Lesson 23
19:4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living
creatures fell down and worshiped God who is seated on the
throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” 5 And from the throne
came a voice crying, “Praise our God, all you his servants,
you who fear him, small and great.” 6 Then I heard what
seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound
of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunderpeals,
crying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty
reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has
made herself ready; 8 it was granted her to be clothed with
fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the
righteous deeds of the saints.
God was the one king who was able to stop the military
might of Rome. God reigned then, God reigns now, God has
always reigned, and God will always reign. God reigned
prior to the fall of the Rome, and God reigns after the
fall of Rome.
The word “Hallelujah” in the New Testament occurs only
here in verses 1, 3, 4, and 6. It is a translation of the
Hebrew phrase, “Praise ye Jah [Jehovah],” and is being used
here by the 24 elders and the four living creatures in the
very presence of God. The word “Hallelujah” is a beautiful
word, but sadly it is used more often than not today with
no thought of God. “Hallelujah” includes within it the very
name Jehovah, and his church should treat that word
accordingly even if the world persists in using it in
vain.
In verse 6, we have yet another reminder that what John
is seeing and hearing is a vision. “And I heard, as it
were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many
waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings.” John is
reminding us that he is describing a vision, and it an
important reminder, particularly for the closing chapters
of the book.
The word “Almighty” in verse 6 occurs 10 times in the
New Testament — once in 2 Corinthians 6:18 in a quotation
from the Old Testament and nine times in Revelation. The
term denotes God’s sovereignty over all of creation. Rome
believed that it was almighty, but it was vert badly
mistaken. Almighty God created the universe, and Almighty
God reigns over the universe — including Rome! That is a
vital lesson for nation builders in any age! “Except the
Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it.”
(Psalm 127:1)
In verse 7 we meet a third woman — the wife of the Lamb
— to go along with the radiant woman we met in Chapter 12
and the harlot we met in Chapter 17. The harlot, however,
is no more. And now that the harlot — that great enemy and
rival of the church — is gone, it is time for a wedding. It
is time for rejoicing. The phrase “rejoice and be exceeding
glad” occurs only one other place in the Bible. In Matthew
5:12, Jesus said, “Blessed are you when they revile and
persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you
falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for
great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the
prophets who were before you.” The images in this chapter
are a beautiful illustration of that statement by Jesus in
the Sermon on the Mount.
But did the martyrs go to Heaven when they died? Didn’t
they go to bosom of Abraham as Lazarus did in Luke 16:22?
Don’t they have to wait until the end of time to begin
enjoying their heavenly reward? I don’t think so. It is
true that Lazarus went to the bosom of Abraham with a great
gulf fixed, but it is equally true that Lazarus died before
the cross. The Bible teaches that faithful children of God
who die after the cross go to Heaven when they die. That
was certainly the Apostle Paul’s expectation who, writing
under inspiration, said in Philippians 1:23-24 ― “For I am
hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and
be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain
in the flesh is more needful for you.” Paul didn’t mention
Abraham’s bosom in those verses. Instead, when Paul
departed this life he expected to be with Christ in Heaven.
Is someone really going to suggest he was wrong? After all,
this side of the cross, what remains to keep us from the
presence of God? Hebrews 10:19-22 answers that question:
Nothing! ―
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the
holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way,
which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is
to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house
of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full
assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an
evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
In the Old Testament, the relation of God to his people
was often referred to as a husband and wife relationship.
(See Hosea 2 and Ezekiel 16, for example.) It was natural
then for the relation between Christ and his church to be
described that way in the New Testament, and that is what
we find, for example, in Ephesians 5 and Romans 7. We also
find that here in Chapter 19, where there is a marriage
between Christ the Lamb and a woman who can be none other
than the radiant woman of Chapter 12 who fled into the
wilderness to escape the dragon. At that point on the
timeline, that woman in Chapter 12 represented the church.
Earlier on the timeline that woman represented the faithful
remnant under the Old Covenant who brought forth the son of
God according to the flesh, but under the New Covenant that
woman represents the church, the bride of Christ.
