A Year of Grace

25--Good-Bye 2016

Today is the last day of 2016, and it was my goal to cover the whole gospel story by the end of the year. We made it from Genesis to Revelation! The promises made by God in Genesis 3:15 after the fall have all been fulfilled in Christ who was "revealed" in Revelation as the now ruling human king who reigns over heaven and earth. The Old Covenant was completely abolished in 70 A.D. when the temple was destroyed and sacrifices were no longer possible. The New Covenant is here and we are in the "last days" that all the prophets spoke of. 

Only one prophecy remains to be fulfilled: the Second Coming of Christ when he comes the final time to restore Eden. There will be no signs preceding this coming; rather he will come like a thief in the night, when everybody least expects it. People will be saying, "Peace and security" and partying, getting married and living life in normal ways when the end finally comes. It could be today or it could be thousands of years from now, but God will wait until the last of His elect enters the Kingdom. When the last of His elect escapes death, then death will be completely conquered and nothing will stop His return for His bride. 

There will be a final judgment for the wicked, but the Bride of Christ will be fully arrayed in the most beautiful attire and the Wedding Feast will commence after which there will be a honeymoon that lasts forever! 

My goal for the next year is to write about how we should live in the meantime. The letters of Peter, James, John, and Paul will be the basis for what we can expect and how we should respond to all the trials and tribulations that will come our way in 2017 and beyond. 

The year 2016 has brought great suffering into our lives, but God has always been so faithful. He has surrounded us with many blessings and so we end the year with grateful hearts for all the grace he has given so freely. Here we are in the Rocky Mountains to end the old year:

Tami and Diane

Diane and Vern

Sprague Lake

Sprague Lake

Fifty Shades of Grace Chapter 24

24--Revelation Made Easy Part 7

The Marriage Supper, Judgment, and the New Creation

This is the last of the posts that will help us to understand Revelation. The Great Tribulation that took place during the birthing of Christianity is over. The long millennium that began when Christ ascended into heaven is over. The last of God's elect has received life and so death is forever conquered. Christ comes again to restore Eden! 

Some people think that when Christ comes again, it will be to take us all to heaven, but that is not exactly true. When he comes again, heaven will come down to the new earth. Instead of us living with him in heaven, he will dwell with us on earth! That is what Immanuel means--God with us! Heaven for us will be like coming home. It will not be some strange place with weird and bizarre creatures. Well, there might be some weird and bizarre creatures, but they will be friendly and we won't be afraid of them. 

There will be a big wedding feast and everyone will be part of the Ultimate Party. You will need to read Revelation 19-22 to finish off this last section. Here is how the chapters break down:

The Marriage Supper (Chapter 19)

Heavenly worship: Babylon’s fall leads to heavenly rejoicing. The sainst in heaven praise God for martyr vindication. John presents this contrast (18:22—no more music) for rhetorical effect. Remember the avenged blood of the saints is a major sub-plot in Revelation.

The marriage supper of the Lamb  

1. The marriage supper is an image of New Covenant celebration. Matt. 22:2-3,7-9 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come.  The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.  Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy.  Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 
2. This is not the actual marriage, but anticipates the actual marriage. Israel has now been punished and judged to death and the new covenant is firmly established. 

Christ comes in historical judgment. He is the rider on the white horse. He is dressed like the warrior groom of Psalm 45 and he is coming to take his new bride. We know this is not yet the second coming because it must occur in John’s lifetime. (22:10) He is warring on the beast (Nero) and the false prophet (high priestly aristocracy. (20) The high priestly aristocracy disappears after 70 AD. 

The Millennium and Judgment (Chapter 20)

This is the only passage in Revelation that breaches the near time constraints. the number 1000 is a symbol of vastness—in this case a long period of time that extends to the end of history. John is now seeing the distant future. The only other place in Scripture that attests to this long period of time between 70 AD and the end of history is Matt. 25 where Jesus gives several parables about the long delay of the bridegroom or master. 

