Apocalypse Now - Lesson5
“Apocalypse Now”
Lesson 5 – “The things which will take place: Rev. 19-20”
“Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her” – (Rev 18:20)
1. Throne Room in Heaven: Part 2 (19:1-10)
(19:1-3) After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; 2 because His judgments are true and righteous; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bond-servants on her.” 3 And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! Her smoke rises up forever and ever.” 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!”
- “A loud voice of a great multitude” – they are speaking as if one voice – Who are they?
o Saints, apostles & prophets (18:20)
o “blood of His bond-servants” = Tribulation martyrs (6:11)
o 24 Elders and the four living creatures (19:4)
o All the angels in heaven?
- “Hallelujah” only used here in Rev 19:1-6: a Hebrew transliteration of “Praise Yahweh” (see Psa 104:35)
o Right Judgment of the great harlot = enemies of God and His people
o Finally avenging the blood of the saints = fulfillment of Rev 6:9-10
o “Forever & ever” = it is final; never allowed to bother the saints again
- “Hallelujah” because “Salvation, Glory & Power belong to God”
o Salvation is here! (Justification, Santification and now Glorification)
o God is the only one who receives glory
o God is about to demonstrate His ultimate power
- Agreement with the unique praise: 24 elders and four living creatures – as in Rev 4:9-11
(19:5-7) And a voice came from the throne, saying, “Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.” 6 Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.
7 “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.”
- “Give praise to our God” = A call for all bond-servants to respond:
- Who? “His bond-servants” - “you who fear Him” - “the small and the great”
- What’s the response? “the voice of a great multitude” - “Hallelujah!”
- What will He be praised for?
o “Hallelujah!”: Our God Reigns! – the ushering in of God’s long promised kingdom in its fullness
o “rejoice and be glad”: The marriage of the Lamb and His Bride!
§ Marriage is the most celebrated event in the history of mankind
(19:8-9) It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 Then he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ ” And he said to me, “These are true words of God.”
- The Bride is ready. Who is she?
o The NT Church only? (2 Cor 11:2; Eph 5:25-27)
o Including the OT Saints? (who are called God’s wife in Hos 2:19-20; Isa 54:1-6)
- Jesus has fulfilled His promise to present her “clean” (Eph 5:22-25)
- Marriage Supper: blessed are those invited – Who are they?
o Saved people still alive on the earth but not glorified?
o Including OT Saints? Including Tribulation Saints who died?
o All saints?
(19:10) Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
- John responds to the awesome scene and the revelation given to him – by worshipping the messenger
- “I am a fellow servant” – should be the claim of all God’s messengers
- The reason for the prophecy is the testimony of “Jesus” – He alone is worthy to receive glory and worship
2. The 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ (19:11-21)
(19:11-13) And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
- This is the detailed picture of what Jesus described in Matt 24:27-31 (see Rev 1:7; Acts 1:9-11)
- Jesus’ Return
o “white horse” – a victorious general – in contrast to riding on a donkey (Zech 9:9)
o “Faithful and True” (Rev 3:14; 2Cor 1:20; Jn 14:6)
o A righteous warrior – to destroy His enemies (Mt 16:27; 2Thess 1:7-9; 2Tim 4:1-2; Psa 24:8; 45:3-5)
o Eyes of fire – He is looking to judge - nothing escapes His notice (Rev 1:14; Heb 4:13)
o “Many” diadems – pictures Christ collecting all rule from all other defeated kings – He alone is the sovereign ruler – He has exchanged His thorns for diadems (Phil 2:8-11)
o Unknown name – a mystery that John could not even determine
o Robe dipped in blood – not His blood, but the blood of those He has tread upon (19:15; Isa 63:2-4)
o “The Word of God” – unmistakably Jesus (Jn 1:1,14)
(19:14) And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.
