Religion Scripture Readings

Love this Worship song!

[video=youtube;TYSFg1D-ipo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYSFg1D-ipo[/video]

 

ABM that was fantastic..the music..seeing all those people..chills Brother, thanks after today..a blessing

 

You might enjoy this one, as well.

[video=youtube;ojc5kvrDAlo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojc5kvrDAlo[/video]

 

3. (4-5) The description of the 144,000.

These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.

a. For they are virgins: Many take the virginity of the 144,000 as simply a symbol of their general purity (as in 2 Corinthians 11:2). But Paul recommended celibacy in distressing times (1 Corinthians 7:25-35), and Jesus spoke of woes upon those with children and families in that day (Matthew 24:19-21). It isn’t hard to see that God would specially call 144,000 to a literal celibacy for the kingdom’s sake during the time of the great tribulation.

i. Some most commonly apply the term virgins to women, not men. So does the use of virgins here mean that all the 144,000 are women? Not at all, according to the great Greek scholar A.T. Roberston: “Parthenos can be applied to men as well as women.”

ii. If the term virgins is a picture of purity in general, it reinforces the identification of the 144,000 with Israel. “Israel is referred to frequently in the Bible as ‘the virgin the daughter of Zion’ (2 Kings 19:21; Isaiah 37:22), as ‘the virgin daughter of Zion’ (Lamentations 2:13), and as ‘the virgin of Israel’ (Jeremiah 18:13; 31:34; 31:21; Amos 5:2).” (Walvoord)

b. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes: These 144,000 are of Jewish heritage (Revelation 7:4-8). Yet they are also clearly believers in Jesus, otherwise they would not stand with the Lamb, follow the Lamb wherever He goes, and could not be without fault before the throne of God.

i. Each of the vast multitude saved during the Tribulation will be saved in exactly the same manner as anyone today: by grace, through a personal faith in Jesus Christ unto salvation. Even though the rapture of the church ends God’s dealings with the church as such on the earth, it certainly does not change the way people come to salvation or become part of the larger family of God, which includes all the redeemed, before and after the church.

c. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb: The 144,000 are the beginnings of a greater harvest; the are firstfruits, the “godly nucleus of Israel which is the token of redemption of the nation.” (Walvoord)

i. Because they are described as firstfruits, many have thought that they themselves will be instrumental in God’s plan for bringing in a great harvest during the tribulation. Revelation 7:9 describes an innumerable company saved out of the Great Tribulation, and these 144,000 described as firstfruits, may be used to preach the gospel to those who will be saved in this period.

 

B. Proclamations from heaven.

1. (6-7) An angel preaches the gospel.

Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth; to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people; saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”

a. Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth: The angel preaches the gospel, but also announces judgment (the hour of His judgment has come). Because the judgment of God is so evident on the earth in great tribulation, it is no wonder why the crowd of those saved through the great tribulation can’t be numbered (Revelation 7:9-14).

i. Some today like to identify their ministry or technology with this angel flying in the midst of heaven. One prominent television ministry named the satelite they use “Angel One” in a hoped-for fulfillment of this verse. The desire to connect contemporary technology or events with this angel is nothing new. Adam Clarke, writing from the late 18th century says, “But the vision seems truly descriptive of a late institution, entitled The British and Foreign Bible Society, whose object it is to print and circulate the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, through all the habitable world, and in all the languages spoken on the face of the earth.”

ii. John Trapp, writing in the late 17th century, saw a fulfillment of his own: “This is held to be John Wicliff, who wrote more than two hundred volumes against the pope, and was a means of much good to many.”

b. Fear God and give glory to Him: This is what the angel tells the whole world to do. They can do this and give glory to God and worship Him willingly in this life, or be compelled to give glory to Him later.

i. It is certain that one day all will give glory to God. Philippians 2:9-11 says, Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

ii. “Here is the bitter irony of their lot: though they damn themselves eternally by their refusal to face the truth, one day they will be forced to face it. Sooner or later the ‘glory’ they refuse to ‘give’ the Creator willingly will be torn from them by the spectacle of His wrath.” (Kiddle)

iii. John says this is the everlasting gospel, and it may sound different that the gospel we hear preached today. It isn’t all that different, but it is preached to a different, specific time - to those in the latter part of the great tribulation. “Hence still something of a Gospel message sounds . . . It is Gospel, but it is the Gospel in the form it takes when the hour of judgment has set in. It is one of the very last calls of grace to an apostate world.” (Seiss)

c. To every nation, tribe, tongue, and people: This can be a valid fulfillment of Jesus’ promise in Matthew 24:14 that the gospel would be preached to all the world before His second coming. But this can never be a valid excuse for neglecting the urgency of missions. God has not given the responsibility for spreading the gospel to angels, but unto His people.

i. However, this is the only place in the New Testament where we see angels preaching the gospel. In God’s sublime wisdom, He has chosen to give that responsibility to people alone, apart from the rarest of exceptions.

