Revelation 20-22
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Chapter Review 20-22
Chapter Review 20-22
Chapter 20
The Lord sets up his kingdom on earth for one-thousand years. Satan who was thrown into the pit for a time is now released and assembles and army to attack the Lord but is quickly defeated. Fire descends from heaven and devours him and his rebels. All the unsaved of all time stand before God in the Great White throne judgement ( sheep and goats ) and are sent to Hell for all eternity along with Satan.
Chapter 21
A new heaven and a new earth. God is with man and dwells with him.
Chapter 22
Man’s final invitation to repent and receive Christ before it is too late. His words are faithful and true and all that is written will come to pass.
Look for
— Prayers ( Blue )
— Promises ( Green )
— Warnings ( Red )
— Commands ( Purple )
Chapter 20
Chapter 20
Read and summarize
The Coming Earthly Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ ( 20:1-10 )
A Righteous World
— Imagine a world where
— Everyone was treated fairly
— No court ever renders an unjust verdict
— Peace is permanent
— Nobility marks government, education, commerce and inter-personal relationships
— The curse is removed, pristine purity of the Garden of Eden
— “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them.” ( Is 11:6 )
— No more children’s hospitals or chemotherapy ( Is 35:5-6 ) ( J Vernon McGee )
Q: When is the kingdom?
Three Views: Pre / Post / Millennial
Pre Post Millennial
Christ Comes
— Before 1,000 years — After 1,000 years — Doesn’t show up
Human History
— Worse time in history — Best time in history — Tale of two cities: it was the best of times, it was the worse of times
— Golden age, Peace & prosperity
Length
— Actual 1,000 years — Symbolic, Christianity is spread — Symbolic
by Christ not the Church
Reign
— Christ reigns physically — Not reign but through the church — Fulfilled now; we are in it now
from Jerusalem
Flourished
— First 1,000 years main — Origen of the Alexander School, — The reformers, Augustine
teaching ( Papias [John’s — Eusebius, Jerome
apostle ], Irenaeus, Justin
Martyr, Tertullian )
Hermeneutics
— All sides agree, a literal interpretation results in a Pre-millennial View
The Removal of Sin ( 20:1-3 )
Q: What things in ( 20:1-3 ) are symbols, not literal? Is the 1,000 years literal ?
( 20:1-3 ) Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.
Robert Thomas
If a writer wanted a very large symbolic number, why did he not use 144,000 ( 7:1ff; 14:1ff ), 2,000,000 ( 9:16 )… The fact is that no number in Revelation is verifiable a symbolic number… The churches, seals, trumpets, and bowls are all literally seven in number. The three unclean spirits of ( 16:13 ) are actually three in number. The three angels connected with the three last woes ( 8:13 ) add up to a total of three. The seven last plagues amount to exactly seven. The equivalency of 1,260 days and three and half years necessitate a non-symbolic understanding of both numbers and the twelve apostle and the twelve tribes of Israel are literally twelve ( 21:12-14 ). The seven churches are in seven literal cities. Yet confirmation of a single number in Revelation as symbolic is impossible (Thomas, Rev 8-22, p. 408-9 )
MacArthur
It is highly doubtful that any symbolic number would be repeated six times in a test, as one thousand is here ( Revelation, 12-22, p. 231 )
Abyss
( 20:1 ) Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit
— The abyss, bottomless pit
— Appears seven times in Revelation ( 9:1, 2, 11; 11:7; 17:8 )
Not Hell
— This is not hell; a temporary place of punishment
— A place of torment, fear to be sent ( Lk 8:31 )
— The lake of fire ( hell ) is the final place ( Matt 25:41; Is 24:21-22 )
— This is the place where the demons who cohabited with women are held ( Gn 6:1-4; 1 Pet 3:19-20 )
— They are never to be released ( Jude 6 ) and will be transferred directly to hell
Satan Bound
( 20:2 ) He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;
— Satan is bound so that he cannot deceive the nations during the 1,000 millennial kingdom
— Not merely restrained, totally curtailed
— He is not sent to hell, but to the abyss
A Problem
— This is a problem for a-millennialists and post millennialists
— They say that Satan is already bound
Q: Does this appear that this is the case?
No!
— Hypocrites Satan plants lying hypocrites in the church ( Acts 5:3 )
— Schemes He schemes against believers ( 2 Cor 2:11 )
— Light He disguises himself as an angel of light to deceive people ( 2 Cor 11:14 )
— Attacks He attacks believers ( Eph 4:27 )
— Resist We are told we must resist him ( James 4:7 )
— Hinders He hinders those in the ministry ( 1 Thess 2:18 )
— Astray He leads believers astray ( 1 Tim 5:15 )
Released
( 20:3 ) But after these things he must be released for a little while
— After a thousand years he is released for a short time
The Reign of the Saints ( 20:4-6 )
Q: Who here reigned with Christ ?
