MYSTERY: THE BOOK OF REVELATION

The Book of Revelation is unique in comparison to the other books of the New Testament not only does it have a message for the Church of the first century To Whom It Was Written but it also has a message for the church throughout the ages particularly to those living in the end times who will see Christ return to Earth this one-of-a-kind book was written by the Apostle John who also contributed five other books in the New Testament this was his last written just before his death the title of this book Revelation originates from the primary event it describes which is the manifestation of Jesus Christ to the people living on Earth in the final days the Throne of God was the focal point of many of the Visions reported by Jewish Mystics and apocalyptic seers but Revelation opens with Jesus as the revealer John was to document the things that he had seen John sees a powerful Jesus that does not compare to any typical man however before John's hits his Gaze on Jesus he first hears his voice Revelation 1 10-13 I was in the spirit in special communication with the Holy Spirit and empowered to receive and record the Revelation from Jesus Christ on the Lord's Day and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet saying right on a scroll what do you see in this Revelation and send it to the seven churches to a thesis and to Smyrna and to pergamon and to thyatara and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to laodicea then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me and after turning I saw seven golden lampstands and in the midst of the lampstands I saw someone like the son of man dressed in a robe reaching to his feet and with a golden sash wrapped around his chest this was it John had seen the son of man the honored Jesus Christ John describes the loud voice as heard as distinct and striking as the sound of a trumpet the powerful voice is that of the Alpha and Omega the first and the last who stands at the beginning and the end of everything because Jesus identified himself with these names in Revelation 1 18. we know this was the loud voice of Jesus the first and the last is a title that belongs to the Lord Yahweh the god of Israel the title Alpha and Omega has the same idea as first and last this is one of the New Testament passages where Jesus clearly claimed to be God we can only imagine what went through John's mind as he turned the sound of the voice he heard most likely did not match up perfectly with the way he recalled Jesus's voice sounding John described it as of a trumpet Revelation 1 10. however he was aware that it was Jesus because of the voices description of itself as the Alpha and Omega John then continues his head and his hair were white like white wool glistening white like snow and his All-Seeing eyes were flashing like a flame of fire piercing into my being his feet were like burnished white hot bronze refined in a furnace and his voice was powerful like the sound of many Waters Revelations 1 14-15 this description of his eyes is similar to The Narrative that we get of an angel in the Book of Daniel 10 6. his eyes also was like barrel with a golden luster his face had the appearance of lightning his eyes were like flaming torches his arms and his feet like The Gleam of burnished bronze and the sound of his words was like the noise of a multitude of people or the Roaring of the sea the Angelic characteristics that appear in John's visions of Jesus do not bring him down to the same level as angels rather they most likely serve to emphasize Jesus's immense grandeur he cannot be portrayed as less glorious than a glorious angel eyes like fire describe passionate eyes in Greek literature but they can also depict the supernaturally flaming eyes of divine beings or angels glowing metal may also depict God's glory in Ezekiel 1 27. Ezekiel 1 27. now upward from that which appeared to be his waist I saw something like glowing metal that looked like it was filled with fire all around it and downward from that which appeared to be his waist I saw something like fire and there was a brightness and a remarkable Radiance like a halo around him yet other features suggest that while Jon portrays Jesus's Glory as no less than that of an Angel it is certainly more than that of an Angel Jesus's face also shines like the sun Greek texts sometimes portrays deities shining like the sun or lightning Jewish tanks did the same for angels and others but also for God himself Revelation 10 1. then I saw another Mighty angel coming down from heaven clothed in a cloud with a rainbow halo over his head and his face was like the sun and his feet legs were like Columns of Fire John then continues in Revelation 1 16. in his right hand he held Seven Stars and from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword of judgment and his face reflecting his majesty and the Shekinah Glory was like the sun shining in all its power at midday other deities were portrayed as bearing swords but this image is an allusion to Isaiah 11 4. Isaiah 11 4-5 Amplified Bible but with righteousness and Justice he will judge the poor and decide with fairness for the downtrodden of the earth and he shall strike the Earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked and righteousness will be the belt around his lines and faithfulness the belt around his waist Revelation 1 17. when I saw him my fellows his feet as though dead and he placed his right hand on me and said do not be afraid I am the first and the last absolute deity the son of God even though John was an apostle he had known Jesus while he was on Earth he was overcome with Wonder after seeing this incredible vision even the three years that John lived on the earth with Jesus did not adequately prepare him for the moment when Jesus appeared to him in his Heavenly Majesty in that moment John realized the divine power and Majesty Jesus gave up while living on Earth Revelation 1 18. and the ever living one living in and beyond all time and space I died but see I Am Alive forevermore and I have the keys of absolute control and victory over death and of Hades the realm of the Dead first Jesus brought John some Solace by touching him compassionately perhaps the touch of Jesus felt more familiar than the appearance of Jesus then Jesus said to John do not be afraid John had no reason to be afraid because he was in the presence of Jesus who clearly identified himself to John with three titles Jesus is the first and the last the God of all eternity Lord of Eternity past and Eternity future Jesus is the one who lives and was dead and is Alive forevermore he possesses Resurrection credentials and lives to never die again the victory that Jesus achieved over sin and death was eternal Revelation 1 19. so write the things which you have seen in the vision and the things which are now happening and the things which will take place after these things Johnny's told to rise about the past present and future this means that Jesus asked John to write down everything he saw in his vision of the Glorious Heavenly Jesus Jesus instructed John to write about the things that were happening in his day namely the things that pertain to the seven churches that were located in Asia we also read the things which will take place after this this indicates that Jesus wanted John to report about the things that would occur after the things concerning the seven churches the things of the last days in his original form Revelation was known in ancient Greek as apocalypsis apocalypse the word means a revealing an unveiling The Book of Revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ in the sense that it belongs to him he is the one doing the revealing Jesus is the person the book tells us about the seven churches of Revelation Jesus Christ appeared to John in a vision he revealed far-off future events and gave John messages for each of Asia Minor's seven churches the Lord's letters peppered with words of encouragement and correction offer a promise to him who overcomes even today they identify the types of difficulties that Christians face and teach us how to overcome adversity introduction to the seven churches Ephesus the Loveless Church Revelation Chapter 2 verses 1-7 to the angel of the Church of Ephesus write these are the words of him who holds the Seven Stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands I know your Deeds your hard work and your perseverance I know that you cannot tolerate Wicked people that you have tested those who claim to be Apostles but are not and have found them false you have persevered and have endured hardships for my name and have not grown weary yet I hold this against you you have forsaken the love that you had at first consider how far you have fallen repent and do the things you did at first if you do not repent I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place but you have this in your favor you hate the practices of the Nicolaitans which I also hate Whoever has ears let them hear what the spirit says to the churches to the one who is Victorious I will give the right to eat from the Tree of Life which is in the paradise of God the Church of Ephesus had many admirable characteristics as well as one tragic flaw Christ prays them for their good works perseverance and church discipline that protected them from false teaching verse 4 reveals where they went wrong nevertheless I have this against you that you have left your first love everything about the Ephesian Church appeared to be in order on the outside but their hearts were not in it faith without works is dead James said James chapter 2 verse 26. In this passage Jesus warns that doing Works without love is equally problematic the devotion of the church to Christ was dwindling the problem with the thesis Christ offered a three-part solution to the church's lack of love remember remember therefore from where you have fallen Revelation chapter 2 verse 5. consider how your relationship with Christ was when you were first Saved consider what it was like to put your trust in him for both the smallest and the most important of your needs repent the next logical step is to repent after remembering where you started and realizing where you are now turn away from your current path and toward Christ repeat repeating the original good works will help you return to where you started do the first Works return to the spiritual disciplines that kept you close to Christ and motivated you to follow him when you first became a Christian Christ warned the Ephesian Church of the consequences if they did not follow this three-step formula I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place unless you repent verse 5. in other words he would diminish the church's influence and power there is a cost for turning away from the Lord Smyrna the suffering Church Revelation Chapter 2 verses 8 through 11 KJV and unto the angel of the church in Smyrna right these things saith the first and the last which was dead and is alive I know they work in Tribulation and poverty but Thou Art rich and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and are not but are the synagogue of Satan fear none of those things which Thou shalt suffer behold the devil shall cast some of you into prison that ye may be tried and ye shall have tribulation 10 days be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a Crown of Life he that hath an ear let him hear what the spirit saith unto the churches he that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death Christians in developed countries today have little concern about being persecuted for their faith but there are churches around the world where persecution is a daily occurrence such was the case with smyrna's ancient Church they faced pressure poverty and persecution because they refused to worship pagan gods or Roman emperors verse 9. Smyrna was one of the two churches that received no rebuke from Christ this congregation witnessed the ugliness of Oppression while surrounded by one of the most beautiful cities of the ancient world The Words of Christ to that church can prepare all believers for what is to come be Fearless do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer verse 10. we have nothing to fear because Christ is Lord over all of life's circumstances nothing according to Paul could separate us from God's love in Christ Jesus Romans chapter 8 verses 35-39 NIV who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword as it is written for your sake we Face death all day long we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered no in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us for I am convinced that neither death nor life neither angels nor demons neither the present nor the future nor any powers neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Jesus Christ Our Lord fear is a natural human response but we live Supernatural lives because of Christ's power in US be faithful be faithful until death and I will give you the Crown of Life verse 10. given the severity of the persecution in Smyrna I believe Christ was saying yes you may lose your life for my sake but be faithful until the end pergamus the compromising Church Revelation Chapter 2 verses 12-17 and to the angel of the Church of pergamos right these things says he who has the sharp two-edged sword I know your works and where you dwell where Satan's Throne is and you hold fast to my name and did not deny my faith even in the days in which Antipas was my faithful martyr who was killed among you where Satan dwells but I have a few things against you because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam who taught balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans which thing I hate repent or else I will come to you quickly and will fight amongst them with the sword of my mouth he who has an ear let him hear what the spirit says to the churches to him who overcomes I will give some of the Hidden Manna to eat and I will give him a white stone and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it because of its paganism and idolatry pergamus was dubbed Satan's City Christ's mention of Satan's throne in verse 13 may have alluded to the city's Zeus altar it was the most famous and ornate altar in the world built on the Acropolis some historians believe that this altar was used during antipasa's martyrdom in this cradle of pagan activity professing faith in Jesus Christ had dire consequences the church's very existence demonstrated conviction and courage but idolatry had crept into its congregation they had combined the gospel and paganism earning Christ's Stern rebuke repent or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against