But verse 7 tells us that the marriage of the Lamb has
come. What does that mean? To help us answer that question,
let’s first consider another question: What exactly does
this marriage symbolize? Well, what would we expect it to
symbolize? What has just happened? What have the people of
God just been commanded to do? Look at 18:20 ― “Rejoice
over her, O heaven, O saints and apostles and prophets, for
God has given judgment for you against her!” They have been
commanded to rejoice, and that is exactly what we see them
doing. The marriage and the marriage feast are used to
illustrate the joy of God’s people in Chapter 19 just as
the joyous feast of the tabernacles was used for that same
purpose in Chapter 7.
So what then does verse 7 mean when it says that “the
marriage of the Lamb has come”? Let’s start with what it
does not mean. We know that Paul often described Jesus’
love for his church as the relationship between a husband
and a wife, and many commentators have used the closing
chapters of Revelation to develop elaborate theories about
Christ’s marriage to the church.
Max King, whom we discussed in our introductory lessons,
teaches that Jesus was married to literal Israel until the
church appeared, at which point Jesus was betrothed to the
church while still married to Israel. But when Jerusalem
was destroyed in A.D. 70, Christ was divorced from Israel
and married to the church. That theory sounds more like a
soap opera than Scripture! King’s theory is baseless and,
in fact, is contradicted by Paul’s pre-A.D. 70 descriptions
of Jesus’ relation to the church in such passages as
Ephesians 5:23-32 and Romans 7:4-6.
In fact, the church is described sometimes as being
married to Christ and other times as being betrothed to
Christ. Ephesians 5 describes the relation between Christ
and the church as “one flesh,” which is more than a
betrothal. (Recall Matthew 1:18 ― “After His mother Mary
was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was
found with child of the Holy Spirit.”) And remember also
Romans 7:4 ― “Therefore, my brethren, you also have become
dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be
married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead,
that we should bear fruit to God.” That, too, is more than
a betrothal.
But in 2 Corinthians 11:2 Paul wrote, “For I have
betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a
chaste virgin to Christ.” Is the church married to Christ
or just betrothed to Christ? Is there a contradiction? Of
course not. Neither is literally true, but both are
figuratively true. Just as in the Old Testament, these
descriptions of the church being married to Christ or
betrothed to Christ are illustrations intended to show the
love of Christ for his church. Sometimes that love is shown
as a marriage, while other times it is shown as a betrothal
with the marriage yet to come.
In fact, Paul used marriage in various ways to describe
the church. In Ephesians 5, for example, he used marriage
both to describe Jesus’ love for the church and to
emphasize the need for purity in the church. In Romans 7,
he used marriage to describe not the relation of the entire
church to Christ but instead the relation of an individual
Christian to church. Romans 6 and 7, studied together,
describe baptism as a wedding ceremony in which we enter a
covenant relationship with Jesus. In short, even outside of
Revelation, the symbol of marriage is used to describe
different aspects of the church and of a Christian’s
relationship with Christ. Here in Revelation 19 we see yet
another aspect — the joy of the church in its victory over
Rome.
A central theme of this book is that Jesus loves his
church and is intimately concerned with its welfare. How
better to illustrate that love and concern than with a
marriage? How better to illustrate the great joy of the
church than with a marriage and a marriage feast? The
context here is unrestrained joy, and a marriage is used to
symbolize that joy.
As for the elaborate theories that have been developed
based on these closing chapters, I like what Jim McGuiggan
has to say on that subject:
It’s not out of place here to say a word or two about
using figures to build doctrines on. If the doctrine is not
clearly taught in other plain sections of scripture, it’s a
foolish man indeed who founds a school on a figure! Haven’t
we seen enough of this in the world? We’ve had men fill us
with their types, double applications, and allegories.
The fine linen, bright and pure, that the bride is
wearing in verse 8 is a sharp contrast to the worldly
apparel that the harlot was wearing. The bride of the Lamb,
as Ephesians 5:27 tells us, is without “spot or wrinkle or
any such thing,” but is “holy and without blemish.”
And isn’t there a lesson there for us? We are the bride
of Christ without spot or blemish, and we must always give
Christ our very best. After all that this book of
Revelation has told us so far about Christ and his church
(and the most beautiful descriptions are yet to come!), how
could his church possibly fail to give him its very best?
But do we? I fear sometimes that the modern church has
settled into a bed of comfortable but deadly mediocrity (if
we even reach that high!) — mediocre discipleship, mediocre
evangelism, mediocre preaching, mediocre teaching, mediocre
singing, mediocre obedience. Jesus deserves and demands our
very best. God sent his very best into this world to die
for us — how can we respond with less than our own best?
