Revelation Chapter 20

 THE BOOK OF REVELATION

~ The Revelation of Jesus Christ

Revelation Chapter 20

This chapter describes the events which precede and succeed the period of the Millennial Reign of Christ. No mention is made of the Rapture of the Saints nor the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Described here are events which take place after the Rapture and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

 

Satan Bound For 1,000 Years

Verse 1: And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

Verse 2: And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

Verse 3: And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

Satan, the once great Archangel Lucifer, the great fallen star, who was given the key to the bottomless pit (Rev.9) will now be dealt with. He had opened the pit, the abode of fallen angels, and let hell loose on earth, so to speak. But now another angel has the key of the bottomless pit and is holding a great chain in his hand. (This “angel” is not Jesus Christ as some believe. It can never be established that this angel is Christ, cf. Rev.10:1 and 18:1.) This angel has the authority and control over the abyss. And he has the power to overcome Satan. His purpose is to seize Satan, the Devil, that Old Serpent, the Dragon, and lock him up for a thousand years. Unlike the spirits of the Beast and the False Prophet which are cast alive into the Lake of Fire, Satan, the instigator of evil, will be seized and locked up in the abyss where certain disobedient fallen angels have been chained up since the days of Noah (cf. 2 Pet.2:4, Jude 6).

So, with a great chain in his hand the angel overpowers that Serpent and casts him into the bottomless pit. Then he shuts the pit and puts a seal over Satan to keep him from deceiving the nations of the world during the thousand years of Christ's reign. After that Satan will be set free for a short time to fulfill God's purpose for him. It is stated in Isaiah 24:21-23 that together with Satan there will also be “kings of the earth” taken and cast into the pit. These “kings of the earth” are “the principalities and powers in heavenly places” (Eph.3:10 cf. 6:12). They are powerful fallen angels who follow Satan closely in controlling the high places of this wicked world.

When Satan is chained up, Jesus Christ will begin to reign over the earth. As a righteous King, He will rule with a rod of iron and bring about a regeneration of the people of the earth (cf. Matt.19:28). This Age of Regeneration will last a thousand years.

 

Thrones and Judgement

Verse 4: And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Notice closely that this is the beginning of the setting up of the Millennial Reign of Christ on the earth which will eventually lead to the Holy City New Jerusalem being set up in the New Heaven and New Earth in the Eternal Age. After Satan is chained up Christ will set up thrones on earth (not in Heaven). John “saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them”. The “thrones” speak of positions of authority. Jesus said, “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne” (Rev.3:21).

Those who shall sit on the “thrones” and be given judgement will be the raptured saints, the Bride-Wife of Jesus Christ of every age. They are the chosen group of the Church of the Firstborn. Because they are overcomers and are faithful to the Word which they have received in their respective ages, they are given the authority to act as judges and pass sentence. They will rule with Christ and share the honour with Him as indicated by the words of Jesus Christ Himself which are recorded in the parables of Matthew 25:14-30 and Luke 19:12-27. “…Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!” “Well done, my good servant! Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.” Each individual will be given a certain position of authority to reign with Christ in His Kingdom. Christ will determine the position of each saint according to his faithfulness towards his calling in the Body of Christ. The greater the calling that one has received of Christ the more is required of that individual.

The next group of saints that John saw was “the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands”. These are the Great Tribulation Saints. They are mainly the Foolish Virgins who will miss the Rapture. They will be left behind because of their foolish attitude towards the Word of Truth. They are not the denominational tares, for the tares are ordained for the burning. They are those who have heard the message which calls for a separation and the message of Christ's return, and who have separated from Church-ism and its system. They are the separatists, the independents and even the so-called Endtime Message believers. But like the Pharisees and the Sadducees, they are carnally minded and are unwilling to come to grips with the Sacred Scriptures and acknowledge the Word of Truth (Matt.22:29). They are just content to hold to their religious beliefs and teachings of their churches. They would even compromise with the spirit of error just to please certain people. Truly, their white robes are stained with carnalities, false doctrines and teachings, and they do not even know it. Therefore, they will need to go through the Great Tribulation to be purged and then give their lives as a witness for the Lord Jesus Christ (Rev.7:9-17; cf. Eph.5:27). Though they fail to cloth themselves with THE SPIRIT and THE WORD, they have “the witness of Jesus”. With them are the Faithful Jews who have “the word of God”. They all shall overcome Satan by dying for their faith in that dark hour of the Great Tribulation when the Beast will be given the power of Satan to speak and to force the people of the world to worship him and its image. All of them will die in the faith as they refuse to bow to the Beast and its image.

This second group of saints will not have the same authority as those in the first group who sat upon “thrones”. Yet, they will be resurrected to reign with Christ for a thousand years. This is God's hierarchy. (We shall later see the placing of those in the lower ranks as God works toward the Eternal Age.)

The Prophet Daniel saw a vision parallel to this vision seen by the Apostle John. He wrote: “I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened” (Dan.7:9-10).

It is important to note that right after this vision of the “thrones” scene (which was shown to John) comes the judgement of the nations of the earth. Though the Apostle John did not see a vision of it, Daniel did. “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed” (Dan.7:13-14). The Prophet Isaiah also prophesied of it: “And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Isa.2:4).

All nations will have to stand before the Throne of Christ to be judged by Christ and His Wife. The twelve apostles will judge the twelve tribes of Israel and the saints will judge the rest of the people of the world (cf. Matt.19:28; 1 Cor.6:2). “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal” (Matt.25:31-46).

Jesus Christ is not the shepherd of these nations of people. But “as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats” He will divide the nations of people. He will give life to the “sheep” to live in the millennial Age of Regeneration. These “sheep” people are those who show love and kindness to Christ's brethren, the Jews and the Christians. To the “goats” he will pronounce judgement and sentence them to everlasting fire. These “goat” people are those who have no regard for the Jews and the Christians. They will not immediately be cast into the Lake of Fire to be burnt when the sentence is passed but rather they will die in that curse. And in hell (the place of the wicked dead) they will wait for the time of their resurrection when they shall stand before the Almighty God at the Great White Throne to give an account of their sins.

When the judgement of the nations is completed then is fulfilled the words of Daniel 12:11-12: “And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days” and Revelation 11:15: “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.”

 

The First Resurrection

Verse 5: But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

Verse 6: Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

What is the first resurrection and why is the saint who has a part in it called blessed and holy?

Unlike the second resurrection, the first resurrection comprises three phases. The first phase of the first resurrection has already taken place. It took place on the day when Jesus rose from the dead three days after He was crucified and buried in the grave. While His body was lying in the tomb upon His death, the soul of Christ descended into the heart of the earth, known in Hebrew as “sheol”, the place of the departed dead. Standing there in the midst of all those souls in the prison house of Satan, He preached the Gospel and testified of the Word that He was sent to fulfill and had accomplished (cf. 1 Pet.3:19). Then He went right up to Satan, took “the keys of hell and death” (Rev.1:18) from him and began to unlock the prison doors of the spirits of His saints. Set free from the captivity of Satan, these saints became the captives of Jesus Christ (cf. Eph.4:8). Then something happened in the City of Jerusalem as Christ led His saints out of the prison house of Satan. “And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many” (Matt.27:51-53). These “many bodies” of the Old Testament saints have ascended to the paradise of God. This is the first phase of the first resurrection.

Later in the days of the Apostle Paul, many Christians were troubled about their departed loved ones and about the resurrection of the dead. These questions had to be answered and God gave His apostle a revelation concerning the resurrection of the Bride of Christ. Paul stated precisely in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18: “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words”, and in 1 Corinthians 15:51-53: “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality”.