The binding of Satan was actually initiated during the earthly ministry of Jesus, but now we have the formal public and very dramatic presentation of this binding when the beast and false prophet are destroyed in the events surrounding 70 AD. The binding means that Satan is constrained for the purpose of preventing him from deceiving the nations, but he is still on  the scene. This will allow for the spread of the gospel. 

Christ establishes his rule during his first century ministry. Mark 1:14-15 "Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Matt. 12:28  "But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you."

Christ includes his people in his rule. Col. 1:13  "He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son."  Eph. 2:6  "and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus"  The Kingdom rule is already present in Revelation 1:6. In this vision, John is adapting this spiritual truth and applying it contextually to the first century martyrs:

1. No other believers are mentioned here. 
2. It follows upon the 70 AD victory of Christ in Rev. 19
3. The prayer of the saints in 6:9-11 is answered in 20:4. We see the same words used—souls of those who were beheaded, testimony, etc. But notice now that they are no longer under the altar!!! They are on thrones and will rule with Christ through the millennium. 
4. The first resurrection is not a bodily resurrection, but is a special reward for these martyrs. They died under the beasts, but when the beasts die, they are raised up to thrones and will reign during the millennium. 

The final judgment. John sees to the end of time that all those who give their lives to Christ will be given eternal life. 

The New Creation and the New Jerusalem (Chapter 21)

The new creation begins in the first century. While creation of the new heavens and the new earth await the second coming, those who will people the earth are already a new creation. II Cor. 5:17  "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." Isaiah 65 is the OT backdrop for this:

17 

“For behold, I create new heavens

    and a new earth,

and the former things shall not be remembered

    or come into mind.

20 

No more shall there be in it

    an infant who lives but a few days,

    or an old man who does not fill out his days,

for the young man shall die a hundred years old,

    and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.

Verse 20 has to occur BEFORE the second coming because it assumes there is still death in the world. 

Compare Rev. 21:12-14 with Ezekiel 48:30-35

The Gates of the City

Ezekiel 48:30-35  “These shall be the exits of the city: On the north side, which is to be 4,500 cubits by measure,  three gates, the gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah, and the gate of Levi, the gates of the city being named after the tribes of Israel.  On the east side, which is to be 4,500 cubits, three gates, the gate of Joseph, the gate of Benjamin, and the gate of Dan.  On the south side, which is to be 4,500 cubits by measure, three gates, the gate of Simeon, the gate of Issachar, and the gate of Zebulun.  On the west side, which is to be 4,500 cubits, three gates, the gate of Gad, the gate of Asher, and the gate of Naphtali.  The circumference of the city shall be 18,000 cubits. And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The Lord Is There.”

The city is a perfect cube which harks back to the Holy of Holies and is much bigger. This means the city is architecturally perfect and has become the most intimate dwelling place of God.

The River of Life (Chapter 22)

The tree of life—image of salvation. It is the cross. 

Compare 22:1-5 with Ezekiel 47:1-12

Water Flowing from the Temple

Ezekiel 47:1-12  Then he brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar.  Then he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate that faces toward the east; and behold, the water was trickling out on the south side.

 Going on eastward with a measuring line in his hand, the man measured a thousand cubits, and then led me through the water, and it was ankle-deep.  Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was knee-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was waist-deep.  Again he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen. It was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through.  And he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?”

Then he led me back to the bank of the river.  As I went back, I saw on the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other.  And he said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea; when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh.  And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes.  Fishermen will stand beside the sea. From Engedi to Eneglaim it will be a place for the spreading of nets. Its fish will be of very many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea.  But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt.  And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.”

Jesus is coming

Once again we are reminded thrice (22:6, 10, 20) that Christ is coming soon in judgment. The end of the book gives both encouragement and warning. There are numerous allusions to the OT prophets in this section, including Isaiah 55:1

“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”

Surely I am coming soon. Amen. Come Lord Jesus!