( 20:4-6 ) And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
Thrones
( 20:4 ) And I saw thrones, and they sat on them
— We will rule with Christ
— Since we are glorified, perfected, we will do His will
— OT Saints promised ( Dan 7:27 )
— NT Saints promised ( Matt 19:28; 1 Cor 6:2; 2 Tim 2:12; Rev 2:26; 3:21 )
( 20:4 ) Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God
— Sounds similar to Islam
— Some see the revised Roman Empire instead as a revised Islamic Caliphate for this reason ( Hackett )
Beheaded
— The Greek is a general term for execution
Other Saints
— Those who were beheaded did not take the mark and were killed in the tribulation ( 6:9; 7:9-17; 12:11 )
— Antichrist executed them
Testimony
— Killed because of their testimony for Jesus ( cf. 1:9; 12:17; 19:10 )
Word
— They proclaimed the Word of God ( cf. 1:2; 6:9 )
Mark
— They refused the mark ( cf. 13:16-17; 14:9-11; 16:2; 19:20 )
— And they did not worship the Beast
Reign 1,000 years
( 20:6 ) Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
— We will reign with Christ for 1,000 years
— Those who died in Christ are part of the first resurrection
— Christ will physically reign on earth during the millennial
— He will literally reign over Israel “on the throne of his father David” ( Lk 1:31-33 )
— He promised this to David ( 2 Sam 7:12-16 )
— He promised David a royal dynasty ( Is 7:13 )
— An eternal throne ( 2 Sam 7:13, 16, 19; 1 Chr 17:12; 22:10; Is 55:3; Ezek 37:25 )
— Righteous rule His rule will be righteous ( Is 11:3-5 )
— Israel Saved The remnant is converted ( Jer 30:5-8; Ro 11:26 )
— The Land Restored The Nation is restored the land promised Abraham ( Gn 13:14-15; 15:18 )
— All worship Gentile nations worship Christ ( Is 11:9 )
— Righteousness Peace and Righteousness everywhere ( Is 32:17)
— Joy There is joy ( Is 12:3-4; 61:3,7 )
— No Curse The Curse is lifted ( Is 11:7-9; 30:23-24 )
— Food Every thing is plentiful ( Joel 2:21-27 )
— No illness We all have physical health ( Is 33:24; 35:5-6 )
— Long Life We live a long life ( Is 65:20 ); but there will be death and sin; this is not eternity
— There will be physical changes to the earth ( Zech 4:9, 10; Is 35:10 )
Just three verses ( 20:4-6 )
— The Book of Revelation only has 3 verses that cover the millennial kingdom
— But the rest of the Bible has a lot say about it
— The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb ( Isa 11: 6 )
— Wolf and lamb have dinner together
— And it isn’t lamb chops
— The cow and the bear shall graze; ( Isa 11:7 )
— In that day, all of nature is changed, cow and bears eat the same food
— The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole ( Isa 11:8 )
— The enmity between the women’s seed and the serpent is gone ( Gen 3:15 )
— After the final destruction of Babylon Gentiles will cling to the Jews; those who oppressed them will become their servants ( Isa 14:1-3 )
— The lord will personally reign in Jerusalem and the moon and sun will be ashamed ( Isa 24:23 )
— Mount Zion will spit into two ( Zech 14:4 )
— A spring of water will flow from Jerusalem to the Mediterranean and Dead Seas ( Zech 14:8 )
— The Blind will see, the deaf will hear, the lame walk, the dumb speak ( Isa 35:5-6 )
— No more Labor Day Muscular Dystrophy Marathons
— No more Children’s St. Jude Hospital
— No more chemotherapy - all manners of illness eradicated
— We will sing a a new song! The gospel - a new song never sung before ( Isa 42:10 )
— Like the song the four living creatures and elders sang when the lamb opened the scroll in heaven ( Rev 5:9 )
— The “new song” is mentioned six times in Psalms ( Ps 33:3; 40:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1 )
— J. Vernon McGee says, we will not need nursing homes in the Millennial kingdom ( Isa 65:20 )
— If you die at 100 years old, you’ll die as a youth
— If you die that young, it is assumed God took your life because of sin
It will be a time of ....
— A time of holiness ( Isa 1:26-27 )
— A time of learning form the Lord ( Isa 2:3-4 )
— A time of peace for nations ( Isa 2:4 )
— A time of abundance and prosperity ( Isa 4:1-2 )
— A time of justice and righteousness ( Isa 9:7 )
— A time of wisdom and understanding ( Is 11:1-12 )
— A time of peace with the animal kingdom ( Is 11:6-9 )
— A time of comfort ( Isa 12:1-2 )
— A time of glory ( Isa 24:23 )
— A time of no more sickness ( is 33:24 )
— A time of protection ( Isa 41:8-14 )
— A time of l living a long life ( Isa 65:20 )
The Return of Satan ( 20:7 )
Q: What will happen to Satan after 1,000 years? What will he do ( 20:7-8 )? Who enters the millennial kingdom
( 20:7 ) Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison
Redeemed
— Only the redeemed enter the Millennial kingdom
— Jews ( 12:6, 13-17; Is 60:21; Ro 11:26 )
— Gentiles saved during the tribulation ( 7:9-17 )
Survivors
— Survivors of the tribulation enter in their normal bodies
— Children will be born ( Is 65:20 )
— Sin nature is passed to children
Sinners
— Despite the personal rule of Christ
— Sinners will still rebel against God
— The perfect garden did not prevent Adam & Eve
— Salvation is never about enough information ( Ro 1:18-20 )
— It is a love of sin ( Jn 3:19 )
— Satan will have an easy time leading a world-wide rebellion
The Revolt of Society ( 20:8-10 )
Q: Who gathers for battle?
( 20:8-10 ) and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Released
— After 1,000 years Satan is released
— Imprisonment cannot altar his God-hating nature
— Finds like-minded souls
— unmoved by peace, joy, justice
— unmoved just as those who faced the tribulation and refused to repent ( cf 9:20-21; 16:9, 11, 21 )
Gog and Magog
( 20:8 ) and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle
— A similar description is found in Ezek 38-39 but slightly different
Ezekiel Revelation
— the invaders perish in the mountains ( Ezek 39:4, 7 ) — destroyed in the “broad plain” ( Rev 20:9 )
— Rev 19:17-18 is described ( Ezek 39:17-20 )
— 38-39 Describes events before the millennial temple ( Ez 40-48 ) — takes place at the end of the millennial ( Rev 20:7-10 )
— 39:21-29 God vanquishes Israel’s foes to show his glory
This is Israel’s salvation spoken of in Zech 12:10-13:9 and Rom 11:25-27
Missler
— Many people think that the Ezek 38 passage fits here, which it clearly does not
— Ezek 38 is expressly before the coming of Jesus Christ
— What is it doing here?
— It may be here idiomatically
— It will be an experience similar to God and Magog and God takes action and destroys them
— Amos 7:1 ( LXX ) the mesenteric and English doesn’t make sense but the Greek ( 3 centuries before Christ ) is more precise
— “ Thus the Lord God showed me and behold, the offspring of locusts is coming early, and behold, one locust is Agag, the king.”
—Gog is the king of the locusts; but they have no king ( Prov 30:27 ); in Rev 9 the locusts are demons
— Gog is a title for one of Satan’s biggest lieutenants
A Rebellious Magnitude
( 20:8 ) whose number is as the sand of the sea
— An unbelievable number of people fight against God
— Uncountable number, all join Satan to over throw God’s kingdom!