the promoters of Balaam and the Nicolaitans with the sword of my mouth this blending of beliefs has plagued God's people since the days of ancient Israel and continues to this day Satan seeks to corrupt through compromise whatever he cannot curse and Crush Christians are not called to be combative or antagonistic but there is a better way than pergamus's choice maintain a distinct identity today's church has become so obsessed with staying relevant that it has become irrelevant people around the world find little that is unique in local churches so they remain uninterested some will oppose living out the gospel but God will use it to save the rest second Timothy Chapter 2 verses 8-10 remember Jesus Christ raised from the dead descended from David this is my gospel for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal but God's word is not chained therefore I Endure everything for the sake of the elect that they too May obtain the Salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory speak the truth in love we must be vigilant sober on guard and speak the truth in love wherever corruption or compromise seeks a foothold First Peter chapter 5 verse 8. be alert and of sober mind your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour Ephesians chapter 4 verse 15 instead speaking the truth in love we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head that is Christ when we confront sin we seek reconciliation rather than condemnation there will come a time when Christ will judge Every Soul we have a responsibility to lead people to the Cross until that time comes Paul called this the ministry of reconciliation in second Corinthians chapter 5 verse 18. remember the lesson from pergamos keep an eye out for the delusion of true Doctrine if that means we're intolerant in the eyes of some so be it our preferences cannot be used to define truth it exists independently of popular opinion and does not conform to popular demand if we adhere to sound Doctrine Christ will command Us in the same way that he did Antipas his faithful martyr thyatira the adulterous Church Revelation Chapter 2 verses 18 through 29. to the angel of the Church of thyatira right these are the words of the Son of God whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze I know your Deeds your love and faith your service and perseverance and that you are now doing more than you did at first nevertheless I have this against you you tolerate that woman Jezebel who calls herself a Prophet by her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to Idols I have given her time to repent of her immorality but she is unwilling so I will cast her on a bed of suffering and I will make Those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely unless they repent of her ways I will strike her children dead then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds and I will repay each of you according to your Deeds now I say to the rest of you in thyatira to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan's so-called deep secrets I will not impose any other burden on you except to hold on to what you have until I come to the one who is Victorious and does my will to the end I will give authority over the Nations that one will rule them with an iron scepter and will Dash them to pieces like Pottery just as I have received Authority from my father I will also give that one the Morning Star Whoever has ears let them hear what the spirit says to the churches when it comes to spiritual and moral boundaries some Christians and churches feel compelled to be all-inclusive apparently the ancient Church in thyatira felt the same way on the surface the church's love Faith service and patience were admirable but Christ with fire-like eyes recognize their deficiency the one who searches the minds and hearts saw through their facades and Into the Heart of the problem immorality it only took one person a self-proclaimed prophetess according to verse 20 to corrupt the church what does Christ have to say to a church that tolerates immorality the threat of discipline when the prophetess declined to repent Christ warned of his judgment indeed I will cast her into a sick bed whether taken proverbially or literally those words are forewarning God is Holy and he will not tolerate Rebellion indefinitely as Hebrews chapter 10 verse 31 says it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God the threat of death Revelation Chapter 2 verses 22 and 23 NIV so I will cast her on a bed of suffering and I will make Those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely unless they repent of her ways I will strike her children dead then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds and I will repay each of you according to your Deeds this warning was not only directed at her but also at Those who commit adultery with her Christ was prepared to judge anyone who was complicit in the woman's immorality if they did not repent they would face Great Tribulation the message to the Christians Revelation Chapter 2 verses 24 and 25. now I say to the rest of you in thyatira to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan's so-called deep Secrets I will not impose any other burden on you except to hold on to what you have until I come not every thyatira believer was immoral some were well aware of God's holy standards and refused to deviate from them the message to those who did not participate in the immorality cult was to stand firm hold fast what you have till I come verse 25. the message to the conquerors Revelation Chapter 2 verses 26-29 to the one who is Victorious and does my will to the end I will give authority over the Nations that one will rule them with an iron scepter and will Dash them to pieces like Pottery just as I have received Authority from my father I will also give that one the Morning Star Whoever has ears let them hear what the spirit says to the churches all who choose to be faithful Until the End will be victorious they would rule the Nations alongside Christ during the Millennium and they would be raptured to heaven with him the bright and Morning Star before the tribulation Sardis the dead Church Revelation chapter 3 verses 1-6 to the angel of the church in Sardis write these are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the Seven Stars I know your Deeds you have a reputation of being alive but you are dead wake up strengthen what remains and is about to die for I have found your Deeds unfinished in the sight of my God remember therefore what you have received and heard hold it fast and repent but if you do not wake up I will come like a thief and you will not know at what time I will come to you yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes they will walk with me dressed in white for they are worthy the one who is Victorious will like them be dressed in white I will never blot out the name of that person from The Book of Life but will acknowledge that name before my father and his angels Whoever has ears let them hear what the spirit says to the churches Christ refers to himself in this message as he who has the seven spirits of God and the Seven Stars verse one the seven spirits represent the fullness of the holy spirit's Ministry Chapter 5 Verse 6 Isaiah chapter 11. verses two through five which the Sardinian church had excluded from its Affairs the lights were turned on and people arrived but the power of the Holy Spirit was lacking Christ gave both praise and criticism to the other churches there were no compliments in this church only condemnation I know your works that you have a name that you are alive but you are dead the place was full of what we today would call nominal Christians Christians in name only Christ gave five instructions for the church that is dead be sensitive to sin we're not only to be awake but to Be watchful from children's classes to the pulpit teaching must be in accord with God's word falling away from Doctrine results in spiritual death be submissive to the control of the Holy Spirit only through the ministry of the Holy Spirit do we hear and receive God's words in a life-changing way a church dies when the Holy Spirit departs is grieved or is quenched Ephesians chapter 4 verse 30 first Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 19. when a person's Spirit departs his or her body dies and the same is true for a church be subject to the authority of God's word hold fast is usually associated with God's word if a church keeps the word it means that the Bible will be honored and Faithfully taught when a church abandons the Bible the Holy Spirit loses his primary tool for transforming Believers into the image of Christ be sorry and repent of sin if you want to get back on track with God the answer is always the same repent return to the truth of God's word and flee from sin churches perish as a result of the sinfulness of their members churches on the other hand atone through the repentance of their members despite its flaws Christ offered Sardis hope the church could experience eternal life if it returned to obeying his commands Philadelphia the faithful Church Revelation chapter 3 verses 7 through 13. and to the angel of the church in Philadelphia right these things says he who is Holy he who is true he who has the Key of David he who opens and no one shuts and shuts and no one opens I know your Works see I have set before you an open door and no one can shut it for you have a little strength have kept my word and have not denied my name indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews and are not but lie indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet and to know that I have loved you because you have kept my command to persevere I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on the earth behold I am coming quickly hold fast what you have that no one may take your crown he who overcomes I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God and he shall go out no more I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God the New Jerusalem which comes down out of heaven for my God and I will write on him my new name he who has an ear let him hear what the spirit says to the churches Christ prays the Philadelphia church for four things they had an open door they had little strength they had kept God's word and they had not denied the Lord if we want to be commended by Christ we will go through open doors of ministry rely on his strength and be faithful to him and his word what does this have to do with us today if Christ is present and the church is committed to him a door of opportunity for ministry will open every church should pray for those doors to be recognized and opened we rely on the church's head to provide the necessary strength to his body in verse 8 Christ sums up three principles that apply to all churches open doors for Ministry relying on Christ's strength and keeping God's word being obedient to God's word will result in new opportunities for Ministry and Reliance on God's power everything else will fall into place when the word of God is prioritized because the church belongs to Christ we are to identify with him boldly no matter the cost we Proclaim his name as the Bible does as The Only Name through which we can be saved Acts chapter 4 verse 12. salvation is found in no one else for there is no other name under Heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved lodicia the lukewarm Church Revelation chapter 3 verses 14-22 to the angel of the Church of lodicia right these are the words of the amen the faithful and true witness the ruler of God's creation I know your Deeds that you are neither cold nor hot I wish you were either one or the other so because you are lukewarm neither hot nor cold I am about to spit you out of my mouth you say I am rich I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing but you do not realize that you are wretched pitiful poor blind and naked I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire so you can become rich and white clothes to wear so you can cover your shameful nakedness and Saft put on your eyes so you can see Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline so be Earnest and repent here I am I stand at the door and knock if anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come in and eat with that person and they with me to the one who is Victorious I will give the right to sit with me on my Throne just as I was Victorious and sat down with my father on his throne Whoever has ears let them hear what the spirit says to the churches some of the harshest words recorded in the Bible were directed at the church in Leticia by the Lord he claimed that the church made him sick it was compromising conceded and christless in every way the Church of today should take note those words may apply to us as well the prescription for spiritual poverty the lodicians were materially prosperous but spiritually bankrupt they lacked spiritual riches which could only be obtained through Christ when God bestows Prosperity on Christians he expects christ-centered stewardship a Christian with wealth Bears the burden of discovering God's purpose in blessing him with that wealth and using it accordingly the prescription for Spiritual nakedness in the Bible nakedness is a metaphor for defeat and humiliation the laodicians pretended to be clothed in righteousness but they were actually naked and lacking in righteous acts they were not on fire for the Lord but rather lukewarm as a result Christ advised them to obtain white garments from him so that their shame might be covered Revelation chapter 3 verse 18. the prescription for Spiritual compromise for the spiritually Afflicted there is only one piece of advice therefore be zealous and repent Revelation chapter 3 verse 19. however Jesus summarizes his harsh words as many as I love I rebuke and chasten good parents discipline their children but have you ever witnessed a parent abandon a child we can be thankful that God does not act in this manner he loves us too much to abandon us as we are and he Longs for us to return to him when we need to the prescription for their christlessness Christ does not storm into unwelcome churches instead he waits for an invitation behold I will stand at the door and knock if anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come into him and dine with him and he with me Revelation chapter 3 verse 20. there were apparently even fewer Believers in laodicia than in Sardis his invitation extends to anyone who hears his voice loudicia from a prophetic standpoint represents the church in the end times it's heartbreaking to think of Christ standing outside his own church but we must ask ourselves