Those were the words of an Apostle and they had not been written down anywhere by anyone before him. And no man challenged Paul and asked him for a “quote” from the Old Testament to prove his teaching. But the revelation was there; the consistency of Scriptural Truth was there. So, let a man prophesy and let his words be judged. Amen.

This second phase of the first resurrection has yet to take place. It will take place when our Lord Jesus comes to take His Church up in the Rapture. We are living at the end time when this event will soon take place. Just before Christ comes to take His Church, the Seven Thunders shall utter their voices specifically to the saints who have prepared themselves. These would be the saints who have separated from the prostituting churches – Mystery Babylon – the Great Harlot and her Harlot Daughters, and who are contending for the Apostolic Faith once delivered to the saints. These saints would have made themselves ready as Christ's Wife by the time the Seven Thunders shall utter their voices. Because they have hearkened to the Spoken Word of God for the hour and have received the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ, they will certainly be ready and waiting to receive the revelation of the Truth that the Seven Thunders shall speak. The Spoken Word from the Seven Thunders will give the Bride-Wife the rapturing faith for her transformation. She will have a revival and it will be hid from the eyes of the people of the world. Then the dead in Christ shall rise incoruptible from their graves as a testimony to the living saints who, in the twinkling of an eye, shall be changed from mortality to immortality. Then together they will be caught up to meet the Lord Jesus Christ in the air.

“They shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” This statement refers to the Great Tribulation saints who will form the third phase of the first resurrection.

Let's recall. The first resurrection has three phases. In the first phase many of the Old Testament saints arose during the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the second phase the dead in Christ shall rise first and then together with the living saints they will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. In the third phase the martyred saints shall rise up after the Great Tribulation period is over. “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.”

Notice. “But every man in his own order [rank or turn]: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming” (1 Cor.15:23). The holy saints who shall rise in the first resurrection are deemed “blessed and holy” because they are assured of eternal life. The second death will not have any power whatsoever to claim any soul who shall rise in the first resurrection. These souls are set apart from the rest of the souls of mankind. So, blessed and holy are these saints for they shall be priests of God and of Christ and they shall rule with Him for a thousand years. This is certainly blessedness of a higher degree and a complete eternal consecration of God.

 

The Second Death

What is death? Death is the cessation of Life. Man consists of spirit, soul and body. To put it simply, the spirit is in the soul which is in the body. The First Death occurs when a person stops breathing (the air of life in the body is gone). The soul, together with the spirit, will leave the body. The Second Death occurs when the soul is cast into the Lake of Fire. The spirit (of life which originates from God) will leave the soul and return to the Life-Giver as the sinful soul is burnt and destroyed in the Lake of Fire — “the soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezek.18:4). There is no such thing as an eternal hell where souls are burned but do not die. Life cannot exist in Death. The essence of all wicked and sinful souls will be completely annihilated in the all-consuming Lake of Fire, never to exist anymore.

Yes, the second death will have no power over those who shall be raised to life in the First Resurrection, for all these resurrected souls will receive immortal life and will not be judged nor condemned. They will all be worthy to put on Glorified Bodies, and be a part of the Wife of the Lord Jesus Christ to rule with Him for a thousand years. And after the thousand years, the rest of the dead will then be raised and be judged at the Great White Throne. Read Revelation 20:11-15 and Daniel 7:9-10.

 

The Millennial Age of Regeneration

Now, during the thousand years of the Age of Regeneration the earth will be renewed into the Edenic condition (which will be realized in the Eternal Age — the New Heaven and New Earth) by sweeping changes prophesied in Isaiah 11:1-10 and 65:18-25: “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.” “But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; thy shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord.”

Satan and his hordes of demons will be bound during this period of a thousand years as Christ brings about a new creation upon the earth (Rev.20:1-3). The ordinary natural life and living conditions on the earth will continue during this period. But all nations will come under the rule of Christ and there will be peace and security throughout the whole earth. While the Lord's Christ will rule from Jerusalem over His people, Israel, and over all the nations of the earth, His Redeemed and Glorified People (His Wife) will rule with Him in their respective places of authority all over the earth. The Gentile saints will rule the country from which they are taken (Matt.19:28; Rev.3:21). During this period, the natural people who are the subjects of the kingdom shall give birth to children to replenish the earth (cf. Ezek. 47:22). There will be no death from ageing but punitive action will be taken against rebellious sinners. Those who commit a sin worthy of death will be executed. Poisonous creatures will be rendered harmless and wild carnivorous animals will eat grass. Mankind will gradually revert to eating herbs and fruits of the earth. “And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the Lord will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles” (Zech.14:16-19). Yes, “The Lord Is There” in Jerusalem (Ezek.48:35). And Life shall flow from Jerusalem because the Shekinah Glory of the Lord dwells therein. Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

Truly, those who trust and obey the Laws of the Lord during His reign of a thousand years will live forever, but the days of the rebellious ones shall be cut short. While sin will still be found in individuals, Satan will not be around to form a fellowship of sin. But right after the end of the thousand years, Satan will be let loose from his imprisonment for a little season to serve the purpose of God.

 

The Battle of Gog and Magog

Verse 7: And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

Verse 8: And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

Remember that Satan has always desired to be worshipped as God. As such, he is always trying to put God down and to tear down what God has set up. He hates God's authority. He knows God's authority is in Christ and His saints. Satan will go forth all over the earth to deceive and cause the nations under the thousand-year Reign of Christ to rebel against that authority. No, Satan will not build another Beastly Kingdom nor another organization for False Prophecies. Those two evil spirits would have been cast into the Lake of Fire to be destroyed. They will no longer exist on the earth. Satan will just go out there among the nations of people all over the earth and, with lies and hoaxes, deceive them in joining him for war, “the number of whom is as the sand of the sea”. (Many Bible readers are confused by the words “Gog” and “Magog”. They try to fit them in with the battle recorded in Ezekiel chapter 38 and 39, which is actually a different battle that will be fought prior to the Rapture of the Bride of Christ. The word “Gog” denotes that which is proud, powerful, large, huge, rebellious, and anti-God in nature; and the word “Magog” symbolizes the great number of the people of the same land.)

Can you imagine an innumerable multitude of people being deceived? Can you imagine nations being deceived after they have tasted the righteousness and the peace and knowledge of Christ's rule for a thousand years? But God has to weed out the rebellious nature of mankind once and for all before He brings in the New Heaven and New Earth. Every taint of sin must be eradicated. Though the people will have gone through a thousand-year period of 'de-hybridizing' by God's Word and be cleansed of their 'original sin' nature, the faith and loyalty of these nations of people (children born to mortal people in the millennium) have not been tested. Therefore, Satan must be let loose to test them. And a large number, as the sand of the sea, would be deceived and mustered for war against the Christ and His saints.

Verse 9: And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

This battle is actually not much of a battle. As the army of Satan-led nations manoeuvre to their positions around the camps of the saints all over the earth and the city of Jerusalem for the battle, God immediately sends fire down from Heaven to consume them right where they are standing. The saints of God do not even have to lift a finger.

This battle brings the Age of Regeneration to an end. The result of this Age of Regeneration is the preservation of a regenerated nations of mortal people who shall live eternally in a natural realm. These nations of people are those who will not be deceived by Satan into rebelling against Christ and His saints. They will be regenerated by the Words proceeding from the Throne of Christ during His reign. They will receive the revelation of the Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ and will walk in the light thereof. And these mortals will go into the Eternal Age in their natural bodies. They will inhabit as nations of natural people on earth in the New Heaven and New Earth.