 

2. (8) An angel announces Babylon’s fall.

And another angel followed, saying, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”

a. Babylon is fallen: More on Babylon will come in Revelation 17. For now, it is enough to see it representing mankind in organized rebellion against God.

i. “Prophetically, ‘Babylon’ sometimes refers to a literal city, sometimes to a religious system, sometimes to a political system, all stemming from the evil character of historic Babylon.” (Walvoord)

b. Because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication: When we are told that Babylon has led all nations into fornication, the main idea is spiritual fornication - the worship of other gods. However, we are never surprised to see spiritual fornication accompanied with literal immorality.

3. (9-11) A third angel warns of coming judgment.

Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”

a. If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand: This reminds us that there is a connection between worshipping the beast and his image and receiving his mark on his forehead or on his hand. No one will “casually” or “accidentally” take the mark. The connection between worshipping the beast and taking the mark will be clear enough.

i. Although, receiving the mark may seem innocent enough to those who dwell on the earth. In their eyes it may not seem like much more that a mere pledge of allegiance and devotion to the Antichrist and his government. It was the same way in the first few centuries of Christianity, when burning a pinch of incense to an image of Caesar, and pledging “Caesar is Lord” was regarded as an innocent act of civic duty to the ancient pagans.

b. He himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation: Those who worship the Antichrist are forced to drink the wine of the wrath of God. This cup of God’s wrath is like undiluted wine, mixed with spices to make it still stronger (full strength).

i. The idea that God holds a cup of wrath, which He makes those under judgment drink is expressed more than thirteen times in the Bible (Psalm 75:8 and Jeremiah 25:15 are examples). This is the idea behind the cup that Jesus wanted to avoid if it were possible (Matthew 26:39). Jesus willingly took the cup of the Father’s wrath that we deserved; here, the enemies of Jesus have no choice - the cup is forced upon them.

c. The wine of the wrath of God . . . the cup of His indignation: The wine in the cup is associated with wrath (the ancient Greek word thymos), which describes a passionate anger. The cup itself is associated with indignation (the ancient Greek word orge) which is anger from a settled disposition.

i. The ancient Greek word orge is the common word for God’s anger in the New Testament. The ancient word thymos is used only 11 times, and 10 of the 11 are in Revelation. Usually, God’s anger towards sinners does not “flash” against them; it is simply His settled opposition against sin and unrighteousness. But in the Book of Revelation, which so clearly describes God’s ultimate judgment, the term for passionate anger is used much more often.

d. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night: This passage teaches several important truths about hell and the eternal destiny of the damned.

i. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone: This shows that the suffering of hell is real torment, that it is painful and repulsive. “The modern vogue for dispensing with hell has no counterpart in Revelation.” (Morris)

ii. In the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb: This shows that God is not absent from hell. He is there in all His holiness and righteous judgment. Those who are in hell will wish God were absent, but He will not be. It is wrong to say that hell will be devoid of the presence of God; but it will be devoid of His love. The presence of Jesus will be there, but only the presence of His holy justice and wrath against sin.

iii. The smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night: Those who worship the Antichrist and receive his mark will endure this wrath and indignation for eternity in hell. Here, the fact of eternal torment is plainly stated; forever and ever means “forever and ever.” If the only consequences for sin are in this life, or if the only penalty for sin is temporary, then clever sinners have won out over God. Walvoord says of the phrase forever and ever: “Literally ‘into the ages of ages,’ the strongest expression of eternity of which the Greek is capable.”

iv. “Would to God men would everywhere think and talk more of hell, and of that eternity of extremity that they shall never else be able to avoid or to abide. Surely one good means to escape hell is to take a turn or two in hell by our daily meditations.” (Trapp)

v. “In describing the worshippers of the beast, the word worship as well as the word receive in verse 11 is in the present tense emphasizing continued worship of the beast over a long period of time . . . the same present tense is used in describing their torment. As the worship of the beast is not interrupted by repentance, so their torment is not interrupted when repentance is too late.” (Walvoord)

4. (12-13) The blessedness of the saints, even in the midst of the Great Tribulation.

Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ “ “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”

a. Here is the patience of the saints . . . Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on . . . that they may rest from their labors: We can easily contrast the rest of the saints with the continual torment of the wicked (Revelation 14:11). The rest comes through patient endurance and faithfulness to God and His Word (here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus).

i. We can only imagine what courage and comfort this passage will give embattled, persecuted saints during the Great Tribulation. Clearly, God wants to encourage His people to be steadfast in times of trial, focused on what blessed rest and reward awaits them in eternity.

ii. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord: “These are the only glorious dead . . . they die in the cause of God, they die under the smile and approbation of God, and they die to live and reign with God for ever and ever.” (Clarke)

b. Their works follow them: The patient endurance and work of these saints is remembered in heaven. Our work for the Lord goes with us into heaven, giving dignity and significance to all work here below.