( 20:9 ) They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city
— They surrounded the the saint’s camp
— The saints are encamped around the city of Jerusalem where Messiah’s throne is located ( Is 24:23; Ezek 38:12; 43:7; Mic 4:7 )
— They are there enjoying the presence of the Lord ( Is 24:23; Jer 3:17 )
Short lived battle
( 20:9 ) And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them
— It is a short-lived battle
— An execution rather than a battle
— Fire comes down from heaven and devours all of them
Hell
( 20:10 ) The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
— The devil is tormented day and night
— Mental torment ( Dan 12:2; Matt 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Lk 13:28 )
— Physical torment ( Rev 14:10-11; Matt 25:41; Mark 9:43-44; Lk 16:23-24 )
Q: Why do people still reject?
— Satan is the father of lies ( Jn 8:44 )
— Tells people no coming judgement ; you surely will not die ( Gn 3:4 )
— Atheism -sin all you want, you go out of existence, no consequences, live it up
— Gods of false religions are not holy, no inward righteousness required, only ritual, ceremony
The Scene ( 20:11-12a )
Q: Who is standing before the throne? Believers or unbelievers?
( 20:11-12 ) Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the book
White Throne
— The great white throne
— Final sentencing of the Lost
The Last Courtroom
— The last courtroom that will ever take place
— The great white throne judgement
Unsaved
— The accused are the unsaved who have ever lived
— They will be resurrected
— No debate over their guilt or innocence
— A prosecutor but no defender
— An accuser but no advocate
— An indictment but no defense mounted
— No rebuttal or cross-examination
— A judge but no jury
— A judgement but no appeal
— Guilty are punished eternally with no possibility of parole in a prison from which there is no escape ( MacArthur, 12-22, p. 246 )
Christ sits as Judge
— Christ sits upon the throne and is judge ( Jn 5:22, 26-27; Acts 17:31, Ro 2:16; 2 Tim 4:1)
— “And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead” ( Acts 10:42 )
Uncreated Earth
( 20:11 ) from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away
— The earth is no more, gone out of existence
— Reshaped and nearly destroyed in the tribulation
— Restored in the millennial
— Uncreated - then the Great White Throne Judgment
— A new heaven and new earth will follow
Only Dead
( 20:12 ) And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the book
— Saw the dead, the great and the small standing before God
— somebodies and nobodies
— not a single living person
— You don’t want to be judged according to your works
— No believers will ever face God’s Judgment ( Ro 8:1; Jn 3:18; Jn 5:24 )
— Believers will have already received their rewards ( 20:4; 19:7-9; 2 Cor 5:10 )
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 lived 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 ( Exploring Revelation, p. 242-43 )
The Summons ( 20:13a )
Q: What is Hades? What is meant by death and Hades giving up their dead?
( 20:13 ) The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
Tormented
— Since their death they have been tormented in a place of punishment
— Now they have been summoned
— Time to be sentenced to eternal hell
( 20:13 ) The sea gave up the dead who were in it
— New bodies for all sinners who died at sea
— Titanic
— Lusitania
— Those who died in the flood
Hades
( 20:13 ) and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them
— Hades is the Greek ( LXX) translation of the Heb. še˒ôl ( Sheol )
— It came to mean the realm of the dead without distinction for good or bad (Eccl. 9:10; Isa. 7:11 )
— During the intertestamental period Hades came to be regarded as a place where the deceased awaited judgment ( 1 En. 22:3–4, 9–13 )
— OT used 67 times to describe death in general
— NT used 10 times, always a place of punishment ( cf. Lk 16:23 )
— The NT teaches that the spirits of the righteous immediately go into the presence of God ( cf 23:43; 2 Cor 5:8; Phil 1:23 )
— OT saints also went directly to heaven
— Moses and Elijah on the mount of transfiguration (Lk 9:30 )
— The unrighteous kept there pending sentencing
The Standard ( 20:12b - 13b )
Q; Explain the books mentioned, what do you know about the Book of Life?
( 20:12b - 13b ) And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
The Books
— Comprehensive record of every person’s life
— Thought, word and deed
— Sinners will be measured against God’s holy standard
— Scripture makes consistent reference to a “register” of human actions ( Deut 32:34; Ps 56:8; Is 65:6; Dan 7:10; Mal 3:16; Matt 12:37 )
— Dan 7:10 and Mal 3:16 seems to include both good and evil deeds in this record, but Is 65:6 appears to limit them to evil only ( Thomas, 8-22, p. 431 )
Q: Judged against what? Compared to what?
Jesus defined the standard
— Jesus and the writers of the NT defined the standard for us
— “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” ( Matt 5:48 )
— “but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” ( 1 Pet 15-16 )
— “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” ( Gal 3:10 )
— “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.” ( James 2:10 )
All Guilty
— No one standing in God’s courtroom will be able to claim perfect obedience to God’s law
— All have fallen short ( Ro 3:23 )
— All are dead in their sins ( Eph 2:1 )
Justice Demands Payment
— God’s justice demands payment for every person’s sins
— Christ paid the penalty; all our sins were laid on Him ( Is 53:5-6 )
— Christ bore our sins ( 1 Pet 2:24 )
— He imputed His righteousness to us ( Phil 3:9 )
Sinners Pay
— But sinner’s don’t have Christ’s righteousness
— They will pay the penalty themselves
— Eternal punishment in Hell ( 2 Thess 1:9 )
— Sinners will be judged by
— Deeds ( Matt 16:27 )
— Thoughts ( Ps 44:21; Lk 8:17 )
— Words ( Matt 12:37 )
— Actions ( Eccl 12:14 )
— No one will be able to claim ignorance
— Creation ( Ro 1:20 )
— Conscience ( Ro 2:14-15 )
— Those without knowledge will be judged by what they had ( Ro 2:12 )
Punishment to match the Crime
— There will be varying degrees of punishment in Hell ( Matt 10:14-15; 11:21-24; Mark 12:38-40; Lk 12:47-48 )
— All will be miserable, all will suffer intolerable misery and torment, but not equally
The Book of Life
( 20:12 ) And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
— The book of life
— Like a registry of citizenship of heaven ( Phil 3:20 )
— Record of God’s elect ( Dan 12;1; Mal 3:16; Lk 10:20; Phil 4:3; Heb 12:23 )
MacArthur
Those who refuse to plead guilty of their sins in this world will plead guilty before God’s justice in the next
The Sentence ( 20:14-15 )
Q: Who is thrown into the Lake of Fire? Why?
( 20:14-15 ) Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Hell is Empty
— Hell may exist but it is currently empty
— First two occupants will be the Beast and the False Prophet ( 19:20 )
What’s Hell Like?