- Who are these armies?
o All the angels (Matt 25:31) – similar to Elisha? (2 Kings 6:7)
o Including all the redeemed in Heaven (Rev 7:9)? Since they will rule and reign with Him (20:6)
§ Glorified, resurrected believers (Jude 14-15; Col 3:4)
§ Tribulation believers
§ OT Saints resurrected just before this at the end of the tribulation (Dan 12:1-2)
§ All the holy angels (Matt 25:31)
(19:15-16) From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
- “…comes a sharp sword” AND “strike down the nations” – same picture as when talking with John (Rev 1:16) Earlier it was Christ judging His church – here it is Christ judging his enemies (See Isa 11:4; 2 Thess 2:8)
- “rule them with a rod of iron” – fulfillment of (Psa 2:8-9; Rev 12:5)
o Indicates that not everyone will die – some will be left to repopulate the nations
- “the wine press of the fierce wrath of God” (Isa 63:2-4; Joel 3:12-14)
- “King of kings and Lord of lords” – Just as Nebuchadnezzar testified to (Dan 2:47)
o His sovereignty will no longer be a question (see 1 Tim 6:15)
(19:17-18) Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, “Come, assemble for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.”
- Great Supper of God –
o Ezekiel prophesied about this (Ezek 39:17-20; Isa 18:6)
o Jesus also alluded to this (Matt 24:28)
- No prejudice for judgment – “all men: kings, commanders, mighty men, horses, free, slaves, small, great”
- Zephaniah utters the terrifying prophecy (Zeph 1:14-18)
(19:19) And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.
- The beast and the kings:
o The beast = the antichrist from (Rev 13:1-7)
o The same kings who lamented over the destruction of the harlot city (Rev 18:9)
o The same kings that gave their power and authority to the beast (Rev 17:12-14)
- “assembled to make war against Him who sat on his horse”
o Confronting the King of kings: Joel 3:9-14; Dan 8:25
o “and against His army” = the saints (Zech 4:15; Rev 7:14)
(19:20-21) And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.
- God predicts this in Daniel 7:1-27
- How did this war unfold? The answer is very anti-climactic
o “the beast was seized” - “with him the false prophet”
§ “thrown alive into the lake of fire” – possibly transformed into an eternal being
§ The first who go into this eternal judgment (Matt 13:42; 25:41; Mark 9:48; Rev 14:10-11)
o “the rest”
§ Killed by the sword of Christ
§ Eaten by the birds
- What will this war be like? (Zech 14:1-13)
- John Phillips describes this in his book “Exploring Revelation”
“Then suddenly it will all be over. In fact, there will be no war at all, in the sense that we think of war. There will be just a word spoken from Him who sits astride the great white horse. Once He spoke a word to a fig tree, and it withered away. Once He spoke a word to howling winds and heaving waves, and the storm clouds vanished and the waves fell still. Once He spoke to a legion of demons bursting at the seams of a poor man’s soul, and instantly they fled. Now He speaks a word, and the war is over. The blasphemous, loud-mouthed Beast is stricken where he stands. The false prophet, the miracle-working windbag from the pit is punctured and still. The pair of them are bundled up and hurled headlong into the everlasting flames. Another word, and the panic-stricken armies reel and stagger and fall down dead. Field marshals and generals, admirals and air commanders, soldiers and sailors, rank and file, one and all—they fall. And the vultures descend and cover the scene.”
3. Binding of Satan (20:1-3)
(20:1-3) Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;
3 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.
- A single angel laid hold of the dragon
o Bound with a great chain
o “threw him into the abyss” = a temporary prison for demons (Luke 8:28-31; Rev 9:1-11; 11:7; 17:8)
o “shut and sealed it” = He is completely removed and restricted – as one who is in prison (see 20:7)
o He no longer “prowls around” as in (1 Pet 5:8)
- Why?
o “so that he would not deceive…” = no influence or ability to wreak havoc or blind (2 Cor 4:4)
o for a period of 1000 years
- Why not send him to the lake of fire along with the beast and the false prophet?
o “he must be released for a short time” – as we see in (20:7-10)
- Importance: Satan is NOT currently bound (i.e we are not in the millennium)
o Currently we battle with him (Eph 6:12; 2 Cor 10:4-5; Eph 2:2)
o Currently Satan has strongholds (Rev 2:9)
4. First Resurrection (20:4-6)
(20:4-6) Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
- “the first resurrection” – What is the nature of it?
