symbolic reference to what is becoming a long period of time (from our perspective) between when Jesus ascended to Heaven and when He returns. This period is what we have been referring to as the Last Days.
At the end of the Last Days, Satan is released from being bound in the bottomless pit, and has one last go at wrecking havoc on the earth, before he is finally dispatched into Hell, never to bother God’s people ever again.
The great final judgment sees the separation of those who have their names in the Lamb’s Book of Life and those who bear the mark of the beast (remember these are spiritual metaphors describing those who are Christians and those who did not repent and believe). Those who died as unbelievers joined Satan and his demons in “the lake of fire” (symbolic for hell).
Some helpful explainers....
Chapter 19
v17 Come! Gather together for the great banquet God has prepared. - this sounds like it could be the great wedding feast of the Lamb described in verse 9, but it’s not. It’s actually a parody of that invitation. It’s borrowing imagery from Ezekiel 39 referring to the end-time destruction of “Gog and Magog.” The prophecy of God’s triumph over His enemies in Ezekiel 39 still awaits fulfilment, but now the angel updates it by identifying Jesus as the agent of Satan’s defeat, and identifying Gog and Magog as the beast, the false prophet, and their armies.
Chapter 20
v2 for a thousand years - oh goodness, so much disagreement among Christians about how to understand what this is a reference to. It hinges mainly on whether you apply a literal interpretation to it (ie: it is talking about exactly 1,000 of our years), or whether this is yet another symbolic reference (and therefore is simply referring to a long period of time). Another word for a thousand is a millennium, and so the different Christian positions have been labelled as:
I’ve always understood this to be figurative (like so much of Revelation is), and so I’m in the a- millennial camp. Matt Chandler is there too. I simply think it’s a more consistent way of understanding the Book of Revelation, as well as the rest of the New Testament, as well as the prophecies of the Old Testament. (By the way, if you disagree and take another view regarding what the thousand years is referring to, that’s OK. I still love and respect you. I guess we’ll find out in Heaven who was right! 😜 )
To this end, it is helpful to understand that what we read in chapter 20 verses 1 - 6 (regarding the millennium period) happens before the final battle described in chapter 19: 11 - 21. Remember, the book of Revelation is not linear. It’s not what happens next, but rather, what John sees next.
So, if we take the a-millennial view, what we see described in Revelation is not primarily something that is going to happen in the future, but is primarily everything that is happening here and now in the period the Last Days. This means that even though we see a lot of bad stuff happening in the world (now, and across the course of history) this can be explained in terms of the seals, the trumpets and the bowls, and the work of Satan’s (the Dragon) agents (the beasts and prostitute). But Satan is bound. And the Kingdom of God is advancing and growing - not physically, but spiritually.
In Matthew 12: 29 and Mark 3: 27 Jesus is recorded as saying He had come to bind the “strong man” to plunder his goods - implying that He had come to bind the enemy. Jesus sees Satan falling from Heaven even as He gives the disciples authority to trample on his powers (Luke 10: 18 - 19 and John 12: 31). The Apostle Paul says that Jesus disarmed the demonic rulers through the cross (Colossians 2: 15), and Hebrews 2: 14 speaks of Christ rendering the devil powerless. According to Revelation 20: 7 - 9, the end point of the binding occurs immediately before the second coming of Jesus.
The binding of Satan doesn’t mean a complete cessation of his activities. Satan is still active, but now he must operate subject to Christ’s authority (Matthew 12: 29 and Mark 3: 27). His destructive powers mysteriously serve to further the deeper and wider purposes of God, as in Revelation 9: 1 - 2, where plagues are released to harden further the hearts of those who are opposed to the Kingdom of God.
v4 I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God - this is the same group described in chapter 6 verse 9. They are the Christians who died while holding to their faith despite suffering and persecution of various sorts. Believers are referred to as “souls” to distinguish between their deceased human bodies and their present heavenly existence where they await the final resurrection of their glorified bodies.
v5 The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended - this is interesting. Christians, when they die, their soul goes to be with the Lord (see above), which fits with the promises Jesus made to the repentant thief next to Him on the cross “Today you will be with Me in paradise.” But for the unrepentant, when they die, they do not come back to life until the final judgment. As you could imagine, there is a lot of debate about this (look up “Doctrine of the Intermediate State” if you’re interested - or can’t sleep 😜 ). Whichever millennial position you take has a flow-on effect regarding this issue. Suffice to say, the Bible actually doesn’t say a lot that is conclusive on the state of the non-Christian in the “intermediate” period. The parable that Jesus told about the rich man and Lazarus alludes to the rich man being somewhere 🤷 ; and 2 Peter 2: 9 says the Lord knows how to keep “the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment.”
