Lesson 19
More on the Two Beasts...
Last week, we considered several possible reasons why
there are two beasts in Chapter 13. There is an additional
possibility that we should consider as well. According to
Roman mythology, Rome was founded by the twin brothers,
Romulus and Remus. That same mythology tells us that
Romulus was the first king of Rome, and that shortly after
their birth the twins were ordered to be killed by
exposure, but they survived and were nursed by a wolf —
which is often depicted in Roman art and Roman coins.
Because Romulus was raised by a wolf, one early source
called him “the son of the beast.” It is possible that the
two beasts in Revelation 13 are pointing all the way back
to the two mythological founders of Rome.
Revelation 13:18 Continued...
With regard to verse 18, one commentator has noted that
“no verse in Revelation has received more attention than
this one with its cryptic reference to the number of the
beast.”
Last week we discussed the famous number 666 in verse
18, and we concluded that it depicts something that has
fallen hopelessly short of divine perfection, which would
be denoted by 777. As Lenski explained about 666:
In other words, not 777, but competing with 777, seeking
to obliterate 777, but doing so abortively, its failure
being as complete as was its expansion by puffing itself up
from 6 to 666.
There is another possible significance for 666 that we
should discuss, and it stems from something called
gematria. Gematria refers to the representation of words by
their numerical equivalents so that the number conveys a
message.
We know that the use of gematria was common at the time.
At Pergamum, inscribed stones have been found containing
numerical riddles based on gematria. Graffiti from the
ruins of Pompeii reads “I love her whose number is 545” and
“Amerimnus thought upon his lady Harmonia for good. The
number of her honorable name is 45.” A difficult passage in
Suetonius is explained by noting that Nero is there
numerically resolved into “matricide.” One commentator
states that “gematria was widely used in apocalyptic
[literature] because of its symbolic and enigmatic
quality.”
Here are the questions we need to consider: (1) Is the
reference to 666 in verse 18 an example of gematria? (2) If
so, then to what or to whom does it refer? (3) And, again
if so, is that meaning the primary meaning of the symbol or
a secondary meaning?
Let’s start with the third question first. Earlier we
discussed the symbolic meaning of 666 as something that has
fallen hopelessly short of the divine 777, and we saw how
that symbol perfectly depicted the second beast from the
earth. That fit is so perfect and is explained so well in
terms of the symbol 7 (around which this entire book is
constructed), I am convinced that this symbolic
understanding of 666 is the primary meaning behind the
symbol. And so, if we determine that gematria is in use in
verse 18, I submit it must be a secondary meaning of the
symbol. And there is some additional evidence for that view
— the verse itself begins with a call for wisdom, which may
be an indication that a dual meaning is involved here. We
have discussed before how difficult it is to determine
secondary meanings for prophecies absent being explicitly
told by God. There is no such explicit statement here, but
there may nevertheless be a suggestion.
So, that leaves us with two questions — was gematria
used, and, if so, to what or to whom does it refer?
Before we answer those questions, we should pause to
consider an important warning. One has to be very careful
when heading off into this direction in the Bible because
right near the edge there is a very steep slope heading
straight down into sheer speculation and utter nonsense.
Those going down this road sometimes find themselves trying
to read some numerical significance into every word of the
Bible. Many books have been published that claim to have
discovered a secret code in the Bible that predicts the
names, locations, and dates of future events. What those
books fail to tell you is that those same methods could be
applied to almost any book to obtain similar secret
messages.
We need to be particularly careful with gematria
because, as we know, it is possible to prove anything with
numbers if one is willing to twist the facts while ignoring
the context and all other evidence to the contrary. Some
people treat numbers and statistics in the same way that a
drunk treats a lamppost — for support rather than for
illumination!
Here are two quick examples: Here’s a numerical “proof”
that Hitler was the antichrist. Let A = 100, B = 101, C =
102, etc. and note that 107 (H) + 108 (I) + 119 (T) + 111
(L) + 104 (E) + 117 (R) = 666! Or, consider the following
numerical “proof” that Shakespeare translated the King
James version of the Bible: How old was Shakespeare in 1611
when the King James version was published? 46. The 46th
word in Psalm 46 is “shake.” The 46th word from the end of
Psalm 46 is “spear.” Coincidence? Certainly. Silly? Yes.