Remember Malachi 1:6-13 —
A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If
then I am the Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a
Master, Where is My reverence? Says the LORD of hosts to
you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, ‘In what way
have we despised Your name?’ “You offer defiled food on My
altar, But say, “In what way have we defiled You?’ By
saying, ‘The table of the LORD is contemptible.’ And when
you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And
when you offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? Offer it
then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would
he accept you favorably?” Says the LORD of hosts. ... You
also say, “Oh, what a weariness!’ And you sneer at it,”
Says the LORD of hosts. “And you bring the stolen, the
lame, and the sick; Thus you bring an offering! Should I
accept this from your hand?” Says the LORD.
That was God’s response in the Old Testament when his
people brought him something less than their best. Do we
really think he responds differently today when his people
do the same thing?
9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are
those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”
And he said to me, “These are true words of God.”
What is the main point of this marriage symbol — the
marriage itself or the joy that accompanies it? Look at
verse 9. The angel says that those who are invited to the
marriage supper are blessed — that is, the guests are
blessed. Why? Because they are able to share the joy of the
event. The context is joy, and the marriage is a beautiful
symbol for that joy.
But who are these guests? If the church is the bride,
then who is left to be blessed? These guests are those who
are called by the gospel and who heed that call in
obedience to Christ. Even here, at the joyous wedding feast
celebrating the victory over Rome, the church is pictured
as continuing its work to proclaim the gospel to those who
are lost. Earlier we saw the church doing its work while
being persecuted, and here we see the church doing its work
while celebrating. The church has a mission, and nothing
can stand in the way of that mission. We must continue
working until that last great day. And the fact that we see
the work of the church continuing here in verse 9 is
further evidence that what is being described in this
chapter is not that last great day! There will be no
“guests” on that day!
10 Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he
said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant
with you and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus.
Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of
prophecy.
John falls down to worship the angel but is told that
such worship is improper. (This same thing will happen
again in 22:8.) Why did John try to worship this angel?
Some argue that John was confused as to the identity of the
speaker and perhaps thought it was Christ himself, but
others respond that John knew Christ very well and was able
to recognize him elsewhere in the book. Others argue that
John was perhaps so overwhelmed at what he was seeing that
he impulsively fell at the feet of the angel — something he
would never have done in ordinary circumstances (assuming
that one could meet an angel in ordinary circumstances!). I
favor this latter view, which also explains why it happens
again in 22:8. Can you imagine what it must have been like
to actually witness the visions in this book? I’m surprised
he didn’t fall down more often!
In any event, God uses John’s reaction as an opportunity
to drive home a central theme in this book: God alone is
worthy of worship. No creature — be it an angel or an
emperor — is to be worshiped. And if it is improper to
worship this wondrous angelic being, then how much more so
must it be to worship a perverted pagan emperor!
There is a stark contrast in this event with another
event recorded by John. In John 9:38, John described the
reaction of the man blind from birth after Jesus gave him
his sight — “And he worshipped him.” Unlike this angel,
Jesus accepted the worship of men. Unlike this created
angel, Jesus is the eternal creator. Jesus is the great I
Am! (John 8:58) Jesus is God! How else can we reconcile
John 9:38 with what Jesus told Satan in Matthew 4:10? “Thou
shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou
serve.”
What is meant by the phrase “for the testimony of Jesus
is the spirit of prophecy” in verse 10? Some hold that this
testimony is our testimony about Jesus from his Word, while
others hold that it is Jesus’ testimony to us through his
Word. Either could be the the intended meaning. The Word is
the testimony of Jesus, and the Word is the spirit of
prophecy. Barclay suggests that John may have intended the
passage to carry this double meaning.
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse!
He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True, and in
righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like
a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems; and he
has a name inscribed which no one knows but himself. 13 He
is clad in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he
is called is The Word of God.
There have been many openings in Revelation. In 4:1 a
door was opened in heaven. In 11:19 the temple of God in
heaven was opened. In 15:5 the temple of the tabernacle of
the testimony was opened. In verse 11 heaven itself is
opened.
