The Return of the King

For those who would like to start at the very beginning of this series on the book of Revelation, click here.

If you have not followed this series from the beginning, I recommend that you visit this post about the structure of Revelation. The thesis of that post is that the structure of the book of Revelation, after the vision of the throne, consists of seven profiles of the future. Each profile tells the establishment of God's kingdom on earth, but each has its own time line and purpose.

Recap: 

1. The seven seals told the story of the coming Kingdom of God from a natural point of view. It involved war, violence, famine, and martyrdom. Such things happen in the natural realm, although the intensity during the very end of this age might be markedly increased. 
2. The trumpets told the story from a more supernatural view. The events that follow each blast of a trumpet were unlike anything that the world has seen. If the seven seals were about the end coming from the natural consequences of human activity and sin, then the trumpets were about the Lord applying pressure on mankind by providing a foretaste of the wrath that is coming. 
3. The seven persons revealed the main players in the drama and the place that Satan has in motivating the kings of the earth against the saints. 
4. The seven bowls describe the wrath of God poured on the earth and mankind.
5. We are given details about Babylon and her judgment.

There follows the return of the King to the earth to reign. It, too, has seven sections:

1. The King and His army are appear.

Then I saw heaven opened and here came a white horse! The one riding it was called “Faithful” and “True,” and with justice he judges and goes to war. His eyes are like a fiery flame and there are many diadem crowns on his head. He has a name written that no one knows except himself. He is dressed in clothing dipped in blood, and he is called the Word of God. The armies that are in heaven, dressed in white, clean, fine linen, were following him on white horses. From his mouth extends a sharp sword, so that with it he can strike the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod, and he stomps the winepress of the furious wrath of God, the All-Powerful. He has a name written on his clothing and on his thigh: “King of kings and Lord of lords.” (Revelation 19:11-16)

2. There is a call from heaven for the birds to come and feast on the flesh of kings.

Then I saw one angel standing in the sun, and he shouted in a loud voice to all the birds flying high in the sky: “Come, gather around for the great banquet of God, to eat your fill of the flesh of kings, the flesh of generals, the flesh of powerful people, the flesh of horses and those who ride them, and the flesh of all people, both free and slave, and small and great!” (Revelation 19:17-18)

3. The beast and the kings of the earth are assembled for battle and defeated.

Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to do battle with the one who rode the horse and with his army. Now the beast was seized, and along with him the false prophet who had performed the signs on his behalf—signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire burning with sulfur. The others were killed by the sword that extended from the mouth of the one who rode the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves with their flesh. (Revelation 19:19-21)

4. Satan is bound.

Then I saw an angel descending from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the abyss and a huge chain. He seized the dragon—the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan—and tied him up for a thousand years. The angel then threw him into the abyss and locked and sealed it so that he could not deceive the nations until the one thousand years were finished. (After these things he must be released for a brief period of time.) (Revelation 20:1-3)

5. The King reigns.

Then I saw thrones and seated on them were those who had been given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. These had not worshiped the beast or his image and had refused to receive his mark on their forehead or hand. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were finished.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who takes part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4-6)

6. Satan is released and defeated.

Now when the thousand years are finished, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to bring them together for the battle. They are as numerous as the grains of sand in the sea. They went up on the broad plain of the earth and encircled the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and devoured them completely. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are too, and they will be tormented there day and night forever and ever. (Revelation 20:7-10)

7. Final judgment comes and this age ends

Then I saw a large white throne and the one who was seated on it; the earth and the heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne. Then books were opened, and another book was opened—the book of life. So the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to their deeds. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each one was judged according to his deeds. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, that person was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15)

As Babylon is shown ugly and in defeat, here is the returning King in glory. As the faithful were called to the wedding feast of the Lamb, here birds are called for the feast of kings. The return of our King was also described by Zechariah:

A day of the Lord is about to come when your possessions will be divided as plunder in your midst. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to wage war; the city will be taken, its houses plundered, and the women raped. Then half of the city will go into exile, but the remainder of the people will not be taken away. 

Then the Lord will go to battle and fight against those nations, just as he fought battles in ancient days. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives which lies to the east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in half from east to west, leaving a great valley. Half the mountain will move northward and the other half southward. Then you will escape through my mountain valley, for the mountains will extend to Azal. Indeed, you will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of King Uzziah of Judah. 

Then the Lord my God will come with all his holy ones with him. On that day there will be no light—the sources of light in the heavens will congeal. It will happen in one day (a day known to the Lord); not in the day or the night, but in the evening there will be light. Moreover, on that day living waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea; it will happen both in summer and in winter. The Lord will then be king over all the earth. 

In that day the Lord will be seen as one with a single name. All the land will change and become like the Arabah from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem; and Jerusalem will be raised up and will stay in its own place from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate and on to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses. And people will settle there, and there will no longer be the threat of divine extermination—Jerusalem will dwell in security. 