Verse 10: And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

With the destruction of the great and powerful camp of the proud, the rebellious, the anti-Christian and anti-God people, the Devil that deceived them will finally be consigned to the Lake of Fire, “where the beast and the false prophet are”. Remember, the Lake of Fire was “prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt.25:41). Except the spirits of the Beast and the False Prophet, no other being is cast into the Lake of Fire before Satan is cast into it. Other fallen spirits which are kept in chains in the bottomless pit will also be judged and cast into the Lake of Fire together with Satan (cf. 2 Pet.2:4, Jude 6; 1 Cor.6:3). It is not known how long that eternal fire will burn “for ever and ever” in order to consume these fallen spirits. But these spirits will be burnt out of existence ultimately.

 

The Great White Throne Judgement

Verse 11: And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

Verse 12: And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

Verse 13: And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

This vision should be imprinted in the mind of all Christians. This is the great judgement in which everyone who does not make the First Resurrection will be judged. They must appear before the Almighty God Who sits on His Great White Throne. This will be the last and final judgement where sin will be completely dealt with. Notice that there is only One Throne and not three thrones. And you will not see 'Three Persons' of Father, Son and Holy Spirit sitting on the Throne. But the “Him that sat on it” is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom all judgement is committed. The Fullness of the Godhead is invested in Him. He has the absolute authority of the Eternal Spirit to sit on the Great White Throne as the Supreme Judge.

In this vision the Apostle John saw not only the Great White Throne and the Almighty One sitting on it but also the earth and heaven vanish from His presence. The scene marks the dissolution of the earth and its heaven (the atmosphere). Their present corruptible state will be transformed into a glorious and incorruptible state. All the handiworks of man will vanish from the sight of the Almighty One sitting on the Throne. All traces of sin will be burned up. The Apostle Peter has warned of this impending judgement in his epistle: “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. …the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. …all these things shall be dissolved,…the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Pet.3:7,10-13).

 

The Second Resurrection

After the dissolution of the heaven and earth had taken place John saw also “the dead, small and great, stand before God;… And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them.” Other than those who have already been resurrected in the First Resurrection, all who ever lived and died must come forth out of their graves and stand before the Judge Who sits on the Great White Throne. This is the Second Resurrection — where the Second Death has the power to claim any soul whose name is not written in the Book of LIfe.

“And the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” Notice that “the dead were judged…according to their works” and not on anything else.

Verse 14: And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Verse 15: And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

This Second Resurrection is the resurrection which the Apostle Paul sought to avoid when he said: “If by any means I might attain to the 'out-resurrection' [or earlier resurrection] from among the dead” (Phil.3:11, Greek text). He sought to be part of the First Resurrection because “Blessed and Holy is he who hath part in the first resurrection, on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and they shall reign with Him a thousand years”. In the Second Resurrection, the Second Death will have the power to claim “life” as it is stated that “whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire”. But whosoever whose name is found written in the Book of Life is given Eternal Life. This is a fact that no one can deny. This is the resurrection where two groups of people will stand in judgement, and one group shall be given eternal life and the other shall face the second death. This is the general resurrection which Jesus spoke about when He said: “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” (Jhn.5:28-29). The dead are judged according to their works which are recorded in the books of works and all those whose names are not written in the Book of Life would then be cast into the Lake of fire.

But who are those people whose names are written in the Book of Life? They are the Elected Ones who have a certain FAITH-relationship with God and His Word. For an understanding, let's take a look at Cornelius. Cornelius was a man who did not worship idols, but one who was devout and God-fearing (see Acts 10). As a Gentile, he obviously did not know about the God of Abraham, otherwise he would have been circumcised and be a proselyte of Judaism. Yet, God showed His Grace to Cornelius and gave him the Gospel. Cornelius was indeed a blessed person. For others who do not have this privilege because they live outside the scope of Bible lands or Bible time, God's election still stands (Rom.9:11 cf. 11:2-8). Read Genesis 18:25; Proverbs 11:18-19,30; 14:32; Psalms 58:11 and 112:5-7.

However, among those who have a FAITH-relationship with God, there are many whose names will be removed or blotted out; for some have turned from God to idols (Exod.32:30-34; Ezek.3:20; 18:24,26; 33:18), others have rejected the very Messiah in whom they claimed they believed (Psm.69:21-28); and those who, in the process of time, would reject the Word of Truth and pay homage to the Beast or its Image (Rev.13:8). Consider these words of Jesus: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matt.7:21-23).

Those whose names are not blotted out from the Book of Life are like those sheep people (described in Matthew 25:31-46) who will be judged at the end of the Great Tribulation and given Life to enter into the Age of Regeneration. Note that these righteous souls who shall stand in the Great White Throne Judgement are not Holy Ghost Filled Christians of the Church Ages (otherwise they would have followed the Message for their respective ages and be resurrected together with the Endtime living saints at the Coming of Christ), nor are they holy people like Moses, Abraham, Sarah in the Old Testament time who had a deep and intimate FAITH-relationship with God and were led by the Word and the Spirit of God.

Now, consider this question of Paul: “Have ye received the Holy Ghost SINCE you believed?” (Acts 19:2). Paul was addressing the believers of the Gospel. Truly, there were many Gospel believers throughout the ages, who had never received the Holy Spirit. They believed the Gospel, repented of their sins, and were sanctified by the Spirit, but did not have the INDWELLING PRESENCE of the Holy Spirit (cf. Jhn.14:17; Mk.1:15; Jhn.1:12-13; 20:31; Rom.10:8-13). Without the indwelling presence of the Spirit, many were as carnal as Hymenaeus, Philetus and Alexander. They wandered from the Truth and blasphemed God (1 Tim.1:20; 2 Tim.2:17 cf. Heb.10:38-39; 1 Cor.3:1). Yes, like Judas Iscariot, many were anointed; like the worshippers of old who offered sacrifices for their sins, many were justified; and like a filthy vessel made clean, many were sanctified; but they had not received the Holy Spirit. They were not filled with the Holy Spirit. Therefore they will all be judged according to their works (cf. 1 Cor.10:11-15), and whosoever was found written in the Book of Life would be given Eternal Life “that the purpose of God according to election might stand” (cf. Rom.9:11). And this group that is redeemed and given eternal life will also have immortal bodies. They will be a part of that HOLY CITY, NEW JERUSALEM which is revealed in Paul's words: “But ye are come unto Mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly [Grk: “paneguris”, all-assembly] and church [Grk: “ekklesia”] of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect” (Heb.12: 22-23). However, they will rank lower in God's eternal Kingdom.

“And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” Death and hell (the place or state of the departed souls) will be burned up. They will be done away with. There will be no more hell as there will be no more death. They will be annihilated. This marks the end of all the enemies of God — Satan, evil spirits, sin, hell, death, etc. Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

After the Great White Throne Judgement, time ceases as eternity begins. Remember that the Lord Jesus has never been an Eternal Son of God. He is the Begotten Son of God. As such, the Sonship ministry has its end just as it has its beginning. Having fulfilled all that have been written of Him, Jesus now commits the redeemed Kingdom back to the Eternal Spirit — the Heavenly Father — that the FATHER may be all in all as it was in the beginning. “Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all” (1 Cor.15:24-28 cf. 1 Cor.11:3).

As the Eternal Age rolls in with the New Heaven and New Earth, Jesus Christ will then take His place at the head of God's family of children as the Eldest, the Firstborn among many brethren (cf. Rom.8:29; Eph.5:23; Col.1:18). Yes, we are “heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” (Rom.8:17). Jesus Christ will always be our Lord though He Himself is under the Headship of the Almighty God. As sons and daughters of God, we are His brothers and sisters. Each one of us will have a royal position in the Eternal Kingdom of Yahweh as we reign together with the Lord Jesus Christ.