The first seal in Chapter 6 showed a rider on a white
horse who wore a crown and went out conquering and to
conquer. Here again we see a rider on a white horse. But,
as we discussed in Chapter 6, this rider is different. The
rider here is called Faithful and True, and his name is The
Word of God. This rider is Jesus Christ, the conqueror of
Rome and the righteous judge.
Think for a moment about who it is who is seeing this
incredible image of Christ! John likely grew up with Jesus
and was the special apostle “whom Jesus loved.” John was
with Jesus throughout his earthly ministry even up to the
foot of the cross. He was Jesus’ cousin and had seen Jesus
in many different settings and circumstances both before
his death and after his resurrection. He had witnessed the
transfiguration. And yet here he was — old, alone,
persecuted, and exiled. Perhaps Jesus had just forgotten
about poor old John. Hardly! John sees him once again — as
a rider on a white horse, with eyes like a flame of fire,
with many diadems on his head, clad in a robe dipped in
blood, and wearing the very name that John had used to open
his gospel account, The Word of God. Aside from the comfort
this book provided to the church, just imagine the comfort
this vision provided to John!
Satan wore seven diadems and the beast from the sea wore
10, but Jesus wears “many” diadems. He is the King of
kings!
We are told that the rider “has a name inscribed which
no one knows but himself,” yet in the very next verse we
read that “the name by which he is called is The Word of
God.” How can it be true that no one knows a name that is
given for all to see in the next verse?
Names in the Bible are often used to denote a person’s
status. When one’s status changed, his name was often
changed. We are reminded, for example, of Abram, Jacob, and
Saul. To have a name that no one else can know means that
you have a status that no one else can share. That is
certainly true of Jesus — only he can be called The Word of
God. Only he has that status.
His robe is dipped in blood. Whose blood? Some argue it
is Christ’s own blood, pointing again to the image of
Christ as the lamb that was slain. Others argue it is the
blood of the martyrs, shown as a reminder of why Rome, the
bloody city, was being judged. Those views are
possibilities, but a more likely answer is that the blood
is the blood of Jesus’ past enemies. The picture of Christ
shown here is one of a warrior going out to conquer the
enemies of his people. The ability of this warrior to
conquer is emphasized by showing him drenched in the blood
of those he has previously conquered — and Revelation is
full of reminders of his past victories over the enemies of
God’s people. We are reminded of the description of God in
Isaiah 63:3 ―
I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people
there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine
anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall
be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my
raiment.
Finally, although we will see next that Christ rides
with an army, we will also see that he alone does all of
the work. Jesus doesn’t need an army to take care of
Rome!
14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen,
white and pure, followed him on white horses. 15 From his
mouth issues a sharp sword with which to smite the nations,
and he will rule them with a rod of iron; he will tread the
wine press of the fury of the wrath of God the
Almighty.
The armies of heaven are the armies that are allied with
Christ. They are the ones who conquer with Christ. They are
the ones who overcome Rome with their faithful endurance.
They are not the armies of those who dwell on earth — they
are the armies of Heaven.
Who are the soldiers in this army of heaven? They are
arrayed in fine linen, and they are white and pure. Who
else could this possibly be but the church? Christians are
conquerors!
• Romans 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than
conquerors through him who loved us.
• Revelation 2:7 He who has an ear, let him hear what
the Spirit says to the churches. To him who conquers I will
grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise
of God.’
• Revelation 2:26 He who conquers and who keeps my works
until the end, I will give him power over the nations,
• Revelation 3:5 He who conquers shall be clad thus in
white garments, and I will not blot his name out of the
book of life; I will confess his name before my Father and
before his angels.
• Revelation 3:21 He who conquers, I will grant him to
sit with me on my throne, as I myself conquered and sat
down with my Father on his throne.
Who stood with Christ when he conquered Rome? Who was
allied with Christ in that great battle? Who overcame the
Roman empire through Christ’s power? The church!
So is this the battle at the end of time? What battle at
the end of time? Where in the Bible are we told that there
will be a battle at the end of time? Where is there a
battle in 1 Corinthians 15:52 —
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.
Where is there a battle in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 —
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.
On that last great day we will rise to meet Jesus in the
air. There will be no great battle on earth because there
will be no one here to fight it, including Jesus. We will
meet Jesus in the air; Jesus will not return to this earth.