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

Isn't it amazing that the very last complete sentence in the Bible is about GRACE? It is all grace from beginning to end. The gospel story is complete in this chapter and the only thing that still awaits is the Second Coming of Christ. What a day that will be--like the Ultimate New Year--with new beginnings and new bodies and a new heaven and a new earth.

It is the end of 2016 as I write this and we are looking forward to 2017. Here are some pics we took when our dear grandchildren spent New Year's Eve and New Year's Day with us in 2012. Our home was like a winter wonderland that year!

  

Fifty Shades of Grace Chapter 23

23--Revelation Made Easy Part Six

The Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath

We are getting close to the final stage of God's judgment on unbelieving Israel--on the generation that crucified Christ. Each set of 7 judgments has been increasing in intensity. The 7 letters warned the churches to endure to the end; the 7 seals were the declaration of coming judgment; the 7 trumpets signaled that destruction was immanent; and now the 7 bowls of God's wrath will be poured out on Jerusalem. It is too late now for repentance. For this next section, you will need to read Revelation 16-18. 

16:1 The voice from the temple is God or Christ. (15:8—no one was allowed to enter the sanctuary so the voice had to be God’s.)

The imagery:

Heaven’s temple sends judgments on the earthly temple. The angels are dressed like priests (15:6) and they pour out bowls like the ones used in tabernacle worship (Ex. 25:29). These bowls are poured out on the land.

These 7 judgment angels reflect the 7 judgment angels of Ezekiel 8:2 & 9:1-2. They too were destroying angels going into Jerusalem. 

The first bowl 16:2

1. Reflects Egyptian plague of boils in Ex. 9:8-12.
2. Reminds us of the covenant curse of God (Deut. 28:22, 27, 35)
3. Has a historical possibility as injuries from swords became infected and developed ulcers.

The second bowl 16:3

1. The sea becoming like blood reflects the water turned to blood in ancient Egypt, and also the second trumpet, only this time the whole sea turns to blood instead of only 1/3.
2. This signifies God’s curse. (His blessing is signified by turning water into wine.) 
3. It highlights historic events in the Jewish War. Josephus (JW 3.10.9 and 4.7.6) writes that the Romans leaped out of boats and killed so many that the sea turned red with blood. 

The third bowl 16:4-7

1. Shows the righteous nature of Revelation’s judge—“Holy One” and uses legal terms
2. The judgments are based on the lex talionis, the law of retaliation based on Ex. 21:23-25. (See Matt. 23:34 for the accusation.)
3. Rev. 16:6 leaves no doubt at all that the punishment is for Israel and her high priests. (See also Luke 11:49-50)

The fourth bowl 16:8-9

1. Historical reality: Josephus writes (JW 3.4.1) Galilee was filled with fire and blood... (JW 3.7.42) ...they were destitute for water and died from the heat... (JW 5.6.2) Titus set the suburbs on fire; (JW 6.4.5) ...the final siege was late summer and the heat killed many. 
2. This reminds us of Christ’s own threat in Luke 12:49—I have come to cast fire on the earth (land). 

The fifth bowl 16:10-11

1. The throne of the beast would be the temple. Darkness=the collapse of power. 

2. Typically the beast would represent the rule of Rome, but the way Rome governed was through the local authorities. In Israel Rome governed through the high priests. Israel was an Imperial Province which would have been directly under the control of the Emperor who appointed procurators—in this case the high priests were given this authority. The temple at this time functioned to subdue the people and maintain Roman rule. Josephus (JW 18.2.1) explains that Rome appointed the priests. The Jews were not allowed to do anything—like celebrating feasts—until the Romans showed up. In the priests own words: “”If we let him [Jesus] go on like this everyone will believe in him and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” (John 11:48) 

3. The darkness reminds us of the darkness in Egypt during the plagues.

4. Josephus, in describing the priesthood spoke of corruption, avarice, and collaboration with Rome. 

The sixth bowl 16:12

1. The reference to the Euphrates means Israel is the focus. The Euphrates was the God-ordained boundary of the Promised Land. In the OT, drying water was a sign of God’s judgment. In Exodus 14 it was God’s judgment on Egypt when he dried the waters to let Israel escape while the Egyptians drowned. In this ironic reversal, the Euphrates now dries up to let Israel’s enemies come across. The Roman General Titus came into the land by crossing the Euphrates. 