But this will be the nature of the plague with which the Lord will strike all the nations that have fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will decay while they stand on their feet, their eyes will rot away in their sockets, and their tongues will dissolve in their mouths. On that day there will be great confusion from the Lord among them; they will seize each other and attack one another violently. Moreover, Judah will fight at Jerusalem, and the wealth of all the surrounding nations will be gathered up—gold, silver, and clothing in great abundance. This is the kind of plague that will devastate horses, mules, camels, donkeys, and all the other animals in those camps. 

Then all who survive from all the nations that came to attack Jerusalem will go up annually to worship the King, the sovereign Lord, and to observe the Feast of Tabernacles. But if any of the nations anywhere on earth refuse to go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the sovereign Lord, they will get no rain. If the Egyptians will not do so, they will get no rain—instead there will be the kind of plague which the Lord inflicts on any nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. This will be the punishment of Egypt and of all nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. 

On that day the bells of the horses will bear the inscription “Holy to the Lord.” The cookings pots in the Lord’s temple will be as holy as the bowls in front of the altar. Every cooking pot in Jerusalem and Judah will become holy in the sight of the sovereign Lord, so that all who offer sacrifices may come and use some of them to boil their sacrifices in them. There will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the sovereign Lord on that day. (Zechariah 14:1-21)

Is there a physical return of Jesus to reign as King? That is a question that has been asked and answered through the centuries is a variety of ways. Some would see the spread of the gospel through the earth and the establishment of God's reign in the hearts of men as fulfillment of these prophecies. As I read this passage in Revelation and Zechariah, I find that I do not have enough imagination to treat the words of battle, carnage, plagues, and feasting birds as symbolic of the gospel's spread. I read and I say, "It is yet to happen." And then I look at events in my lifetime:

• In 1948, Israel became a sovereign nation again for the first time since Nebuchadnezzar destroyed her in 586 BC. To be sure, there have been times when Israel has occupied the territory, but never with a recognition of national sovereignty. Israel became a nation by a vote from the United Nations, which brings to mind this prophecy in Isaiah, "Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen this? Can a country be brought forth in one day? Can a nation be born in a single moment? Yet as soon as Zion goes into labor she gives birth to sons! (Isaiah 66:8)"
• In 1967, Israel acquired control of a portion of Jerusalem. In this same year, you could have searched the world over and not have found a Jewish synagogue that proclaimed Yeshua as Messiah (Yeshua is Jesus' Hebrew name). However, within a decade and partly as a byproduct of the Jesus Movement, Messianic Jewish synagogues began to appear and more and more Jews came to faith in Yeshua for their salvation. I link these two events because of these verses in Luke coupled with some verses in Romans:

“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that her desolation has come near. Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. Those who are inside the city must depart. Those who are out in the country must not enter it, because these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress on the earth and wrath against this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led away as captives among all nations. Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. (Luke 21:20-24)

For I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion; he will remove ungodliness from Jacob. 11:27 And this is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins.” In regard to the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but in regard to election they are dearly loved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. (Romans 11:25-29)

Is it a coincidence that the Jews regain some control of Jerusalem out of Gentile hands and soon afterwards Jews begin returning to the gospel?

And so I believe that Jesus will return and reign in Jerusalem over Israel and also over the kings of the earth.

Monday: The Throne of Judgment

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Babylon

For those who would like to start at the very beginning of this series on the book of Revelation, click here.

If you have not followed this series from the beginning, I recommend that you visit this post about the structure of Revelation. The thesis of that post is that the structure of the book of Revelation, after the vision of the throne, consists of seven profiles of the future. Each profile tells the establishment of God's kingdom on earth, but each has its own time line and purpose.

Recap: 

1. The seven seals told the story of the coming Kingdom of God from a natural point of view. It involved war, violence, famine, and martyrdom. Such things happen in the natural realm, although the intensity during the very end of this age might be markedly increased. 
2. The trumpets told the story from a more supernatural view. The events that follow each blast of a trumpet were unlike anything that the world has seen. If the seven seals were about the end coming from the natural consequences of human activity and sin, then the trumpets were about the Lord applying pressure on mankind by providing a foretaste of the wrath that is coming. 
3. The seven persons revealed the main players in the drama and the place that Satan has in motivating the kings of the earth against the saints. 
4. The seven bowls describe the wrath of God poured on the earth and mankind.