if this is a reflection of ourselves is the Lord being pushed out of our Gatherings is his word being tainted in our pulpits are we too preoccupied with our plans and programs to notice that we have crowded him out if Christ is knocking on your heart's door or your Church's door don't be reluctant in the Book of Revelation we see John guided to see the throne in heaven Revelation 4 1 after this I looked and there before me was a door standing open in heaven and the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said come up here and I will show you what must take place after this the phrase after this marks a transition to the third section of the book John had previously witnessed the messages to the churches on earth now he focuses not on Earth but on heaven many elements of John's next Vision are similar to those of ezekiel's First Vision which also begins with Heaven being opened this same voice which instructed him earlier to write to the seven churches now invites him to leave Earth and enter the Heavenly realm what John sees next is what will take place later John's Heavenly experience is highly sensory with bright colors loud sounds and exotic smells that continue throughout the vision Revelation 4 2 at once I was in the spirit and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it while in the spirit John sees a Heavenly Throne occupied by an otherworldly figure at his commission Isaiah likewise saw the Lord Seated on a throne high and exalted in verse 2 a key phrase is in the spirit anything done in the spirit is a command to enter the spiritual perspective that is to be able to see things that physical eyes cannot see such as when Believers are instructed to pray in the spirit Jude 20 but you dear friends must build each other up in your Most Holy Faith pray in the power of the Holy Spirit because he was writing Holy Scripture certain aspects of John's experience of being in the spirit were bound to be unique and unrepeatable however much of it is repeatable Believers today can abide in the spirit receiving understanding of God's Will and work too often though we merely visit the spirit so to speak without living with him in a condition of heightened spiritual awareness with the right spiritual perspective John sees God's throne in heaven his perspective is similar to that depicted in Isaiah 6 verses 1 to 8 where the Prophet saw the Lord Seated on a high and lofty throne and the Hem of His robe filled the temple as seraphim stood above him and the one who sat there had the appearance of Jasper and Ruby a rainbow that Shone like an emerald encircled the throne the description of God as having the appearance of precious stones Jasper and Carnelian refers to his value and elegance every time a rainbow appears in the Bible it serves as a reminder of God's faithfulness the Divine figure is reminiscent of two precious stones Jasper and Carnelian according to John Carnelian is a translucent red or yellowish red whereas Jasper is usually an opaque red brown or yellow color Carnelian was highly valued by the Greeks and Romans especially in jewelry making the rainbow that encircles the throne is likened to a green emerald later the three stones are used to describe the New Jerusalem Ezekiel compared the Heavenly Throne to a precious stone in his case a sapphire and the radiance of the figure on it to a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day in his heavenly vision Revelation 4 4 surrounding the throne were 24 other Thrones and seated on them were 24 Elders they were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads the appearance of these Elders is striking their white garments crowns and Thrones are eschatological rewards already promised to the victors all the Angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures they fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God these Elders with their golden incense bowls later serve as Saints representative priests Revelation 4 verses 5 to 7 from the throne came flashes of lightning Rumblings and peels of thunder in front of the throne seven lamps were blazing these are the seven spirits of God also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass clear as crystal in the center around the throne were four living creatures and they were covered with eyes in front and in back the first living creature was like a lion the second was like an ox the third had a face like a man the fourth was like a flying eagle the power and Majesty of God are depicted by flashes of lightning and peels of Thunder the seven spirits of God represent the Holy Spirit who sits on the throne of God the Father a completely calm and smooth body of water described metaphorically as a sea of glass also stands Before the Throne the four living creatures are reminiscent of The Magnificent Angelic beings described in Ezekiel 1 and Isaiah 6. they like the angels in Ezekiel 1 verses 5 to 11 have the appearances of a lion an ox a man and an eagle as well as eyes that face in different directions Revelation 4 verses 6 to 8. and Before the Throne there was a sea of glass like unto Crystal and in the midst of the throne and round about The Throne were four beasts full of eyes before and behind and the first Beast was like a lion and the second beast like a calf and the third Beast had a face as a man and the fourth Beast was like a flying eagle each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around even under its wings day and night they never stop saying holy holy holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come each creature has six wings and Cries Holy Holy Holy without ceasing day and night as described in Isaiah 6 verses 2 and 3 Revelation 4 verses 9 to 11. whenever the living creatures give glory honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives forever and ever the 24 Elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever they lay their crowns Before the Throne and say you are worthy our Lord and God to receive glory and honor and power for you created all things and by your will they were created and have their being the 24 Elders joined the living creatures in worshiping God in fact the elders appear to be inspired by the Angelic worship and sing a song declaring God worthy of glory honor and power because he created all things the worship of God as creator sets the tone for the following chapters in which God is depicted as entering creation and restoring it from the effects of sin this entire scene serves as a Prelude to chapter 5 in which Jesus Christ is introduced following the opening of the seals the horsemen appear Revelation speaks about various terms such as seals the seals are disasters the action begins in Revelation chapter 5 with the search for someone in heaven and on Earth Someone worthy to break the seals and open the scroll the significance of the scroll becomes clear in light of events the program that will bring the age of Earthly history in which we live must be written on it Revelation 5 1-8 then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with Seven Seals and I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll but no one in heaven or on Earth or under the Earth could open the scroll or even look inside it I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside then one of the elders said to me do not weep see the lion of the tribe of Judah the root of David has triumphed he is able to open the scroll and its Seven Seals then I saw a lamb looking as if it had been slain standing at the center of the throne encircled by the four living creatures and the elders the lamb had seven horns and seven eyes which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the Earth he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne and when he had taken it the four living creatures and the 24 Elders fell down before the lamb each one had a harp and they were holding golden Bulls full of incense which are the prayers of God's people Christ was the only one found worthy to open the scroll the title deed to the universe in Revelation chapter 5 as he breaks the scroll's Seven Seals each seal reveals a new manifestation of God's judgment on the earth during the future tribulation period Revelation 6 1-2 I watched as the lamb opened the first of the Seven Seals then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice-like thunder come I looked and there before me was a white horse its Rider held a bow and he was given a crown and he rode out as a conqueror bent on Conquest a white horse is mentioned in the passage the animal signifies an unprecedented period of International Peace a false peace that will be short-lived this piece will be brought about by a succession of false Messiahs who will culminate in the Antichrist Matthew 24 3-5 New King James Version now as he sat on the Mount of Olives the disciples came to him privately saying tell us when will these things be and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age and Jesus answered and said to them take heed that no one deceives you for many will come in my name saying I am the Christ and will deceive many when the lamb opened the second seal I heard the second living creature say come then another horse came out a fiery red one its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other to him was given a large sword 6-4 another horse fiery red its blood red appearance speaks of the Holocaust of War Matthew 24 7 New King James version for nation will rise against nation and Kingdom against Kingdom and there will be famines pestilences and earthquakes in various places this horse and its Rider have the ability to wreak Global Havoc through the use of weapons of mass destruction however as horrifying as this judgment is it will only be the birth pangs or the first signs of God's Wrath and will pass quickly when the lamb opened the third seal I heard the third living creature say come I looked and there before me was a black horse its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand black horse black signifies famine Lamentations 5 8-10 New King James Version servants rule over us there is none to Deliver Us from their hand we get our bread at the risk of Our Lives because of the sword in the wilderness our skin is hot as an oven because of the fever of famine World conflict will devastate the food supply resulting in widespread hunger around the world then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures saying two pounds of wheat for a day's wages and six pounds of barley for a day's wages and do not damage the oil and the wine cord of wheat the approximate amount required to provide one person with food and water for one day a Denarius is the equivalent of one day's typical wage it takes a whole day's work to provide adequate meals for just one person three quarts of barley if possible this grain which was typically fed to animals was low in nutrition and significantly less expensive than wheat a day's income is just enough to provide for the needs of a modest family on a daily basis the oil as well as the wine although it is possible that the point is being made that these foods will not be affected by the famine a more straightforward interpretation is that bare Staples oil was used in the preparation of bread and wine was considered necessary for cooking and purifying water will suddenly become luxuries that must be protected at all costs when the lamb opened the fourth seal I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say come I looked and there before me was a Pale Horse its rider was named death and Hades was following close behind him they were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword famine and plague and by the wild beasts of the Earth pale is the Greek term from which the English word chlorophyll is derived and it refers to the pale Ashen green palour that is characteristic of the disintegration of a body throughout the decaying process this Horseman slays 25 of the world's inhabitants which is a significant number the first four seals are primarily intended to be judgments against the wicked and unbelievers in all nations but they also serve as implicit warnings to members of the respective Church communities to repent of sin and remain faithful to Christ while godly people disagree on how to interpret John's numbers and symbols most Christians agree that the end times will be marked by increasing evil the rise of a world government and World ruler and the pouring out of God's Wrath on a rebellious morally defunct World Jesus Christ will not return to establish his kingdom on Earth until God's Wrath has been completely expended in Revelation chapters 6 through 22 John describes in detail the judgments that will befall the earth a period that Jesus referred to as a Great Tribulation Matthew 24 21 New King James version for then there will be Great Tribulation such as has not been seen since the beginning of the world until this time no nor ever shall be John then goes into detail on the Seven Seals found on the back of a scroll in God's hand Revelation 5 1 New King James Version and I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back sealed with Seven Seals different judgments fall on the earth as the lamb who is Jesus opens the seals in addition when each seal is broken the living creatures surrounding the throne cry out come and see and horses appear in Revelation 8 to 9 John describes a Time near the end of the world when Angels sound seven trumpets each trumpet Heralds the arrival of a new round of judgment on the people of the Earth the seven trumpets are described in Revelation chapters 8-9 as well as in Revelation 11 verses 15-19 the trumpets represent disasters the seven trumpets are the contents of the seventh seal judgment Revelation 8 verses 1 to 5 and when he had opened the seventh seal there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour and I saw the seven angels which stood before God and to them were given seven trumpets and another angel came and stood at the altar having a golden censor and there was given unto him much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of All Saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne and the smoke of the incense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angel's hand and the angel took the sensor and filled it with fire of the Altar and cast it into the Earth and there were voices and thunderings and Lightnings and an earthquake the judgments heralded by the seven trumpets will occur during the tribulation period at the end of the world seven angels who stand In God's Presence are given seven trumpets which will be used to unleash another round of judgment the first trumpet when the first Angel blows