More silly than most of the crazy notions people have about
666? No. People need to quit looking for secret messages in
the Bible and start obeying the message that is clear for
all to understand.
But with that said, anyone who studies 666 and the
history of its interpretation must be struck some strange
curiosities. For example, we all know the six Roman
numbers: I(1), V(5), X(10), L(50), C(100), and D(500). What
do you get when you add up the values of the five Roman
numbers? 666. Take the first seven primes numbers (2, 3, 5,
7, 11, 13, and 17) and sum their squares: 4 + 9 + 25 + 49 +
121 + 169 + 289. What do you get? 666. Spooky! (and
irrelevant!)
So, going back to the text, is gematria used in verse
18? Possibly. We know that gematria was common at the time,
and we know that some of the earliest commentaries on
Revelation have turned to gematria to explain this
verse.
But then what could 666 denote? There are a number of
words and names that could be represented as 666, depending
on the language we choose (Hebrew, Greek, Latin) and how we
then associate letters in that language with numbers.
Having this many variables makes it very difficult to
determine which (if any) was the word or phrase that God
intended for us to associate with 666.
We should probably not expect a perfect fit. Why?
Because in my view the primary meaning of 666 does not rely
on gematria but rather relies on the symbolic meaning of
666 as falling short of 777. That is, the number 666 was
not chosen to represent a name but was chosen for its
symbolic significance. It may also represent a name, but if
it does we should probably not expect the same perfect fit
we would have had if the number had been chosen solely on
that basis.
There is evidence that some have tried to change the
text to make what they consider a better fit. Some of your
Bibles may have a footnote that says some early texts have
616 in verse 18 rather than 666. Lenski describes that
textual issue:
This is not a faulty transcription but a deliberate
alteration that was made very early and against which the
strongest protest was at once raised. The alteration was
made so that by gematria the number would fit the emperor
[Caligula]. This was the man who made the effort to have
his image erected in the Temple at Jerusalem...
Thus, those early texts that show 616 in place of 666
most likely represent someone’s attempt to make the number
666 a better fit for someone’s name by changing it to 616.
The correct value is 666.
But those early manuscripts with 616 do tell us
something important. Those changes from 666 to 616 confirm
that from very early in its history commentators have
understood verse 18 to include an example of gematria. We
should not be too quick to discount viewpoints that are
closely related in time to the original readers of this
book.
So what could 666 represent? There are numerous
candidates, but, not surprisingly, the leading candidate is
Nero, whose name could also be said to denote Domitian as
Nero Redivivus. Various numerical representations will give
you 666 from either Nero Caesar or Neron (the Latin form of
his name that appears, for example, in the subscript in the
KJV at the end of 2nd Timothy), but other names can be made
to fit as well. In short, no one can be certain that
gematria is used, and if it is used, no one can be certain
who is represented, but Nero is a likely candidate because
of the context of verse 18.
Let’s next consider the other side of the argument. A
very good case can be made for the proposition that no
gematria at all is involved in verse 18. For example, verse
18 omits a definite article before “man,” which may
indicate that no particular man is in mind. Also, as one
commentator notes, “what is not generally stressed is that
[the most commonly given] solution [pointing to Nero] asks
you to calculate a Hebrew transliteration of the Greek form
of a Latin name, and that with a defective spelling.”
Lenski gives us other objections as well:
It is surprising to note how many men think that “666”
is the product of gematria. ... Yet nowhere is Scripture,
nowhere in Revelation do we meet with another case of
gematria. ... A number that is produced by gematria would
remain an insoluble conundrum; yet the very title of this
book is “Revelation.” ... Take some name and set down the
value of each of its letters, add these, write the sum. A
hundred other names may produce the same sum.