The next profile examines, in some detail, the judgment of Babylon. The section is a great mystery and the number of associations through the centuries is very diverse. At a minimum, Babylon represents the world system at odds with the Lord. Its origins go back to the very early history of mankind shortly after the flood:

The whole earth had a common language and a common vocabulary. When the people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. Then they said to one another, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” (They had brick instead of stone and tar instead of mortar.) Then they said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens so that we may make a name for ourselves. Otherwise we will be scattered across the face of the entire earth.” But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the people had started building. And the Lord said, “If as one people all sharing a common language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be beyond them. Come, let’s go down and confuse their language so they won’t be able to understand each other.” So the Lord scattered them from there across the face of the entire earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why its name was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the entire world, and from there the Lord scattered them across the face of the entire earth. (Genesis 11:1-9, The Net Bible)

Babylon derives its name from Babel. The plains of Shinar are where the ancient city of Babylon existed. The tower of Babel represents an early push of mankind to defy the commands of the Lord. Men wanted to build an independent name for themselves, and it seemed as if they had some power to do this, or the Lord would not have so quickly intervened. The story and the place also seems to have some connection to Nimrod:

Cush was the father of Nimrod; he began to be a valiant warrior on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. That is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.” The primary regions of his kingdom were Babel, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh in the land of Shinar. From that land he went to Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and Resen, which is between Nineveh and the great city Calah. (Genesis 10:8-12)

What I see from the above text is that Nimrod would have been the first of the empire builders on the earth after the flood. In his footsteps would follow the likes of Hammurabi, Sennecherib, Nebuchadnezzar, and Cyrus. The ancient story is illustrative and representative of the beast in Revelation.

It was from Ur of the Chaldeans, in the region of Shinar, that the Lord that Terah and his son Abram left to head for Canaan. Abram would complete the journey after Terah died, (Genesis 11:31-21:1).

From Daniel, we see the extraordinary occult connections to Babylon. The book of Daniel references: Sorcerers, magicians, astrologers, conjurers, and Chaldeans. The number of different terms indicates the strength of the occult within that culture.

There could be a future re-establishment of Babylon. The prophet Zechariah lived during the first generation after the Jews were permitted to return from the Babylonian exile. That he prophesied after the fall if Babylon is, therefore, significant in light of this prophecy of a future Babylon that has eerie connections to the passage in Revelation.

After this the angelic messenger who had been speaking to me went out and said, “Look, see what is leaving.” I asked, “What is it?” And he replied, “It is a basket for measuring grain that is moving away from here.” Moreover, he said, “This is their ‘eye’ throughout all the earth.” Then a round lead cover was raised up, revealing a woman sitting inside the basket. He then said, “This woman represents wickedness,” and he pushed her down into the basket and placed the lead cover on top. Then I looked again and saw two women going forth with the wind in their wings (they had wings like those of a stork) and they lifted up the basket between the earth and the sky. I asked the messenger who was speaking to me, “Where are they taking the basket?” He replied, “To build a temple for her in the land of Babylonia. When it is finished, she will be placed there in her own residence.” (Zechariah 5:5-11)

Note now the description in Revelation:

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke to me. “Come,” he said, “I will show you the condemnation and punishment of the great prostitute who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality and the earth’s inhabitants got drunk with the wine of her immorality.” So he carried me away in the Spirit to a wilderness, and there I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. Now the woman was dressed in purple and scarlet clothing, and adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls. She held in her hand a golden cup filled with detestable things and unclean things from her sexual immorality. On her forehead was written a name, a mystery: “Babylon the Great, the Mother of prostitutes and of the detestable things of the earth.” I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of those who testified to Jesus. I was greatly astounded when I saw her. (Revelation 17:1-6)

Whether Babylon is a future physical city and possible capital for the Beast and/or is representative of an underlying power and influence on the earth remains an interesting question. Nevertheless, here is the raw expression of those throughout history who have become drunk with power and delighted in violence and terror. During the Great Tribulation, this power will be directed against the saints for a season.

I wrote yesterday that tribulation can have a chastening effect, but God's wrath is designed to kill. In this section on Babylon, we see her final destruction. Here are the seven elements of Babylon's fall.

1. Babylon is exposed as the woman riding the scarlet beast. Her sitting on the beast and on many waters could indicate that Babylon is a great city that has sovereignty over the kings of the earth.
2. She has become a haunt of demons. Just as in Daniel's time, she is a place where the occult is rampant.
3. There is a call for the people of God to leave the city, because her judgment is about to come. This is reminiscent of Lot's leaving Sodom or the inhabitants of Jerusalem leaving before either of the two destructions.
4. The king's of the earth lament Babylon's fall.
5. The merchant's of the earth lament Babylon's fall.
6. Babylon is cursed by the strong angel.
7. The multitude praise God for her destruction.

Each of the profiles, as I have indicated, has its own timeline. They all move to wrath followed by the establishment of the kingdom. The timeline of the persons is the longest, because it is measured in centuries. The timeline of Babylon's destruction is the shortest, being measured in days and possibly hours.