his trumpet the entire world is engulfed in hail and fire mixed with blood Revelation 8 verse 7. this plague destroys one-third of the world's trees and consumes all grass this judgment Bears some resemblance to Egypt's seventh plague Exodus 9 verses 23 to 24 and Moses stretched forth his Rod toward Heaven and the Lord sent thunder in hell and the fire ran along upon the ground and the Lord reigned hell upon the land of Egypt so there was hell and fire mingled with the hail very Grievous such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation the second trumpet Revelation 8 verses 8 and 9. the second Angel sounded his trumpet and something like a huge mountain all Ablaze was thrown into the sea a third of the sea turned into blood a third of the living creatures in the sea died and a third of the ships were destroyed in heaven a second Angel sounds a trumpet the result is that something like a huge mountain all Ablaze was thrown into the sea a third of the seed turns into blood a third of the ship sink and a third of the ocean dies verse nine this judgment is similar in some ways to the first plague in Egypt see Exodus 7 verses 20 to 21. the third trumpet Revelation 8 verses 10 and 11. the third Angel sounded his trumpet and a great star blazing like a torch fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the Springs of water the name of the star is wormwood a third of the waters turned bitter and many people died from the waters that had become bitter the third trumpet judgment is like the second except it affects the world's freshwater lakes and rivers instead of the oceans specifically a great star blazing like a torch falls from the sky and poisons a third of the water supply Revelation 8 verse 10. wormwood is the name given to this star and many people die as a result verse 11. wormwood Artemisia absintheum is a shrub-like plant known for its extreme bitterness and poisonous properties in botany the fourth trumpet the fourth Angel sounded his trumpet and a third of the sun was struck and a third of the Moon and a third of the Stars so that a third of them turned dark third of the day was without light and also a third of the night as I watched I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice whoa whoa woe to the inhabitants of the Earth because of the trumpet blast about to be sounded by the other three angels Revelation 8 verses 12 to 13. the fourth of the seven trumpets bring about changes in the heavens a third of the sun was struck a third of the Moon and a third of the Stars so that a third of them turned dark a third of the day was without light and also a third of the night Revelation 8 verse 12. following the fourth trumpet judgment John observes a special warning given by an eagle flying through the air this Eagle cries out in a loud voice whoa whoa woe to the inhabitants of the Earth because of the trumpet blast about to be sounded by the other three Angels Revelation 8 verse 13. for this reason the fifth sixth and seventh trumpets are referred to as three woes fifth trumpet Revelation 9 verses 1 to 5. the fifth angel sounded his trumpet and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the Earth the star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss when he opened the abyss smoke Rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace the Sun and Sky were darkened by the smoke from the abyss and out of the smoke locusts came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth they were told not to harm the grass of the Earth or any plant or tree but only those people who did not have the Seal of God on their foreheads they were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months and the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of the Scorpion when it strikes during those days people will seek death but will not find it they will long to die but death will elude them the locusts look like horses prepared for battle on their heads they wore something like pounds of gold and their faces resembled human faces their hair was like woman's hair and their teeth were like lion's teeth they had breastplates like breastplates of iron and the sound of their wings was like the Thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle they had tails with stingers like scorpions and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months they had as kings over them the angel of the Abyss whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is apollyon that is Destroyer the first woe is past two other woes are yet to come causes a terrifying plague of demonic locusts to attack and torture the unbelievers for five months Revelation 9 verses 1 to 11 the plague begins with the fall of a star from Heaven as he is given the key to the shaft of the Abyss this star is most likely a fallen angel he opens the abyss releasing a horde of locusts with power like that of scorpions the locusts do not touch the plant life of Earth rather they head straight for those people who did not have the Seal of God on their foreheads verse 4. these locusts torment people for five months causing such Agony that they will wish to die but death will elude them the locusts are only permitted to torture people not kill them the angel of the Abyss serves as the king of these demonic locusts Revelation 9 verse 11. in Hebrew he is known as Abaddon and in Greek he is known as apollyon which means Destroyer the locusts themselves are described in unusual terms they resemble battle-ready horses they are dressed in something resembling crowns of gold and their faces are vaguely human they have hair that looks like women's hair and teeth that look like lion's teeth their wings sound like the Thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle and they wear iron breastplates they have stings in their tails just like scorpions the name Abaddon means place of Destruction in Hebrew and apollyon literally means the destroyer in Greek when the fifth angel blows his trumpet the abyss a great Smoking Pit will open and a horde of demonic locusts will rise out of it Revelation 9 verses 1 to 3. these beings will be given the authority to torture anyone who does not bear God's seal the pain they cause will be so excruciating that sufferers will wish to die Abaddon apollyon is the abysses ruler and the king of these demonic locusts Abaddon apollyon is likely one of Satan's underlings a destroying demon and one of the rulers authorities and Powers mentioned in Ephesians 6 verse 12. the sixth trumpet Revelation 9 verses 13 to 21. the sixth Angel sounded his trumpet and I Heard a Voice coming from the four horns of the golden altar that is before God it said to the sixth Angel who had the trumpet release the Four Angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates and the Four Angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind the number of the mounted troops was twice Ten Thousand Times Ten Thousand I heard their number the horses and Riders I saw in my vision look like this their breastplates were fiery red dark blue and yellow as sulfur they're heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions and out of their mouths came fire smoke and sulfur a third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths the power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails for their Tales were like snakes having heads with which they inflict injury the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands they did not stop worshiping demons and Idols of gold silver bronze Stone and wood Idols that cannot see or hear or walk nor did they repent of their murders their magic Arts their sexual immorality or their thefts the sixth trumpet and the second woe Heralds the arrival of yet another demonic horde when the sixth trumpet blows a voice from God's altar requests the release of the Four Angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates these four Angels had been locked up for one reason only to wreak havoc during the tribulation these four evil angels command a supernatural Cavalry of thousands upon thousands to slaughter one-third of humanity their writers wear fiery red dark blue and yellow breastplates their horses have Lions heads and out of their mouths came fire smoke and sulfur and their tails are like snakes they use their mouths and their tails to kill despite the severity and horror of these plagues the survivors on Earth still refused to repent they continue in their idolatry their murder their sorcery their sexual immorality and their theft Revelation 9 verses 20-21 and the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands that they should not worship devils and Idols of gold and silver and brass and stone and of wood which neither can see nor hear nor walk neither repented they of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their fornication nor of their thefts following the six trumpet judgment is a literary interlude John observes an angel descend from heaven with a little scroll in his hand A promise is given that the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet Revelation 10 verse 7 and John is told that he must prophesy some more verse 11. following that is a description of the two witnesses who will preach and perform miracles in Jerusalem before being slayed God will raise them back to life and take them to Heaven Revelation 11 verses 1 to 13. the seventh trumpet the seventh trumpet and the Third Woe sounds and there are loud voices in heaven proclaiming the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah and he will reign forever and ever Revelation 11 verse 15. the 24 Elders say the time has come for destroying those who destroy the Earth obviously God is about to wrap things up once and for all at the sound of the seventh trumpet the temple of God is opened in heaven and within his Temple was seen the Ark of his Covenant and there came flashes of lightning Rumblings Pearls of thunder and earthquake and a Severe hail storm verse 19. the seven trumpet judgments have come to an end all is set for the seven angels with the seven bowls of God's Wrath these angels stand inside the now open Temple ready to step forward and bring the final judgments on the earth revelation 15. context from Revelation chapter 9 verse 11 when Napoleon shows up in Revelation 8 and 9 John describes a period during the end times when Angels sound seven trumpets each trumpet Heralds the approach of a fresh judgment that will fall upon the inhabitants of Earth immediately after the fifth angel blew his trumpet the star fell from the sky to the Earth this star opened the abyss Revelation chapter 9 verse 2. unleashing a battalion of demonic soldiers likened to a plague of locusts resembling horses prepared for battle Revelation chapter 9 verse 7. by this time there had already been hell and fire mixed with blood and it was hurled down on the Earth the third of the Earth was burned up a third of the trees were burned and all the green grass was burned up next something like a huge mountain all the blaze was thrown into the sea this event marks the beginning of the end during which Satan and the armies under his control will be Unleashed he will be permitted to take those who reject Christ as king during the cleansing of the whole Earth to make way for a new Heaven and a new Earth these beings will be granted the authority to inflict unimaginable torment on anyone who does not wear the Seal of God the pain they inflict will be so intense that sufferers will wish to die Madden or Apollonia is the ruler of the abyss and king of these demonic locusts since this is the king of locusts and since he has the name of baton or apollyon this is a higher ranking leader of demons two beasts in the Book of Revelation chapters 12-14 the final series of disasters is about to occur it will be the toughest for the church even though their whole uncivilization is about to be destroyed demonic Powers will get a more significant foothold in it than they have ever had before Revelation chapters 12-14 introduce three individuals who come together to establish an alliance to rule the world on their own one is Angelic in origin and nature a great dragon and ancient serpent otherwise known as Satan or the devil Revelation chapter 12 verse 9. and the Great Dragon was thrown down the age-old serpent who was called The Devil and Satan he who continually deceives and seduces the entire inhabited world he was thrown down to the Earth and his angels were thrown down with him the other two are human origin and nature beasts also known as Antichrist in second Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 3 he is also referred to as the man of lawlessness and other passages refer to him as the false prophet in an appalling parody of God Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit the three work together to create a kind of Unholy Trinity Satan is first introduced into the troubles since he was mentioned in the letters that were sent to the seven churches he has not been referenced in Revelation the true battle between good and evil is taking place later Satan will again be defeated and thrown into the abyss meanwhile in a few years he has left his rage and resentment are focused on our planet because he could not engage God in direct conflict in heaven he wages war on the people of God on Earth it is a defensive maneuver that is being carried out in the hope of sustaining his Dominion on Earth utilizing puppet rulers one of whom is political and the other religious so far the message of Revelation chapter 12 is quite clear even if it taxes the imagination Revelation chapter 13 verses 1 to 10. the beast from the sea in the dragon Satan stood on the Sandy Shore of the sea then I saw a vicious Beast coming up out of the sea with ten horns and seven heads and on his horns Were Ten Royal Crowns diadems and on his heads were Blasphemous names into the Beast that I saw resemble the leper but his feet were like those of a bear and his mouth was like that of a lion and the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great Authority I saw one of his heads which seemed to have a fatal wound but his fatal wound was healed and the entire Earth followed after the beast in amazement they fell down and worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the Beast they also worshiped the Beast saying who is like as great as the Beast and who is able to wage war against him and the Beast was given a mouth the power of speech uttering great things and arrogant and blasphemous words he was given freedom and authority to act and to do as he pleased for 42 months three and a half years and he opened his mouth to speak blasphemies abuse of speech slander against God to blaspheme his