Those are all good objections, and some of them are even
compelling. But with those objections stated, I still
believe it is possible that 666 has a secondary
significance based on gematria, and I would point to verses
17-18 for support as well as the view of ancient
commentators on that subject.
So, in summary, my opinion is that the primary
significance of 666 is that it falls hopelessly short of
the divine perfection denoted by 777. That idea fits
perfectly with the context of this second beast
representing the false perverted religion of Rome. I also
think there is possibly a secondary meaning in which 666
denotes Nero.
What then is the setting at the end of Chapter 13? A
terrible dragon has given his authority to a seven headed
beast that has arisen from the sea. The beast is killed but
comes back to life. A second beast arises and looks like a
lamb but sounds like a dragon. The second beast performs
signs and wonders and causes the earth to worship the first
beast. The chapter ends with the whole earth in the spell
of the dragon and the beasts.
What does the church need at this point? The church
needs comfort and assurance, which is exactly what Chapter
14 provides.
Chapter Fourteen
1 Then I looked, and lo, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb,
and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand who had his
name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2
And I heard a voice from heaven like the sound of many
waters and like the sound of loud thunder; the voice I
heard was like the sound of harpers playing on their harps,
3 and they sing a new song before the throne and before the
four living creatures and before the elders. No one could
learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand
who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 It is these who
have not defiled themselves with women, for they are
chaste; it is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes;
these have been redeemed from mankind as first fruits for
God and the Lamb, 5 and in their mouth no lie was found,
for they are spotless.
Look at the incredible contrast between the last verse
of Chapter 13 and the first verse of Chapter 14! Chapter 13
ended with the mark of the beast that was written on all
those who worshiped the dragon. Chapter 14 begins with
those who have the name of the Lamb and the name of the
Father on their foreheads. There is no doubt to whom these
people belong! 2 Timothy 2:19 ― “The Lord knows those who
are His!”
And right away we have a lesson for us today. Is there
ever any doubt about to whom we belong? There was no doubt
for those Christians in Rome. To be a Christian in Rome
meant a constant risk to one’s life and livelihood. There
were very few nominal Christians at that time. But what
about today? What would happen to our attendance if our
country began to persecute those who confess that Jesus is
Lord? We need to live our lives in such a way that no one
will ever have any doubt that we belong to Christ. Our
Christian walk should be so apparent to the world that it
is as if we literally had the name of Christ marked on our
foreheads.
We have already seen many of these symbols, and we won’t
repeat here all that we said about them earlier (but we
will repeat some of it).
The Lamb, of course, is the resurrected Christ. Although
the Lamb had been slain (Revelation 5:6), the Lamb now
stands on Mount Zion. What about the harps? We’ve already
talked about them. What about the new song? We’ve already
talked about it. What about Mount Zion? That’s a new
one!
What is Mount Zion? Zion was initially introduced as the
stronghold and city of David in 2 Samuel 5:7 and 1
Chronicles 11:5. In time it came to represent God’s
dwelling place among his people, as in Psalm 9:11. It was a
refuge because God was there, as in Psalm 48:2-3
―“Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is
mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the
great King. God is known in her palaces for a refuge.” It
was a symbol of security, as in Psalm 125:1 ― “They that
trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be
removed, but abideth for ever.”
Zion also denoted deliverance. Psalm 14:7 tells us that
Zion is the place from which deliverance comes — “O that
deliverance for Israel would come out of Zion!” Romans
11:26 quotes Isaiah 59:20 and tells us that Zion is the
place from which the Deliverer will come ― “The Deliverer
will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from
Jacob.” What did the church need? Deliverance! Where are
these people now standing? At the very source of
deliverance!
Finally, Zion played an important role in the Messianic
promise:
• Psalm 2:6 “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of
Zion.”
• Psalm 110:2 “The LORD shall send the rod of thy
strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine
enemies.”
• Isaiah 2:3 “for out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”
• Isaiah 59:20 “And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and
unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the
LORD.” (Romans 11:26)
• Isaiah 28:16 “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD,
Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried
stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that
believeth shall not make haste.” (Romans 9:33; 1 Peter
2:6)
• Micah 4:7 “and the LORD shall reign over them in mount
Zion from henceforth, even for ever.”