o It is a blessing to be a part of it (5th Blessing)
o There will be no second death (discussed in 20:14): for the unbelievers
o Priests of God and Christ: a special privilege of representing Christ to the world
o Reign with Christ for 1000 years
§ ruling subordinately to Christ (Dan 7:9,18,22,27; Matt 19:28; 1 Cor 6:1-3; Rev 3:21)
- Who is part of the first resurrection?
o Current context: Tribulations martyrs: those who lost their lives (beheaded, etc.) because of Jesus
o 1 Cor 15:23 suggests that this resurrection takes place in phases with Christ first
o Matt 27:52-53 suggests that some OT saints were resurrected just following Christ
o 1 Thess 4:15-16 suggests the resurrection of “dead in Christ” at the rapture of the church (2Th 2:1ff)
o Rev 11:11-12 suggests the resurrection of the two witnesses
o Daniel 12:1-2 suggests the resurrection of the OT saints possibly after the tribulation?
o Certainly scripture shows that the first resurrection occurs at multiple times
- Thrones… they sat on them… judgment was given to them (who are they?)
o The saints (i.e. resurrected people from the first resurrection), members of Christ’s army who will be ruling subordinately to Christ (Dan 7:9,18,22,27; Matt 19:28; 1 Cor 6:1-3; Rev 3:21)
- Souls martyred because of the “testimony of Jesus”
o Did not worship the beast or receive the mark - “came to life”
o “reigned with Christ for 1000 years” - Possibly the now be joining the others on the thrones
- What else does scripture say about this 1000 year period? See Isaiah 65:18-25; Ezek 40-48; Isa 2:1-5; Zech 14:16-19; Psa 2:8-12;
- Who is left alive on earth to be ruled at this point in time?
o The armies of the nations have been destroyed (19:20-21)
o The sheep (Matt 25:31-34)
o The goats (Matt 25:41) – they are part of “The rest of the dead…” from Rev 20:5
o Daniel 12:11-12 seems to suggest the possible timing of this judgment (Isa 26:19-21; Ezek 37:12-14)
o Zech 12:6-10 suggests some Jews will be saved and remain (see also Rev 1:7; Rom 11:26)
5. Satan’s Final Deception (20:7-10)
(20:7-10) When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, 8 and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. 9 And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 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.
- Why is Satan released from His prison?
o “to deceive the nations” and “gather them for war”
§ Satan knows his time is short (Rev 12:12) and his lustful hatred towards God can only be displayed in deceiving and destroying as many people as he can.
o How many were deceived? - “like the sand of the seashore” - where did they come from?
o Repopulation of the earth will go quickly due to many factors – not the least of which is the fact that people will live longer (Isa 65:20)
o But many will still not trust in Christ even though they see Him reigning in Jerusalem. They will be deceived just as Eve was; and they will foolishly come against the King of kings. The worldwide peace and joy will not be enough to prevent them from rebelling against God (contrast Rev 9:20-21; 16:9-11)
o Why does God allow this final rebellion and why do the people rebel? Walvoord offers insight:
“Thus ends the false theory that man under perfect environment will willingly serve the God who created and redeemed him. Even in the ideal situation of the millennial reign of Christ, innumerable hosts immediately respond to the first temptation to rebel.” - Walvoord
- What was the nature of this war? It was different from Ezek 38-39 even with the mention of Gog & Magog
o “they came up on the broad plain” - “surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city”
§ Because of the judgments the shape of the earth will be different (Rev 16:20; Zech 14:4)
o Fire from heaven devoured them: God Himself, quickly consumes His enemies for the last time
§ Method of God’s judgment used in other places (1Ki 18:38; 2Ki 1:10-14; Num 16:35)
o “The devil was thrown into the lake of fire” – the place prepared specifically for him (Matt 25:41)
- The fate of the Devil, the beast and the false prophet
o “tormented” = torture, to bring about severe distress
o For how long? “day and night forever” – he will be experiencing this forever
o Can one imagine the justice God will bring upon this created being that has caused so much pain and suffering to so many for so long? Satan will NEVER be heard from again!
6. Final Judgment (20:11-15)
(20:11-15) Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 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. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.