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Revelation  Chapter 21

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Revelation Chapter 19

 THE BOOK OF REVELATION

~ The Revelation of Jesus Christ

Revelation Chapter 19

The Hallelujah Chorus

In Revelation 18:20, together with the holy apostles and prophets, all heaven is summoned to rejoice over the downfall of Babylon the Great because God has judged her for the way she had treated them. Heaven's rejoicing is celebrated by “a great voice of much people in heaven”.

Verse 1: And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:

Verse 2: For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.

That's right, the saints of God should always remember that God's judgements, upon whom He may judge, are true and righteous. There is an appointed time and season when God shall judge or reward each person according to His wisdom and purpose (cf. Eccle. 3:1). Therefore, let us recognize His dealing even with the saints in this endtime. Though the materially rich but spiritually lukewarn Laodicean Christians have put away Christ from their churches, Jesus still stands outside the “door” knocking and calling out to those who will hear the true Word of God (Rev.3:14-21). The big organized churches will not respond but a little flock of faithful believers will because they have recognized Christ's parousia for His True Church. Christ is now leading this little group, who shall be His Bride-Wife. The Spirit of God has left the churches and is now working in and through His little Bride. For God will only stay where His Word is made alive. “Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God.”

[Note: The phrase, “a great voice of much people” in verse 1 is the same as “the voice of a great multitude” in verse 6. This multitude is not a throng of Christian people but rather a throng of angels. This prophetic vision shows John how the heavenly host of angelic beings will rejoice when the prophetic revelation of Jesus Christ comes into focus and fulfillment.]

Verse 3: And again they said, Alleluia And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.

The judgement and downfall of Babylon the Great will be her final and complete destruction. It is not only silly but erroneous to teach that the phrase – “her smoke rose up for ever and ever” – means Babylon will perpetually smoulder without an end. A more common error is found in the teaching that, upon judgement, the souls of those who associate with the whore, will burn continously in the Lake of Fire without end.

“For ever and ever” is a phrase commonly used and commonly misunderstood. When someone says, “I love/hate you for ever and ever” it does not mean that his feeling of love or hate will last forever. When a person dies and ends up in the Lake of Fire, all his feelings and emotions will cease forthwith. When the phrase “for ever and ever” (or eternal, everlasting) is used to describe Life, it conveys the meaning that life will continue without end. But when it is used to describe Death or Destruction, it means that life ceases, or is destroyed, completely to exist no more. There is only one form of life which exists eternally and which has no beginning and no ending. It is God's Life, the Self-existing Spirit. All other living things have a beginning and an end. Therefore one must have the Spirit of God in order to have eternal LIFE for life is found only in the Almighty God. Without the Spirit of God there is no life. He is the Life. Therefore the Spirit of God is not in eternal DEATH. There is no “living” for ever and ever in the Lake of Fire. Life does not exist in Death. The Second Death is the annihilation of Body and Soul.

Alleluia! Truly Babylon the Great will one day be no more for God will avenge the blood of His saints which has flowed from the hands of this great Jezebel (cf. 2 Kg.9:7)!

Verse 4: And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.

Notice that John has come a full circle in the visions since he was first invited to enter the open door of Heaven in Revelation 4:1, “Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter”. (John was previously carried away in the spirit to a wilderness upon the earth (Rev.17:3). He is now in the Spirit of Revelation and found himself present once more at the heavenly scene of the Throne of God, the Four Beasts and the Twenty-Four Elders.) And once again the Four Beasts and the Twenty-Four Elders give their adoration to the Almighty God (cf. Rev.4:1-11). Alleluia!

Now, the events which are due to take place on earth prior to Christ's return as the Lord of lords and King of kings will all have taken place by this time. Jesus Christ is now getting ready to go down to earth to fight in the Battle of Armageddon. He will fight against all the wicked kings, who will be gathered there, after which He will judge the world.

As John continues to observe the heavenly activities of worship, a voice rings out.

Verse 5: And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.

Verse 6: And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

“Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.” This is an announcement and an exultation that the Lord God has assumed sovereign power of a Kingdom. This is the fourth and the last “Alleluia” (or “Praise ye the Lord”) in the Sacred Scriptures which hastens the reign of the Lord's Christ. The emphasis is on the fact that the Bride of Christ has already become the Wife and that she has made herself ready for the grand final event which would take place before Christ returns to earth to reign as King of kings.

 

The Marriage Supper of The Lamb

Verse 7: Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

Verse 8: And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

Many Bible believers have difficulties in understanding the 'Mystery of the Marriage of the Lamb' in three particular passages in the Holy Bible. The most common passage is in Revelation 19:9: “And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.” Some theologians interpret this as an invitation which is extended to a group of guests who are not members of the Bride. They believe that the Son of God and His Bride will only marry upon their return to earth after the Great Tribulation and that this group of guests will be invited to feast at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. They would use the parables of the marriage feast in Matthew 22:1-14 and the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-13 to support their interpretation. They would point to the king's son, the bride (implied in the parable) and the guests in the former parable. They also believe that the ten virgins, who are maids in attendance to the bride, are yet another group of people at the wedding.

Read Revelation 19:6-9 carefully and you will note that John the Beloved, who was carried away in the spirit, saw many wonderful visions. Among other things, he also heard a great thundering voice with this announcement: “Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.” Then the angel who accompanied John advised him to record this encouraging message: “Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

Those who are called to the marriage supper are blessed people. They are the same group of people (the Gentiles) who accepted the invitation to the marriage feast after the original group (the Jews who were first bidden) rejected it, according to Matthew 22:1-14. And we know that Matthew 22:1-14 is a parable. A parable in the Bible is a narrative which presents a moral or spiritual truth. To understand it correctly, one must interpret it within the framework of its specific theme. Hence, the theme of the parable in Matthew 22:1-14 is about The King who prepared a marriage feast for his son. It is not about his son or the bride. Just as the saints of God are allegorically described in the Bible as `lively stones' or as `different members of a body', they are likewise described as the `guests' in this parable.

When we recognize the use of allegories throughout the Scriptures, we can then understand that the saints, who collectively form the One True Church, are called the Bride of Christ. And when the saints are described as the Bride of Christ, they are no longer the Guests. Why? The reason is obvious. The Bride relates to the Bridegroom, whereas the Guests relate to the Marriage Feast.

By now, we should realize that, prophetically, the invitation of Revelation 19:9 is extended to a certain group of blessed guests who are invited to the Grand Marriage Supper of the Lamb. (Notice that in the parable of Matthew 22:1-14, a certain man at the Marriage Feast is thrown out into “outer darkness” because he is seen without putting on the proper Wedding Garment. He is certainly not a blessed nor an invited 'guest'.)

Now, Revelation 19:6b-8 is an announcement that the Marriage Supper of the Lamb will soon take place. Some may wonder why I use the term Marriage Supper of the Lamb instead of Marriage of the Lamb as printed in the KJV Bible. The Greek word “gamos” can be translated as “a marriage, wedding or wedding feast”. [In certain Bible versions, it is translated as 'Marriage Supper' or 'Marriage Feast'.] However, the word “wife” (Grk: “gune”) points to the fact that the Beloved Bride (Grk: “Numphe”) has truly become the Lamb's wife (cf. Rev.21:2,9). Two other statements support this fact — “His Wife hath made herself ready” and “to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen…” In ancient oriental wedding, the bride was presented as wife and queen only at the grand marriage supper and never before that. When a woman is betrothed to a man, she is only potentially his wife. She becomes truly his wife only after the ceremony of the nuptial chamber.