name and his Tabernacle and those who live in heaven he was also permitted to wage war against the Saints God's people and to overcome them and authority and power over every tribe and people and language a nation all the inhabitants of the earth will fall down and worship him everyone whose name has not been written since the foundation of the world in the Book of Life of the Lamb who has been slain as a willing sacrifice if anyone has an ear let him hear if anyone is destined for captivity he will go into captivity if anyone kills with a sword he must be killed with a sword here is the call for the patient endurance and the faithfulness of the Saints which is seen in the response of God's people to difficult times the first of the beasts is a monstrosity that has ten horns and seven heads and a dragon grants it power and authority one of the heads is mortally wounded but is healed the Beast speaks blasphemies against God and aggressively oppresses the people of God wherever they may be found on Earth it not only rules the world but receives the worship of its inhabitants the first Beast is a symbolic picture of the Antichrist and the dragon is Satan the second beast is a two-horned deceptively innocent creature that decimates power with the first Beast then I saw another Beast rising up out of the Earth he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke like a dragon he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence when the two weren't together and he makes the Earth and those who inhabited worship the first Beast whose deadly wound was healed he performs Great Signs ah inspiring acts even making fire fall from the sky to the Earth right before people's eyes and he deceives those who unconverted ones who inhabit the Earth into believing him because of the signs which he is given by Satan to perform in the presence of the first Beast telling those who inhabit the Earth to make an image to the Beast who was wounded fatally By The Sword and has come back to life and he is given power to give breath to the image of the Beast so that the image of the Beast will even appear to speak and cause those who do not Bow Down and Worship the image of the Beast to be put to death also he compels all the small and the Great and the rich and the poor and the free men and the slaves to be given a mark on the right hand or on their forehead signifying allegiance to the Beast and that no one will be able to buy or sell except the one who has the mark either the name of the Beast or the number of his name Revelation chapter 13 verses 11 to 17. the responsibility of the second beast is to promote the worship of the first Beast among all people as a second beast deceives the world with miracles it orders that everyone set up an image in honor of the Beast who was wounded By The Sword and yet lived everyone is required to acquire the mark of the beast either in the right hand or on their forehead the second beast is a symbolic picture of the false prophet in Revelation chapter 13 the two beasts make their appearance the first and most important one is a political person specifically a global dictator who rules all known ethnic subgroups under a totalitarian system [Music] note that anti in Greek means instead of rather than against meaning a counterfeit rather than a competitor the man of lawlessness second Thessalonians chapter 2 verses 3 and 4. let no man deceive you by any means for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first and that man of sin be revealed the son of perdition reposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God showing himself that he is God he acknowledged no higher law than his own will and as a result claimed Divinity and demanded devotion as a result the Beast is a human person who gives into Satan's Temptation and accepts the offer that Jesus turned down Matthew Chapter 4 verses 8 and 9. again the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain and cheweth him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them saith unto him all these things will I give thee if thou Wilt Fall Down and Worship me had he accepted he would have become Jesus Antichrist the Beast is also anti-christian in the other sense of this prefix he has the power to make war against the Saints and overcome them Revelation Chapter 13 Verse 7. and it was given unto him to make war with the Saints and to overcome them and power was given him over all kindreds and tongues and Nations he overcomes them temporarily but they conquer him eternally Revelation chapter 12 verse 11. and they overcame and conquered him because of the blood of the lamb and because of the word of their testimony for they did not love their life and renounce their faith even when faced with death [Music] Revelation chapter 13 verses 1 to 10. the beast from the sea and the dragon Satan stood on the Sandy Shore of the sea then I saw a vicious Beast coming up out of the sea with ten horns and seven heads and on his horns Were Ten Royal Crowns diadems and on his heads were Blasphemous names and the Beast that I saw resembled a leopard but his feet were like those of a bear and his mouth was like that of a lion and the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great Authority I saw one of his heads which seemed to have a fatal wound but his fatal wound was healed and the entire Earth followed after the beast in amazement they fell down and worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the Beast they also worshiped the Beast saying who is like as great as the Beast and who is able to wage war against him and the Beast was given a mouth the power of speech uttering great things and arrogant and blasphemous words and he was given freedom and authority to act and to do as he pleased for 42 months three and a half years and he opened his mouth to speak blasphemies abuse of speech slander against God to blaspheme his name and his Tabernacle and those who live in heaven he was also permitted to wage war against the Saints God's people and to overcome them and authority and power over every tribe and people and language and Nation all the inhabitants of the earth will fall down and worship Him everyone whose name has not been written since the foundation of the world in the Book of Life of the Lamb who has been slain as a willing sacrifice if anyone has an ear let him hear if anyone is destined for captivity he will go into captivity then I saw another Beast rising up out of the Earth he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke like a dragon he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence when the two weren't together and he makes the Earth and those who inhabited worship the first Beast whose deadly wound was healed he performs Great Signs ah inspiring Acts even making fire fall from the sky to the Earth right before people's eyes and he deceives those who unconverted ones who inhabit the earth into believing him because of the signs which he is given by Satan to perform in the presence of the first Beast telling those who inhabit the Earth to make an image to the Beast who was wounded fatally By The Sword and has come back to life and he is given power to give breath to the image of the Beast so that the image of the Beast will even appear to speak and cause those who do not Bow Down and Worship the image of the Beast to be put to death also he compels all the small and the Great and the rich and the poor and the free men and the slaves to be given a mark on the right hand or on their forehead signifying allegiance to the Beast and that no one will be able to buy or sell except the one who has the mark either the name of the Beast or the number of his name Revelation chapter 13 verses 11 to 17. his characteristics are similar to those of other fearsome beasts such as leopards bears and lions he appears to be from a Federation of political rulers who have captured the world's attention through an astonishing recovery from a fatal wound most likely in an attempted assassination for 42 months his Blasphemous egoism has been broadcast the second beast strengthens his position as a religious colleague with Supernatural power who directs the world's worship toward his Superior his miracles such as commanding fire to fall from the sky and images of the dictator to speak will deceive the Nations his appearance will be like a lamb small sheep with only two horns this would seem to indicate mildness rather than Christ's likeness since it is contrasted with his dragon-like speech his master stroke will not be his display of Miracles but his dominance of markets only those who carry a special number on a visible part of their body hand or forehead will be allowed to trade and the number will only be marked on those who engage in Imperial idolatry Jews and Christians will therefore be excluded from all Commerce even in the event of the purchase of bare necessities of life the number 666 is the dictator's coded name the section about this Beast concludes with a prophecy take note of the command to pay attention to this warning if anyone has an ear let a mirror Jesus used the same language to call people to listen to the important message he was about to teach the same is true here in Revelation concerning this important message if anyone is to be taken captive to captivity he goes if anyone is to be slain with a sword with a sword must he be slain in summary this swore that the Beast will make against the Saints is going to be very bad therefore Christ calls for faithful endurance here's a call for the endurance and Faith of the Saints [Music] the world is standing for the Beast worshiping the Beast and honoring the Beast the Christians will not do this and suffering will come from this life lessons do not worship the world and its ways we cannot allow our worship to be linked to the politics of this country we must not worship any leaders our personal deliverer or savior our hope is in God endure even in the most trying of circumstances God encourages his people to maintain steadfastness the story that we are currently reading describes a regime whose official policies to wage war and slay Christians we must be faithful to God no matter what obstacles stand against us if we are persecuted we must endure for Christ if we are comfortable we must endure for Christ be faithful in times of prosperity and Times of persecution take a stab do not go with the direction of evil be willing to be different what is the mark of the beast we all have specific numbers that stand out to us this number could be your favorite athlete or your date of birth however a certain number found in Revelation has intrigued many people for many years and this is the mark of the beast the mark of the beast appears in Revelation the mark of the beast is referred to as the mark of the beast because it is brought into being by a man who is referred to as the Beast Revelation is full of graphical language through the continued use of symbols we can visualize what would otherwise be ungraspable it cannot be too strongly emphasized that this is intended to help our understanding not hinder it so many individuals have used the highly symbolic nature of the Book of Revelation to neglect or even dismiss its instruction as if the symbols are too vague to convey a clear message that is entirely not the case as is evident when they are listed in four categories some are obvious in their meaning the dragon or serpent is the devil Lake of Fire is hell the great white Throne is the Lord's judgment seat some are explained in the context the stars are angels the lampstands are churches the seals trumpets and Bulls are disasters six seals and six trumpets are over the very last series of disasters is about to happen according to the Bible passages in Revelation chapter 16 verse 2 and 19 verse 20. the mark of the beast is a symbol that distinguishes those who worship the Beast out of the sea Revelation chapter 16 verse 2. so the first Angel went and poured out his mole of the Earth and loathsome and malignant sores came on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped His image Revelation shows us the economic strategy of the first Beast and the second beast Revelation chapter 13 verses 16 through 17. also he compels all the small and the Great and the rich and the poor and the free men and the slaves to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead signifying allegiance to the Beast and that no one will be able to buy or sell except the one who has the mark either the name of the Beast or the number of his name causes all to receive a mark a Mark will be given to everyone under the government of the Beast and his associate this Mark is necessary to participate in the economy and those without it will not be able to buy or sell anything only those bearing a special number on a visible part of their body hand or forehead will be allowed to trade and the number will only be marked on those who engage in Imperial idolatry the number 666 is the coded name of the dictator the number of his name this was a common Concept in the ancient world in Greek and Hebrew as well letters were assigned a numerical value such as a equaling one B equaling two and so forth using this method many candidates for Antichrist have been suggested such as Napoleon Mussolini Stalin and so forth Revelation Chapter 13 Verse 18. here is wisdom let the person who has enough inside calculate the number of the Beast for it is the imperfect number of a man and his number is 666. the usage of numbers as symbols is very common The Book of Revelation has a large number of sevens including Stars lamb stands lamps seals trumpets and Bulls it is the round number of the Bible the complete the perfect figure 12 is associated with the old people of God their tribes and the new their Apostles 24 brings them together one thousand is the largest number 666 is the one that captures attention it is made up of sixes a figure that always alludes to the inability of humans to achieve the seven that represents complete perfection [Music] as a clue to the identity of the last World dictator before Jesus Reigns for a thousand years in Latin a millennium is it significant that 666 is a total of all the Roman numerals except one one thing is clear he will fall short of perfection the word karagma in ancient Greek language refers to a mark but it is not commonly associated with people thus some interpreted as a symbolic mark however the idea of a physical Mark being required for buying or selling is not impossible and could be practical the technology to give people a Mark that enables them to buy and sell in the electronic economy is available there are many different ways it could happen and such programs are