2. The unclean spirits are similar in form to the frogs of the Egyptian plague. The function is speech that comes out of the mouths of the dragon, beast and false prophet to accuse Christians. They gather the kings of the Roman empire to war. 

3. The place is Har-Magedon—further evidence that Israel is the focus. Israel had suffered many losses in this place, and it came to be associated with great loss, the greatest of which was the death of King Josiah, the last of the godly kings of Judah. For them, that was like the end of the world and Armageddon became a metaphor for the last great battle at Jerusalem -- kind of like "9-1-1" is a metaphor for a terrorist attack in America. Zechariah 12:11 confirms this when he speaks of the way Jerusalem will mourn over “him whom they have pierced.” On that day, the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the morning for Hada-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. 

The seventh bowl 16:17-21

1. Notice there is no interlude this time. No more stalling. No more delay. No more grace. 
2. The bowl is poured on the air. (This does NOT mean drones!!! LOL) Air is the source of lightning and thunder and hail. 
3. There is a declaration of accomplishment. "It is done!” The earthly temple is finally destroyed. 
4. The theophonic signs (lightning, thunder, and quake) that were present at Sinai when Israel was established are now present again as the Kingdom of Christ is established. Any Jew who knew his history would have  understood that Jesus has now been “revealed” as the reigning King whose kingdom is established. Josephus reports in (JW 6.5.1) that the priests felt the quaking and heard the noise. They knew! He reported that the violent noise was compounded by the echoing of the mountains as 100 pound boulders were catapulted over the wall landing everywhere--just like Revelation says. The boulders were white which made them look like giant hail. The battering rams shook the wall (JW 3.17.19) and and finally the ground gave way and the wall collapsed. (JW 6.1.3)  
5. Inside the city was split in three factions warring against each other. Both Josephus and Tacitus report that the civil war engaged three factions. 
6. Notice also that stoning was the OT punishment for adultery. 
7. Titus, the conquering general, gave credit for his victory to God, saying that at one point he realized the city was invincible but their own God came to his aid. 

The Great Harlot  Chapter 17

Chapters 15-16 bring an end to the judgment of Israel. It is done! Chapter 17 now zooms in to look specifically at the harlot herself. It is a review of the 6th and 7th bowls from the perspective of the Old Testament prophets as their prophecies come to final conclusion. It should be read in the context of:

Exodus 28:6-39

Deuteronomy 28:15-68

Isaiah 1:21; 57:3

Jeremiah 3:3; 7:4, 8-15, 30-34; 11:14-15; 14:11-12; 16:1-13; 19:4-15

Lamentations 4:13

Ezekiel 16

Hosea 4; 9:15-17

These passages will give us the contextual evidence for identifying the harlot. We also get contextual New Testament evidence from the following passages:

Matt. 12:38-39; 16:4; 21:32 & 43; 23:29-24:35

Mark 8:38-9:1

Luke 11:49-50; 13:33-35; 19:41-44; 21:5-9, 20-28

The climax of the book of Revelation is the destruction of the harlot. And we know from the beginning of the book that “these things must soon take place.” Jesus told us her destruction would come to “this generation.” It is important that we identify the harlot. The majority view is that Babylon is Rome. But if Babylon is Rome, then who is the beast? Fortunately, we are given many Scriptural clues as to the identity of the harlot Babylon. Here are the clues:

1. The harlot is dressed up like a high priest, wearing the clothes, the colors, the jewels, and holding the golden cup! We no longer see these priests today, so their garb is unfamiliar to us, but any Jew reading this description would have immediately recognized that the harlot was dressed like a high priest. (Today we would react the same way if the harlot was described as wearing a black habit with a crucifix around her neck and carrying a rosary!) 
2. She has “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations”  inscribed on her forehead just as the Jewish high priest wore a plate on his forehead that said, “Holy to the Lord.”
3. The harlot’s character is contrasted point for point with the character of the bride. (Compare Rev. ch. 17 & ch. 21).
4. She is drunk with the blood of the saints and martyrs of Jesus.
5. The beast is easily identified as Rome with the 7 hills (Aventine, Caelian, Esquiline, Quirinal, Capitoline, Palatine, and Viminal) and 7 Emperors. Vs. 10 tells us that 5 (Julius, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, and Claudius) have fallen; one is (Nero); and the next will remain only a little while (Galba). Therefore the harlot can NOT be Rome. 
6. The harlot is sitting on the beast—directing the beast—to do her bidding. (To Pilate she said, “Crucify him!”; she followed the apostles all over the empire stirring up persecution by having Roman rulers imprison and give the death sentence to followers of Christ.) 
7. The beast and the ten kings (appointed by Rome) turn on the harlot and do three things:

a. vs. 16 They strip her naked (Just as covering a woman with a garment signified a commitment to marriage, stripping a woman in public signified divorce. (See Ruth 3:9 and Ez. 16:8)) This reinforces that this is a divorce court drama! 

b. They devour her flesh (Josephus reports the horrific instances of cannibalism)

c. They burn her up with fire (Jerusalem and all of its suburbs were burned)

Finally, the harlot is revealed in vs. 18 to be “the great city” which has already been previously identified for us in chapter 11:8 as the city where our Lord was crucified—Jerusalem. Therefore there is a preponderance of evidence for Babylon as a metaphor for Jerusalem and the harlot as the high priestly aristocracy. Rome is the beast upon which the harlot sits. 

The beast and the ten kings do these things : “for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast until the words of God are fulfilled.” 

The ten kings are the ones who rule over their assigned localities with little interference from Rome. However, on this occasion they all agree to help Rome defeat Jerusalem once and for all. 

The many waters signify the Jewish Diaspora, which is a fancy name for the dispersion of the Jews throughout the Roman Empire. Ethnic Jews had spread throughout the Roman Empire and both Philo and Josephus testify that there was no place in the Empire where the Jews were not. They also proselytized many Greeks into Judaism. (JW 7.3.3) Both John and Acts mention this dispersion. In fact, at Pentecost Jews from every tribe and nation and language were present to hear Peter’s sermon. 

Sitting on the waters— sitting is a posture of rule. The fact that the woman was “seated on many waters” shows the great influence that the Jews had in the Empire. 

kings of the earth — would be better translated “rulers of the land” as it refers to the Jewish priesthood and “land” means Israel. Jesus many times used the same word that we see translated as “earth” when he was very obviously referring to Israel (Matt. 23:35, 24:30; Luke 18:8, 21:35.) The Greek can mean either and it would be best to substitute “land” when we know the meaning is Israel. Also the Greek word for king also means any ruler. 

The ten kings — are secondary authorities aligned with Rome. They are part of the beast (ten horns) and are subordinate to the beast given temporary authority. Provincial governors. They war against the Lamb and are defeated by the Lamb, but not before doing the Lamb’s bidding by destroying the harlot. Josephus JW 6.3.5 says the Romans hated the Jews with more bitter hatred than normal. 

The Lament over Babylon  Chapter 18

The mighty angel is Christ. We have already seen a similar description of him in 10:1. In Revelation, glory is invariably associated with God or Christ. His great authority is related to 17:14 where he is declared to be Lord of Lord and King of Kings. 

Relationship between Babylonian harlot and demons — Jesus had called the unbelieving Jews a “synagogue of Satan” (3:9) and he had told the Pharisees that their father was the devil (John 8:44). In Rev. 9 we saw demons flooding the land. The High Priestly aristocracy is associated with the dragon in Rev. 12. The false prophet represents Israel’s high priest. 

The harlot and drunkenness — The source of her drunkenness is persecution (the blood of the saints). The spread of her sin includes intoxicating the nations. (Acts 26:11) The Jews turned Gentiles against Christians (Acts 17:5). Jesus himself warned of this (Matt. 10:17-18). 