The Ten Virgins in the parable of Matthew 25:1-13 are maids in attendance to the bride. They are called 'virgins' in the parable because, in the oriental wedding, the maidens in attendance were supposed to be unmarried and younger than the bride. They were usually chosen by the bride herself to be her companions during the wedding. At an appointed time, these maidens would go forth to greet and receive the bridegroom on the arrival of his procession near the bride's home. They would guide him and his company of people to the place where the marriage and the feast would be held. (In this parable, the marriage feast was spread by the bride's parents.) As it was usually conducted in the evening, lights were needed. Oil lamps were used in this parable although burning torches were more common.

Our Lord used these Virgin Maids to represent Spirit-born children of God. This parable shows their yearning to meet the Bridegroom and to usher Him to the Marriage where they will have a part at the banqueting table. They are 'pure' in their faith of Christ. They are the 'wheat' group in the parable of the wheat and the tares in Matthew 13:24-30. According to the parable, there were five wise and five foolish virgins who went forth to meet the bridegroom. When the bridegroom was somehow delayed, they all fell into a slumber and slept (within church-ism) until a cry (the voice of the Seventh Church Age Messenger) woke them up at midnight (about the year 1956). Then they all began to trim the wicks of their lamps (their understanding or revelation of the Word). However, only the wise virgins, who had extra oil (Spirit) in their vessels, were able to meet the bridegroom and enter the banqueting hall where the marriage ceremony was conducted. Hence, the true saints of God are portrayed in the parable as Virgins in relation to their Saviour, the Virgin Word.

What then is this “marriage of the Lamb”? And when will it take place?

Contrary to the teaching of organized churches, the “marriage of the Lamb” actually takes place here on earth and not in Heaven. This is typed by the Oriental Marriage Customs. In fact, the “marriage of the Lamb” is taking place right at this time. (Remember that it is a spiritual marriage.) The word “marriage” (Grk: gamos – nuptials, marriage, wedding feast) together with the words “wife” (Grk: gune – woman who has become a wife) and “supper” (Grk: deipnon – chief or main important meal) in verse 9 shows that this is the grand marriage feast, the culminating event in the Marriage of the Lamb.

The Wedding Ceremony in Biblical time normally lasted for several days. During the marriage celebration held at the Bride's home, there would be much gaiety with feasting and dancing. But the marriage celebration, which would culminate with the Grand Marriage Supper, the most important event, would be held at the home of the groom's father. The groom would take the bride home after he was satisfied that she had fulfilled her requirements of a wife. The climactic “bringing home of the bride” was a special event that no one, who was associated with the groom's father, would want to miss out. Similarly, being related to the Heavenly Father, we certainly do not want to miss this Grand Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Amen. This Grand Marriage Supper of the Lamb will take place in Heaven after the saints, who are made ready, are caught up to meet our Lord Jesus Christ in the air and judged at the Judgement Seat (Grk: bema) of Christ (2 Cor.5:10). During this time, the last seven years of Daniel's Seventy Weeks prophecy will be fulfilled on earth.

As we have already seen in Revelation chapters 7 and 10, Christ (the Word) has already come to claim His Word Bride. The Marriage of the Lamb is now in full swing and will soon wind up at the Grand Marriage Supper of the Lamb in Heaven. However, not everyone who claims to be a “born again” Christian will be chosen to partake of this great and grand marriage feast in Heaven. This is true. Our Lord is not coming for the denominational minded Christians who follow and fulfill only the traditional teachings of their organisations. He is coming (in physical form) for a group of true believers, the true worshippers, who worship God in Spirit and in Truth. He is coming for those who are not identified with any (religious organisation of) man; those who are presently getting themselves ready to become His Wife and fulfilling all the righteousness of the Word of God (cf. Matt.3:15).

Verse 9: And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

Praise the Lord! The Wise Virgins do not fornicate with man-made organisations and their teachings. Amen. At this moment, those who are identified with Christ by faith and who will be translated at His Second Coming (1 Cor.15:23) are now in Spiritual Wedlock with Christ and are getting themselves ready to become His Wife. Like spiritual Enoch, they are walking with the Word of God and will certainly not go through the “flood” (of tribulation) but would be translated physically before Daniel's 70th Week begins.

All Christians are like the wheat in the field (cf. Matt.13). At harvest time, only the fully mature wheat grains are singled out from the rest of the wheat after the tares are first gathered and bundled up together to be burned. These wheat are the “virgins” who desire to meet the “bridegroom” and go in with him to the wedding feast (cf. Matt.25). The rest of the wheat are left in the field to be gleaned later as they mature.

Of the “virgin” Christians, only the wise ones, who have the Holy Spirit constantly flowing through them and supplying them the revelation of the Word, will be able to find their way to the Marriage of the Lamb. O how blessed are these virgins! They are not only fully mature wheat but are also fully pollinated ones. As individual “invited guests” to the Wedding, they will sit and feast with the Lamb. But collectively they are the Bride of Christ. They are now in the midst of the festivities of the wedding while the foolish ones go about searching for oil merchants (preachers of the Word) who sell genuine pure “Holy Ghost” oil (revelation of the Word). By the time the foolish virgins are able to obtain the oil and make their way to the Marriage, it will be too late as the door is shut. The shutting of the door means that the Marriage Feast is over and the Groom will soon take the Bride to His Father's Home. That's right. The elected ones are sealed in and are ready for the translation (change, Grk: metamorphosis).

Together with the rest of the wheat in the field of the world, the foolish virgins will have to go through a dark and difficult time. Ultimately, they will have to give their lives as martyrs to save their souls. This gloomy period refers to the 70th Week (seven years) of Daniel's prophecy in which the Holy Spirit will take the Gospel back to the Jews. And after the Great Tribulation (the second half of the 7-year period) is over, the foolish virgins with the mature wheat would be “gleaned” (resurrected) together with the martyred Jews who had faithfully held to the testimony of the Word of Yahweh. Both groups will present themselves before the Thrones of Christ and all those raptured “blessed” saints (Rev.20:1-5, cf. 6:9-11). Then, collectively as the Bride, they will all reign with Christ a thousand years. Hence, the Apostle John wrote: “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years” (Rev.20:6).

[Note: For what purpose is the Holy Spirit given? Denominational Christians are taught that if they have received Jesus Christ as their Saviour, or if they have spoken in “tongues”, then they have received the Holy Spirit. Whatever they choose to believe, the fact is that the Holy Spirit is given to a Believer to guide him into all truth and that He will reveal to him things which are yet to come. That is the primary purpose of the Holy Spirit of Christ. “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come” (Jhn.16:13). Amen. And right at this very hour, those who have been guided by the Holy Spirit into all truth have been shown the very revelation of Jesus Christ.]

Now, during the spiritual union, in the 'nuptial chamber' of the glory of the Word, Christ is getting to know His Bride as Wife. And the Bride is examining herself to make sure that she conducts herself becoming of the Wife and makes herself ready to gain her husband's approval. When the Wife “hath made herself ready”, the Husband will give her a change of the Wedding Garments (cf. Isa.61:10). The Wife of Christ will trade off her white robe for one of “fine linen, clean and white”. That is her CHANGE OF THE BODY which shows her righteousness in the Lord, “for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints”. That's exactly right. As a caterpillar in the “silence” of the chrysalis (cocoon) is changed into a butterfly, the Bride will be transformed (Grk: metamorphosed; cf. 2 Cor.3:18) into a beautiful Wife with a glorified body like that of Christ's.