 

C. The earth’s harvest.

1. (14-16) Time for Jesus to bring in the harvest.

Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.

a. On the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle: Many have difficulty identifying Jesus as the one harvesting here. They have a hard time with Jesus responding to another angel who came out of the temple. But it is unlikely that anyone called the Son of Man, and wearing a golden crown is anyone but Jesus.

i. Having on His head a golden crown: “How different it will be to see him with a crown of gold upon his head from what it was to see him wearing that terrible crown of thorns which the cruel soldiers plaited, and thrust upon his brow! The word used here does not usually refer to the diadem of power, but to the crown won in conflict; and it is very remarkable that it should be said that, when Christ comes to judge the world, he will wear the garland of victory, the crown which he has won in the great battle which he has fought. How significant of his final triumph will that crown of gold be about those brows that were once covered with bloody sweat when he was fighting the battle for our salvation!” (Spurgeon)

b. For the harvest of the earth is ripe: This ancient Greek word for ripe has a negative sense, “to become dry or withered.” The idea is of something that is over-ripe. This means that God will judge the earth only when it is over-ripe for judgment. He doesn’t rush into judgment.

i. “It must be remembered that evil has its harvest as well as good. There is a harvest of misery and woe, - a harvest for the gathering, binding, and burning of the tares, - as well as for the gathering of the wheat into the garner of heaven.” (Seiss)

 

2. (17-20) The winepress of God.

Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.” So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs.

a. Another angel who came out from the altar, who had power over fire: “These allusions seem to indicate that the angel is acting in response to the prayers of the saints for divine judgment on wickedness.” (Walvoord)

b. The great winepress of the wrath of God: This vivid picture of judgment was the inspiration for The Battle Hymn of the Republic.

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord,

He is trampling out the vineyard where the grapes of wrath are stored

He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword

His truth is marching on!

c. Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe: The image of the Second Coming of Jesus as a harvest is also communicated in Matthew 13:24-30 and 13:36-43, with the parable of the wheat and the tares. The implication is that true believers will not be separated from those who merely go to church until the final harvest.

i. Fully ripe “pictures grapes fully grown in the prime almost bursting with juice . . . The spurting of the grape juice from under the bare feet of those treading the grapes in the winepress is compared to the spurting of blood and speaks of the awful human carnage.” (Walvoord)

ii. “What strength have grapes against the weight and power of a man when he comes to set his feet upon them? And the riper they are, the more helpless . . . The heel of Omnipotence is upon them, and they can only break and sink beneath it.” (Seiss)

d. Blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs: This probably describes blood splattering up to the horses’ bridles, a picture of tremendous carnage in the battle of Armageddon described in Revelation 16:16 and 19:11-19. It is not likely a description of a river of blood running the length of the Promised Land and as high as a horse’s bridle is. This would be an almost incomprehensible river of blood.

i. In ancient times, a battle area extending one thousand six hundred furlongs (approximately 200 miles) was incomprehensible - but not in modern warfare. “The area covered, 1,600 furlongs, is approximately 200 miles, and specifies that the area within a 200-mile radius from Jerusalem will be gathered at the time of the second coming of Christ.” (Walvoord)

ii. But this vivid, powerful description shows how complete the judgment of God is. Revelation 14 is the perfect answer to Revelation 13. At the end of Revelation 13, it almost seemed like Satan and the Antichrist might win. But Revelation 14 shows who is really triumphant, powerful, and in control: God, His Messiah, and His people; not Satan, his messiah (the Antichrist) and his followers.

 

Luke 17:35 seems a lil perverse :|


The Coming Kingdom.

35"There will be two women grinding together; one will be taken and the other will be left.

 

a little context helps

5. (31-33) Prepare for the coming of the King by not being attached to this world.

"In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it."

a. In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away: When Noah’s flood came, you could imagine people trying to vainly keep their possessions safe while they themselves perished. Even so, if you are ready for Jesus’ coming, you won’t be concerned about all the stuff you leave behind. Your heart won’t be on what you have in house, but on what you have in heaven.

b. Remember Lot’s wife: Lot’s wife was turned into a pillar of salt as she and her family escaped from Sodom; it was because she looked back (Genesis 19:26). Will you be caught looking back at what is left in the world?

i. The awesome reality is this: God will give us what we really want. When we really want the things of this world, God will let us have them - for a while. But when we really want the things of God, God will also let us have them - forever.

ii. The good news is that His people do want these things, even though they battle against the flesh regarding them. God will finish what He has begun in you!