— Those who go there will have specially designed resurrection bodies ( Matt 10:28 )
— Fire and torment ( 20:10, 15; 14:10; 19:20-21, Matt 3:10-12; 5:22; 7:19; 13:40, 42, 50; 18:8-9; 25:41; Mark 9:44; Lk 3:9, 16-17; Jn 15:6; Heb 10:27, Jude 7 )
— Total darkness, each person isolated ( Matt 8:12; 22:13; 25:30; 2 Pet 2:17; Jude 13)
— Worm never dies ( maybe an accusing conscience) ( Is 66:24; Mark 9:44 )
— Separation from God ( Matt 8:12; 22:13 )
— God is present in Hell in the sense that he is a consuming fire ( Heb 12:29 )
— Unending sorrow; weeping and gnashing of teeth ( Matt 8:12, 13; 42:50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Lk 13:28 )
MacArthur
The clearest and most vivid of the New Testament terms used to describe the final hell, the lake of fire, is geenna (Gehenna ). Gehenna is the New Testament word for the valley of Ben-Hinnom ( also called Topheth; 2 Ki 23:10; Is 30;33; Jer 7:31-32; 19:6 ), located southwest of Jerusalem. In Old Testament times, idolatrous Israelites burned their children in the fire as sacrifices to false gods ( Jer. 19:2-6 ). In Jesus’ day, it was the site of Jerusalem’s garbage dump. The fires kept constantly burning there gave off foul-smelling smoke, and the dump was infested with maggots. Sometimes the bodies of criminals were dumped there. The valley of Ben-Hinnom was thus an apt picture of eternal hell, one used repeatedly by Jesus ( Matt 5:22, 29, 30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15, 33; Mark 9:43, 45, 47; Lk 12:5 ). Hell will be God’s eternal cosmic dump; its inmates will be burning as garbage forever. ( Rev 12-22, pages 255-6 )
Preterist
Preterist Explanation
Satan bound for a thousand years ( 20:1-3 )
— Not a literal physical description
— The Devil is a spirit being and cannot be bound by chains
— Satan is bound already
— This is looking past the destruction of Israel for the first time, 1,000 years is not a literal 1,000 years but rather describes the fullness of His reign
Saints reign with Christ ( 20:4-6)
— one thousand years: “There is not need to take the reference to this millennium, this one thousand years, as a literal one”
— We are in the millennium now
— “at the very end of the long period of Christian ascendancy, Satan is permitted to lead the nations astray again.”
Satan released and rebellion ( 20:7-10)
— Christians will be attacked all over the earth, like Haman in the Persian empire
— The Lord will defend His people, rain fire done
— No reason to assume it is figurative fire. This is Christ’s second coming
Chapter 21
Chapter 21
Read and summarize
The New Heaven and the New Earth ( 21:1-8 )
Q: John closes his book with God’s promise of a new heaven and a new earth. What do you think heaven will be like? Does the thought of eternity make you happy, fearful? Why?
( 21:1-8 ) Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” 5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” 6 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. 7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. 8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
This is not our home
— Earth is not our home
— We are sojourners, pilgrims ( 1 Pet 2:11 )
— We are strangers and exiles on earth who desire a better country, that is a heavenly one ( Heb 11:13, 16 )
Our Desire
— Our desire is to see God ( Matt 5:8 )
— To be in His presence and enjoy Him forever ( Ps 16:11 )
—We are not people caught up in instant gratification, material comfort or narcissistic indulgence
— This is not true of the church
We should focus on Heaven
— Our focus should be on heaven
— Our citizenship is in heaven ( Phil 3:20 )
— We should set our mind on things above not on earth ( Col 3:1-2 )
Don’t love the World
— We are not to love the world ( cf. James 4:4 )
— “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” ( 1 Jn 2:15-17 )
Our Destiny is there
— Our Father is there
— Our Savior is there
— Our comforter is there
— Fellow believers ( Heb 12:23 )
— Our names are written there ( 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; Phil 4:3 )
— Our citizenship is in heaven ( Phil 3:20 )
— Our inheritance is there ( 1 Pet 1:4 )
— Our reward is there ( Matt 5:12 )
— Our treasure is there ( Matt 19:21 )
— Our mansion is there ( John 14:3 )
MacArthur
In short, everything of lasting importance to believers is in heaven; it is their home; and they are strangers, exiles, and pilgrims on earth ( 1 Chron 29:15; Ps 119:19; Heb 11:13-16; 1 Pet 2:11 )
Salvation
— A strong desire for heaven is an indicator of your salvation
— “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” ( Lk 12:34 )
Preventive against Sin
— Longing for heaven is a preservative against sin
— If your mind is on heaven, less ensnared by earthly temptations
— “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” ( Ro 8:5-6 )
The Supreme Reality of the new heaven and the new earth ( 21:3 )
Q: Who did John see next ( 21:1 )?
( 21:1 ) Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.
— The new heaven and earth comes from Isaiah ( Is 65:17; 66:22 )
— “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.” ( Is 65:17 )
— “For as the new heavens and the new earth Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the Lord, “So shall your descendants and your name remain.” ( Is 66:22 )
( 21:1 ) Also there was no more sea.
— There will be no ocean ( or ocean life ) in heaven
— 3/4 of the earth is water and 90% of our bodies
— But our glorified bodies will be based on a completely different life principle
— A river in heaven, not of water, but of the“the water of life” ( 22:1, 17 )
Robert Thomas
No longer sea - Symbolic of the absence of evil
“Most justifiably see this void as representing an archetypical connotation in the sea ( cf 13:1; 20:13 ), a principle of disorder, violence, or unrest that mark the old creation (cf Is 57:20; Ps 107:25-28; Ezek 28:8 ). It is not that the sea is evil in itself, but that its aspect is one of hostility to mankind. For instance, the sea was what stood guard over John in his prison on Patmos and separated him the churches of Asia… The sea is the first of seven evils that John says will no longer exist, the other six being death, mourning, weeping, pain ( 21:4 ), the curse ( 22:3 ) and night ( 21:25; 22:5 )“ (Thomas, Rev 8-22, p. 440 )
The Capital of the new heaven and new earth ( 21:2 )
( 21: 2 ) Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
The Third City
— Jerusalem the city of David
— The restored Jerusalem during the millennial kingdom
— This altogether “New Jerusalem” prepared in heaven by God
The Holy City
— Called a holy city
— Isaiah calls it a holy city ( Is 11:2; 52:1; Neh 11:1; Dan 9:24; Matt 4:5; 27:53 )
— God is the architect and the builder ( Heb 11:10)
— Already exists in heaven ( Heb 12:22-23 )
We will live there
— To the overcomer in the church of Philadelphia, Jesus said
— “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 from My God. And I will write on him My new name.” ( Rev 3:12 )
MacArthur
All of heaven is currently contained in the New Jerusalem, it is separate from the present universe, which is tainted by sin. Believers who die go to the “heavenly Jerusalem” where Jesus has gone before them to prepare a place for them ( Jn 14:1-3 ). But when God creates the new heaven and the new earth, the new Jerusalem will descend into the midst of that holy new universe ( 21:10 ), and serve as the dwelling place of the redeemed for all eternity. Since the throne of God will be in the new Jerusalem which will come down to the new earth, that city will be the bond between the new earth and the new heaven (Rev 12-22, p. 265 )
Q: What is the significance of a bride prepared for her husband (21:2 )?