proposed and tested constantly a mark on the right hand or on their foreheads Satan is not a creative being all he can do is imitate God we are not surprised to find that this too is a satanic parody of something God will do it imitates God's Mark upon his people Revelation chapter 17 and 18 concerns the very end the remainder of Revelation is dominated by two female figures one a filthy prostitute and the other a pure bride neither is a person both are personifications they represent cities the title A Tale of Two Cities could be used Babylon and Jerusalem the city of man and the City of God are their names we will look at the former Revelation 14 8 NIV a second Angel followed and said Fallen Fallen is Babylon the great which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries Revelation 16 19. the great City split into three parts and the cities of the Nations collapsed God remembered Babylon the great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his Wrath in the Bible cities are often seen as wicked places the initial reference which is usually crucial links them to lamech's line of weaponry and the production of mass destructive weapons they concentrate people and hence Sinners and thus sin Vice and crime thrive in an environment where there is less community and more anonymity greed and pride are the two sins that are highlighted In this passage both are linked to money's idolatry because it is impossible to worship both God and mamam at the same time Luke 16 13. no servant can be the slave of two masters such a servant will hate one and love the other or will be loyal to one and despise the other you cannot serve both God and money in an affluent City it is easier to forget the creator of Heaven and Earth self-made men worship their own creator buildings that are frequently memorials to human ambition and achievement which demonstrates arrogance such was the Tower of Babel by the Euphrates River sitting on the route between Asia Africa and Europe it was founded on the concept that might is right that the fittest Survive by Nimrod the powerful Hunter of animals and Warrior among men the tower was supposed to be the tallest man-made building as a powerful statement to both men and God the expressed intention to make a name for themselves Genesis 11 4 NIV then they said come let us build ourselves a city with a tower that reaches to the heavens so that we may make a name for ourselves otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole Earth God judged this presumption by granting its inhabitants the gift of tongues but the simultaneous removal of their common speech brought unintelligible Bedlam from which we derive the verb Babel note that at Pentecost this did not happen for the same gift brought Unity Acts 2 44 all the Believers were together and had everything in common when Nebuchadnezzar a brutal Tyrant who slaughtered babies animals and even trees when conquering new territory this city became the seat of a great and strong Kingdom for the violence done to Lebanon will cover you and the plunder of beasts which made them afraid because of men's blood and the violence of the land and the city and of all who dwell in it in the meantime Israel's King David had built Jerusalem as his capital it was not however in a strategic location for trade because it was not near the sea a large river or a significant Road it was nevertheless the city of God the site where he chose to live among his people at first in the tent Moses assembled later in the temple Solomon built the greatest threat to Jerusalem was Babylon Nebuchadnezzar eventually demolished the holy city including its Temple removing its wealth and sending its people into exile for 70 years because the residents had made it an Unholy City like all the others God allowed it to happen but this was a momentary chastisement not a permanent punishment through the prophets God promised both recovery of Jerusalem and the ruin of Babylon for example Jeremiah 51 6-9 nkjv flee from the midst of Babylon and everyone save his life do not be cut off into her iniquity for this is the time of the Lord's Vengeance he shall recompense her Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord's hand that made all the Earth drunk the Nations drank her wine therefore the nations are deranged Babylon has suddenly fallen and been destroyed whale for her take balm for her pain perhaps she may be healed we would have healed Babylon but she is not healed forsake her and let us go everyone to his own country for her judgment reaches to heaven and is lifted up to the skies Jeremiah 51 45-48 come out of her my people run for your lives run from the fierce anger of the Lord do not lose heart or be afraid when rumors are heard in the land one rumor comes this year another to the next rumors of violence in the land and of ruler against ruler for the time will surely come when I will punish the idols of Babylon her whole land will be disgraced and her slain will all life Fallen within her then Heaven and Earth and all that is in them will shout for Joy over Babylon Isaiah 13 19-20 KJV and Babylon the glory of Kingdoms the beauty of the chaldees Excellency shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah it shall never be inhabited neither shall it be dwelled in from generation to generation neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there neither shall the Shepherds make their fold there as predicted that horrible City deteriorated into a dismal heap of debris completely deserted except by desert wild animals the fact that the Book of Daniel and Revelation have so many parallels is no coincidence both books contain End of the World Visions that are very similar however Daniel received the revelations during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar he had been a young man in the first of three deportations he had seen the future trajectory of world Empires up to and Beyond the time of Christ to the very end of History the reign of antichrist the millennial rule the resurrection of the dead and the day of judgment The Babylon described in the Book of Revelation is definitely going to be a commercial hub a place where people can get and spend money notice how Traders are affected by its demise Revelation 18 11-16 ESV and the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for hers since no one buys their cargo anymore cargo of gold silver jewels pearls fine Lin and purple cloth silk Scarlet cloth all kinds of scented wood all kinds of Articles of ivory all kinds of Articles of costly wood bronze iron and marble cinnamon spice incense myrrh frankincense wine oil fine flour wheat cattle and sheep horses and chariots and slaves that is human Souls the fruit for which your soul long has gone from you and all your Delicacies and your splendors are lost to you never to be found again the merchants of these Wares who gained wealth from her will stand far off in fear of her torment weeping and mourning aloud alas alas for the great city that was clothed in fine linen in purple and Scarlet adorned with gold with jewels and with pearls culture is not going to be overlooked note the music in Revelation 18 22 Revelation 18 22 ESV and the sound of harpists and musicians of flute players and trumpeters will be heard in you no more and a Craftsman of any craft will be found in you no more and the sound of the mill will be heard in you no more but it will be corrupt and corrupting with materialism replacing morality pleasure replacing Purity wealth replacing wisdom and lust replacing love the simile of the Harlot is peculiarly appropriate giving anyone what they want in exchange for money we've only looked at the lady but she rides a beast which has seven heads and ten horns plainly representing a political union we are not told who they are nor are we given many details about them they were powerful men yet they don't have any land to rule over their power comes from the Beast presumably the Antichrist to whom they will pledge complete devotion above all they'll be openly anti-christian declaring war on the lamb 1714 and those with him presumably because their consciences will be pricked Revelation 17 14 NIV they will wage war against the lamb but the lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and king of kings and with him will be his called Chosen and faithful followers but Babylon is doomed she and they will fall their days will be numbered the incredible manner in which this is accomplished is absolutely plausible in today's environment the situation is not impossible to foresee given that the majority of the world's business will be in the hands of 300 Mega corporations ambitious politicians hungry for power resent this financial clout they are even prepared to bring about economic disaster if that will enable them to take over the Kings will be jealous of the woman who rides them and will resolve to destroy her the city will be engulfed in flames it will be the world's worst economic disaster in history many many people will weep and mourn over the ruins the disaster will have been brought about by God not by any physical action he will have instilled in their hearts the desire to fulfill his mission Revelation 17 17 and KJV for God has put into their hearts to fulfill his purpose to be of one mind and to give their Kingdom to the Beast until the words of God are fulfilled he'll have persuaded them to join forces with the Beast to fight the city the Antichrist will have political Authority and the false prophet religious control the Kings will now offer them economic control in return for delegated powers for themselves but their possession of such privileges will be extremely short one hour Revelation 17 12 and the ten horns which thou Sauced are Ten Kings which have received no Kingdom as yet but receive power as kings one hour with the Beast babylon's demise is so certain that it is depicted in Revelation as having already occurred this is something Christians can be assured of however there are practical reasons for informing them what is the connection between God's people in this final Babylon there are three rules to follow first there will be many Martyrs in the city the is drunk with the blood of the Saints the blood of those Who Bore testimony to Jesus this last phrase again indicates the presence of Christians and occurs throughout revelation Revelation 1 9 NIV I John your brother and companion in the suffering and Kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Revelation 12 17 NIV then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her Offspring those who keep God's Commandments and hold fast their testimony about Jesus Revelation 14 12 nkjv here is the patience of the Saints here are those who keep the Commandments of God in the faith of Jesus Revelation 19 10 NIV at this I fell at his feet to worship him but he said to me don't do that I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus worship God for it is the spirit of Prophecy who Bears testimony to Jesus in a city devoted to immorality Pious people have no place a conscience is something that the community does not desire second Christians are instructed to come out of her my people so that you will not share in her sins so that you will not receive any of her plagues for her sins are piled up to heaven and God has remembered her crimes Revelation 18 4-5 NIV then I heard another voice from Heaven saying come out of her my people so that you will not share in her sins so that you will not receive any of her plagues for her sins are piled up to heaven and God has remembered her crimes this is nearly identical to Jeremiah's appeal to Babylonian Jews Jeremiah 51 6 KJV flee out of the midst of Babylon and deliver every man his soul be not cut off in her iniquity for this is the time of the Lord's Vengeance he will Render unto her a recompense it's important to note that they must come out the Lord does not take them out obviously not all Christians will be martyred some will live to see another day even if they must leave their money and possessions behind third when Babylon Falls there is to be a celebration Revelation 18 20 NIV Rejoice over her you Heavens Rejoice you people of God Rejoice Apostles and Prophets for God has judged her with the Judgment she imposed on you this is done in Revelation 19 1-5 after this I heard what sounded like the Roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting Hallelujah Salvation and Glory and power Belong To Our God for true and just are his judgments he has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the Earth by her adulteries he has Avenged on her the blood of his servants and again they shouted Hallelujah the smoke from her goes up forever and ever the 24 elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was Seated on the throne and they cried amen hallelujah then a voice came from the throne saying praise our God all you his servants you who fear Him both great and small on that day only God's people will be singing Hallelujah which means praise the Lord the bride appears after the prostitute has vanished the Lamb's Wedding Banquet is going to take place Jesus is getting married or more accurately he is coming to get married Matthew 25 1-13 NIV at that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom five of them were foolish and five were wise the foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them the wise ones however took oil and jars along with their lamps the bridegroom was a long time incoming and they all became drowsy and fell asleep at midnight the cry rang out here's the bridegroom come out to meet him then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps the foolish one said to the wise give us some of your oil our lamps are going out no they replied there may not be enough for both us and you instead go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves but while they were on their way to buy the oil the bridegroom arrived The Virgins who were ready went in with him to The Wedding Banquet and the door was shut later the others also came Lord Lord they said open the door for us but he replied truly I tell you I don't know you therefore keep watch because you do not know the day or the hour the bride has made herself ready blessed are those on it the final state of Satan [Music] Revelation 20 speaks in detail concerning the final state of Satan and unbelievers verse 7 remarks about the end of the Thousand-Year Millennial Kingdom Revelation 20 1 to 3. New American Standard Bible then I saw an angel coming down from heaven holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand and he took hold of the Dragon The Serpent of old who is the devil and Satan and bound him