6. (34-36) When Jesus comes, some will be taken suddenly and others will be left behind.

"I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left."

a. In that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left: This passage is often applied to the rapture, a term applied to Jesus’ coming for His people in the midst of a business as usual world.

i. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)

b. One will be taken and the other left: You won’t have time to prepare for the rapture - it will come suddenly and at an unexpected moment. The way to be ready is to be ready now.

c. Two men in one bed . . . Two women will be grinding together: Significantly, Jesus points to the fact that it is day in one part of the world while it is night on another; at the same time some are sleeping at night, others are working in a field. God will come for His people all over the earth at one moment.

d. Just as in the days of Noah and Lot, when Jesus comes, some will be taken out of the way and others will remain and be judged.

 

Revelation 15 - Prelude to the Bowl Judgments
A. Those victorious over the beast.

1. (1) Seven angels with seven plagues.

Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete.

a. Revelation 14 seemed to describe the consummation of all things, ending with the fury of the Battle of Armageddon. But now John will go back and describe God’s judgment in more detail. This idea of stating and re-stating in more detail is common with prophecy, and with Hebrew literature in general (see Genesis 1:1-2:7 and Genesis 2:8-25).

i. “As is the plan of the prophet, he reviews, he recapitulates, he enlarges upon the scene he has already sketched.” (Erdman)

ii. Remember, we already “saw the end” in Revelation 6:12-17. Then John took us over the same material in greater detail again. This reminds us that Revelation is not strictly chronological in its arrangement.

b. Seven angels having the seven last plagues: This idea is also in Leviticus 26:21: Then, if you walk contrary to Me, and are not willing to obey Me, I will bring on you seven times more plagues, according to your sins. These seven last plagues are God’s judgment on a disobedient and contrary world.

c. For in them the wrath of God is complete: The ancient Greek word for wrath is thymos. As was the case in Revelation 14:10, there are two words for wrath or anger in Biblical Greek: thymos (a volatile, passionate anger) and orge (anger from a settled disposition). This is a place where God’s anger “flashes” hot.

i. Orge is the more common word for God’s anger in the New Testament. Thymos is used only 11 times, and 10 of the 11 are in Revelation. It is the book that reveals the judgment of God against a Jesus-rejecting world.

d. Is complete: Complete (the ancient Greek word etelesthe) means, “to reach an end or an aim.” Here, the “hot” wrath of God will fulfill an eternal purpose. God isn’t just blowing off steam.

2. (2) A multitude on the sea of glass.

And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God.

a. I saw something like a sea of glass: The sea of glass is mingled with fire. This may be a reminder of the “fires” of judgment.

i. “The sea is designed to reflect the glory of God. In chapter 4 its description ‘like unto crystal’ speaks of the holiness of God. Here the sea mingled with fire speaks of divine judgment proceeding from God’s holiness.” (Walvoord)

ii. Because images from the Exodus abound in this chapter, some simply see an indication of the color red, with it an allusion to the Red Sea and the deliverance from bondage. Also in this chapter we see plagues, Moses, the tabernacle, and the cloud of God’s glory. This chapter shows the ultimate Exodus, the freedom of God’s people from a sinful and persecuting world.

b. Those who have victory over the beast: These are those who are victorious over the beast through their faithfulness unto death. They are the tribulation martyrs, described in Revelation 7:9-17.

i. They are not those who survive the tribulation. As much as we can discern any sort of chronology from Revelation (which is difficult), we are still very much in the tribulation - the bowl judgments still wait.

ii. Therefore, even though the Antichrist kills them, they have victory over the beast - they are not losers. The early church consistently described the day of martyrdom as “a day of victory.”

c. Standing on the sea of glass: The ancient Greek word for on (epi) can mean on, over or beside. Many believe that in the “architecture” of heaven, the sea of glass is a physical representation of the Word of God, connecting to the idea of the tabernacle’s laver and the washing of water by the word (Ephesians 5:26). Perhaps we could say that these saints are “standing on the Word.”

d. Having harps of God: The only people we saw with harps before were the twenty-four elders (Revelation 5:8). These tribulation martyrs are given the blessing of worshipping God with music in heaven.

 

3. (3-4) Their song of praise.

They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested.”

a. They sing the song of Moses: Only one song is sung, but this song goes by two titles (the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb). The two titles refer to a single song. Here is a perfect union between law and love, between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant.

b. This song, deeply rooted in the Old Testament, gives praise to:

God’s works (Great and marvelous are Your works)
God’s ways (Just and true are Your ways)
God’s worthiness (Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy)
God’s worship (For all nations shall come and worship before You)
c. Your . . . Your . . . You . . . Your . . . You . . . Your . . . You . . . You . . . Your: These martyrs are only focused on God. They don’t even focus on their own costly and glorious victory. They have the heart of true worship: It’s all about God, not about us.