That day will be a day of judgment and sentencing, not a
day of fighting. We are at war now. On that last great day
we will lay our weapons down; we won’t pick them up.
So what battle is being described here? It is the same
battle at Armageddon that was introduced but not described
in Chapter 16. It is the great battle that depicts the
warfare between Jesus and Rome over the fate of the
church.
The sword out of Jesus’ mouth reminds us of 2:16 —
“Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will
fight against them with the sword of my mouth.” The weapon
used against faithless compromisers in the church would
also be used against the godless Romans.
The rod of iron reminds us of the Messianic Psalm 2,
verse 9 ― “Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou
shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” And it
also reminds us of Isaiah 11:4 ― “He shall smite the earth
with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips
shall he slay the wicked.”
And Jesus treads the wine press. We have discussed this
symbol of judgment before. Jesus is preparing the wine of
wrath that Rome must drink. He will tread Rome as one
treads grapes, and Rome’s blood will flow as does wine from
the press.
16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed,
King of kings and Lord of lords.
Did Jesus become King of kings and Lord of lords because
he defeated Rome in this great battle? No. Here (and
elsewhere) Jesus is called King of kings and Lord of lords
before the battle even begins. Jesus had all authority when
this book started, and Jesus has all authority when it
ends.
That was true when Jesus conquered Rome — and that was
true when Jesus conquered us! We did not make Jesus lord or
king when we obeyed him. We obeyed him because he already
had King of kings and Lord of lords inscribed on his robe
and on his thigh! We no more crowned Jesus king than we
wrote King of kings on his robe and on his thigh. The only
crown that man ever placed on Jesus’ head was a crown of
thorns.
A central theme of this book is that Jesus is King of
kings and Lord of lords. (See also 1 Timothy 6:15, and be
wary of anyone who would attempt to change the tense of
that verb!) That is something that the first century church
needed to hear as they were suffering at the hands of
godless Roman kings. And that is something we need to hear
today. The church of Christ is the eternal kingdom made
without human hands, and our king is the sovereign of the
entire universe — the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
Is that how we view the church? It should be! That is what
the church is.
17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a
loud voice he called to all the birds that fly in
midheaven, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, 18 to
eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of
mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the
flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and
great.”
The same image found here is also found in Isaiah 34:6,
Jeremiah 46:10, and Ezekiel 39:17-20, where it used for a
similar purpose. This gruesome feast is intended to stand
in stark contrast to the marriage supper of the Lamb that
we saw in verse 9.
An angel invites the birds of the air to come and feast
on the flesh of all who stand with the army arrayed against
God. Does this angel have any doubt as to the outcome of
this battle? No, and his message to the church is that they
should not have any doubts either.
Remember that when this book was written the persecution
against the church was about to begin again with renewed
strength under Domitian. A central purpose of this book was
to assure the church that their ultimate victory was
certain and that, no matter how it may have seemed, Rome
would not and could not defeat them so long as the church
remained faithful to Christ. We have not mentioned it in
awhile, but it bears repeating: The message of this book is
one of comfort and reassurance directed toward its first
century readers, and if our interpretation of this book
provides no comfort to that initial audience, then our
interpretation is wrong.
But what about all of the neutral people in Rome? What
about all of the bystanders who weren’t on either side? If
you’re looking for a modern day lesson from this book of
Revelation, here’s one: There are no neutral people! No one
is neutral when it comes to Jesus and his church! There is
no middle ground. Everyone is either on one side or the
other. “He that is not with me is against me; and he that
gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.” (Matthew 12:30)
Either you are a child of God who dwells in heaven or you
are a child of the devil who dwells on earth. There is no
other place for you to dwell, and there is no other one for
you to serve.
19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with
their armies gathered to make war against him who sits upon
the horse and against his army. 20 And the beast was
captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence
had worked the signs by which he deceived those who had
received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its
image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire
that burns with sulphur. 21 And the rest were slain by the
sword of him who sits upon the horse, the sword that issues
from his mouth; and all the birds were gorged with their
flesh.
Who is arrayed against God? The two beasts (one of whom
is now called the false prophet) and the kings of the
earth, all of whom we have already met. The beast is the
beast from the sea who represents the civil persecuting
side of Rome. The kings of the earth lead the armies of the
earth that are composed of those who dwell upon the earth.