Babylon has a filthy face. She sits on the waters and the beast as one might sit on a horse. She steers with the lusts of men for sex, riches, power, and shedding blood. She is the enemy of God and His people. But it would seem as if the nations both love and hate her and this leads to her undoing. Lust is a bondage. One can hunger for its fulfillment and resent it at the same time. I read once where an adulterous affair will never end until the pain of the relationship exceeds the pleasure. Babylon is overthrown by the very kings and nations she enslaves:

Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw (where the prostitute is seated) are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages. The ten horns that you saw, and the beast—these will hate the prostitute and make her desolate and naked. They will consume her flesh and burn her up with fire. For God has put into their minds to carry out his purpose by making a decision to give their royal power to the beast until the words of God are fulfilled. As for the woman you saw, she is the great city that has sovereignty over the kings of the earth.” (Revelation 17:15-18)

The Hallelujah Chorus, composed by Handel, is taken from the praises enjoined by the multitude following Babylon's fall.

Then I heard what sounded like the voice of a vast throng, like the roar of many waters and like loud crashes of thunder. They were shouting: “Hallelujah! For the Lord God, the All-Powerful, reigns! Let us rejoice and exult and give him glory, because the wedding celebration of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. She was permitted to be dressed in bright, clean, fine linen” (for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints). Then the angel said to me, “Write the following: Blessed are those who are invited to the banquet at the wedding celebration of the Lamb!” He also said to me, “These are the true words of God.” So I threw myself down at his feet to worship him, but he said, “Do not do this! I am only a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony about Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony about Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Revelation 19:6-10)

Friday: The Return of the King.

<>< Test everything. Cling to what is good. ><>

The Seven Bowls of Wrath

For those who would like to start at the very beginning of this series on the book of Revelation, click here.

If you have not followed this series from the beginning, I recommend that you visit this post about the structure of Revelation. The thesis of that post is that the structure of the book of Revelation, after the vision of the throne, consists of seven profiles of the future. Each profile tells the establishment of God's kingdom on earth, but each has its own time line and purpose.

Recap: The seven seals told the story of the coming Kingdom of God from a natural point of view. It involved war, violence, famine, and martyrdom. Such things happen in the natural realm, although the intensity during the very end of this age might be markedly increased. The trumpets told the story from a more supernatural view. The events that follow each blast of a trumpet were unlike anything that the world has seen. If the seven seals were about the end coming from the natural consequences of human activity and sin, then the trumpets were about the Lord applying pressure on mankind by providing a foretaste of the wrath that is coming. The seven persons revealed the main players in the drama and the place that Satan has in motivating the kings of the earth against the saints.

The next section focuses on the wrath of God. It opens this way:

Then I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had conquered the beast and his image and the number of his name. They were standing by the sea of glass, holding harps given to them by God. They sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb: “Great and astounding are your deeds, Lord God, the All-Powerful! Just and true are your ways, King over the nations! Who will not fear you, O Lord, and glorify your name, because you alone are holy? All nations will come and worship before you for your righteous acts have been revealed.” (Revelation 15:2-4, The Net Bible)

The sea of glass before the throne is no longer transparent. It shows a change and now seems full of fire. It is an angry image. Associated with this sea of glass are those who had conquered the beast, and his image and the number of his name. In other words, they had held out till the end and took on the name of Jesus and His Father instead. These are the ones who did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. They were holding harps and singing a very ancient song. I believe that these are now the full number of those who were to be killed (see Revelation 6:9-11). They sang the song of Moses and the Lamb, which the children of Israel had sung after crossing the Red Sea. Here is the text from Exodus:

Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you?—majestic in holiness, fearful in praises, working wonders? You stretched out your right hand, the earth swallowed them. By your loyal love you will lead the people whom you have redeemed; you will guide them by your strength to your holy habitation. The people will hear and be afraid; anguish will take hold of the inhabitants of Philistia. Then the chiefs of Edom will be terrified, the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling, and the inhabitants of Canaan will melt away. Fear and dread will fall on them; by the greatness of your arm they will be as still as stone until your people pass over, O Lord, until the people pass over, which you have bought. You will bring them in and plant them in the mountain of your inheritance, in the place, O Lord, you made for your residence, the sanctuary, O Lord, your hands have established. The Lord will reign for ever and ever! (Exodus 15:11-18)

It is interesting to see in the above song that even though it was Pharaoh's armies that the sea destroyed, all the surrounding nations are now in anguish. As Moses led the children of Israel through the plagues and oppression of Egypt, so the Lamb has led His people through the plagues and oppression of the Great Tribulation. And in so doing, the kings of the now tremble.

That is the main topic for today, but I must first digress and discuss some side issues. These are the Great Tribulation and the Rapture of the Church all as it relates to the Wrath of God. Let me begin with these words of Jesus:

For then there will be great suffering unlike anything that has happened from the beginning of the world until now, or ever will happen. And if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. (Matthew 24:21-22)

The above verses are one of the reasons that I believe that there is a future time of great tribulation on the earth. Of course, there has been great suffering for Jews and Christians through the centuries, but can anyone truly say that such times have been unlike any others and such that none will ever happen to such a degree again? The armies of Rome besieged Jerusalem and destroyed it and the temple. But Nebuchadnezzar had done that before and to just as great an intensity. But according to Jesus, a time of greater tribulation must come.