B. Seven angels are given seven bowls of judgment.

1. (5-6) Seven angels, distinctively clothed.

After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. And out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure bright linen, and having their chests girded with golden bands.

a. The temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven: Exodus 25:8-9 and Hebrews 8:9 remind us that the tabernacle of meeting God told Moses to build was based on the pattern of heaven. This refers to the heavenly reality of the tabernacle, not the earthly copy.

b. Out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues: These angels bring God’s judgment. It is significant that they come directly from heavenly temple, from the presence and throne of God. They do not act on their own authority, but God’s.

c. Their clothing (pure bright linen . . . their chests girded with golden bands) is a reminder that God’s judgment is always completely pure and righteous. They are not like the modern anti-hero or vigilante, who sink to the level of the criminals they fight.

2. (7-8) The bowls are given; the cloud of God’s glory fills the temple.

Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever. The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

a. Seven golden bowls: These bowls are broad, flat bowls or saucers used ritually for drinking or for pouring libations in sacrifice. The contents of such a shallow bowl were quickly, easily, and completely poured out.

i. The King James Version says that the angels had seven golden vials full of the wrath of God. The word vials is really a poor translation. They are really “Shallow, pan-like, golden bowls, or censers, such as were used in the temple to hold the fire when incense was burned.” (Seiss)

b. The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power: When the cloud of glory fills the temple in heaven, no one can enter. It was the same when Moses could not enter the Tabernacle when the smoke of the cloud of God’s glory, sometimes called the Shekinah filled the tent (Exodus 40:34-35).

c. Both the bowls and the cloud come from the glory of God and from His power. This is a reminder of God’s special presence and glory, even in the midst of devastating judgment.

d. No one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed: This declares that judgment is now irreversible. Nothing can hinder it any more, because access to this temple in heaven will not long be denied.

 

Revelation 16 - The Bowl Judgments
A. Bowls directed against natural phenomenon.

1. (1) A voice from the temple.

Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth.”

a. Since no one could enter the temple (Revelation 15:8), this loud voice from the temple must be God Himself, who personally initiates the horrific judgment of the bowls.

b. Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth: These bowls of judgment are the third woe described in Revelation 11:14. Because they are described as the wrath of God, Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth chastisements (with the purpose of bringing repentance) as much as punishments (with the purpose of dispensing justice).

i. As such, we usually think of these as occurring at the end of the seven-year period, immediately before Jesus’ return.

c. Images from Israel’s Exodus are prominent in the bowl judgments. In the days of Moses, God sent plagues upon Egypt that included plagues of boils (Exodus 9:8-12), waters turning to blood (Exodus 7:14-25), and darkness (Exodus 10:21-29).

d. Are the plagues described in this chapter symbolic? Perhaps we can’t envision all that these words mean. However, God’s judgment of this world will not be a symbolic judgment. We can remember that the reality behind a symbol is always more real - and in this case therefore more terrifying - than the symbol itself.

e. On the earth: Those who believe that the Book of Revelation is all fulfilled in history have a hard time with this. In Poole’s commentary, his suggestions on what earth might mean show how difficult it is to make sense of Revelation this way.

He says earth might mean some parts of the earth
He says earth might mean the common people
He says earth might mean The Roman Empire
He says earth might mean The Roman Catholic clergy
i. The point is clear. If earth doesn’t mean earth, then no one can tell what it means, and God may as well not have written it.

2. (2) The first bowl: foul and loathsome sores.

So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.

a. A foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast: Those who worshipped the beast and received his mark are now “marked” by God with loathsome sores.

3. (3) The second bowl: the sea turned to blood.

Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died.

a. The sea . . . became blood: Revelation 8:8-9 described a partial contamination of the sea. Here the contamination is made complete (every living creature in the sea died).

b. Blood as of a dead man: The sea doesn’t necessarily become blood, but as of a corpse’s blood. It will match the appearance and sickening character of the blood in a dead body.

4. (4) The third bowl: fresh waters polluted.

Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.

a. The rivers and springs of water, and they became blood: This complete contamination is in contrast to the partial (one-third) pollution of fresh waters shown in Revelation 8:10-11.

b. When these judgments come, the time must be very short until the return of Jesus. With ecological disaster such as this, the human race cannot survive long.

i. “They thirsted after blood and massacred the saints of God; and now they have got blood to drink!” (Clarke)

5. (5-7) The righteousness of God’s judgments.