They stand in contrast to the armies of Heaven that are
composed of those who dwell not on earth but in Heaven. The
false prophet is the beast from the earth who represents
the false religious side of Rome. Notice that the focus is
still on Rome! This book has not changed its focus, and
neither should we.
In verses 19-20, we see a war waged and we see that
these two beasts are thrown into the lake of fire. This
event was shown in 14:9-11, but here we see some additional
details. But although we see more details, we still do not
find a description of the battle itself. Instead all we see
is the outcome of that battle.
As for the lake of fire, in John 15:6 we are told that a
similar fate awaits all who oppose Christ. “If a man does
not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers;
and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and
burned.” That same image is used here to describe the fate
of this great enemy of God. Rome is utterly defeated and
cast into the lake of fire to join all the others who have
died in opposition to God.
Why is Rome, represented by the two beats, cast in to
the lake of fire alive? Rome was judged and sentenced while
it was still very powerful and very much alive. This book
reminds us four times that the events it describes were to
come to pass soon, and this judgment of Rome was no
exception. Rome’s judgment did not happen at the end of its
life. Rome’s judgment happened at the height of its powers.
Rome was cast in alive.
Is this the final judgment at the end of all time? No,
it is not. To argue otherwise is to lift these verses right
of their theological and historical context. It would
require us to ignore or twist the time frame of the book,
stated twice at the beginning and twice at the end — the
events in this book were to come to pass soon. It would
also make us wonder why similar language used throughout
the Old Testament to describe past judgments against the
enemies of God could not be used here in the New Testament
for precisely that same reason.
Will there be a last great day of judgment when the
righteous hear the words “Well done” and the wicked hear
the words “Depart from me”? Absolutely! Could that last
great day be described using the same language of judgment
we find here about Rome and that we find in the Old
Testament about Babylon, Edom, Tyre, etc.? Absolutely! But
that great day is described elsewhere in the Bible. It is
not the focus here, just as it was not the focus in the Old
Testament parallels we have seen over and over during our
studies.
What happens next? Those who follow the beasts are slain
and become food for the birds, as was foretold at the
beginning of the battle.
Notice that even here we get the clear message that
vengeance belongs to God alone. The followers of the beast
are not killed by the armies of heaven but rather by the
sword of the one on the white horse — that is, by Jesus,
the righteous judge. Jesus marches with an army to fight
Rome, but Jesus doesn’t need an army to defeat Rome. He
destroys the armies of the earth by the sword that issues
from his mouth.
What is that sword? That sword is the word of Christ,
which as John 12:48 tells us will be used to judge all who
reject Christ. “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my
words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have
spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.”
Chapter Twenty
Chapter 20 is one of the most hotly debated chapters in
the Bible. The false doctrine of premillennialism is based
on this chapter, and sadly it has permeated much of the
denominational world. We looked at some of the consequences
of premillennialism during our introductory lessons, and we
will not repeat all of that here.
But we should pause to consider one important point — it
does make a difference what we believe about
premillennialism. Premillennialism is not something about
which we can just agree to disagree! The false
premillennialist doctrine has consequences that run counter
to the very heart of the gospel. Premillennialism belittles
the church and belittles the sufficiency of Christ’s
perfect sacrifice. At the heart of premillennialism is the
notion that the church of Christ is a mistake that came
about because of a failure by Jesus to accomplish what he
intended. Can you think of any doctrine more perverted than
that?
Here are some things we should keep in mind as we begin
our study of Chapters 20 and 21. The book of Revelation is
focused on two primary events, which are really just two
sides of the same coin — the judgment of Rome and the
victory of the church. Chapter 20 deals with the first of
those two events, while Chapter 21 will deal with the
second.
Chapters 20-22 are the climax of the book! We have
carefully considered the context in our interpretation of
the first 19 chapters. Let’s not disregard that context now
that we have reached the final three chapters!
And what is our goal? Our goal is not just to come up
with an explanation. That is much too easy! Instead, our
goal is to find an explanation that fits the historical
context of the book, that agrees with the time frame of the
book, and that would have had a meaning for its original
readers that was relevant to their current crisis. Remember
that Revelation begins and ends with clear statements that
what it talks about would happen shortly after it was
written.