14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
- Judgment from the great white throne
o “Great” = large, majestic, significant, authoritative; “White” = pure, just, righteous, holy
o “Throne”: nearly 50 times in Revelation – God’s final and ultimate judgment is taking place here
o Prophesied from long ago (Psa 9:7-8; Dan 7:9-10; John 5:28-29)
- “Him who sat upon it” – The Father and the Son share the throne from (Rev 4-5), but it is now for the Son to meter out judgment (John 5:22; Acts 10:42) unlike when the Father sent the Son the first time (John 3:16-17)
- “earth and heaven fled away” – as foretold (2Pet 3:10-12; Ps 102:25-26; Isa 51:6; Matt 24:35; Heb 12:26-27) MacArthur describes it in this way:
“They will be uncreated and go totally out of existence. This is nothing less than the sudden, violent termination of the universe” (MacArthur)
- Where did all the people go who were still alive on the earth?
o Believers possibly have been transformed into eternal bodies (Enoch: Gen 5:24 or Elijah 2Ki 2:11)
o Unbelievers may have all been killed in the rebellion or in the destruction of the earth
- “And I saw the dead” (Who are they?)
o “the great and small” – no partiality (Rom 2:11; Col 3:25; 1 Pet 1:17)
o “standing before the throne” – nothing left but them and God. See the description by John Phillips:
“There is a terrible fellowship there.… The dead, small and great, stand before God. Dead souls are united to dead bodies in a fellowship of horror and despair. Little men and paltry women whose lives were filled with pettiness, selfishness, and nasty little sins will be there. Those whose lives amounted to nothing will be there, whose very sins were drab and dowdy, mean, spiteful, peevish, groveling, vulgar, common, and cheap. The great will be there, men who sinned with a high hand, with dash, and courage and flair. Men like Alexander and Napoleon, Hitler and Stalin will be present, men who went in for wickedness on a grand scale with the world for their stage and who died unrepentant at last. Now one and all are arraigned and on their way to be damned: a horrible fellowship congregated together for the first and last time.” (John Phillips)
o From the sea and from Hades –
o Those who were not part of the 1st Resurrection – only unbelievers are left: “the dead”
o This judgment is only for the unbeliever (Rom 8:1; John 3:18; 5:24)
o The believer’s works are judged and rewarded or lost (1Cor 3:12-15; 2 Cor 5:10)
- “Books were opened”
o Contained every deed they had done while alive (Dan 7:9-10; Eccl 12:14)
o They were judged according to those deeds
- The book of life (Dan 12:1; Luke 10:20; Phil 4:3; Heb 12:23)
o The only names in this book are those who have been justified by the blood of the Lamb
o This book contains the names of the citizens of heaven
o None of these dead will find their names in here and “many” will be shocked (Matt 7:22-23)
- The sentence on those whose deeds were judged
o “Lake of Fire” = 2nd Death
o Death and Hades were thrown in it – the power of death will be gone forever (1 Cor 15:54-57)
o All whose names were not in the “book of life”
o They go to the same place as Satan himself
o The author of Hebrews describes the warning available to those still alive (Heb 10:26-31)
Notes on Hell in the New Testament:
a. “the fire” (Mt 3:10; 7:19)
b. “unquenchable fire” (Mt 3:12)
c. “the fiery hell” (Mt 5:22; 18:9; James 3:6)
d. “the furnace of fire” (Mt 13:42,50)
e. “the eternal fire” (Mt 18:8; 25:41)
f. “the unquenchable fire” (Mark 9:43,48)
g. “the punishment of the eternal fire” (Jude 7)
h. “the fury of the fire which will consume the adversaries” (Heb 10:27)
i. “the lake of fire which burns with brimstone” (Rev 19:20)
j. “the lake of fire and brimstone” (Rev 20:10)
k. “the lake that burns with fire and brimstone” (Rev 21:8)
l. “the outer darkness” where there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Mt 22:13; 25:30; 13:42)
m. “eternal punishment” (Mt 25:46)
n. “eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2Th 1:9)
o. “eternal judgment” (Heb 6:2)
p. “the black darkness” (2Pet 2:17; Jude 13)
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