But tribulation is not wrath. Job experienced tribulation, but the Lord was not angry with Him. The sections of the 7 seals, 7 trumpets and the 7 persons have all contained commentary about the saints on the earth who overcame during great tribulation. After the 6th seal, the 6th trumpet, and the 6th person, there has appeared an interlude showing the saints in victory in the midst of the chaos about which these events are told.

There is no escape out of the Great Tribulation for the Church. But there is no rapture to spare the believers from the great tribulation. We are part of the proclamation of the gospel to the whole earth during these times. We are the face of God's mercy. As God applies pressure on the one hand, he will use His people to spread the good news to those who will respond, until those who remain are hardened beyond the ability of God's love and mercy to call. After the sixth trumpet, it is said:

The rest of humanity, who had not been killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so that they did not stop worshiping demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk about. Furthermore, they did not repent of their murders, of their magic spells, of their sexual immorality, or of their stealing. (Revelation 9:20-21)

Tribulation is not wrath. At the end of the tribulation comes the wrath of God. As I showed in yesterday's post, there are two harvests before the bowls are revealed. The first is a harvest of righteousness and the second is a harvest of wrath. It is my understanding that the first harvest is the rapture of the church near the end of the tribulation period. Her job is done and God will not pour out His wrath with the righteous on the earth. This concept is consistent with other periods of God's wrath:

• Noah and his family escaped the wrath of the flood, but endured the violence on the earth before the end. (Genesis 6-9)
• When the Lord told Abram that He was going to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abram asked God if He would actually destroy the righteous along with the wicked. Abram pleaded for the cities on behalf of 50, 40, and down to 10 righteous people. Two angels entered the city and made sure that Lot and his family escaped. Peter speaks of Lot's suffering in the city of Sodom. (Genesis 18:16-33)
• When Jerusalem was besieged by Nebuchadnezzar, Jeremiah was in the city telling the inhabitants to leave the city and give themselves up to the Babylonians. Anyone who knew Jeremiah to be a prophet from the Lord was free to obey God, leave, and be spared the destruction of the city, which was God's wrath poured out on Judah. Jeremiah suffered as a witness to the rest in Jerusalem until the end. (Jeremiah 27)
• Jesus gave instructions concerning the second destruction of Jerusalem such that those who knew Him and His words would be able to escape that destruction. (Luke 21:20-24)

The wrath of God is much more severe than tribulation. Tribulation has a chastening effect and overcoming tribulation is part of the message of Revelation. Wrath has a purging effect. It is designed to kill and eliminate. And that is what the bowls do:

1. The skin of mankind erupts in ugly and painful sores. 100% of mankind is affected.
2. All the sea becomes blood and all the creatures die.
3. All the waters become blood.
4. The sun's heat increases and mankind shakes its fist at the Lord and blaspheme His name in anger.
5. The beast's throne is darkened and mankind blasphemes some more.
6. The kings of the earth are brought to battle.
7. There is a huge earthquake and great hailstones and mankind blasphemes again.

There is no interlude among the bowls. The saints are no longer on the earth. We may suffer tribulation for the purposes of God's kingdom. We will not suffer His wrath.

There is a striking feature in these next verses:

Now I heard the angel of the waters saying: “You are just—the one who is and who was, the Holy One—because you have passed these judgments, because they poured out the blood of your saints and prophets, so you have given them blood to drink. They got what they deserved!” Then I heard the altar reply, “Yes, Lord God, the All-Powerful, your judgments are true and just!” (Revelation 16:5-7)

There are two speakers. An angel proclaims God's justice in pouring out His wrath because those on the earth had killed His people. The second speaker is the altar. The altar, like the Lamb, is a symbol of God's mercy. Since wrath comes when mercy is no longer possible, the altar joins in praise of God's justice!

The seals had a human face. The trumpets had a supernatural face. The persons had a theatrical face. The bowls have the face of justice and judgment.

Thursday: Babylon Revealed.

<>< Test everything. Cling to what is good. ><>

The Seven Persons

For those who would like to start at the very beginning of this series on the book of Revelation, click here.

If you have not followed this series from the beginning, I recommend that you visit this post about the structure of Revelation. The thesis of that post is that the structure of the book of Revelation, after the vision of the throne, consists of seven profiles of the future. Each profile tells the establishment of God's kingdom on earth, but each has its own time line and purpose.

Recap: The seven seals told the story of the coming Kingdom of God from a natural point of view. It involved war, violence, famine, and martyrdom. Such things happen in the natural realm, although the intensity during the very end of this age might be markedly increased. The trumpets told the story from a more supernatural view. The events that follow each blast of a trumpet were unlike anything that the world has seen. If the seven seals were about the end coming from the natural consequences of human activity and sin, then the trumpets were about the Lord applying pressure on mankind by providing a foretaste of the wrath that is coming.