The kings (rulers) and merchants of the land — The Jerusalem temple was an economic entity through which flowed enormous amounts of wealth which enriched the high priestly aristocracy. They themselves had huge mansions. The merchants were the middlemen who also prospered greatly. 

The call to depart the city — This was a call for Christians to leave the city and flee to the mountains. Jesus had warned about this happening in his Olivet Discourse, so they were anticipating this. Eusebius wrote in his Ecclesiastical Histories 3.5.3 that Christians were instructed to remove to Pella, a town in the province of Perea. Note again the reverse Exodus theme: where once God rescued his people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land, He is now rescuing them from the Promised Land. 

The lament of the kings (rulers) — John 11:48 tells us that the priests were concerned about losing their status fearing that Rome would take away their place. Josephus reports that Annanas, the high priest wished to die to before he saw the abomination of the temple. (JW 4.3.9) 

Jerusalem’s citizens lament her destruction — JW 5.1.5 tells us there was incessant lamentation, weeping and wailing as the temple went up in flames. Vespasian even minted a coin to memorialize Israel’s weeping. It shows a Jewess sitting under a tree weeping with the insignia “Judea Captured”. 

The merchants and shipmasters — lost great wealth because everything was destroyed. 

The autopsy of the harlot — “in her was found the blood of prophets and saints and of all who have been slain on the earth (land!). 

For the enemies of Christ, there is no saving grace. But for those of us who are saved, his grace is beyond imagining. 

Today is Christmas Day 2016 and as always we remember those we love, and while we cannot be with our children and grandchildren today, we savor the memories of Christmases  past and look ahead to the Ultimate Christmas--that Christmas on Steroids as my grandkids would say--when Christ returns again to wipe away all tears and put an end to Good-Byes forever! Here are some pics from Christmas 2012:

Fifty Shades of Grace Chapter 22

22-Revelation Made Easy Part 5

The woman, the dragon and the heavenly war

These Revelation  lessons are a wee bit on the hard side because they are long and they also require you to read your Bible. But I know the best detectives love a good challenge, and if you are still a little young for all of this, you will grow into it. And you will love it. Today, you have to read Revelation chapters 12 through 15 and I will tell you what most of the things stand for. We will be using both Old Testament and New Testament references to help us understand this section. 

The woman clothed with the sun refers to Israel as God intended her to be. The prophets speak of Israel as a woman—see Ezekiel 16 for instance. She is clothed with the sun which foreshadows the glory of the New Jerusalem, but she is still buffeted by Satan. The 12 stars are the 12 tribes. After giving birth, her son (Christ) is caught up to heaven and the woman (now the fledgling church) flees to the wilderness where she will be strengthened for 1260 days—roughly 42 months or 3 1/2 years. Josephus tells us about how the Christians in Jerusalem escaped just before Jerusalem was destroyed and they fled to a place in the wilderness called Pella. 

The red dragon is Satan and the color red stands for blood. He was a murderer from the beginning and he seeks to destroy Christ. Here is how he did it:

Matthew 2:16-18 tells us that Herod was furious when he was tricked by the wise men, so he had all the baby boys in Bethlehem under 2 years old killed. 

Matthew 4 tells us how the devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness. 

Luke 22:3 tells us that Satan entered Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus sending him to his death.

The war in heaven is symbolic of a spiritual reality—the overthrowing of Satan’s authority in the world. 

Michael is believed by many scholars to be Christ himself for the following reasons:

1. Michael means “who is like God.”
2. Protestant scholars usually identified Michael with Christ because of the attributes given to him in the book of Daniel.
3. All of Scripture expects Satan’s defeat to be performed by Christ.
4. In Jude, Michael is called an Archangel, which is the equivalent of “Angel of the LORD” in the Old Testament.
5. New Testament theology points to Christ casting down Satan.
6. Revelation 12:6 attribute the victory to Christ

The Evil Triumvirate

John presents and evil trinity as a mockery or counterfeit of the Holy Trinity. It is comprised of Satan, the sea beast (Nero) and the land beast (religious ruler or false prophet.)