Bride
( 21:2 ) prepared as a bride adorned for her husband
— Prepared as a bride, adorned for her husband
— Betrothal ( engagement ) took place in eternity past
— God pledged to redeem a people of His own
— Presentation, celebration tool place at the rapture
— The actual ceremony
— The marriage supper of the lamb ( 19:7- 9 )
— During the millennial kingdom
— “adorned” time for the consumption
Q: What is the significance of God’s tabernacle being with men ( 21:3 )?
( 21:3 ) And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
— The tabernacle of God is among men
Tabernacle σκηνή (skēnē). n. fem. tent, tabernacle
— dwelling place, tent
A Portentous Announcement
— A staggering truth
— God will no longer be far off, transcendent
— No longer a pillar of fire, smoke or in the holy of holies
—He will be among His people
— He will pitch His tent, tabernacle
— We shall see God ( Matt 5:8 )
— Christ’s prayer will be answered
— “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” ( Jn 17:24 )
No Temple
— No temple in heaven because the Lord is the temple ( 21:22 )
The changes in the new heaven and the new earth ( 21:4-6 )
Q: Will there be tears in heaven ( 21:4 )
( 21:4 ) And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes;
No Tears
— No tears in heaven
— Focuses on God’s great compassion for the individual even to the point of noticing infinitely small details
— We’ve already seen this compassion ( 7:17, cf Is 25:8; 65:19 )
— Tears caused by the grief and pain of the old life
— Not tears of repentance ( is 61:3-10; Ro 8:1; 1 Pet 2:24 )
No Death
( 21:4 ) there shall be no more death,
— Death is swallowed up in victory ( 1 Cor 15:54 )
— The greatest curse will be no more ( Is 25:8; Heb 2:14; Rev 20:10, 14 )
No Mourning
( 21:4 ) nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
— No mourning, no crying, no pain
— crying along with sorrow will happen to Babylon in the future when she falls under judgement ( 18:7,8, 11, 15, 19 )
— ALL FOUR OF THE ILLS:
— θάνατος (thanatos), DEATH
— πένθος (penthos), SORROW
— κραυγή (kraugē), CRYING
— πόνος (ponos), PAIN
— Entered the world in connection with the beginning of human sin in Gen 3, so their disappearance in the new creation represents a reversal of the curse that accompanied sin ( Thomas, 8-22, p. 445 )
The End of History
( 21:6 ) And He said to me, “It is done!
— On the cross, it is finished ( Jn 19:30 )
( 21:6 ) I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End
— Alpha and Omega, first and last letters of the Greek alphabet
— Α και το Ω
— And the Beginning and the End ( Is 44:5; 48:12 )
The Residents of the new heaven and the new earth ( 21:6-7 )
Q: What did Jesus promise to the thirsty ( 21:6 )
Eternal Life
( 21:6 ) I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts
— Those who thirst for righteousness ( Matt 5:6; Is 55:1; Ps 42:1-2 )
— Dissatisfied with their hopeless lost condition
— Crave God’s righteousness
— Springs of living water
— freely given, no cost
— Samaritan women ( Jn 4:13-14 )
— Repeated ( 22:17 )
— Water symbolizes eternal life
Q: What will the overcomer receive ( 21:7 )?
( 21:7 ) He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son
— He will inherit these things
— An inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled
— Will not fade away or rust
— Secured in heaven for us ( 1 Pet 1:4 )
A Most Wonderful Promise
( 21:7 ) and I will be his God and he shall be My son
— Our adoption is fully realized ( Ro 8:23 )
The outcast from the new heaven and the new earth ( 21:8 )
( 21:8 ) But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
— Similar list of sins ( 22:15; Ro 1:28-32; 1 Cor 6:9-10; Gal 5:19-21; 2 Tim 3:2-5 )
— cowardly, lacked endurance, fell away when their faith was challenged
— Seed sown on rocky soil
— Unbelieving, disloyalty excludes them
— Abominable, vile, polluted, detestable, wicked
— Murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars
— never saved in the first place
— Eternal torment in the lake of fire, hell, awaits them
Its General Appearance ( 21:9-11 )
Q: Where did the angel take John and what did he show him?
( 21:9-11 ) Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
The Lamb’s wife
— The new Jerusalem is described as the bride, the wife of the Lord
— marriage took place in 19:7
Descends from heaven
— The city came down from heaven
— Divine origin
— Not describing the creation of the city, this has existed in eternity past
The glory of God
— Having the glory of God
— The sum of all His attributes
— manifested in blazing light ( Ex 13:21; 19:18; 24:17; 34:29-30, 35; 40:34; 1 Ki 8:10-11; Ps 104:2; Is 4:5; Ezek 10:4; Hab 3:3-4; Lk 2:9 )
— No need for a sun (cf 21:23 )
— The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. ( Rev 21:23 )
Brilliance
—crystal clear jasper
— Jasper is opaque and not crystal clear
— Jasper is a transliteration of the Greek work ἴασπις (iaspis)
— blazing like a diamond
— The same word used to describe God earlier ( 4:3 )
Its Exterior Design ( 21:12-21a )
Q: How are the city wall and gates described ( 21:12 )? What purpose would a wall serve and what did this wall symbolize?