The next profile in Revelation is told through seven persons. These are the primary players in the drama. You might say that these are the ones from whom the events of the seven seals and the seven trumpets flow. Their tale is told in Revelation chapters 12 through 14. 

1. The Woman: Clothed with the sun, having the moon at her feet, and twelve stars for a crown. She represents the nation of Israel. We can know this form two bits of evidence. The first is that she gives birth to one who is clearly Messiah. Second her description has several connections with Joseph's dream:

Then he had another dream, and told it to his brothers. “Look,” he said. “I had another dream. The sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” When he told his father and his brothers, his father rebuked him, saying, “What is this dream that you had? Will I, your mother, and your brothers really come and bow down to you?” His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept what Joseph said in mind. (Genesis 37:9-11, The Net Bible)

2. A Red Dragon: Having seven heads and ten horns. The dragon is waiting for the woman to give birth so that he can devour the child. Revelation, itself, identifies this dragon as Satan (Revelation 20:2). The destruction of the Messiah was a critical to Satan's strategy, but he failed because of the resurrection.
3. The Child: He has the essential Messianic credentials. He is the one who will rule all the nations with a rod of iron. the quote comes from Psalm 2, which is a famous and important messianic prophecy.
4. Michael is the next person. According to Daniel 12:1, this angel is the guardian angel of Israel. He does battle against the Dragon and casts him out of heaven. At this point, a very important song is sung in heaven:

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, “The salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the ruling authority of his Christ, have now come, because the accuser of our brothers, the one who accuses them day and night before our God, has been thrown down. But they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die. Therefore you heavens rejoice, and all who reside in them! But woe to the earth and the sea because the devil has come down to you! He is filled with terrible anger, for he knows that he only has a little time!” (Revelation 12:10-12)

At this point, the dragon pursues the woman. Here is the mark of the centuries of anti-Semitism that has hounded the Jews. However, since he is not successful against the nation, his strategy turns towards a general persecution of all who hold the testimony of Jesus.

5. The dragon calls forth a beast from the sea. This is none other than the fourth beast in Daniel's dream recorded on Daniel 7. Revelation 13 and Daniel 7 share the motif of the sea and the use of beasts to represent empires and kingdoms. Daniel just barely describes the physical appearance of his fourth beast, but John gives us a pretty good description. What is interesting is that this beast has elements of the three earlier beasts in Daniel's dream. As Babylon was represented by a lion, so this beast has the mouth of a lion. As the Medean/Persion empire was a bear, this beast has the feet of a bear. The empire of Greece was the leopard, and this beast was like a leopard. Forget the revived Roman empire, the beast that John sees contains the worst of all the past empires rolled into one. It is interesting, in light of this image, to look back at Jesus' wilderness temptation at the point where Satan shows and offers to him all the kingdoms of the earth. Jesus refused the offer. There is one who is coming who will accept, and this monster will come forth.
6. There then comes forth the beast from the earth. This might be an allusion to Israel, just like the sea is likely an allusion to the Gentiles. This beast looks like a lamb and talks like a dragon. He will seem to some to be the Messiah, but those who know Jesus' voice will recognize that he is not the true Messiah. It is this beast who arranges for everyone to have the mark of the beast on his or her forehead. Without this mark, there is no buying or selling. Herein is told that the mark is the number of the name of the beast: 666. It really does not matter whether this speaks of a literal marking or a spiritual mark. The dominance of the number 7 in Revelation, combined with the beast from the earth--who looks like a lamb, but speaks like a dragon--provides the clue needed to discern that the number 6 (one less than seven) is the number of a counterfeit. Indeed the next chapter places the mark of the beast in the context of salvation and survival.

The Interlude: Just as the seals and the trumpets had an interlude between their sixth and seventh manifestations, so do these seven persons. The interludes before have always shown the victory of the believers in the context of the seals and the context of the trumpets. The beast from the earth makes so that anyone who wants to buy or sell must have the mark of the first beast. Here is shown the Lamb on Mount Zion with 144,000 men who have His Name and the Name of His Father on their foreheads. This is in contrast to the rest of mankind who have received the mark of the beast. Three angels proclaim the coming kingdom in three parts: 1. The gospel is proclaimed through all the earth; 2. Babylon--newly introduced here--is proclaimed to have fallen; 3. Anyone receiving the mark of the beast is signing up for eternal condemnation. The interlude is about whose mark you receive. The Father, I surmise, and the Spirit give encouragement to those whose choice will mean martyrdom. They are blessed and they will find rest. Those who choose the mark of the beast will never find rest (See Isaiah 48:22, 57:20, and 66:24).