The First Beast (Sea Beast)

The first beast rising out of the sea has 7 heads, 10 horns (perfect power and authority) and 10 diadems just like the description of Satan. Since Nero was the emperor, he is portrayed as the incarnate son of Satan, just as Christ is the incarnate son of God. The second beast is in league with the first beast and with Satan, much like the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the father and son. 

The description of the beast like a leopard with bear’s feet and ad mouth like a lion fits with Nero’s reputation as a beast. Tacitus, Apollonia and other first century historians refer to him as a beast and the “basest of all men and beasts.” Tacitus says Nero was the first emperor to persecute Christians and he inflicted unheard of torments on them, putting a vast multitude to death.

The beast arises from the sea giving the perspective of looking at Rome from the point of view of Asia Minor where the 7 churches were located. He utters haughty and blasphemous words. There were temples to the Emperor all over Asia Minor and Nero thought of himself as Apollo. (Apollo rode a chariot in the sky pulling the sun across the sky with a rope.) Nero entered into chariot races and had coins made on which his head radiated the sun’s rays. He built a forty-foot statue of Apollo and put his own head on it. This must have been a pre-cursor of PHOTOBOMBING, don’t you think? Kings worshipped Nero 

The length of the persecution was 42 months—just like Revelation  says and lasted from November of 64 to June of 68 A.D. 

The first beast (Rome) has a remarkable revival. It seems to have a mortal wound, but it is healed and the whole earth marvels. When Nero killed himself, there was civil war for the next year as men fought to claim the throne. Three different emperors ruled in twelve months time and they kept getting assassinated. Finally, Vespasian who was fighting at Jerusalem, gave up fighting the Jews and came back to Rome to help restore order. He became the next emperor. 

The first beast’s mark was a parody of God’s sealing the elect. The first beast’s number—666-pronounced six hundred sixty six NOT six six six!—is the number of Nero’s name when written in Hebrew characters. This is how we know Nero was the beast!

The Second Beast (Land Beast)

The second beast is related to the first beast and is linked to the dragon. He is inferior to the first beast, having only 2 horns and his authority flows out of the first beast. He represents the high priestly aristocracy. He arises from the “land” (Judea—the promised land). He has the appearance of a lamb which harks back to Israel’s sacrificial system. He is later called the false prophet—God’s designation for the false leaders of Israel. This depiction fits the theme of Revelation which is Jesus coming to judge those who pierced him. It also fits Jewish actions, since the high priests worked in tandem with Rome. The second beast also spoke like a dragon reminding us of Jesus calling them a “synagogue of Satan.” 

Our actions show what we really believe, so when the Jewish leaders crucified Christ, that was the equivalent of worshipping the beast. The image of the first beast (Nero) is the temple itself! The Roman Empire controlled the appointment of high priests and the high priest was required to offer 2 sacrifices a day to Caesar! The image speaking and causing death is a metaphor for the issuing of decrees against Christians. If you recall, Saul (later the apostle Paul) had to go to the high priests to get permission to drag Christians to their imprisonment. 

The second beast’s mark on the forehead and right hand is the control of thoughts and actions. The second beast’s (the high priest’s) threat that no one would be able to buy or sell was a direct consequence of excommunication from the synagogue. Excommunication was economically dangerous. Josephus writes in his Antiquities 11.5.4 that if you don’t follow along, your house and property were confiscated by the temple. Heretics (Christians) could not buy or sell or even teach their sons a trade.

The Lamb and the 144,000

John is tying things together from Rev. 13:11 as Christ the Lamb takes the place of the 2nd beast who looks like a lamb.