for a thousand years and he threw him into the abyss and shut it and sealed it over him so that he would not deceive the Nations any longer until the thousand years were completed after these things he must be released for a short time we read an angel coming down from heaven the angel that will subdue Satan is anonymous we know if it is Michael Gabriel or any other high-ranking angel a Bible commentator noted this the final importance of Satan is perhaps indicated in the fact that it is not the father who deals with him nor the Christ but only an unnamed angel however we read about an angel coming down from heaven it is important to note that Satan is not considered God's equal or opposite yet God allows Satan to continue because even in his evil he indirectly serves the purposes of God we read the phrases laid hold bound him cast him shut him up set a seal on him Satan tried to imprison Jesus in a tomb but couldn't however God has no difficulty restraining Satan many have wondered is this a true event indeed it is the battle is literal the false prophet is literal the slaying of the Kings and their armies is literal Satan is literal and his binding must be equally literal we read that he should deceive the Nations no more the revealed primary mode of attack by Satan is deception therefore the best defense and weapon against Satan is the truth found in God's word it is evident that Satan's deceitful actions still persist indicating that he is not confined in the manner portrayed in the passage Peter stated that Satan is free to roam like a roaring lion searching for those he can harm Satan will be released for one last battle along with the misled nations of the world after he is defeated we see the results Revelation 20 9-10 New American Standard Bible and they came up on the broad plane of the earth and surrounded the camp of the Saints and the Beloved City and fire came down from heaven and devoured them and the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone where the Beast and the false prophet are also and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever we read fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them it is inaccurate to refer to this as a final battle as there is no actual conflict the outcome is predetermined with God ultimately putting an end to the devil and his followers for good following the Battle Satan receives Eternal judgment and torment together with the Beast and the false prophet is this really Eternal punishment yes it is the words mean exactly what they appear to me then all unbelievers will be judged before the great white throne Revelation 20 15 states and if anyone's name was not found written in the Book of Life he was thrown into the Lake of Fire in the next chapter Revelation 21 8 adds but as for the cowards and unbelieving and abominable who aren't a void of character and personal integrity and practice or tolerate immorality and murderers and Sorcerers with intoxicating drugs and idolaters and occultists who practice and teach false religions and all the Liars who knowingly deceive and twist truth their part will be in the lake that blazes with fire and brimstone which is the second death hell exists in a realm beyond our present Realm Revelation 20 11 to 15. New American Standard Bible then I saw a great white throw and him who sat upon it from whose presence Earth and Heaven fled and no place was found for them and I saw the Dead the Great and the small standing Before the Throne and books were opened and another book was opened which is The Book of Life and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books according to their deeds and the Sea gave up the Dead who were in it and death and Hades gave up the Dead who were in them and they were judged each one of them according to their deeds then death and Hades were thrown into the Lake of Fire this is the second death the Lake of Fire and if anyone's name was not found written in the Book of Life he was thrown into the Lake of Fire unbelievers experience ongoing torment and are unable to escape their judgment the Bible tells us that the judge is Jesus John 5 22-27 John 5 22-27 New American Standard Bible for not even The Father judges anyone but he has given all judgment to the son so that all will honor the son just as they honor the father the one who does not honor the son does not honor the father who sent him truly truly I say to you the one who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and does not come into judgment but has passed out of death into life truly truly I say to you a time is coming and even now has arrived when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live for just as the father has life in himself so he gave to the son also to have life in himself and he gave him authority to execute judgment because he is the son of man the earth and the heaven fled away Earth and Heaven flee from this throne this is not a trial trying to determine what the facts are the facts are in here is the sentencing of someone already condemned we also read and the dead were judged according to their works if people are not listed in the book of life then each one is judged according to his works we read then death and Hades were cast into the Lake of Fire sins lingering effects have been eradicated including death the last traces of sins unlawful power are done away with when a person refers to Hell the Lake of Fire is what they usually have in mind we read this is the second death a Bible commentator noted as there is a second and higher life so there is also a second and deeper death and as after that life there is no more death so after that death there is no more life at the End of Time Satan and unbelievers will experience the second death in which they will be in the Lake of Fire this Dreadful situation is one no person would desire this is why God has offered salvation through Jesus to anyone who will believe and patiently offers this salvation still today there are many beautiful cities all over the world however we have yet to find a city that we will prefer to the one we return to at the end of our journey the word City appears 11 times in the Book of Revelation in chapters 21 and 22 it is the place where God and his people will co-exist it's not a figure of speech or rather a reference to a real place and because we will be living in that City and are physically resurrected bodies we will require a physical city to live in it's not some Fantastical place it's not just an idea it's a real place the city of Heaven Jerusalem is a city this should not come as a surprise given that the desire for a city has existed since the time of Abraham in Hebrews chapter 11 we read about Abraham looking for a city whose Builder and maker was God in Hebrews chapter 12 the Hebrew Christians were told to come to Mount Zion and to the city of the Living God the heavenly Jerusalem the city is mentioned by Paul in his letter to the Galatians he refers to it as the Jerusalem above and it is referred to as the city of my God and the New Jerusalem in Revelation chapter 3 verse 12. the New Jerusalem is a city that is in heaven Revelation chapter 21 verse 2 says then I John saw the holy city the New Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven from God prepared as a bride adorned for her husband we see in Revelation chapter 21 in verse 2 that this holy city was made ready and it came down out of Heaven from God and the phrase made ready implies that the New Jerusalem has already been completed by this time John does not say that he saw the New Jerusalem created he claims to have seen the New Jerusalem emerge from the heavens Revelation chapter 3 verse 12 calls it again him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God and he shall go no more out and I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God which is New Jerusalem which cometh down out of Heaven from my God and I will write upon him my new name before I go any further allow me to paint a picture for you it will be the most incredible City that anyone has ever ever imagined this is the city that the Lord was referring to when he told his disciples in John Chapter 14 verse 3 and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am there ye may be also what is the Lord Jesus up to lately he's working on our place some people refer to it as a mansion call it what you will but it is a part of God's future for us that is currently being built and when it is finished and ready to be put into action we will learn how it will all come together first and foremost I'd like to discuss the size of this city with you has anyone ever said to you how on Earth is heaven ever going to be big enough for all the Christians from all time to live there it's going to have to be a big place so let me impress this upon your mind at heart today Heaven this city of God will be the most incredible place you've ever heard of in Revelation chapter 21 verses 15 and 16. and he that talked with me had a golden Reed to measure the city and the gates thereof and the wall thereof and the city lieth Foursquare and the length is as large as the breadth and he measured the city with the Reed 12 000 furlongs the length and the breadth and the height of it are equal one of the reasons that many people tried to spiritualize and dismiss this city is because of its enormous size it is a city that goes above and beyond what you can imagine now if you work that out to give you an idea that each one of the walls and the cube of it they're all 1400 miles between 1400 and 1500 miles and the ground floor square mile is two million 250 000 square miles on the first level did you ever hear like that London covers an area of 140 square miles the city Foursquare is 2 million two hundred fifty thousand square miles on the first floor the city is 20 times as big as all of New Zealand it's ten times as big as Germany it's 10 times as big as France it's 40 times as big as all of England it is ever so much bigger than India why it's an enormous continent all by itself so if almighty God Saves his best for last and his final creation is this new city would you expect it to be the most spectacular thing you could imagine how is God going to drop a city like that out of Heaven someone asks with the same power that he possessed when he spoke a word and the world was created the same power he possessed when he spoke and the creation was born and if he says in his word that he'll do it he'll do it so let's talk about the inside of the city for a moment and I'd like to briefly touch on the things that John tells us in these two chapters first and foremost it is a holy city according to verse 2 of chapter 21. then I John saw the holy city the chief characteristic of this city into which we will one day move is it's holy it is described as follows in the Wycliffe Bible commentary a holy city will be one in which No Lie will be uttered in 100 million years no evil word will ever be spoken no Shady business deals will ever be discussed no unclean picture will ever be seen no Corruption of life will ever be manifest it will be holy because everyone in it will be holy you can't get into the holy city unless you are born again and you've gone to heaven Heaven is the place of the holy city not only is it a holy city but the Bible says it's a place where the gates are made out of pearl you know we didn't just make this up this is not folklore this is right from the Bible notice verse 12 to 21 in Revelation chapter 21. and had a wall great and high and had 12 gates and at the gates 12 angels and names written thereon which are the names of the 12 tribes of the children of Israel on the East three gates on the north three gates on the south three gates and on the west three gates and the wall of the city had 12 foundations and in them the names of The Twelve Apostles of the Lamb and he that talked with me had a golden Reed to measure the city and the gates thereof and the wall thereof and the city lieth Foursquare and the length is as large as the breadth and he measured the city with the Reed twelve thousand furlongs the length and the breadth and the height of it are equal and he measured the wall thereof and 140 and 4 cubits according to the measure of a man that is of the Angel and the building in the wall of it was of Jasper and the city was pure gold like unto clear glass and the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones the First Foundation was Jasper the second Sapphire the third a charlestony the fourth and emerald the fifth sardonyx the sixth sardius the seventh chrysolite the eighth Barrel the ninth a topaz the tenth a chrysoperosis the 11th adjacent the twelfth and amethyst and The Twelve Gates were 12 pearls every several gate was of one Pearl and the street of the city was pure gold as it were transparent glass the names of the 12 tribes of Israel are inscribed on the 12 Pearl Gates which are actually part of a wall that surrounds the city and John sees the entire wall as a gleaming diamond bracelet he says the construction of the wall was Jasper and the city was pure gold like clear glass so if you saw it from afar it would just sparkle and shine as it turned around and the colors of the city's Glory would be so overwhelming that it would take your breath away we'll walk through the Pearl Gates reminded that the only reason we're there is because of the Lord Jesus's suffering and pain who paid the wound for us so that we might be redeemed so it's a holy city with pearly gates and the Bible then tells us that the city's foundations are made of precious stones the first was Jasper the second Sapphire the third Agate the fourth Emerald the fifth Onyx the sixth Carnelian the seventh chrysolite the eighth Barrel the ninth topaz the 10th Chris appraise the 11th Jason the 12th amethyst all of these are purely Greek terms that have been translated into English to describe all of the colors at Hues of the rainbow that we know today and the Bible says that this great Foursquare City that descends from heaven will be built upon and you will see it a 12 layer foundation with each layer containing a different beautiful stone such as emeralds and diamonds as well as all of the other beautiful stones found throughout the Universe each of the foundations will be unique as a result when you see the city's Foundation you'll be overwhelmed by the beauty of all the gemstone foundations beneath this massive city of God rather than being 12 individual foundations separated from each other they are packed upon each other and you see them all together in little ripples of gold and precious stones the Bible then says it's not only a holy city with pearly gates and a foundation of precious stones