And I heard the angel of the waters saying: “You are righteous, O Lord, the One who is and who was and who is to be, because You have judged these things. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due.” And I heard another from the altar saying, “Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.”

a. You are righteous . . . For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink: It is completely fitting that those who delighted in shedding the blood of the saints should now be forced to drink “blood.” They have refused the Living Water, and now will be given the water of death.

b. Even in the midst of judgment, it is right that the angel declares You are righteous, O Lord. Not only is God’s justice fair, it is also pure and appropriate. There is no “vigilante justice” with God.

c. I heard another from the altar saying: This voice is either an angel speaking from the altar, or the altar personified, representing the corporate testimony of the martyrs (Revelation 6:9) and the prayers of the saints (Revelation 8:3-5).

i. This “speaking altar” may be God’s altar - the cross, where His greatest sacrifice was made, and which here testifies of His righteous judgment, both in the past and soon to come. This is altar where God in His love offered a way of escape from these judgments.

 

6. (8-9) The fourth bowl: the sun scorches men.

Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.

a. The sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire: What is normally taken for granted as a blessing - the warmth of the shining sun - is now a curse.

b. They did not repent and give Him glory: The failure of men to respond with repentance shows that knowledge or experience of judgment will not change man’s sinful condition. Those who are not won by grace will never be won.

i. “The wishful thinking of some that men would repent if they only knew the power and righteous judgment of God is shattered by frequent mention in this chapter of the hardness of the human heart in the face of the most stringent and evident divine discipline.” (Walvoord)

 

B. Bowls directed against the beast and his government.

1. (10-11) Fifth bowl: a plague of darkness.

Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.

a. His kingdom became full of darkness: Some see this as a symbolic darkness. Caird calls the last three plagues a “triad of political disaster” - internal anarchy, invasion, and irreparable collapse.

i. But it isn’t necessary to see this darkness as a symbolic political darkness. The ninth plague on Egypt was a literal darkness, with spiritual overtones. It could be felt, as described in Exodus 10:21-22.

b. They gnawed their tongues because of the pain: The darkness of the fifth bowl is a preview of Hell itself, which is described by Jesus as the outer darkness (Matthew 25:30). Those under the judgment of this fifth bowl stand, as it were, on the shores of the lake of fire.

i. In the late 1600’s Matthew Poole wrote a commentary on the Bible. It’s interesting to read his take on this passage: “When this shall be God alone knows. I think, and experience hath proved, that they were much too hasty in their speculations, that prophesied it should be in the year 1656, or 1660, or 1666. For my own part, I do not believe it will be before 1866, or betwixt that and the year 1900.”

c. And did not repent of their deeds: In man’s sinful condition, he increases his sin when under God’s judgment, the very time he should forsake his sin.

i. “Judgment may produce a carnal repentance - a repentance that is of the flesh, and after the manner of the sinful nature of men. In this repentance the depravity of the heart remains the same in essence, though it takes another form of showing itself. Though the man changes, he is not savingly changed: he becomes another man, but not a new man. The same sin rules in him, but it is called by another name, and wears another dress. The stone is carved into a more sightly shape, but it is not turned into flesh. The iron is cast into another image, but it is not transformed into gold. This carnal repentance is caused by fear. Does not every thief repent of robbery when he is convicted and sent to jail? Does not every murderer repent of his crime when he stands under the fatal tree?” (Spurgeon)

ii. “This is real penitence, when the man gives glory to the justice of God, even though it condemns him. O my hearer, do you thus repent? Is sin really sinful to you? Do you see its desert of hell? If not, your repentance needs to be repented of.” (Spurgeon)

 

2. (12-16) The sixth bowl: armies are gathered for a great battle.

Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.

a. The great river Euphrates: The Romans considered the Euphrates River a secure barrier against invasion from the empires of the east. In that day it was 1,800 miles long and anywhere from 300-1200 yards wide.

b. Its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared: If the Euphrates were dried up and made a road, massive armies from the east (nations such as China, India, and Japan) could move westward with ease.

i. Why do these armies come? Is it to wipe out Israel? Is it to rebel against a European-based world leader (the Antichrist)? Ultimately, they come to do battle against God and His Messiah (Psalm 2).

c. I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon: The spirits are like frogs in form. The ancient Jewish people regarded frogs as unclean and repulsive, but the Egyptians revered a frog-goddess.

i. “We can only explain the similitude from the uncleanness, and the pertinacious noise, of the frog.” (Alford)

ii. “Christ expelled unclean spirits, but His enemies send them forth.” (Swete)

iii. The frogs are “a devastating caricature of the failure of evil. That which men fear most because it appears to be mighty and eternally entrenched becomes at long last only a ridiculous spawning of sickly creatures of the night.” (Love)

iv. These demons are like the “lying spirit” who led Ahab into battle (1 Kings 22:19-23).

