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!