7. The Son of Man: He is on a cloud and he reaps the earth. After him comes another angel who reaps the earth of grapes to be pressed in the winepress of the wrath of God. There are two harvests here. Since the second harvest is about wrath, I conclude that the first harvest is about the righteous. The entire build up of these seven persons has been receiving a mark. The Son of Man, who is Jesus, who is the Lamb harvests the earth of those marked with his Name. The rest are harvested to His wrath. You should read this section (14:14-20) along with Daniel 7 and Matthew 24:24-30).

Speaking of Matthew 24:24-30, here it is:

For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. Remember, I have told you ahead of time. So then, if someone says to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe him. For just like the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. “Immediately after the suffering of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will 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 blast, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matthew 24:24-31)

The connections between this passage and the seals, trumpets, and persons is striking. I will have more to say about this later in the series.

As with the seals and the trumpets, this profile told through these persons ends with wrath and salvation.

This profile, told through seven persons, has a theatrical face. Here are the main shakers and movers in the drama of human history. God and the dragon bring forth their people with profound effects on mankind. Indeed all men and women will have to choose to whom they belong. I read this section and I think Jesus' parable about the wheat and the tares:

Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “ The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field . “But while his men were sleeping , his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat , and went away . “But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain , then the tares became evident also . “The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘ Sir , did you not sow good seed in your field ? How then does it have tares ?’ “And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this !’ The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then , to go and gather them up?’ “But he said , ‘ No ; for while you are gathering up the tares , you may uproot the wheat with them. ‘ Allow both to grow together until the harvest ; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers , “ First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn .” ’ ” (Matthew 13:24-30)

Wednesday: The Bowls of Wrath

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The Seven Trumpets

For those who would like to start at the very beginning of this series on the book of Revelation, click here.

If you have not followed this series from the beginning, I recommend that you visit this post about the structure of Revelation. The thesis of that post is that the structure of the book of Revelation, after the vision of the throne, consists of seven profiles of the future. Each profile tells the establishment of God's kingdom on earth, but each has its own time line and purpose.

The seven seals told the story of the coming Kingdom of God from a natural point of view. It involved war, violence, famine, and martyrdom. All these things happen in the natural realm, although the intensity during the very end of this age might be markedly increased. The trumpets, it seems to me, take us into a more supernatural level. The events that follow each blast of a trumpet are unlike anything that the world has seen. If the seven seals are about the end coming from the natural consequences of human activity and sin, then the trumpets are about the Lord applying pressure on mankind by providing a foretaste of the wrath that is coming.

The story told by the seven trumpets begins this way:

Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. Another angel holding a golden censer came and was stationed at the altar. A large amount of incense was given to him to offer up, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar that is before the throne. The smoke coming from the incense, along with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it on the earth, and there were crashes of thunder, roaring, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. (Revelation 8:2-5, The Net Bible)

Before the angels bearing the seven trumpets can sound, attention in heaven is given to the prayers of the saints--the believers on the earth. The effect of these prayers was an initial shaking of the earth preliminary to the sounding of the trumpets. Our prayers reach heaven and have an effect of this earth. Notice, also, that the prayers are mixed with incense. This means that our prayers are magnified in their effects by being mixed with incense from God Himself. The message is similar to Paul's words in Romans:

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how we should pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes on behalf of the saints according to God’s will. (Romans 8:26-27)

We do not pray in vain. The prayers that ascend to heaven during this time are probably much like prayers offered by Christians around the world this very day. There are the prayers of those who are suffering and dying for their faith in Jesus the Messiah, "How long o Lord before you avenge our blood? Give us strength! Protect and guard my family!..." There are the prayers against the dark powers of this age to release those held in bondage to addiction, disease, and unclean spirits. There are the prayers for the lost souls in this world. We do not pray in vain. The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness and our God in heaven provides an incense to mix with our prayers to help them Him. They have a mighty effect on this world. Pray on!

Trumpets are used for fanfares and to call attention. Trumpets have been used in battle situations to communicate instructions to the soldiers, such as when to advance and when to retreat. Gideon used trumpets to great effect in his defeat of the Midianites with a mere 300 soldiers. I understand the trumpets in Revelation to serve the same purpose. They sound to get the world's attention that the Lord is beginning to rise against the sin on the earth. They are a foretaste of what is to come, and they call the people of the earth to repent and receive His mercy and salvation.

