Revelation 20:11-15 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
 
THIS is Judgment Day. Suddenly the Son of God comes in victorious glory to end sin and establish the Lord’s salvation. There is no room for the old earth and sky. The New Creation has begun.
   All – those great and small – who had died before this day and all alive on this day will stand before Jesus. He will open the books listing the deeds of all who have lived.
   Verses 12 & 13 may cause some confusion. What evidence does Jesus use to judge? Does he judge our works? It seems so because we twice read the dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books…and each person was judged according to what he had done.
   One key to understanding what we had done is the book of life. Jesus assures us in Revelation 3:5 He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. Jesus assures us that all saved by faith in Jesus are forever his. The works of those listed in the book of life refer to one’s response to salvation. Jesus spoke of this in his parable of the Talents in Matthew 25 and Luke 19. Do you “sit” in your salvation, hiding your gift from public view? Do  you fail to invest your gifts for Jesus’ sake? Or do you generously serve Jesus? Are you investing your tithes and offerings for his church. Do you help expand his Kingdom with your spiritual gifts? Are you eager to put your faith into action? Heavenly reward awaits those who are judged to have steadfastly worked for the Master.
   The unrepentant whose works rejected God throughout their lives  are judged eternally to Hell. Their second death will be final into punishment.
   Are you ready? The Lord God will come. God will change all you know. Jesus will determine your eternal home. This is the Word of God. He has spoken to you. Where is your name written? What are you doing in response to your salvation?  
 
Prayer: Stir us Lord to believe in this day. Ignite our love for others, so we will be purposeful to declare the Good News. Amen. 

Revelation 20:1-10 And I saw an angel coming down out of Heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. 4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. 7 When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth – Gog and Magog – to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. 9 They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from Heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
 
IS this a literal account of end-time events? God’s angel imprisons Satan for a thousand years. The faithful martyrs in Heaven reign with Jesus for those thousand years. God then releases Satan to deceive the nations, concluding in a great war at Jerusalem – the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. Heaven’s power destroys that army. Satan is finally thrown into burning sulphur to suffer eternal torture.  
   But remember this is a vision. God’s visions illustrate specific truth. Thus, a second view of this passage sees this as an illustration of God’s ongoing war with Satan throughout the church age. The 1,000 years is a time of uncountable years. Jesus defeated Satan at the cross and resurrection. But God allows Satan to deceive the nations until the final judgment. The uncountable army can be the many world armies that have opposed God’s commands for the past 2,000 years. But one day Christ will be the victor.
   Other Bible passages can help us understand this. With very direct language Jesus talked of his judgment and victory in one Second Coming. Paul confirms this in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself will come down from Heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
   Those who come with Christ are of the first resurrection. They are blessed, and they are holy – made perfect before God through Jesus. Their souls are in Heaven. Then at Jesus’ coming will be the second resurrection when their bodies rise up to meet them in the air. These saints need not fear the second death, which is the final torture of those who die in sin.
   What do you know from Revelation and the entire Bible? God wins. All evil is tormented forever. Those in Christ share in Heaven’s glory forever. There is no confusion about these truths.
 

 

Revelation 19:17-21 And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great.” 19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. 20 But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the
beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21 The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.
 
A new angel calls the church to war and announces to the birds of the air they will have a supper to eat the flesh of all opposition. The beast, the false prophet and the ten kings come to Armageddon as described in chapter 16. The battle has been foretold. Jesus’ army captures the beast - the devil’s counterfeit son - and the false prophet. Both are thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. Their punishment is eternal torture. In turn, all of their followers are destroyed. With the flash of the Lord’s sword, the battle is done. The carrion birds reap the grim harvest.
   Do you wonder if the Lord will truly destroy multitudes? See the Lord’s judgment of Israel: 2 Samuel 24:15 So the Lord sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the end of the time designated, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died. 16 When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord was grieved because of the calamity and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” Also, see God’s judgment against Assyria: Isaiah 37:36 Then the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning – there were all the dead bodies!
   Listen to the Lord. Revelation is a message to the church to repent, so you will be prepared for this great day of the Lord.
   We must have an appropriate fear of God. He is the one who holds eternity in his hands. His judgment is sure and final. Has he called you? Rejoice and be confident you are in his army. Be alert. The Lord’s army is one of great responsibility and action. You have a duty to obey God. He is your sovereign Ruler. Hear and be faithful.
 
Prayer: I pray I am prepared for this Day of the Lord. Amen. 