d. They are spirits of demons, performing signs: Again, signs and wonders are used by demons as tools of deception. The false prophet here is the second beast of Revelation 13.

e. Gather them to the battle: This battle is not nation against nation, but the nations against God (Psalm 2:2). This is one of three important battles mentioned in prophecy.

i. The battle of Gog, Magog and her allies come against Israel (Ezekiel 38 and 39).

ii. The battle of Armageddon, when the Antichrist leads the world system against a returning Jesus (Revelation 17:12-16; 17:14; 19:19).

iii. The final battle, when Satan and his allies, after the millennium, make war against God (Revelation 20:7-10).

f. That great day of God Almighty: The winner of this battle is apparent. It is the great day of God, not the great day of man, not the great day of the Antichrist, not the great day of the dragon.

g. Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame: In the midst of the description of the coming battle, there is a warning to be prepared in light of Jesus’ assured victory.

i. Garments are pictures of spiritual and practical righteousness. We are given the righteousness of Jesus as a garment (Galatians 3:27), but we are also called to “put on” the nature of Jesus in terms of practical holiness (Ephesians 4:20-24). Above all, we must not be “naked” - that is, without a covering, or trying to provide our own covering like Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:7), which is like filthy rags in the sight of God (Isaiah 64:6).

h. And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon: This great battle happens at a place called Armageddon (Har-Megiddo).

i. Those who believe the Book of Revelation is all fulfilled in history have a hard time with this battle. “Some say it is the great Valley of the Mississippi. A few years ago some said it was Sebastopol, or the Crimea. Others think it is France. Whilst many take it as a mere ideal place, for an ideal assemblage, having no existence in fact. To such wild, contradictory, and mutually destructive notions are men driven once they depart from the letter of what is written.” (Seiss)

ii. Since there is no specific mount (Har) Megiddo (Megiddo is actually a valley), many see this as a symbolic mountain or hill of slaughter. But Seiss makes a good point: “Whether we take it as the mount or the valley, it makes no difference, for the mount and the valley are counted as one, each belonging to the other.”

iii. Megiddo is in a region frequently associated with decisive battles: Deborah over Sisera (Judges 5:19); Gideon over the Midianites (Judges 7); Pharaoh over Josiah (2 Kings 23:29; 2 Chronicles 35:22). It is also a place of end-times mourning (Zechariah 12:11).

iv. The vast Valley of Megiddo has seen tremendous battles through the centuries. Over 200 battles have been fought in the region, from 1468 b.c. (with Pharaoh Tuthmosis III) to 1917 (with Lord Allenby of the British).

v. It is best to see the place as literal, as the region of Megiddo and the valley of Esdraelon. Revelation 16:14; 17:14, and 19:19 described an organized battle that must center somewhere, even if it extends much further.

vi. “But what is the battle of Armageddon? How ridiculous have been the conjectures of men relative to this point! Within the last twenty years this battle has been fought at various places, according to our purblind seers and self-inspired prophets! At one time it was Austerlitz, at another Moscow, at another Leipsic, and now Waterloo! And thus they have gone on, and will go on, confounding and being confounded.” (Clarke)

 

dang ABM, I told you that Rev was a bitch. Are you following along? When it is said that no one really understands this book, well I have to agree. I think that this has to be the most confusing book

 

3. (17-21) The seventh bowl: the final judgments.

Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.

a. It is done: This announcement, coming from the throne itself tells us that there will be no more delay. In mercy, God has stretched out this scene as much has He could. The seals were followed by trumpets; the trumpets were followed by bowls; but there will be no more judgments upon the earth after this - it is done.

b. Poured out his bowl into the air: The fact that the bowl is poured into the air may show judgment against the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2) and his allies.

c. There was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth: In these final judgments, God shakes the earth with a tremendous earthquake. The same is promises in Hebrews 12:26: Now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” Yet, what cannot be shaken will remain.

d. Great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath: The fall of Babylon (the great city) is more explicitly described in Revelation 17 and 18. Here, it is enough to say that God gives her the cup of the wine of the fierceness (the ancient Greek word thymos, describing a passionate outburst of anger) of His wrath (the ancient Greek word orge, describing a standing state of anger).

i. “The combination of thymos and orge connotes the strongest kind of outpouring of divine judgment.” (Walvoord)

e. Great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent: Giant hailstones fall, weighing up to 100 pounds. Men respond in utter, unrepentant depravity (men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail).

i. Hail is frequently a tool of judgment against God’s enemies, as seen against Egypt (Exodus 9:24), the Canaanites (Joshua 10:11), apostate Israel (Isaiah 28:2), and Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 38:22).

ii. In each of these instances, hail rained down from heaven as a tool of judgment, not as a corrective chastisement of God’s own children.