v7 Satan will be let out of his prison - Satan makes one final attempt to destroy the Church by deceiving pagan nations to do a work of extermination. But even when Satan is finally “let off his leash” (so to speak) he fails in this attempt, and meets his own final defeat and punishment. This happens at the end of the “millennium” and directly before the final judgment.
v14 lake of fire - an unending, conscious punishment for all who are consigned to it. It is also described here as the “second death.” This shows that torment in the lake of fire is not physical death in the sense of annihilation, but suffering that is primarily (but not totally) spiritual in nature. Part of the reality of suffering the second death is eternal separation from the presence of God in His city. While the righteous (by faith) enjoy the blessings of participation in God’s city, the unrepentant will dwell outside this heavenly city, and suffer the absence of God’s goodness.
v15 Book of Life - we’ve seen a reference to this book before in chapter 3 verse 5 and it comes up again in chapter 21 verse 27. The first time it is mentioned in the Bible is Daniel 12 verse 1 (as Matt Chandler keeps saying, there’s nothing in Revelation that hasn’t already been revealed somewhere else in the Bible). Those with their name in the Book of Life do not suffer judgment for their evil deeds because the Lamb (Jesus) has already suffered it for them. As we saw in chapter 3, the Lamb acknowledges before God all who are written in the Book, and who are therefore identified with His righteousness and death.
The millennium (see below) is a symbolic reference to what is becoming a long period of time (from our perspective) between when Jesus ascended to Heaven and when He returns. This period is what we have been referring to as the Last Days.
At the end of the Last Days, Satan is released from being bound in the bottomless pit, and has one last go at wrecking havoc on the earth, before he is finally dispatched into Hell, never to bother God’s people ever again.
The great final judgment sees the separation of those who have their names in the Lamb’s Book of Life and those who bear the mark of the beast (remember these are spiritual metaphors describing those who are Christians and those who did not repent and believe). Those who died as unbelievers joined Satan and his demons in “the lake of fire” (symbolic for hell).
Some helpful explainers....
Chapter 19
v17 Come! Gather together for the great banquet God has prepared. - this sounds like it could be the great wedding feast of the Lamb described in verse 9, but it’s not. It’s actually a parody of that invitation. It’s borrowing imagery from Ezekiel 39 referring to the end-time destruction of “Gog and Magog.” The prophecy of God’s triumph over His enemies in Ezekiel 39 still awaits fulfilment, but now the angel updates it by identifying Jesus as the agent of Satan’s defeat, and identifying Gog and Magog as the beast, the false prophet, and their armies.
Chapter 20
v2 for a thousand years - oh goodness, so much disagreement among Christians about how to understand what this is a reference to. It hinges mainly on whether you apply a literal interpretation to it (ie: it is talking about exactly 1,000 of our years), or whether this is yet another symbolic reference (and therefore is simply referring to a long period of time). Another word for a thousand is a millennium, and so the different Christian positions have been labelled as:
- pre-millennial - Jesus will return before the literal thousand years
- post-millennial - Jesus will return after the literal thousand years
- a-millennial - Jesus will return after a long time.
I’ve always understood this to be figurative (like so much of Revelation is), and so I’m in the a- millennial camp. Matt Chandler is there too. I simply think it’s a more consistent way of understanding the Book of Revelation, as well as the rest of the New Testament, as well as the prophecies of the Old Testament. (By the way, if you disagree and take another view regarding what the thousand years is referring to, that’s OK. I still love and respect you. I guess we’ll find out in Heaven who was right! 😜 )
To this end, it is helpful to understand that what we read in chapter 20 verses 1 - 6 (regarding the millennium period) happens before the final battle described in chapter 19: 11 - 21. Remember, the book of Revelation is not linear. It’s not what happens next, but rather, what John sees next.
So, if we take the a-millennial view, what we see described in Revelation is not primarily something that is going to happen in the future, but is primarily everything that is happening here and now in the period the Last Days. This means that even though we see a lot of bad stuff happening in the world (now, and across the course of history) this can be explained in terms of the seals, the trumpets and the bowls, and the work of Satan’s (the Dragon) agents (the beasts and prostitute). But Satan is bound. And the Kingdom of God is advancing and growing - not physically, but spiritually.