[Note: All born again Christians possess “white robes” (Rev.7: 9-17). Certain Jews are given “white robes” (Rev.6:9-11). But only a certain small group will be specially arrayed in “fine linen, clean and white”. This latter group consists of those who have taken on the righteousness of God by receiving and fulfilling the Word of God.]

Verse 10: And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

This angel is one of those seven who has just finished pouring out the Seven Vials of plagues upon the earth (cf. Rev.15; 16; 17:1; 21:9). The outpouring of the wrath of God is the climax of the series of events in which God deals with mankind. After that Christ comes to reign as King of kings. Being enthralled by all the events in this climactic moment, John is overwhelmed by both the message and the messenger that he kneeled to worship the angelic being. But he was promptly rebuked because as an Apostle of the Lord Jesus he should know that “it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (Matt.4:10).

[Note: Like all false Christian cults and organized Christianity, which would twist the Scriptures to suit their teachings, the Branhamites have taken this verse and Revelation 22:9 to teach that the angel was actually the Seventh Church Age Messenger, William Marrion Branham or his theophany. It is their contention that the words “thy fellowservant” and “thy brethren the prophets” (cf. Rev.22:9) prove that the angel was the prophet Branham, or his theophany. They also cite Matthew 18:10 to support their claim that the word “angel” is “theophany”. These people believe that the theophanies (or celestial bodies) of Believers literally exist as separate entities outside of the Spirit of God. Twisting the words in the Scriptures and misrepresenting the teachings of God's true servants are tantamount to making God's Truth a lie. Such teachings and its implication usually cause a person to esteem a man above the Word of God, which is no different from those who uphold their Church creeds and dogmas above the Word of God.]

We can get a clear understanding that the angel was not an earthly being but a spirit being who was sent to be John's guide by reading some other translations. The Diaglott reads “'See; no! I am a Fellow-servant with thee, and of those brethren with thee who have the testimony of Jesus; worship God'” (Rev.19:10b). The NIV states “But he said to me, 'Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!'” (Rev.22:9). Simply put, the angel is saying that he is a co-worker and a servant working with John and all the other prophets, and all who bear the testimony of Jesus Christ in their lives. That's right. Hebrews 1:14 questions “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”

 

The Glorious Coming of Christ With His Saints

Verse 11: And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

A drama began to unfold as John continued his rapturous gaze through the open door in the Heaven. The sun began to darken as sackcloth of hair, the moon became red and refused to give its light, and the stars began to fall as the Heaven was shaken. Then the Heaven suddenly opened up and began to recede like a scroll as it was rolled up. And there appeared a rider on a white horse! It must have been a glorious sight to John as all the light in the universe was 'cut off' and the only light he could see was that which surrounded Christ and His armies on white horses departing from Heaven for the Battle of Armageddon on the earth. This is the first event in the Day of the Lord, which will fulfill the smiting-stone prophecy of Daniel, in which the “stone cut out without hands” will smite the Gentile world-power, that is, the Beast (cf. Dan.2:34-35).

This is the ending of the Great Tribulation period of 3˝ years which is the second half of Daniel's 70th Week and which will usher in the Day of the Lord. The earth would have been in great chaos with the seven plagues of God's wrath having been poured out upon it. But then, all of a sudden the light in the heaven above would darken and the attention of all nations will focus heavenward on a spectacular scene. As the sky splits open and like a scroll is rolled up, there shall appear the Son of man sitting on a white horse. “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matt.24:29-30).

This is also the Sixth Seal which culminates with the outpouring of the Seventh Vial (Rev.16:17-21). “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places” (Rev.6:12-14). This spectacular scene will last a whole day to fulfill Revelation 1:7. “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.”

As Christ descends from the heaven, the nations of the earth will be terrified. “And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” (Rev.6:15-17).

We know that the rider sitting on the white horse here is not the same one who was seen after the First Seal was opened. This rider, called “Faithful and True”, is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ Who is faithful and true to His Promises and His Word (cf. Rev.3:14). The other white horse rider, who “had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer” (Rev.6:2), had no name until he got on the Pale Horse in the Fourth Seal when he was called “Death, and Hell followed with him” (Rev.6:8).

Verse 12: His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

In His righteousness and with the blazing flame of omniscent eyes, Jesus now comes to judge and wage war. All nations will have to submit themselves to Christ and acknowledge Him as King. The “many crowns” signifies that Christ will reign over all the kingdoms of the earth for He is the King of kings.

The Lord of lords has an inscrutable name written (apparently on His forehead). No one knows the mystery of this name except He Himself. Is this the new name of our Lord Jesus Christ which He will also inscribe upon the members of His Bride in the Holy City New Jerusalem (cf. Rev.3:12)?

Verse 13: And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

Notice that the rider is not called the Lord Jesus Christ but the Word of God. The Word (Grk: Logos) is not Jesus (whom the Trinitarians have placed as the Second Person in their teaching of the Godhead as a Trinity). This is the Word which was with God in the beginning and which became (was manifest in) flesh in the Person of Jesus Christ. As the Apostle John wrote: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (Jhn.1:1,14). The Word of God is the Revelation of God in Jesus Christ. (He is the Anointed One — the Christ.) It was the Word of God which brought forth all creations. It was the Word of God which was made flesh (or manifest in flesh) to bring redemption. And it is the same Word of God which will judge the world. That's right, the same Word returns in the same Jesus the Christ Who has become Lord — the LORD JESUS CHRIST (Acts 2:36). Amen. That's right, and here once again we see the glory of God being manifested and revealed in the same begotten Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, as He returns to earth.

The Fullness of the Word of God in the Lord Jesus Christ comes in vengeance upon His enemies in the Battle of Armageddon and He will be “clothed with a vesture dipped in blood”. He will emerge the Victor with His garment dipped in the blood of His enemies. (The prophetic description of Isaiah 63:1-6 finds fulfillment in these words.) Yes, He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.

Verse 14: And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

Notice that our Lord Jesus is not coming back alone to earth to fight for Israel (cf. Zech.12-14; Matt.24:29-30; Rev.1:7;) but He is coming with His armies of warriors. Except for Enoch's prophecy in Jude 1:14-15, John actually saw the Son of God coming with His armies, all on white horses and all clothed in fine linen, white and clean. Who are these “upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean”? They are certainly not angels for angels do not possess fine linen, white and clean. They are the saints of God (the Bride) who have become the Wife of Christ. That's right. She has been married to Christ and, in the presence of the Heavenly host, she has been declared as His Wife at the Grand Marriage Supper of the Lamb just prior to this event. Together with Christ, they return to earth riding upon white horses, which signify that they have the power of the Word to judge and cleanse the world of all its evils. Then they will reign with Jesus Christ, their Lord and Master, as promised in the Word of the Lord. “But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever” (Dan.7:18 cf. vv.17-27; 2 Tim.2:12; Rev.3:21; 20:6).

A closer look at this vision shows that Captain Jesus and His armies are not armoured, and that the Captain Himself is the only one whose garment is whelmed with blood. Apparently, as He comes to earth with His Wife and in the glory of God, He alone will tread the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God (cf. Isa.63:3). His Wife will share and rejoice in His triumph. But what weapon will Jesus use to fight with His enemies? As always, He will use the Word of God, the sharp two-edged sword of the Word of God.