• Isaiah 35:10 “And the ransomed of the LORD shall
return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy
upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and
sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”
• Isaiah 62:11 “Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto
the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion,
Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with
him, and his work before him.”
In Hebrews 12:22-24, we read:
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the
living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable
company of angels, to the general assembly and church of
the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the
Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to
Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of
sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.
Chapter 14 shows the Lamb standing on Mount Zion with
the 144,000. Is this a future scene or a present scene?
Look at the verses we just read! The promises of Zion
arrived with Jesus! The writer of Hebrews said that we
“have come” to Mount Zion. The apostles quoted the Zion
promises and said they had been fulfilled in Christ. Zion
is something we have right now — and something those first
century Christians had as well.
So who are the 144,000? We have already looked at this
symbol and discussed it at length in our discussions of
Chapter 7. The 144,000 here represents what it did earlier
— the church, the people of God, ALL of God’s people. That
is what the symbol means: 12 times 12 times 1000! ALL of
God’s people with no one left out!
Chapter 14 adds to the earlier description of the
144,000 and confirms that our identification is correct.
Verse 3 tells us that the 144,000 had been redeemed from
the earth, which is also true of the church ―
• 1 Corinthians 6:20 “You were bought with a price.”
1 Corinthians 7:23 “You were bought with a price.”
• 1 Peter 1:18-19 “You know that you were ransomed from
the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with
perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the
precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without
blemish or spot.”
Verse 4 describes the 144,000 as virgins, and in 2
Corinthians 11:2 Paul describes the church as a “pure
bride” presented to her one husband, Jesus Christ. In
Ephesians 5:21–33 Paul describes the relationship between
Christ and his church as a marriage. Throughout the Old
Testament, idolatry was viewed as spiritual fornication.
Thus, the church, following the command in 1 Corinthians
10:14 to flee from idolatry, is pictured as a virgin. This
image of virginity may also be intended to emphasize that
the redeemed had no congress with the harlot (depicting
Rome) that we will meet in Chapter 17.
Verse 3 tells us that only the 144,000 could learn the
new song. This new song is the song of redemption we saw in
5:9–10. This is not a song for angels because angels do not
share in the saving help provided by Christ (Hebrews 2:16).
“The angels might look with admiration and wonder on the
work of redemption, but they have no experience of it.”
This is a song for the redeemed! That only the 144,000
could learn this song tells us that the 144,000 is all of
the redeemed. The 144,000 is not just a part of the church.
The 144,000 is the church. To argue otherwise is to say
that there are some in the church who cannot sing the song
of redemption.
Verse 4 describes the 144,000 as those redeemed from
mankind as first fruits for God and the Lamb. James 1:18
describes the church as “a kind of first fruits of his
creatures.” And that image fits best with the church of the
first century, who were literally the first fruits redeemed
from mankind. And yet many today would have these first
fruits refer instead to the last fruits at the end of
time!
Verse 4 describes the 144,000 as those who follow the
Lamb wherever he goes. In Luke 9:23–24 Jesus says “If any
man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up
his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his
life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake,
he will save it.”
This is a beautiful picture. We generally think of a
lamb as following a shepherd, but here the church is the
one following and the Lamb is the one leading. Earlier we
saw the wrath of the Lamb. A lamb that has wrath? A lamb
that leads? Our Lamb is like no other lamb!
Verse 5 describes the 144,000 as spotless. Ephesians
5:27 describes the glorious church as being without spot or
wrinkle or blemish.
The 144,000 represents all of God’s people, which at
this time was the church — ALL of the church. No one is
left out. God has marked each one so that none will be
misplaced. Had God forgotten about the church? Absolutely
not! Did Jesus care what was happening to his church?
Absolutely he cared! That is the message of these beautiful
verses. There are no more beautiful descriptions of the
church of Christ than those found in Revelation. We must
always seek to see the church as God sees it. If we ever
do, then this book of Revelation will become a book of
revolution!