( 21:12-21 ) Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13 three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. 14 Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16 The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal. 17 Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. 18 The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
Great Wall
( 21:12 ) Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates,
— City is not amorphous, not nebulous
— Clear boundaries and specifications
Angels
— and angels stationed at each gate
Names
( 21:12 ) and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
— 12 gates with an angel
— Each gate had the name of 1 tribe of Israel
Arranged
( 21:13 ) three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west
— Arranged like a compass
— symmetrically like the camps around the tabernacle ( Num 2 )
Foundation
( 21:14 ) Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb
— The wall was anchored by 12 foundation stones
— And on them were the names of the 12 apostles
Stones
— Represent God’s covenant relationship with the church
— The apostles are the foundation
— “having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,” ( Eph 2:20 )
Measure
( 21:15 ) And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall
— mark out what belongs to God
Laid out like a Square
( 21:16 ) The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal.
— twelve-thousand furlongs ( NKJV )
— 12,000 Stadia ( NIV ) “that doesn’t help much!”
— 1 stadia = 607 feet
— 1,380 miles in each direction
— NSRS says 1500 miles
— The city is laid out like a cube, square
City Wall
( 21:17 ) Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.
— 144 cubits
— 72 yards thick
Material
( 21:18-20 ) The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.
— Made of Jasper, city of pure gold
— clear so that God’s glory will shine through
— No need for privacy
— Jasper, diamond
— Sapphire, brilliant blue
— chalcedony, sky blue with colored stripes
— emerald, bright green
— sardonyx, red and white stripped
— sardius, red
— chrysolite, transparent gold / yellow
— topaz, yellow green
— chrysoprase, gold tinted green stone
— jacinth, this name has changed
— in John’s day this was blue or violet
— today reddish brown
— amethyst, purple
12 Pearls
( 21:21 ) The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
— Each gate was a single pearl
— Each is 1,400 miles high
John Phillips
There is a spiritual truth illustrated by the fact that the gates are made of pearl, John Phillips explains:
How appropriate! All other precious gems are metals or stones, but a pearl is a gem formed within the oyster - the only one formed by living flesh. The humble oyster receives an irritation or a wound, and around the offending article that has penetrated and hurt it, the oyster builds a pearl. The pearl, we might say, is the answer of the oyster to that which injured it. The glory land is God’s answer, in Christ, to wicked men who crucified heaven’s beloved and put Him to shame. How like God it is to make the gates of the new Jerusalem of pearl. The saints as they come and go will be forever reminded, as they pass the gates of glory, that access to God’s home is only because of Calvary. Think of the size of those gates! Think of the supernatural pearls from which they are made! What gigantic suffering is symbolized by those gates of pearl! Throughout the endless ages we shall be reminded by those pearly gates of the immensity of the sufferings of Christ. Those pearls, hung eternally at the access routes to glory, will remind us forever of One who hung upon a tree and whose answer to those who injured Him was to invite them to share His home ( Exploring Revelation, John Phillips )
Its Internal Character ( 21:21b-27 )
Q: How will the new Jerusalem not be lighted ( 21:23 )? Who will benefit from this light ( 21:24) ? When will the gates be shut (21:25-26 )?
( 21:21-27 ) The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. 22 But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. 25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). 26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. 27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
Transparent
— Transparent gold
— Like nothing we have on earth
No Temple
— John saw no temple because the Lord and the Lamb are the temple
— Up until now, there was a temple in heaven ( 7:15; 11:19; 14:15, 17; 15:5-8; 16:1, 17 )
— It was an earthly symbol of God with man, now gives way to reality
Thomas
( 21:24 ) And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.
— The advent of the nations ( Is 2:2; 60:5; Dan 7:14; Mic 4:2; Zech 2:11; 8:23 ) and the kings ( Ps 72:10 ) to Jerusalem to participate in divine blessings receives frequent attention in the OT. Isaiah 63 refers to both groups
Occasional Visitors
— These are occasional visitors
— Many crazy interpretations trying to identify these people
Gates
( 21:25 ) Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there)
— The gates will never close
— Completely secure
— No need to close
— Nothing unclean will ever enter
Book
( 21:26 ) But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
— Don’t think that your good character will get you into heaven
— Eternal life is available to you only because of what Jesus, the Lamb, has done
— Trust Him today to secure your citizenship in the new creation ( Application Bible )
Preterist
Preterist Explanation
All things made new ( 21:1-8 )
— historicist approach
— No longer preterist, now the fulfilment of 21-22, is the unfolding reality through all history. Symbolic for the church
— We see the transition between the first heaven and the first earth ( the Judaic aeon) and the new heaven and new earth ( the Christian aeon )
New Jerusalem
— Is the bride of Christ, the church, not an actual city
— The process of evangelization is God making all things new
The New Jerusalem and Temple ( 21:9-21 )
— The temple is a vision of the church
— Pearls - if this is to be understood literally, than God has an oceanic planet somewhere with giant oysters
— The walls are called salvation
— The city is expressly identified as the church, the bride of Christ ( Rev 21:9 )
— The Jerusalem above is the mother of us all ( Gal 4:26 )
Chapter 22
Chapter 22
Read and summarize
( 21:1-2 ) And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
River
( 21:1 ) And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb
— No sea in the eternal state
— Water is a symbol of eternal life ( cf. Is 12:3; John 4:13-14; 7:38 )
Tree
( 21:2 ) n the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month.
— Symbolizes blessings of eternal life
— Twelve fruits infinite variety
— Rows of trees on either side of the river ( Ezek 47:12 )
Healing
( 21:2 ) The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
— many different interpretations
— Those who enter heaven in an unrestricted state can perpetuate their health
—Promote general health
— Confusing because their is no illness in heaven
The Privileges of its inhabitants ( 22:3-5 )
Q: What will not be there (22:3 )?
( 22:3-5 ) And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. 4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.
No Curse
— No more curse
— An end to sorrow, pain
— No death, which resulted from the curse ( Gen 2:17 )
Service
( 22:3 ) and His servants shall serve Him
— We will serve the Lord
— We will have tasks to perform
— The Lord will also serve us ( Lk 12:35-40 )
Face to Face
( 22:4 ) They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads
— See him face to face
— Impossible for mortal man ( Ex 33:20; Jn 1:18; 6:46; 1 Tim 6:16; 1 Jn 4:12 )
Glorious
— The streets of Gold, the Lord’s glory
— The most amazing part is that sinful, rebellious people like us will be there in fellowship with God and the lamb
The Believer’s Immediate Response to Christ’s Imminent Return ( 22:6-12 )
Q: What did Jesus say He would do in ( 22:7 )?