Verse 15: And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

Verse 16: And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

The title-name “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” rightfully belongs to Jesus Christ who comes with absolute royal sovereignty. He is truly the King of kings and Lord of lords. And from the mouth of Christ will come forth a sharp two-edged sword (cf. Heb.4:12; Rev.1:16) with which He will smite those who will come up against the City of Jerusalem. He will end the Battle of Armageddon just as quickly as it began.

Recall Revelation 14; the four forces were loosen to gather the nations to the Battle of Armageddon when the angel thrusts in his sickle to gather the grapes and cast them into “the great winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God”. By this time the “Ten Horn” nations would have destroyed the Great Whore and mustered their armies into Jerusalem. With the destruction of the Apostate Roman Church, the 70th Week of Daniel would have run its course. The 1260 days of Great Tribulation would end. But there remains another 30 days before Christ shall come to do away with all traces of that detestable thing because the Ten Horns of that Beastly system are yet to be destroyed. “And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days” (Dan.12:11).

In the meantime the drying up of the River Euphrates removes the barrier for the advance of the Kings of the East and their armies of 200,000,000 strong into Jerusalem (cf. Rev.16). These Kings of the East will seize the opportunity to quickly move in to the Land of Israel when they see the death of the Great Whore. With today's modern transportation technologies the manoeuvres of armed troops and weapons can take place within a matter of hours or a few days.

There in the Valley of Megiddo, the pivotal point of the whole Battle of Armageddon, these Oriental anti-God and anti-Christ armies will wage a war against the “Ten Horn” nations and their allies for the supremacy and control of Jerusalem. This war will not last for months, it will be over very quickly in a matter of a few days. So, as the end of the 30 days (1290 days, as mentioned by Daniel, minus 1260 days of the Great Tribulation) approaches, the heavens will begin to show the various signs of the appearing of Jesus Christ. Then with absolute power and great glory Christ will appear riding on a white horse followed by His armies of saints also on white horses. He will tread “the great winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God”. “And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” (Zech.12:9). And the strongest opposing force against Christ will be the “ten horns” of the Beast. “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful” (Rev.17:14).

When the Lord Jesus comes, He will descend upon Mount Olives and cause a great earthquake. “And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south” (Zech.14:4). He will fight and conquer not by using a literal sword but by using the Spoken Word of God. He will speak the Word of Judgement against all the opponents of Jerusalem. “And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth” (Zech.14:12). “On that day men will be stricken by the LORD with great panic. Each man will seize the hand of another, and they will attack each other” (Zech.14:13 NIV).

 

The Battle of Armageddon — “The Supper of the Great God”

Verse 17: And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;

Verse 18: That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

Verse 19: And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.

What an invitation! Just as He has invited the saints to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in Heaven, God will prepare a great supper and invite the birds of the air to come together for a big feast. What a supper! There will be “the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great”, and they will all lay out there in a bloody mess in the battlefield of about 200 miles long (cf. Rev.14:20). This supper table is laid out as a result of the Battle of Armageddon.

 

The Beast and the False Prophet Cast Into the Lake of Fire

Verse 20: And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

Right after the Lord has defeated and judged all His enemies, He will capture the two founding spirits that have been the main instigators against the Words and Works of God. He will catch hold of the spirit of the Beast (which is Antichrist — Anti-Word) which had incarnated in the “Man of Sin” (2 Thess.2:4-8), the “Abomination of Desolation” (Matt.24:15 cf. Dan.9:27), who began his peaceful conquest as a “little horn” (Dan.7:24-26) when he seized three of the ten kingdoms of the former Roman Empire. Then Jesus will also grab hold of the spirit of the False Prophet (which is the Second Beast who brought forth false prophecies — deceits and lies). He will cast them alive into the Lake of Fire which is specially “prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt.25:41). They will not be able to come to the world any more. The (spirit of the) destructive Beast (Grk: therion, dangerous and destructive animal) which seeks to destroy the righteousness of God will be destroyed forever in the Lake of Fire (cf. Dan.7:11). The (spirit of the) False Prophet which deceives the nations of the world into giving reverence to and joining the Beastly system will forever be annihilated. Whatever is cast into the Lake of Fire will cease to exist forthwith.

Verse 21: And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

Like Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5), the remainder of the armies of the nations which gathered against Jerusalem will be slain by the power of the spoken word of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, “which sword proceeded out of his mouth”. Their flesh will be food to all the preying fowls which will gather there from all over the world. These birds will clean up the bloody mess of the war.

“The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psm.46:6-10).

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Revelation Chapter 20

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Revelation Chapter 18

 THE BOOK OF REVELATION

~ The Revelation of Jesus Christ

Revelation Chapter 18

Revelation chapter 10 records certain events which will transpire just before the Rapture takes place. A message is given to prepare the living element of the Bride for their transformation to meet the Lord Jesus in the air. There will not be many Christians who will make it to the Rapture. No matter how many anointed servants of God are sent and no matter how many times the Word of God is preached, calling believers to flee and separate from apostate Christendom, the Roman Catholic Church will still prevail and prosper and the Protestants will still continue to thrive in their religious activities. The Foolish Virgins and many religious Protestant Christians will be left behind to face the wrath of the Antichrist.

In this 18th chapter we see a little more details concerning “the judgement of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters” (Rev.17:1) as the 144,000 Jewish servants of God preach their message — “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication” (Rev.14:6-8). The voice of the 144,000 “virgins” (cf. Rev.14:4) will cry out against the Babylonian system of the Organized Churches for the whole duration of the second half of Daniel's 70th Week. Their message is simple enough to understand by all who dwell on earth at that time: “Fear God…, give glory to Him… and worship Him”. Though it is not mentioned in this chapter, we know that God is primarily dealing with certain individual Faithful Jews and the Foolish Virgins during this period of time. Both these groups of people will be greatly affected by the ministry of the 144,000 and, in obedience to the Word, will then give their lives as martyrs. They are the great multitude “which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” that John saw standing before the Throne of the Lamb (Rev.7:14).

 

The Fall of Mystery Babylon

As the seven last plagues of God's wraths are poured out in judgement of the wicked and the Beastly system (Rev.16), the Apostle John saw the effects they had upon Mystery Babylon, the Great Whore (Rev.17). And finally John saw the vision of her great FALL.

Verse 1: And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.

Verse 2: And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

In comparing this angel with the one in Revelation 10, many Christians believe this angel to be the Lord Jesus Christ in angelic form because of the following descriptions: “having great power”, “the earth was lightened with his glory” and “cried mightily with a strong voice”. In Revelation 10, the language used by the Apostle John was unmistakably clear for he knew Who he saw in that vision. However, the angel seen here is but only a very powerful and authoritative angel of a high rank or order. And the glory of the Lord accompanies him as he cries mightily with his strong voice, which will certainly strike awe and terror in people's hearts, as he proclaims around the world the message of the destruction and the fall of Babylon the Great.

As the Great Tribulation comes to an end, the 144,000 Jewish servants of God will have proclaimed the fall of the Great Whore. “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” This will be the climax of their ministry.

Consider the great city of ancient Babylon and what had become of it (cf. Jer.50-51). Then compare it with religious Babylon. In ancient days, a great city provided good refuge. The city of Babylon was such a city. It was a large city with high and thick strong walls all around it. It was well fortified because it was wealthy and filled with much teasures and luxurious goods. It attracted people from all over the world. And the inhabitants of that city believed that the city was impregnable and would stand forever. This same belief is held by those who flock to religious Babylon. But the judgement of God came upon ancient Babylon and in one fell swoop the great city fell to the Medes and the Persians. It laid in ruins and became a desolate place for every bird of prey and scavenging animal. So shall it be with religious Babylon. Though used in a figuratively sense here, the meaning of the angel's proclamation remains the same, which is that of absolute desolation and utter ruin; a dwelling place for every unclean bird of prey and for demons (cf. Isa.13:19-22; 34:14-15). Even at this present moment the ecumenical union of this religious Great Whore and her religious Harlot Daughters have become the very abode of every foul spirit (which does every evil work) and the prison of every unclean and hateful bird (which gathers together to partake of the filthy carcasses — false doctrines, dogmas and creeds — that are lying out there).