but it also has streets of gold I know that some of you think that's folklore too you hear all about the streets of gold in heaven we're going to walk on streets of gold it's in all of the old spirituals it's on all of the old gospel songs the streets of gold are there really streets of gold in Heaven Is it true that there are streets of gold in heaven look down at Verse 18 then again at verse 21 of chapter 21. and the construction of its wall was of Jasper and the city was pure gold like clear glass and notice 21 these 12 gates were 12 pearls each individual gate was of one Pearl and the street of the city was pure gold like transparent glass I can't imagine it once again can you imagine seeing the city as you approach it observing the city from a distance the gold on the outside the precious stones on the foundations and this lovely sense of light that emanates from the Throne of God out of the city this is the New Jerusalem spoken of in the Bible it is a fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah in chapter 60 and verse 19. the sun shall no longer be your light by day nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you but the Lord will be to you an everlasting light and your God Will Be Your Glory when the Bible says that this city reflects light it is not from any material combustion it is not from any consumption of fuel the light of the world comes from the lamb himself and he will be the light of the city at that time no wonder Paul described our future in this way in First Corinthians chapter 2 verse 9 he said it is written I Has Not Seen Nor Ear heard nor have entered into the heart of men the things which God has prepared for those that love him the Bible foretold the time when cynics would mock the very idea of Christ's return second Peter 3 3-4 above all you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come scoffing and following their own evil desires they will say where is this coming he promised ever since our ancestors died everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation but scripture is neither vague nor equivocal in terms of the promise of the return of Christ a substantial proportion by some accounts as much as one-fifth of scripture is prophetic and conceivably a third or more of the prophetic passages refer to the second coming of Christ or events related to it it is the central theme of both the Old Testament and New Testament prophecy and regardless of what the scoffers say Jesus is coming world history is barreling toward a conclusion and the conclusion has already been ordained by God and foretold in scripture God is Not slack concerning his promise Christ will return one ironic thing is that we live in a time when even the scoffers are in a state of rather fearful expectation the terrifying potential of global disruption exists on several levels even the most vehement secularists must acknowledge the very potential that the world as we know it could end at any time through thermonuclear war a nuclear disaster a potential crisis various ecological disasters in fact most people recognize that this world cannot exist forever and we Face constant reminders of this for nearly the entire 20th century and endless string of books articles scientific studies and even Hollywood Productions have attacked the public Consciousness and warned us that if we do not collectively change the way we live together with our little planet we will go out of existence however the way they perceive the ending is different from what the Bible tells us how will it end can we know yes we can the Bible gives a very plain direct answer the world as we know it will end with the return of Christ the history of the world will climax in his literal bodily return to the Earth this is as certain as any truth in scripture there is a reason from the Bible by which we know that Christ is coming again and that is the teaching of Christ demands it Christ's own words also make it clear that he will return his Earthly teaching was filled with references to a second coming many of his Parables spoke of it in fact the gospels include entire chapters dealing with events related to the second coming for example Matthew 24 to Matthew 25 and Luke 21. on the night of his betrayal Christ told the disciples John 14 2-3 my father's house has many rooms if that were not so would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am not only is The credibility of God at stake in the second coming but so is The credibility of his son if Jesus doesn't return he's a liar but his own words are Divine guarantee that he will be back Romans 3 4-6 not at all let God be true and every human being be a liar as it is written so that you may be proved right when you speak and Prevail when you judge but if our unrighteousness brings out God's righteousness more clearly what shall we say that God is unjust in bringing wrath on us I am using a human argument certainly not if that were so how could God judge the world in the midst of a trial for his life Christ asserted his own deity by making a triumphant announcement of the second coming in the most absolute terms he said to the high priest Mark 14 62 I am said Jesus and you will see the son of man sitting at the right hand of the mighty one and coming on the Clouds Of Heaven and a short time before that as Christ had revealed the Panorama of coming events to his Apostles on the Mount of Olives he told them Matthew 24 27 for as lightning that comes from the East is visible even in the west so will be the coming of the son of man he added this Vivid description Matthew 24 30-31 then will appear the sign of the son of man in heaven and then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the son of man coming on the Clouds Of Heaven with power and great glory and he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call and they will gather his elect from the Four Winds from one end of the Heavens to the other various of The Parables Christ told to illustrate his kingdom emphasize the truth of the second coming he did this in Luke 19 11. while they were listening to this he went on to tell them a parable because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once so he emphasized regularly that the aspect of his kingdom in operation since his first coming until now is spiritual and invisible whereas the visible Earthly aspect of his kingdom pertaining to his second coming Luke 17 20-21 once on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come Jesus replied the coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed nor will people say here it is or there it is because the kingdom of God is in your midst as a result his Parables frequently depicted a ruler who after going to a distant land returns to rule in person the Tale in Luke 19 12-27 depicts a specific situation he said a man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed King and then to return so he called Ten of his servants and gave them 10 minus put this money to work he said until I come back but his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say we don't want this man to be our King he was made King however and returned home then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money in order to find out what they had gained with it the first one came and said sir your minor has earned 10 more well done my good servant his master replied because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter take charge of 10 cities the second came and said sir your minor has earned five more his master answered you take charge of five cities then another servant came and said sir here is your minor I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth I was afraid of you because you are a hard man you take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow his master replied I will judge you by your own words you Wicked servant you knew did you that I am a hard man taking out what I did not put in and reaping what I did not sow why then didn't you put my money on deposit so that when I came back I could have collected it with interest then he said to those standing by take his mind away from him and give it to the one who has ten miners sir they said he already has ten he replied I tell you that to everyone who has more will be given but as for the one who has nothing even what they have will be taken away but those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them bring them here and kill them in front of me similarly The Parables of the two servants Matthew 24 45-51 who then is the faithful and wise servant whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time it will be good for the servant whose Master finds him doing so when he returns truly I tell you he will put him in charge of all his possessions but suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself my master is staying away a long time and then he begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and that an hour he is not aware of he will cut him to pieces and to sign him a place with the hypocrites where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth the parable of the ten virgins and the parable of the talents is one of the most well-known stories in the Bible Matthew 25 1-13 at that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom five of them were foolish and five were wise the foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them the wise ones however took oil and jars along with their lamps the bridegroom was a long time in coming and they all became drowsy and fell asleep at midnight the cry rang out here's the bridegroom come out to meet him then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps the foolish one said to the wise give us some of your oil our lamps are going out no they replied there may not be enough for both of us and you instead go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves but while they were on their way to buy the oil the bridegroom arrived The Virgins who were ready went in with the Wedding Banquet and the door was shut later the others also came Lord Lord they said open the door for us but he replied truly I tell you I don't know you therefore keep watch because you do not know the day or the hour Matthew 25 14-30 again it will be like a man going on a journey who called his servants and entrusted wealth to them to one he gave five bags of gold to another two bags and to another one bag each according to his ability then he went on his journey the man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five more bags so also the one with two bags of gold gained two more but the man who had received one bag went off dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money after a long time the master of those servants returned and settled the accounts with them the man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five Master he said you entrusted me with five bags of gold see I have gained five more his master replied well done good and faithful servant you have been faithful with a few things I will put you in charge of many things come and share your Master's happiness the man with two bags of gold also came Master he said you entrusted me with two bags of gold see I have gained two more his master replied well done good and faithful servant you have been faithful with a few things I will put you in charge of many things come and share your Master's happiness then the man who had received one bag of gold came Master he said I knew that you are a hard man harvesting where you have not sown and Gathering where you have not scattered seed so I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground see here is what belongs to you his master replied you Wicked lazy servant so you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed well then you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest so take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags for whoever has will be given more and they will have an abundance whoever does not have even what they have will be taken from them and throw that worthless servant outside into the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth all of these Parables emphasize the certainty of Christ's second coming that's not everything Christ constantly stated in the Book of Revelation surely I am coming quickly revelation 22 20-21 he who testifies to these things says yes I am coming soon amen come Lord Jesus the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people amen revelation 22 7 look I am coming soon blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll Revelation 2 5. consider how far you have fallen repent and do the things you did at first if you do not repent I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place Revelation 3 11. I am coming soon hold on to what you have so that no one will take your crown the Revelation unfolds the things which will take place after this Revelation 1 19. write therefore what you have seen what is now and what will take place later Revelation 4 1. after this I looked and there before me was a door standing open in heaven and the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said come up here and I will show you what must take place after this and the crown and culmination of it all is Christ's triumphant return so Christ has repeatedly assured us of his return he made these promises during his Earthly Ministry just before his Ascent to heaven and even in a vision to John from his throne in heaven he wanted both friends and enemies to know that he would be back his very credibility depends on the second coming let us pray Mighty God you can do all things and no plan of yours can ever be restrained you direct the lives of your children and you purposefully plan every circumstance Lord grant me the insight to see the challenges on my road and the ability to sense and see your reassuring hand in the midst of them bless me with faith that allows me to tackle challenges head on knowing that your plans are always perfect amen you are all-knowing Lord and the source of all genuine wisdom you have arranged my life in the path I must travel with your Infinite Wisdom Lord show me the way I need to walk and direct me down the path you've made for me Lord help me to make the correct decisions and to experience your strength and love in my life so that I can avoid the anxieties that come with misunderstanding with a clear mind amen in closing our question for the day what's a worship song that has helped you feel closer to God

Channel: Grace Digital Network

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Keywords: grace digital

Id: 3Dh-QPe5JZ8

Length: 146min 0sec (8760 seconds)

Published: Mon Jun 26 2023