6 Then I saw another angel flying in midheaven, with an
eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to
every nation and tribe and tongue and people; 7 and he said
with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, for the
hour of his judgment has come; and worship him who made
heaven and earth, the sea and the fountains of water.”
Verse 6 is the only occurrence of the word “gospel” in
any of John’s writings. This angel delivers an eternal
gospel ― good news to those who follow God and a warning to
those who don’t. If there is a final opportunity for
repentance in this book, this would seem to be it. The hour
of judgment has come. But even as that hour comes, God
continues to proclaim the eternal gospel. It is not God’s
will that any should perish, but that all should come to
repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
Those who were worshiping the emperor would soon
discover they had made a very bad choice. The emperor did
not make heaven or earth or the sea or the fountains of
water. The emperor is not a creator; the emperor is a
creature. The judgment about to come will demonstrate to
all that God alone is worthy of worship.
8 Another angel, a second, followed, saying, “Fallen,
fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink
the wine of her impure passion.”
“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!” We have been
waiting 14 chapters to hear that message proclaimed! Who is
Babylon? Who else could it be but Rome? Who else made all
nations drink the wine of her impure passion? Who else did
Peter refer to as Babylon in 1 Peter 5:13? Who else at this
time could better be described as Babylon, the great enemy
of God’s people? In Chapter 17 we will see Babylon as a
harlot who is drunk with the blood of the saints. Who else
could that be but Rome?
Some might say that Jerusalem could be this Babylon. But
what effect did Jerusalem have on the seven Asian churches
who initially received this letter? How did Jerusalem make
nations drink the wine of her impure passion? Was Jerusalem
identified with seven mountains? Babylon is Rome. That was
true in First Peter, and it is true in Revelation.
And the good news is that Babylon is fallen. The past
tense emphasizes the certainty of the event. In Genesis
17:5 God said to Abraham, “I have made you the father of a
multitude of nations,” even though at the time Abraham had
no children! The past tense stressed the certainty of the
fulfillment. At least 50 years before the actual Babylon
fell to the Medes, God said, “Babylon is suddenly fallen
and destroyed.” (Jeremiah 51:8) And remember Isaiah 48:3 ―
“I have declared the former things from the beginning; and
they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did
them suddenly, and they came to pass.”
The “wine of her impure passion” is likely a reference
to Jeremiah 51:7 ― “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.”
We see a mingling of two images — the wine of Rome’s
fornication and the wine of God’s wrath. Swete: “The wine
of Rome, as of Babylon, was the intoxicating influence of
her vices and her wealth; but viewed from another point it
was the wine of wrath, the wrath which overtakes sin.”
Psalm 75:8 ― “For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup,
and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth
out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of
the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.”
We will learn in Chapter 17 that the “wine of her impure
passion” also denotes the blood of the saints and the
martyrs. The next angel will serve Babylon another drink —
the unmixed wine of God’s wrath!
We should pause here to consider a modern day lesson.
Was Rome the last nation to have and to share with other
nations the wine of its impure passion? Was Rome the last
nation to be a source of moral infection to the world?
Hardly. Our own country also shares the wine of its impure
passion with the entire world. By the age of 16, the
average child raised in the U.S. has witnessed 26,000 overt
sex acts and as many as 400,000 sexual references and
innuendos, as well as 200,000 portrayals of violence,
including 33,000 murders, in television and in movies. And
those numbers do not include video games. Is it possible
that we are already drinking the wine of our own impure
passion?
And what about the church? Do we stand apart or join
right in? Tertullian writing in the second century said
that the principal sign of a man’s conversion to the
Christian faith is that he renounces the bloodthirsty Roman
spectacles. (Spectacles, Chapter 24) What have we
renounced? What is the principal sign of our own
conversion?
9 And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with
a loud voice, “If any one worships the beast and its image,
and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he
also shall drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured unmixed
into the cup of his anger, and he shall be tormented with
fire and sulphur in the presence of the holy angels and in
the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment
goes up for ever and ever; and they have no rest, day or
night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and
whoever receives the mark of its name.” 12 Here is a call
for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the
commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
God’s wrath is reserved for those who worship the beast.