In Matthew 12: 29 and Mark 3: 27 Jesus is recorded as saying He had come to bind the “strong man” to plunder his goods - implying that He had come to bind the enemy. Jesus sees Satan falling from Heaven even as He gives the disciples authority to trample on his powers (Luke 10: 18 - 19 and John 12: 31). The Apostle Paul says that Jesus disarmed the demonic rulers through the cross (Colossians 2: 15), and Hebrews 2: 14 speaks of Christ rendering the devil powerless. According to Revelation 20: 7 - 9, the end point of the binding occurs immediately before the second coming of Jesus.
The binding of Satan doesn’t mean a complete cessation of his activities. Satan is still active, but now he must operate subject to Christ’s authority (Matthew 12: 29 and Mark 3: 27). His destructive powers mysteriously serve to further the deeper and wider purposes of God, as in Revelation 9: 1 - 2, where plagues are released to harden further the hearts of those who are opposed to the Kingdom of God.
v4 I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God - this is the same group described in chapter 6 verse 9. They are the Christians who died while holding to their faith despite suffering and persecution of various sorts. Believers are referred to as “souls” to distinguish between their deceased human bodies and their present heavenly existence where they await the final resurrection of their glorified bodies.
v5 The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended - this is interesting. Christians, when they die, their soul goes to be with the Lord (see above), which fits with the promises Jesus made to the repentant thief next to Him on the cross “Today you will be with Me in paradise.” But for the unrepentant, when they die, they do not come back to life until the final judgment. As you could imagine, there is a lot of debate about this (look up “Doctrine of the Intermediate State” if you’re interested - or can’t sleep 😜 ). Whichever millennial position you take has a flow-on effect regarding this issue. Suffice to say, the Bible actually doesn’t say a lot that is conclusive on the state of the non-Christian in the “intermediate” period. The parable that Jesus told about the rich man and Lazarus alludes to the rich man being somewhere 🤷 ; and 2 Peter 2: 9 says the Lord knows how to keep “the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment.”
v7 Satan will be let out of his prison - Satan makes one final attempt to destroy the Church by deceiving pagan nations to do a work of extermination. But even when Satan is finally “let off his leash” (so to speak) he fails in this attempt, and meets his own final defeat and punishment. This happens at the end of the “millennium” and directly before the final judgment.
v14 lake of fire - an unending, conscious punishment for all who are consigned to it. It is also described here as the “second death.” This shows that torment in the lake of fire is not physical death in the sense of annihilation, but suffering that is primarily (but not totally) spiritual in nature. Part of the reality of suffering the second death is eternal separation from the presence of God in His city. While the righteous (by faith) enjoy the blessings of participation in God’s city, the unrepentant will dwell outside this heavenly city, and suffer the absence of God’s goodness.
v15 Book of Life - we’ve seen a reference to this book before in chapter 3 verse 5 and it comes up again in chapter 21 verse 27. The first time it is mentioned in the Bible is Daniel 12 verse 1 (as Matt Chandler keeps saying, there’s nothing in Revelation that hasn’t already been revealed somewhere else in the Bible). Those with their name in the Book of Life do not suffer judgment for their evil deeds because the Lamb (Jesus) has already suffered it for them. As we saw in chapter 3, the Lamb acknowledges before God all who are written in the Book, and who are therefore identified with His righteousness and death.
Week 12
ALL THINGS NEW
Promises are fulfilled. Every wrong is made right. God reigns eternal.
Bible Passage: Revelation 21 & 22
The final two chapters of the Book of Revelation (and therefore the Bible) leave all the controversy about the millennium behind, and draw our attention to all things being made new at the final return of Jesus.
And what a beautiful picture is painted.
In Romans 8 it says that “the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay” (verse 21). That day is the day when Jesus returns and ushers in a renewed earth and renewed sky (the universe basically) that is no longer the broken, fallen world we experience now, but a wonderfully new and beautiful place where our resurrected bodies will spend eternity in the presence of God.
Some helpful explainers....
Chapter 21
v1 a new heaven and a new earth - we sometimes think of Heaven as some other “cloudy” kind of place where we get wild powers and abilities, and spend our time worshipping God in song continually. But the revelation Jesus gave John paints a different picture. And it’s one that in some ways will be very familiar to us, but at the same time one that will also be crazy different (in a good way).
Often in the Bible, a reference to “the heavens” is describing what we might refer to as “the universe” or “space”, or “the stars”. So when we see the phrase “heaven and earth” it should be understood as all of Creation - the earth, sun, moon and stars etc..