Verse 3: For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

The great angel has announced the judgement and destruction of Babylon the Great. Unlike the immaculate Bride of the Lamb, the Holy City New Jerusalem, this woman, Mystery Babylon, has committed fornication with the kings of the earth and “by the wine of the wrath of her fornication all the nations have fallen; …and the merchants of the earth became rich by the power of her wantonness” (Bethel Edition). Undoubtedly, the merchandise of her religious wares of Indulgences, Mass, idolatries, superstitions and worldly compromises have created great wealth for herself and her merchants. The power of her voluptuous yet insolent spirit has attracted many to fornicate with her. Mystery Babylon is not only a harlot but “the mother of harlots”. Her daughters, the organized Protestant Churches, are just as guilty as her for they are drawn to “the power of her wantonness” and have become apostate. Together the whole apostate Church — Harlot Mother and Harlot Daughters — deserves the wrath of the last plagues of God.

 

God's Warning To His People

Verse 4: And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

Verse 5: For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

Why, O why, are the Protestant Churches not obeying the Word of the Lord God? It is evident that they have departed from the faith. They are attracted to the wooing of their “good” mother, who will indeed gather all her daughters to her ample bosom as the end draws near. And the end is near! Like the city of ancient Babylon, Mystery Babylon the Great will surely fall! “Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the LORD'S vengeance; he will render unto her a recompence. Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD'S hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad. Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed. We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country: for her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies” (Jer.51:6-9 cf. 51:45-59).

To have fellowship with religious Babylon is to share in her sins and the plagues reserved for her and her followers. It is impossible to remain in her domain without guilt, “for her sins are heaped up even unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities” (Numeric N.T.). Yes, she has committed the most corrupting and grievous sins with her contemptuous disregard for and defiance of the Holy Word of God. She remains unrepentant. Are the fallen Protestant Churches any different? No, not at all! “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (2 Cor.6:17-18). Selah.

Verse 6: Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.

Verse 7: How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

What a whore! What evil! What pride! No wonder God will pay her back double for all her filthy evil works. She claims to be a queen on a throne and indubitably the world regards her as one because she dominates many rulers of world powers. She will have control over those who are in agreement with her, especially those in the prophetic world. No doubt, the rest of the world will feel the effects of her power because she possesses great wealth. She will definitely be in control of the monetary system of the European Union by virtue of her possessions. She will hold the reins of power over the Beast. The single Euro Currency system will definitely have powerful effects on the world economy. Yes, she is living up to her boastful claims, but her self-glorification will soon turn into sorrows (cf. Isa.47:7-10).

Verse 8: Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

This prophecy will soon be history. The handwriting is on the wall — “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN” (cf. Dan.5:25). The “queen” is “weighed in the balances, and art found wanting” (cf. Dan.5:27). And just as God had stirred up the spirit of the Medes and the Persians and moved them to overthrow ancient Babylon, so will He stir up the communistic spirit of the Ten Horns (Euro-Communism) of the Beast to turn against their “queen” and utterly destroy her. “And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled” (Rev.17:16-17 cf. Lev.21:9). Yes, religious Babylon the Great will have a great fall and will lay in ruins. She will be utterly consumed in one great catastrophe.

 

Earthly Lamentation Over The Desolation of Babylon

Verse 9: And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,

Verse 10: Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

Overcome by the fear of the “torment” of the Babylonian Whore, the kings of the earth (who fornicate with her) will keep their distance and bewail her. And the Ten Horns, which destroy the whore, will now seize the power of the Great Harlot and gain control of the Beastly system.

Verse 11: And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:

Verse 12: The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,

Verse 13: And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.

Verse 14: And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.

Verse 15: The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,

Verse 16: And saying, Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!

Verse 17: For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,

Verse 18: And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!

Verse 19: And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

The kings of the earth who commit fornication with Babylon the Great will lament her fall. The merchants who grow wealthy on her traffic will lament the loss of their commerce and markets. They will bewail her fall because “no man buyeth their merchandise any more”. But what are the merchandise which make these merchants rich?

In the past, religion and business did not mix. Today, religion is big business. And where money is, politics follows. Religion has been highly commercialized and politicized. In paganism there are much superstitions. With Popery around, more superstitions abound. Superstitions generate money for both the commercial and the religious merchants. The commercial merchants sell religious wares and idols made according to the specifications of the Apostate Church, and the religious merchants sell Indulgences, Mass and other false and deceptive doctrines. The Popish Religion is both political and commercial in nature. She amasses luxurious goods and earthly treasures (verse 12) and also enslaves people (verse 13). It will not be long before she again calls the shots and dictates the world economy, much like what she did in past history during the Dark Ages — “A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny” (Rev.6:6). Yes, Babylon the Great is a rich, powerful and wicked woman; she enslaves people in her system and destroys their souls.

 

Heavenly Rejoicing Over The Desolation of Babylon

Verse 20: Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.

Yes, heaven and the saints of God will truly rejoice over the destruction of that mighty city, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the earth.

Verse 21: And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

The symbolic action of the strong angel replays an intense picture of the act which Jeremiah commanded Seraiah to perform against ancient Babylon. “So Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that should come upon Babylon, even all these words that are written against Babylon. And Jeremiah said to Seraiah, When thou comest to Babylon, and shalt see, and shalt read all these words; Then shalt thou say, O LORD, thou hast spoken against this place, to cut it off, that none shall remain in it, neither man nor beast, but that it shall be desolate for ever. And it shall be, when thou hast made an end of reading this book, that thou shalt bind a stone to it, and cast it into the midst of Euphrates: And thou shalt say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her: and they shall be weary. Thus far are the words of Jeremiah” (Jer.51:60-64). As ancient Babylon fell with a great violence and sank to rise no more, so shall be the fate of religious Babylon. Undoubtedly, the Vatican City, the very heart and icon of religious Babylon, will be destroyed with great violence by a consuming fire (perhaps an atomic blast) in the hands of the Ten Horns (Euro Communism).

Verse 22: And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;

Verse 23: And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.

Like ancient Babylon, religious Babylon is a place of great joy and delight, music and songs, and hum of many different activities. But all these will come to an end with the fall of Babylon the Great. “For thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.” The Romish clergymen are merchants who peddle false doctrines. They hold themselves up as great men who are able to forgive sins and use prayers to free the dead from purgatory (an imaginary place which Papal Rome has created). By their sorcery, trickery and hocus-pocus, they are deceiving the nations. They are all abominations in the eyes of the Almighty God. God has decreed that not even a little candle light shall be seen in her any more, and that total darkness shall overwhelm her completely.

Verse 24: And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

God is against the Great Harlot, the Roman Catholic Church, because the Satanic world system of Babylon has killed countless Christians and others who opposed her false doctrines and traditions. She is still on the rampage today, even supporting mercenaries to fight on behalf of those kings who fornicate with her. She is ready to kill anyone who stands on the Word of God. But the 144,000 Jewish servants of God will bring a message of judgement against her – “Babylon is fallen!” – and God will completely destroy this great “Mother of Harlots and the Abominations of the Earth”, including all her harlot daughters, the organized Protestant Churches.

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Revelation  Chapter 19

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