The point of this vision: The Slain Lamb of God is the dominant character and is here to judge those who pierced him. He resents his new bride (the 144,000) as a virgin (those who did not defile themselves with women is taken to be spiritual faithfulness as opposed to the spiritual adultery of unbelieving Israel). The Jews represented by the number 144,000 (12 tribes times 12 apostles representing both the Old and New Testament believers times 1000—the perfect number of God’s elect) are the firstfruits of all the elect (Jews first, then Greeks). The messages of the three angels are God’s divorce decree on adulterous, unbelieving Israel. 

The eternal gospel is given to those who dwell in the land (Jews from every nation, tribe and language). The significance—despite any opposition, the gospel is eternal. The hour of judgment has come and there is no turning back.

Babylon has not been mentioned before. John is planting seed and he will identify her later as Israel, but he gives us a few clues in the meantime. 

The third angel gives them a prophetic warning about hell and eternal punishment. Verse 13 is a promise for all of us: “Blessed are the dead who die in the LORD from now on,”

The harvest of the land

Out of the seven angels, the 4th angel—the one on a cloud like a son of man with a crown and sickle is of course Jesus. (See Daniel 7:13 and Rev. 1:2)

His sitting indicates judicial presence—sitting is the posture of rule and his action occurs in the land. (Promised Land)

The first reaping is the ingathering of the elect. But then angels appear from the temple in heaven to judge the earthly temple—giving notice that the second harvest is ready—the harvest of the grapes of God’s wrath. This harks back to one of Jesus’ parables where the angels separate the weeds from the wheat in Matt. 13:24-30; 36-43. Jesus says this will happen at the end of the “age” meaning the age of the first covenant—not at the end of the world. 

The winepress: The metaphor of the vintage and winepress is derived from the Old Testament prophets (see Isaiah 63:1-6) and represents a process of divine judgment and condemnation. the metaphor of wine production is completed in other parts of the book of Revelation by the liturgical image of the wine of the passion of God mixed in the cup of his anger (Rev. 14:10) and then reversed on to the earth in the form of seven libation-bowl plagues of God’s passion (Rev. 15-16). The sixth of these plagues sets in motion the preparations for the final battle at Amageddon (Rev. 16:12-14, 16) and links the judgmental act of wine pressing with the eschatological battle of Armageddon. (Eschatological is a very big word that just means a study of the last times.) The leader of the heavenly armies at Armageddon is also the one who treads the winepress. The enormous amount of blood that comes out of the winepress is a result of this battle. 

1600 Stadia: Jerusalem is the place where this blood bath will occur. In antiquity, 1600 stadia was the length of Palestine from its northern to southern borders and the same borders define the modern country of Israel today. 1600 stadia came to represent the entire country inhabited by the House of Israel whose capital was and is Jerusalem. 

Blood flowed from the winepress as high as a horses bridle. This is common hyperbole not to be taken literally, but to make a point of the devastation. In Matt. 23:35-6 Jesus said “so that on you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth from the blood of innocent Abel to the blood of Zechariah she son of Barachiah who you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.” In Matt. 27:25 the people themselves had cried out “May his blood be upon us and our children.”

The seven angels with seven plagues

The big picture—In this chapter (15) we are introduced to the 7 angels who will pour out the bowls of God’s wrath. Heaven itself is set against Israel. 

The special focus —is on Israel. This is a reversal of the exodus and the book of Exodus is alluded to everywhere in this chapter. (There is a sea; standing beside the sea are those who are singing the song of Moses; the sanctuary is referred to as a tent of witness; the sanctuary was filled with smoke and no one could enter it.)

The particular point indicates the conclusion is near—there will be no more delay. Israel is finally and permanently dispossessed. In Matt. 18:11-12 Jesus says “I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In the place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 

Wow! That was a long lesson, but if you are a good detective, you should be able to start putting all the clues together for understanding this mysterious book! 

Here are some enjoyable times with my favorite detectives:

At the Pumpkin Patch

Pumpkin Patch

Grandma's Rock Garden

Sweet Girls

Our Grady Boy!

Twin Cousins

Tree Huggers

Tree Climbers

Sweet and Sassy

Reformation Day Celebration at Church

At the Zoo

Lucy and Aslan after he was shaved??? Hmmm...