Here we see it referred to as a new heaven and a new earth. And so we need to understand that there will definitely be a physicality about the place where Christians will spend eternity. We will have physical bodies on a physical earth, but they will be resurrected bodies and the earth will be a renewed earth.
v1 the sea was also gone - the general consensus among theologians of note is that this is a reference to the absence of chaos in the world (in the ancient world, the seas were associated with chaos). So instead of the earth being absent of oceans, it will be absent of anything that disrupts the beautiful created order.
v2 the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven - in 2 Peter chapter 3 verse 7 it says that “the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire.” We should understand this to be similar to a bushfire that goes through burning everything in its path. The “new Jerusalem” then should be understood to figuratively represent the new earth, where God makes everything better..
v3 God’s home is now among his people! - you might remember from the first two chapters of the Bible that the original garden of Eden was a place where God dwelt with Adam and Eve. You see sin had not happened at this point, and so close fellowship with God was possible. But after sin entered (Genesis 3) this close physical fellowship was no longer possible. In the renewed "heavens and earth” the close physical fellowship is recaptured because sin has been defeated by Jesus and is removed from the equation entirely.
v4 no more death or sorrow or crying to pain - oh yeah! Because sin is removed, the consequences of sin no longer exist either. The world is no longer fallen or broken. Everything that is bad and wrong with this world - everything that grieves us - is gone forever. So many prophecies from Isaiah are fulfilled then - Isaiah 25: 8, Isaiah 35: 10, Isaiah 51: 11 and Isaiah 65: 17 to name a few.
v8 But cowards - the list in verse 8 of people who do not get to enjoy the “new heavens and new earth” includes those who have claimed to be part of the Kingdom of God but who, driven by fear of humans rather than love of God, have compromised in the face of persecution.
v10 he took me in the Spirit - John was taken away by the Holy Spirit, as was the prophet Ezekiel (see chapters 3, 11 and 45). And it is not coincidental that everything that is revealed to John about the new Jerusalem draws on imagery that we have already been given in the prophecies of Ezekiel, Isaiah, Daniel and Micah.
v15 gold measuring stick - theologians like to point out that this measuring of the city-temple here figuratively represents the placing of God’s boundaries around the city by which it is protected from harm and the entrance of any form of evil.
v16 he found it was a square - Ezekiel 45 verse 2 likewise asserts that the temple complex the prophet is to measure will be a square. The Holy of Holies in Solomon’s temple was also square. The altars in the tabernacle of Moses were, yep, square, as was the breastplate of the High Priest.
v16 1,400 miles - literally, 12,000 stadia. This number reinforces the figurative idea of the completeness of God’s people, which we have seen earlier in the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve Apostles, multiplied by 1,000 - a number of completeness.
v22 I saw no temple in the city - well, not a physical one. He goes on to say that “the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its Temple.” This, among many other things, is another break with Judaism, which has consistently affirmed the hope of a final, material temple structure on a scale greater than any before.
v23 the city has no need of sun or moon - hang on, what about the universe remaining and being renewed? Doesn’t this suggest there will be no sun or moon? Well, notice it says the city will have “no need” of the sun or the moon. It doesn’t say there will be no sun or moon. The point is being made that because of the presence of God, the brightness of His glory will mean that any other forms of light will be incomparable.
Chapter 22
v2 tree of life - once again we’ve gone full circle. Remember the tree of life from the Garden of Eden? It was taken away when sin entered the scene, but now it’s back!
v16 this message for the churches - this revelation was given by Jesus to John to encourages the churches to whom it was written initially (the churches mentioned in chapters 2 & 3), but also to us as well. The time is different ( we are living almost 2,000 years hence), but the message is the same. Jesus has made the way to everlasting life, and He will return some day unexpectedly and redeem all those who are His to be with Him in the new earth and heavens.
v17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” - the invitation to all is to come and put your faith and trust in Jesus. The Holy Spirit is working to regenerate peoples’ hearts, and the mission of the church (the bride) is to make disciples of all nations.
v20 Come, Lord Jesus! - we should join with the Apostle, yearning for the return of our Saviour, and the day when all things will be made new!
And what a beautiful picture is painted.
In Romans 8 it says that “the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay” (verse 21). That day is the day when Jesus returns and ushers in a renewed earth and renewed sky (the universe basically) that is no longer the broken, fallen world we experience now, but a wonderfully new and beautiful place where our resurrected bodies will spend eternity in the presence of God.
Some helpful explainers....