Their judgment is coming, and the penalty is severe.
Is this language literal or figurative? Our general rule
in interpreting apocalyptic language is to view it
figuratively unless we are forced to do otherwise, and here
it would seem we are if anything forced to view it
figuratively. Otherwise, how do we explain the wine of
God’s wrath? Literal wine? We should similarly view the
fire, the sulphur, and the smoke.
So what is this figurative language describing? Is this
a description of Hell? We see similar language used
elsewhere to describe Hell and the final judgment yet to
come, but as we know that alone is not enough to conclude
that the language here is describing the final judgment. In
fact, similar language is used elsewhere to describe
previous judgments of God.
Fire and brimstone (or sulfur) were literally used to
destroy Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19:24 and afterward
became a symbol for other judgments of God.
We find similar language in Isaiah 34:9-10 describing a
judgment against Edom ―
And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and
the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall
become burning pitch. It shall not be quenched night nor
day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from
generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall
pass through it for ever and ever.
Was Edom literally destroyed by fire and brimstone as
Sodom was? No. Was Edom judged by God as Sodom was? Yes.
Could this description from Isaiah 34 be taken literally?
No. In Isaiah 34:9–10 we read that the land of Edom would
burn endlessly, and yet in verses 13–15 we read that at the
same time wild animals would live there. The language is
intended to create an image of utter devastation.
What happened to Edom? After they helped Babylon conquer
Judah, Babylon also conquered them. See Psalm 137:7,
Obadiah 1:11-14, and Jeremiah 27:3-6. Eventually they
ceased to be a nation, thus sharing the fate of Sodom,
albeit not in quite the same swift and spectacular
fashion.
So if the judgment of Edom can be described by Isaiah in
terms of fire, brimstone, and smoke, why can’t John use
that same language to describe the judgment of Rome?
In my opinion, the final judgment is not being pictured
in verses 10-11. Instead, those verses are showing us the
same thing all of the surrounding verses are showing us —
God’s judgment of Rome. And those verses are describing
that judgment in terms used elsewhere in the Bible to
describe other judgments by God.
Could this language also be used to describe God’s final
judgment against the ungodly at the end of time? Yes. Does
that mean it is being used that way here? No. In fact, the
judgment pictured here takes place “in the presence of the
holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb” (verse 10),
whereas in 2 Thessalonians 1:9-10 we see that the
punishment brought about by the final judgment will take
place “away from the presence of the Lord and from the
glory of his might.”
But saying that this language is not describing the
final judgment at the end of time does not mean this
language is not describing Hell. Hell is what awaited these
faithless persecutors, and Hell was the judgment they
received. Hell was where they were headed once their lives
on this earth ended. There is no earthly punishment that
could ever compare with the eternal judgment of Hell.
Note that in verse 10 the wine of God’s wrath is poured
unmixed. One commentator suggests it is undiluted with
mercy because the day of mercy and longsuffering is now
past. These people had been offered mercy in the gospel
that was proclaimed earlier, but that offer had been
rejected. The time for judgment is here for those who
reject the truth and persecute the faithful. And what a
terrible price to pay for rejecting Christ and bowing to
Caesar! There is a high cost to compromise, and the time
for payment has arrived.
Verse 11 includes the haunting phrase, “they have no
rest, day or night.” Can we imagine a punishment worse than
suffering eternal restlessness? That is what is in store
for the wicked. But with that said, we should note an
interesting parallel all the way back to 4:8 ― “And the
four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they
were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night,
saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and
is, and is to come.”
Jude 7 tells us that the judgment of Sodom continues to
serve as an example: “Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the
cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to
fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth
for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”
Likewise, Isaiah 34:10 tells us that the smoke of Edom’s
destruction “shall go up forever.” The smoke in verse 11
tells us that Rome also serves as an example.
Verse 12 is “a call for the endurance of the saints,
those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of
Jesus.” We see here again the weapons of the Christian
warfare with the world — endurance and faithfulness.
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