( 22:6-12 ) Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place. 7 “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” 8 Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. 9 Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” 10 And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. 11 He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.” 12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.
Will Come to Pass
( 22:6 ) Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.”
— These words are faithful and true
— Everything John saw will come to pass
— Not an allegory or bizarre dream
— Future events that will happen
Quickly
( 22:7 ) “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
— The early church lived with the expectation that Jesus would return in their lifetime
— The Thessalonians stopped working
— They thought Jesus was coming any minute
— Paul rebuked them ( 1 Thess 4:15 )
— Other passages that anticipate his return ( 1 Cor 1:7; 4:5; 16:22; Phil 3:20; 1 Thess 1:9-10; 4:15; Titus 2:13; James 5:17; 1 John 2:28; 3:2 )
— These verses show us the response every believer should have because of the imminent return of Christ
Immediate Obedience ( 22:7 )
Q: What blessing (beatitude is expressed ) in 22:7 ?
Jesus Speaking
— Jesus says that He is coming quickly
— Beatitude - Blessed is he who heeds ( obeys ) the words of this prophecy
Heed τηρέω (tēreō)
— participle form that means “to keep,” “to hold fast,” “to guard”
— Not only defend but obey ( Jn 14:15; 15:10, cf. Jn 14:21, 23 )
— “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” ( 1 Jn 2:3-4 )
Q: What does it mean to heed the book of Revelation?
— Desire heaven
— Long to see the return of Christ
— Desire to see Christ vindicated, enemies destroyed
— Seek to be made like Christ
— Understand the fearful judgement and calls sinners to repentance
Purpose of Revelation
— Not about end time facts
— To reveal the glory of His Son
— Call believers to live godly, obedient lives
— “ Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?” ( 2 Pet 3:11-12 )
— “Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;” ( 2 Pet 3:14 )
Immediate Worship ( 22:8-9 )
Q: What mistake did John repeat ( 22:8-9 )?
( 22:8-9 ) Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. 9 Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”
— He fell down to worship the angel
— The right response
— The wrong object of worship
— Same mistake earlier ( 19:10 )
MacArthur
And at the transfiguration John, Peter, and James collapsed in wonder and worship ( Matt 17:6 )
Immediate Proclamation ( 22:10-11 )
Q: What does 22:11 grant people the power to do?
( 22:10 ) And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand
— Don’t seal up the book
— Immediate proclamation
— Christ’s return is imminent
MacArthur
If the plain, normal understanding of the words of Revelation does not convey the meaning God intended its readers to grasp, then those words are sealed ( MacArthur, 12-22, p. 297 )
Seems Odd
( 22:11 ) He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.”
— Let the one who is doing harm continue to do harm; let the one who is vile continue to be vile; let the one who is righteous continue to live righteously; let the one who is holy continue to be holy.” ( NLT )
— Seems odd
— The way you respond to the truth in Revelation will determine your destiny
— Those who hear the truth and continue in sin will by that be hardened
— Those that practice righteousness give evidence of saving faith
Abandon
— If you go to long and reject, God will judicially abandon you ( Ps 95:7-8; Heb 3:15; 4:7 )
MacArthur
It is sobering to realize that people’s response to God’s gospel truth in this life will determine their eternal destiny. When they die, or when the Lord returns, their character will be forever fixed. Those who respond to the warnings of Revelation will live forever in heaven. But those who fail to heed those warnings and repent will remain forever in their sinful state. It is also true that God’s spirit will not always call sinners to repentance, and Scripture warns sinners not to harden their hearts to the point where God judicially abandons them ( Ps 95:7-8; Heb 3:15; 4:7 ). Yet, tragically, those warnings often go unheeded, and the opportunity to repent and believe the gospel is wasted ( cf. matt 25:1-13; Lk 13:24-25 ). Speaking of the wayward sinners of the Northern kingdom (Israel ), God declared, “Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone” ( Hos 4:17 ). Jesus said of the equally hardened Pharisees, “Let them alone, they are blind guides of the blind” ( Matt 15:14; cf. Matt 23:16, 24; Lk 6:39 ). Both of those passages express God’s wrath of abandonment ( Ro 1:18-32 ), when He turns hardened, unrepentant sinners over to the consequences of their own choices ( MacArthur, 12-22, p. 298 )
Immediate Service ( 22:12 )
Q: What promise is repeated in ( 22:12 )? Where else is it stated? What does he promise to do?
( 22:12 ) “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.
— Coming quickly ( 22:7; 12, 20 )
— Phrase appears three other places
— promise of blessing ( 3:11 )
— coming in Judgment ( 2:5; 2:16 )
— unexpected like a thief ( 3:3; 16:15 )
According to work
— greater faithfulness = greater capacity to serve the lord ( Matt 25:14-30 )
— Don’t loose rewards with sin ( 2 Jn 8 )
— Don’t be idle and not gain rewards ( 2 Thess 3:10-12 )
— Only works tested will survive ( 1 Cor 3:9-15; 2 Cor 5:9-10 )
God’s Last Invitation ( 22:13-21 )
Q: Who may enter the city ( 22:14 )? Who will be outside the city ( 22:15 )?
( 22:13-21 ) I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” 14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. 15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. 16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” 17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. 18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. 20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! 21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Because of Christ’s Person
Q: What are the three ( 3 ) titles ?
Alpha and Omega
( 22:13 ) I am the Alpha and the Omega,
— God’s title ( 1:8; 21:6 )
Second Title
( 22:13 ) the First and the Last.”
— The second title only applies to Christ in this book
— In the OT it applies to the LORD YHWH ( Is 44:6; 48:12 )
Third Title
( 22:13 ) the Beginning and the End
— Applies to the Father ( 21:6 )
— Describes Christ in Hebrews
— “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” ( Heb 12:2 )
— What the Lord starts He will also finish ( Phil 1:6 )
Fourth Title
( 22:16 ) I am the Root and the Offspring of David,
Booth Root and Offspring
— Only the God-man can be both David’s ancestor and descendant
— In His deity, Christ is David’s root ( cf. Mark 12:35-37 )
— In His humanity, Christ is David’s descendant ( 2 Sam 7:12-16; Ps 132:11-12; Matt 1:1; Ro 1:3; 2 Tim 2:8 )
Bright Star
( 22:16 ) the Bright and Morning Star.”