And one more reminder: Similarity of language does not
mean identity of subject! We are going to see images that
could be used to describe the final judgment at the end of
time, but those same images have been used elsewhere in the
Bible to describe other past judgments by God that are not
the final judgment at the end of all time. Judgments in the
Bible are generally described using very similar symbols,
and so we cannot determine which judgment is being
discussed by looking at those symbols alone. Instead, we
must study the context and timeframe of the judgment, as we
have been doing.
1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding
in his hand the key of the bottomless pit and a great
chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent,
who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand
years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed
it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more,
till the thousand years were ended. After that he must be
loosed for a little while.
In verse 1 we see an angel from heaven who comes down
with the key of the bottomless pit. We learn two important
things from this description. First, Satan has now been
defeated. He possessed this key in Chapter 9, but now he
seems to have lost it. Second, this scene is being observed
from earth. That is, John sees the angel come down from
heaven. What that tells us is that the scene we are about
to see is being viewed from an earthly vantage point.
How has Satan been defeated? Does this defeat refer to
Satan’s defeat at the cross or to Satan’s defeat at the end
of the world? I don’t think it refers to either. Once
again, let’s remember the context and the time frame. The
first 19 chapters of this book have focused on the conflict
between Rome and the church. Satan’s plan to destroy the
church through Rome has been completely stopped and totally
defeated. That is the defeat pictured here. Think for a
moment about the enormity of that defeat! Satan had the
most powerful weapon imaginable (the mighty Roman empire)
with which to attack the church in its infancy — and yet
Satan failed! How would you expect such a tremendous defeat
to be described?
Verse 2 pictures the defeat by showing Satan being bound
for 1000 years. What does that picture mean? Remember that
in apocalyptic language periods of time generally depict a
state of affairs or a condition. Recall, for example, the
period of 3½ (a broken 7) that we have seen many times in
this book used to depict a state of temporary persecution.
So what does 1000 years depict? We know that the number 10
represents completeness, and we know that numbers are
sometimes raised to powers to emphasize their meanings.
(Recall the symbol 144,000, which is 12 squared times 10
cubed, that was used to depict all the church.) If the
number 10 represents completeness, then the number 1000
represents “complete completeness!”
This use of 1000 is a common symbol even outside of the
apocalyptic books. Psalm 50:10 tells us that God owns
cattle on 1000 hills, which means that his ownership is
complete. Deuteronomy 7:9 tells us that God keeps his
covenant to 1000 generations, which means that his
faithfulness is complete. Satan is bound for 1000 years,
which means his defeat is complete.
Being bound for 1000 years means that, with regard to
Rome, Satan has been completely bound and completely
defeated. There will be no parole with regard to Rome.
Satan is not going to be released for good behavior with
regard to Rome.
But after the 1000 years, Satan is loosed for a little
while. What does this mean? The first thing it means is
that the 1000 year binding could not be describing Satan’s
defeat at the end of the world. Why? Because when that
defeat happens Satan is not going to ever be released
again.
So what then does the “little while” denote? Just as the
1000 years referred to a state of affairs rather than to a
period of time, so does this “little while” refer to a
state of affairs rather than to a period of time. But to
what state of affairs does it refer? What is the context?
Although Satan has been defeated with regard to Rome, the
church must have wondered if Satan might not attack again
later and perhaps be more successful next time. God assures
them in this chapter that, although Satan will attack
again, Satan will never be able to defeat the church. God
will continue to protect the church in the future just as
he protected it from Rome.
The “little while” refers to Satan’s inability to defeat
the Church now or ever. Satan did the worst he could do
through Rome, and he failed completely. Although Satan will
gather his strength and try again, his future attacks will
be insignificant compared to what he did and tried to do
through Rome. Thus, they are depicted as lasting only a
little while.
By saying Satan will return for only a little while, God
is saying that Satan’s future attacks are nothing to worry
about. Satan had at his disposal an evil, blood thirsty
empire that ruled the world, and yet he was not able to
defeat the church in its infancy with such a weapon. Why
should the church fear future attacks?
And this is an important message for us! It is easy to
become discouraged these days, but the book of Revelation
should give us courage just as it did to its first century
audience.
Is our modern age somewhere in this book of Revelation?
Yes! We are living right there in the “little while.” That
promise that Satan will not defeat the eternal kingdom of
Christ is just as much a promise for us as it was for those
first century Christians.
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