Revelation 19:11-16 I saw Heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of Heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
 
HE comes! Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 24:30 “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great
glory.” This is Jesus’ glorious return to earth. He is on a hose of power and rule. His name is Faithful and True and a name written on him that no one knows but he knows. His magnificent glory is beyond our full comprehension.
   Jesus is just. His eyes demonstrate God’s power and piercing knowledge. His many crowns reflect his sovereign power over all. The Lamb of God wears a robe dipped in blood, likely reflecting his own sacrifice for his church. In perfection he leads Heaven’s armies; the church faithfully follows him. Fulfilled is the ancient prophecy of Genesis 49:10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs, and the obedience of the nations is his. Indeed, the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty finally destroys sin. Yes, he is the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Are you prepared for his coming?
 
Prayer: We rejoice in the expectation of your coming, Lord Jesus. Come quickly, that your will is done on earth as in heaven. Amen.

Revelation 19:6-8 Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. 8 Fine linen, the righteous acts of the saints, are bright and clean, was given her to wear.”
 
MARRIAGE is very precious to God. In fact, God’s creation was not done until the first wedding: Genesis 2:24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. God created marriage in his image. Adam and Eve were at one with each other. The couple was at one with God. The marriage reflected God’s design for a holy, loving relationship between one another and mankind’s relationship with God: Love God. Love others as yourself.
   But we know sin and shame corrupted and cursed the marriage. The perfect union became a continual division, reflecting mankind’s broken relationship with God.   
   But a new wedding is coming. The Lord gives John his vision of the perfected church as Jesus’ bride! Marriage culminates the new creation as it did the first. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Son of Man, is the Husband, joined with his bride, the Church. Each person who has said, “I do.” to Jesus as Lord and Savior will live perfectly joined to Jesus forever. The church is dressed in holy splendor because her husband’s blood has washed sin’s filth away. Oh, my! The wedding ceremony is complete: Revelation 19:9 “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God. 10 At this I fell at his feet to worship him.”
   Yes! Worship such a Savior, who intimately joins to you with his unbreakable love: John 17:24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.”
   Celebrate your holy Husband. You can trust such a marvelous perfect God who weds you into a holy, eternal union with him.
 
Prayer: We praise you, Lord God, for your patient persistence to join with your chosen church. We worship you in joy and wonder, grateful to be married to you. Amen.

Revelation 19:1-5 After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in Heaven shouting: Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, 2 for true and just are his judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.” 3 And again they shouted: “Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.” 4 The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried: “Amen, Hallelujah!” 5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying: “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both small and great!”
 
ONE way to help us understand Revelation is to see its structure. In the beginning, we know God gave to Jesus a message to show his servants what must soon take place. (Revelation 1:1b) The prelude to Jesus’ main message is in chapters 2-3. Jesus spoke directly to seven churches to guide them to more faithful worship. In chapter 4, the Father’s message then moves into Heaven to see worship led by the 24 elders and the four angels or living creatures also known as seraphim.
   The purpose for this introduction and heavenly view is for the readers throughout time to know this is God’s message to his church. His true church will be with him in Heaven’s glory. With that assurance, God’s message becomes very difficult for us. The views of sin dominating and destroying the world repel us. God’s message then teaches us to understand we must deeply trust him and await his coming. In faith we must believe his ways are not our ways.
   Thus, the structure of Revelation now takes us back to Heaven. From this point to the conclusion of Revelation, we will see God’s victory for his church. The church praises God for the “prostitute’s” destruction and for the church’s victory. The elders and the living creatures continue to lead worship.
   There is a praise song many of us sing in our churches. It is called the “Gloria Patri” – “Glory to the Father”. Its words are: “Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: World without end. Amen. Amen.” This is often sung in response to speaking an affirmation of our beliefs such as the Apostles Creed. The author is unknown. But we can quickly see this could have been and could be eternally sung in heaven. It defines God’ glory. He is Trinity. He is eternal. As all creation was perfect in the beginning of time, it shall be perfect forever in God’s eternal power.
   Praise God! His blessings, indeed, flow into our lives forever!
 
Prayer: We do praise you with our hearts, minds and souls, Lord. You are our eternal God worthy of our true and complete worship. Amen.

Revelation 18:1 After this I saw another angel coming down from Heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. 2 With a mighty voice he shouted: “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird… 7 Give her as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, ‘I sit as queen; I am not a widow, and I will never mourn.’ 8 Therefore, in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her. 9 When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her…17 They will say, ‘In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!’ 19 They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: ‘Woe! Woe, O great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin!’ 20 Rejoice over her, O Heaven! Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets! God has judged her for the way she treated you.” 21 Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again...24 In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints, and of all who have been killed on the earth.”
 