— In biblical times and today, to call someone a star was to exalt them ( cf. Dan 12:3 )
— In extra biblical Jewish writings the coming Messiah was called a star ( Robert H Mounce, The Book of Revelation, p. 395 )
— Though Balaam was a greedy prophet for God, he did make an accurate prediction about the coming Messiah
— “I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel, And batter the brow of Moab, And destroy all the sons of tumult.” ( Num 24:17 )
— And Jesus promised the overcomers of the corrupt church in Thyatira the “morning star” ( 2:28 )
Because of the Exclusivity of Heaven ( 22:14-15 )
The Last Beatitude
— This is the last of the seven ( 7 ) beatitudes in Revelation
Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it ( 1:3 )
Blessed are the dead who died in the Lord from now on ( 14:13 )
Blessed is he who watchers and keeps his garments, lets he walk naked and they see his shame ( 16:15 )
Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the lamb ( 19:9 )
Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection ( 20:6 )
Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book ( 22:7 )
Blessed are those who do his commandments that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter through the gates into the city ( 22:14 )
( 22:14 ) Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city
— Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life
— The NIV, ASV, NASB translate this as who wash their robes
— Portrays the believers participation in the death of Christ
— Remember earlier ( 7:14 ) the 24 elders came out of the great tribulation, washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb
Soiled / Sin
— Dirty and soiled clothes represent sin ( Is 64:6; Zech 3:3 )
— But salvation comes and cleanses us ( Ps 51:7; Is 1:8; Titus 3:5 )
— The blood of the lamb is the cleansing agent ( 1:5; 5:9; 7:14; Matt 26:28; Acts 20:28; Ro 3:24-25; 5:9; Eph 1:7; 2:13; Col 1:20; Heb 9:12, 14; 10:19; 13:12; 1 Pet 1:2, 18-19; 1 Jn 1:7 )
Those Excluded
( 22:15 ) But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie
— But those excluded from the tree of life are those who do not do His commandments
— Those who do not wash their robes in the blood of the lamb
— They are in the Lake of Fire
Not Saying
— This verse is not saying that if you ever did one of these things you are excluded from heaven
— Paul says this describes some of us
— “ And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” ( 1 Cor 6:11 )
— Heaven would be empty
— Those who love and practice sin and have not come to true repentance are excluded
( 22:17 ) And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
— God has always taken the initiative for man’s salvation and restoration, from His first call to Adam, “Where are you?” ( Gen 3:9 ), to His last call in Revelation: “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost” ( Rev 22:17 )
— God has been drawing, is now drawing, and, until the final judgment, will continue to draw sinful men back to Himself and to restore the world that sin has corrupted
— All for the purpose of bringing glory to Himself
— When sinners are saved, God is glorified, because their salvation cost Him the death of His own Son
Because of the Truthfulness of Scripture ( 22:18-19 )
Q: What warning is given ( 22:18-19 )? Does this apply to the book of Revelation or the whole bible?
( 22:18-19 ) For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
This Book
— The Lord is the one speaking
— This applies to the prophecy of this book
— But since there are 500 + references or quotations to the OT in Revelation this warning in a broader sense it applies to all of scripture
— Modifying or altering any of these would be an addition / subtraction to the Book of Revelation
Moses
— Moses cautioned the same thing
— “You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you” ( Deut 4:2 )
— And the Proverbs
— “ Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. 6 Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.” ( Prov 30:5-6 )
Because of the Certainty of Christ’s Return ( 22:20-21 )
Coming Quickly
( 22:20-21 ) He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
— The bible comes full circle
— The bible starts with the promise of the coming of a savior
— “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.” ( Gn 3:15 )
— The bible starts with the promise of His First coming
— It ends with a promise of His Second coming
OT
— The OT often talks of His second coming ( Zech 14:4; Mal 3:2; 4:5 )
— As does the NT ( Matt 16:28; 24:27; 1 Cor 1:7; 15:23; 1 Thess 2:19; 3:13; 4:15; 5:23; 2 Thess 2:1; James 5:8; Jude 14 )
No Where Else
— The whole book is about His imminent return
— We long for His appearing ( 2 Tim 4:8 )
( 22:20 ) Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
— John speaks for all of us
( 22:21 ) The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
— This is sort out of out of place given that this is not a typical letter but apocalyptic writing
— But this is also an epistle ( letter ) to the churches
— We Stand in Grace
— It is God’s gracious provision that offers fallen man fellowship with God
— But it is also exclusively to those who accept His gracious invitation and return to Him
Preterist
Preterist Explanation
The River which flows from the throne ( 22:1-5 )
— This is the Holy Spirit
— This makes sense because the holy city of Jerusalem is a symbol of the great body of believers
Coming quickly and do not seal the book ( 22:6-10 )
— Daniel is told to seal his prophecy because it would not happen for another 4 centuries ( Dan 12:4 )
— Why would John not seal his book if it were another 20 centuries in the future?
Coming quickly ( 22:11-15 )
— The Lord is coming quickly and he has every man’s paycheck in his hand
— And so we are saved by works: the work of Christ on the cross; the work of the spirit within us
Excluded from the city
— Dogs ( male prostitutes ) ( Deut 23:18 ) as well as the rest on the list, including abortionists
Additional Resources
Barnhouse, Donald Grey. Revelation: an Expository Commentary. Zondervan Pub. House, 1971.
DeMar, Gary. Last Days Madness: Obsession of the Modern Church. American Vision, 1999.
MacArthur, John. Revelation 8 -22. Moody Press, 2000.
MacArthur, John. Revelation: the Christian's Ultimate Victory. Thomas Nelson, 2016.
Thomas, Robert L. Revelation: an Exegetical Commentary. Moody Press, 2016.
Chuck Missler. Revelation Session 23 Ch 20 The Millenium: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouqysm1aao0
Phillips, John. Exploring Revelation, Rev Ed . Chicago, Moody , 1987.
The Revelation Record [ Wheaton IL: Tyndale, 1983]
Old Testament References in the Book of Revelation: http://rebel13.nl/revelation.pdf
End Times: https://storage.snappages.site/3VJ3ZF/assets/files/TheEndTimes.pdf