The seven angels sound:

1. The first trumpet: hail and fire mixed with blood burns up 1/3 of the vegetation on the earth. Perhaps this speaks of unusual weather patterns that wreck havoc on agriculture and the food supply.
2. The second trumpet: a great mountain of burning fire kills 1/3 of the sea creatures and demolishes 1/3 of sea going vessels. Much as I would like to imagine something else, my readings in astronomy prejudice me toward seeing this as a small asteroid impact. This also affects the food supply.
3. The third trumpet: a burning start like a torch makes 1/3 of fresh water bitter. The name of this star is "Wormwood." There are two things to note here. First, up till now "stars" have been connected with angels. Second, this star is given a name. Perhaps the first two trumpets can be seen in a naturalistic way, but I think this trumpet crosses over to the supernatural realm. This is to say that even if there were a natural appearing reason for the springs and rivers of the earth to become bitter, there is a demonic motivator in the background. This plague affects safe drinking water.
4. The fourth trumpet: 1/3 of the sun, moon, and stars are darkened. An eagle flies in the air proclaiming,  “Woe! Woe! Woe to those who live on the earth because of the remaining sounds of the trumpets of the three angels who are about to blow them!” Perhaps, assuming the first three trumpets deal directly with food and fresh water, the people of the earth would discard the notion that the plagues as being a warning from God. The fourth trumpet, however, manifests God's dominion over the heavens. The eagle, whatever else it might represent, indicates that a clear message will be spoken to the people of the earth about the nature of these events. They are also told that three more woes are ahead.
5. The fifth trumpet: "Locusts" from the abyss. But these are strange creatures. They do not really look like locusts and they are commanded not to eat any green thing. They are called locusts because of their swarming numbers. My preference for understanding them is to see them has a demonic swarm that will torture the souls of men. There is much about the description of those who suffer from these locusts that reminds me of Job's sufferings. Satan smote Job with boils from the top of his head to the soles of his feet. Satan tormented Job with dreams in the night. Job wanted to die, but the Lord had prohibited Satan from killing him. So it will be during this time, only much of mankind will be afflicted.
6. The sixth trumpet: 200 million "soldiers" move to kill 1/3 of mankind. I see these as being a demonic force as well.

There now follows an interlude having two sections. There is a strong angel who descends and stands on the land and the sea and speaks. There is great power and authority in the angel and his standing on the earth and the sea speaks of his dominion over the earth. The second section has to do with the two witnesses in Jerusalem. These are able to work the same miracles as Moses and Elijah, and we might see them as being instrumental in some of the plagues described above. They are part of the warning that the Lord is giving the earth at this time.

7. The seventh angel: The final woe is the establishment of the Kingdom of God.

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.” Then the twenty-four elders who are seated on their thrones before God threw themselves down with their faces to the ground and worshiped God with these words: “We give you thanks, Lord God, the All-Powerful, The one who is and who was, Because you have taken your great power And begun to reign. The nations were enraged, but your wrath has come, and the time has come for the dead to be judged, and the time has come to give to your servants, the prophets, their reward, as well as to the saints and to those who revere your name, both small and great, and the time has come to destroy those who destroy the earth.” (Revelation 11:15-18)

It seems strange the the third woe would be the final establishment of the Kingdom. However, it is at this point that the strongholds of evil and sin have been destroyed. For many on the earth, it will be a time of woe, just as it will be a time of rejoicing and praise in heaven and for the saints.

The seals ended with the wrath of the Lamb and silence in heaven. The trumpets also end with the wrath of God and the establishment of His Kingdom. You can begin to see why I structure Revelation as seven profiles of the future. The seals and trumpets have told the same story from a different point of view. I mentioned that wrath ascribed to the Lamb shows that God's mercy is extended to the end. The same is true with the trumpets. To be sure each blast brings pain on the earth, but it is directed pain designed to bring repentance. It is, therefore, significant that AFTER the effects of the sixth trumpet are complete and BEFORE the sounding of the seventh trumpet bringing the wrath of God, the state of mankind is thus:

The rest of humanity, who had not been killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so that they did not stop worshiping demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk about. Furthermore, they did not repent of their murders, of their magic spells, of their sexual immorality, or of their stealing. (Revelation 9:20-21)

What remains on the earth is a hardened humanity. Skip forward and read the section of the bowls of wrath and see how mankind reacts with a raised fist against God. The trumpets have done their work. Many new saints have been added to the Book of Life, but the book is full. No more will come.

The seals have a human face. The trumpets have a supernatural and demonic face:

• The effects of the earth are supernatural: hail, fire, blood, burning mountains, and a burning star.
• The effects in the heaven are supernatural: the darkening of the sun, moon, and stars.
• The effects on mankind are supernatural: demons from the abyss and from across the Euphrates.

But mankind does not repent and this opens the door for God's wrath. It is worth remembering Abram's dialog with the Lord over the destruction of Sodom. Abram was concerned that the Lord's judgment would also destroy righteous men and women in the city, and the Lord honored that concern by removing Lot and his family from Sodom before He destroyed it. Similarly in Jeremiah's day, "The Lord said, “Go up and down through the streets of Jerusalem. Look around and take note. Search through its public squares. See if you can find a single person who deals honestly and tries to be faithful and true. If you can, then I will not punish this city. (Jeremiah 5:1)"

The Lord withholds His wrath so that we and others can find the riches of His salvation. We Christians are often more eager to pour out wrath than God is. It is time for us to promote His mercy and lovingkindness.

Tuesday: The Seven Persons

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