Chapter 21
v1 a new heaven and a new earth - we sometimes think of Heaven as some other “cloudy” kind of place where we get wild powers and abilities, and spend our time worshipping God in song continually. But the revelation Jesus gave John paints a different picture. And it’s one that in some ways will be very familiar to us, but at the same time one that will also be crazy different (in a good way).
Often in the Bible, a reference to “the heavens” is describing what we might refer to as “the universe” or “space”, or “the stars”. So when we see the phrase “heaven and earth” it should be understood as all of Creation - the earth, sun, moon and stars etc..
Here we see it referred to as a new heaven and a new earth. And so we need to understand that there will definitely be a physicality about the place where Christians will spend eternity. We will have physical bodies on a physical earth, but they will be resurrected bodies and the earth will be a renewed earth.
v1 the sea was also gone - the general consensus among theologians of note is that this is a reference to the absence of chaos in the world (in the ancient world, the seas were associated with chaos). So instead of the earth being absent of oceans, it will be absent of anything that disrupts the beautiful created order.
v2 the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven - in 2 Peter chapter 3 verse 7 it says that “the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire.” We should understand this to be similar to a bushfire that goes through burning everything in its path. The “new Jerusalem” then should be understood to figuratively represent the new earth, where God makes everything better..
v3 God’s home is now among his people! - you might remember from the first two chapters of the Bible that the original garden of Eden was a place where God dwelt with Adam and Eve. You see sin had not happened at this point, and so close fellowship with God was possible. But after sin entered (Genesis 3) this close physical fellowship was no longer possible. In the renewed "heavens and earth” the close physical fellowship is recaptured because sin has been defeated by Jesus and is removed from the equation entirely.
v4 no more death or sorrow or crying to pain - oh yeah! Because sin is removed, the consequences of sin no longer exist either. The world is no longer fallen or broken. Everything that is bad and wrong with this world - everything that grieves us - is gone forever. So many prophecies from Isaiah are fulfilled then - Isaiah 25: 8, Isaiah 35: 10, Isaiah 51: 11 and Isaiah 65: 17 to name a few.
v8 But cowards - the list in verse 8 of people who do not get to enjoy the “new heavens and new earth” includes those who have claimed to be part of the Kingdom of God but who, driven by fear of humans rather than love of God, have compromised in the face of persecution.
v10 he took me in the Spirit - John was taken away by the Holy Spirit, as was the prophet Ezekiel (see chapters 3, 11 and 45). And it is not coincidental that everything that is revealed to John about the new Jerusalem draws on imagery that we have already been given in the prophecies of Ezekiel, Isaiah, Daniel and Micah.
v15 gold measuring stick - theologians like to point out that this measuring of the city-temple here figuratively represents the placing of God’s boundaries around the city by which it is protected from harm and the entrance of any form of evil.
v16 he found it was a square - Ezekiel 45 verse 2 likewise asserts that the temple complex the prophet is to measure will be a square. The Holy of Holies in Solomon’s temple was also square. The altars in the tabernacle of Moses were, yep, square, as was the breastplate of the High Priest.
v16 1,400 miles - literally, 12,000 stadia. This number reinforces the figurative idea of the completeness of God’s people, which we have seen earlier in the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve Apostles, multiplied by 1,000 - a number of completeness.
v22 I saw no temple in the city - well, not a physical one. He goes on to say that “the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its Temple.” This, among many other things, is another break with Judaism, which has consistently affirmed the hope of a final, material temple structure on a scale greater than any before.
v23 the city has no need of sun or moon - hang on, what about the universe remaining and being renewed? Doesn’t this suggest there will be no sun or moon? Well, notice it says the city will have “no need” of the sun or the moon. It doesn’t say there will be no sun or moon. The point is being made that because of the presence of God, the brightness of His glory will mean that any other forms of light will be incomparable.
Chapter 22
v2 tree of life - once again we’ve gone full circle. Remember the tree of life from the Garden of Eden? It was taken away when sin entered the scene, but now it’s back!
v16 this message for the churches - this revelation was given by Jesus to John to encourages the churches to whom it was written initially (the churches mentioned in chapters 2 & 3), but also to us as well. The time is different ( we are living almost 2,000 years hence), but the message is the same. Jesus has made the way to everlasting life, and He will return some day unexpectedly and redeem all those who are His to be with Him in the new earth and heavens.
v17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” - the invitation to all is to come and put your faith and trust in Jesus. The Holy Spirit is working to regenerate peoples’ hearts, and the mission of the church (the bride) is to make disciples of all nations.
v20 Come, Lord Jesus! - we should join with the Apostle, yearning for the return of our Saviour, and the day when all things will be made new!