iii. Despite all their suffering, many still will not repent. “I have known people say, ‘Well, if I were afflicted I might be converted. If I lay sick I might be saved.’ Oh, do not think so. Sickness and sorrow of themselves are no helps to salvation. Pain and poverty are not evangelists; disease and despair are not apostles. Look at the lost in hell. Suffering has effected no good in them. He that was filthy here is filthy there. He that was unjust in this life is unjust in the life to come. There is nothing in pain and suffering that, by their own natural operation, will tend to purification.” (Spurgeon)

4. We might say that Revelation 16 is a “great” chapter.

a. It describes great evil: a great city, great Babylon (Revelation 16:19).

b. It describes great tools of judgment: great heat (Revelation 16:9), a great river dried up (Revelation 16:12), a great earthquake (Revelation 16:18), great hail and great plagues (Revelation 16:21).

c. It describes a great God: His great voice (loud is the same Greek word for great; verses 1; 17), and His great day of victory (Revelation 16:14).

 

Revelation 17 - The Fall of Religious Babylon
A. The concept of Babylon.

1. Revelation 16:19 and 14:8 have already declared Babylon’s fall. In Revelation 17 and 18, the fall of Babylon is carefully detailed.

2. Babylon is mentioned 287 times in the Scriptures, more than any other city except Jerusalem.

a. Babylon was a literal city on the Euphrates River. Genesis 11:1-10 shows that right after the flood, Babylon “was the seat of the civilization that expressed organized hostility to God.” (Tenney)

b. Babylon was later the capitol of the empire that cruelly conquered Judah. “Babylon, to them (the Jews), was the essence of all evil, the embodiment of cruelty, the foe of God’s people, and the lasting type of sin, carnality, lust and greed.” (Tenney)

c. To those familiar with the Old Testament, the name Babylon is associated with organized idolatry, blasphemy and the persecution of God’s people.

i. “In John’s day Rome epitomized all the antagonism and opposition to the Christian faith.” (Mounce) In some ways, the city of Rome was the clearest fulfillment of the “Babylon” attitude. If we had to pick one city today that most exemplifies the world system, perhaps we would say that Los Angeles is the “Babylon” of today.

3. The concept of Babylon is greater than Revelation 17-18 and the Antichrist’s reign. Babylon was present in John’s day (typified by Rome), in our day, and throughout history, as the “world system.” But under the Antichrist, Babylon (in both its religious and commercial aspects) will hold sway over the earth as never before.

 

. The great harlot (religious Babylon) is described.

1. (1-2) Described by the angel.

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”

a. I will show you the judgment of the great harlot: Her judgment is assured at the outset. There is never any doubt regarding the fate - and ultimate failure - of Babylon.

i. As a religious system, Babylon came into being long before Christianity, but in Satanic imitation it anticipated the coming true Messiah. According to religious history and legend, the Babylonian religion was founded by the wife of Nimrod (a great-grandson of Noah), named Semiramis. She was a high priestess of idol worship, and she gave birth to a son who she claimed was conceived miraculously. The son, named Tammuz, was considered a savior. Many ancient artifacts remain with the familiar motif of the mother Semiramis holding the savior-infant Tammuz, which predate Christianity. It was also said that Tammuz was killed by a wild beast and then miraculously brought back to life. Baal was the local, Canaanite name for the Babylonian Tammuz.

ii. The Bible makes specific mention of some of the features of the classic religion of Bablyon:

Ezekiel protests against the ceremony of weeping for Tammuz (Ezekiel 8:14)
Jeremiah mentions the heathen practice of making cakes for the queen of heaven (Jeremiah 7:18) and offering incense to the queen of heaven (Jeremiah 44:17-19; 44:25)
b. Who sits on many waters: Here, Babylon sits on many waters; that is, she presides over many nations (compare with Revelation 17:15). She has a universal, international character.

i. This is unification of all false, idolatrous religion, with representatives from apostate Catholicism, Protestantism, as well as a smorgasbord of other religions of the world.

ii. “The woman pictures false religion that will dominate the world in the tribulation period.” (Hocking) Many people like to identify this great harlot with the Roman Catholic Church, but false religion is not limited to any one church.

iii. “That Rome and the Romish system are involved, may readily be admitted; but that this is all, and that the sudden fall of Great Babylon is simply the fall of Romanism, or the utter destruction of the city of Rome, must be emphatically denied.” (Seiss)

c. The inhabitants of the earth were made drunk: Religious Babylon intoxicates kings and peoples. Karl Marx was partly right when he said, “Religion is the opiate of the masses.” He was partly right because empty religion is the opium of the masses.

d. Made drunk with the wine of her fornication: The idea of fornication often has strong associations throughout the Bible with idolatry. Since this is a well-accepted religious system, it is likely to appear as attractive and spiritual, though not necessarily moral.