A mighty angel illuminates the world with his splendor. This reminds us of the angels’ glory over Bethlehem. As the Bethlehem angels announced, “A savior has been born.” This angel announces in effect, “The Savior is coming in power.” The Lord is moving toward the end of his vision to John. He has spoken of sin’s rule over the earth, and he has declared it will end one day. Chapter 18, summarized in these verses, is an account of God’s judgment.
   “Babylon” is always the symbol of earthly rulers who oppose God. The world mourns Babylon’s destruction because the world worships material wealth. The woe is directed to lost trade and prosperity.
   Then another mighty angel appears to finalize Babylon’s eternal destruction. Satan is responsible for death. He has killed God’s own. The Lord brings an end to death by destroying Satan’s authority. Again, we can trust God’s Word to know he will surely judge the Oppressor and save his one true Church.
   Woe to the guilty. Joy to the innocent in Jesus Christ.
 
Prayer: Father in Heaven, strengthen us in our trials. Affirm us in our faith. Assure us in your eternal promise. Amen.
 

 

Revelation 17:15-18 Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. 16 The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until God’s words are fulfilled. 18 The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”
 
IN chapter 17, God has revealed a time of sin’s rule in the world. The prostitute symbolized nations in partnership with Satan, the beast, to violently oppose God’s church. Why is it, then, that the beast and the ten horns destroy the prostitute?
   Evil destroys evil, doesn’t it? Read of the evil nations in the Old Testament and throughout history. What happened to them? They are gone; they destroyed one another. More specifically, Rome is likely the great city that rules over the kings of the earth. The persecuted church of John’s day would be greatly encouraged to know Rome would be destroyed. In a like manner, we can be encouraged today to know God’s rule will overcome all who oppose the church.
   All corrupt governments are eventually destroyed from within as greed, pride and power motivate people to rebellion. Destruction is the sum of all sin: Psalms 5:9 Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit. 10 Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you.
   Be of God’s purpose. Your task as Jesus’ church is to show the better way of Christ. Philippians 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!
   Our Lord is true. He has shown us the true way involves humility, love, obedience and sacrifice. This is your way to eternal life.
 
Prayer: Lord God, deliver us from evil. Empower us to be true leaders of your true kingdom. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
 
 

Revelation 17:12-14 “The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. 13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings – and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”
 
THE ten horns symbolizes many world governments that will oppose Jesus until his final victory. These future government reigns will be brief. One hour is figurative of the many transitions of governments throughout world history. In Rome’s history, for example, some emperors reigned only for months before assassination. Many leaders in all cultures last only a short time.
   This vision of constant opposition to Jesus can be disheartening. Even the ruling Jews were leaders who opposed Jesus: Mark 11:18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. But know the opposition lasts only one hour. Jesus is eternal. He is the victor over all opposition, even the grave.
   Jesus is risen. He is alive. The Lamb will overcome because he is King of kings, Lord of lords! With him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.  
   Are you a Christian? Then rejoice because God has chosen you to his eternal throne room. His government will never end. God has you and will not let you go. Hebrews 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
 
Prayer: Father, “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.” (Philippians 1:20) Amen.
 

Revelation 17:6-11 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. 7 Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because he once was, now is not, and yet will come. 9 This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. 10 They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while. 11 The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.
 
THIS is overwhelming, isn’t it? John would have been overcome with this complex bloody vision of so many images. But let’s discover the hope in God’s astonishing revelation to his church.
   The prostitute, remember, represents evil nations in partnership with Satan. During his lifetime, John knew the cost to those who bore testimony of Jesus. Then he learns this brutal evil will increase in the years to come. Indeed, the martyrs’ blood has flowed in Jesus’ church. “Martyrdom is a regular, ongoing feature of church life in the 25 percent of global Christianity that we call the Underground Church. In just one part of the globe, over
10,000 Christians have been killed every year since 1950. Martyrdom have increased throughout the world from 35,000 in 1900 to an estimated 260,000 per year.” (from The Life Application Commentary Series) We have no idea, do we, of the astonishing cost for many to bear the testimony of Jesus.
   Then the angel explains the vision. The beast, which once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction represents Satan’s power at various levels. Unbelievers’ opposition will ebb and flow with Satan’s power. Our sure hope is God’s promise to destroy Satan.
   The seven hills on which the woman sits represent a literal and symbolic dominion of evil. Rome, built on seven hills, is the literal home to evil. The seven heads symbolically represent all nations. Five have fallen means that evil’s time is moving toward the end. The one who is can be Nero, the great symbol of evil to the Jews. After that will come others until an eighth ruler. This will be Satan, the ultimate Evil ruler.
   Then we see the sure hope: Satan is doomed to suffer in hell. Martyrs will live in Heaven. Amid the martyrs’ blood flows the Lord’s blood. He protects his own forever as our names are written on the book of life. By his grace and love we have been saved. Amen.
 
Prayer: You are King, Lord Jesus. Your blood is more powerful than all evil against you. Thank you for your eternal protection. Amen.