Outline of the Book of Revelation

The book of Revelation pertains to “things which must shortly come to pass,” which is prophecy—the unfolding of future events (vs. 1). Biblical prophecy is really history written ahead of time. Since all the works of God are known unto Him from past eternity (Acts 15:18), it is nothing for Him to tell us the future before it happens. However, God has not revealed future things to us to intrigue our inquisitive minds, but that they might have a practical effect and bearing on our lives.

The Revelation is a book of judgment and blessing. It begins with the judgment of those who compose the house of God today—the professing Church (1 Peter 4:17). Then after the true Church is called away to heaven at the Rapture, it gives us details concerning the judgment of those left on earth in Christendom, Israel, and the Gentile nations. It closes with blessing in heaven and earth, and all things therein being ordered according to the mind of God, and Christ having His rightful place over it all (Ezek. 21:27).

The Main Divisions in the Book

The book has three main divisions as indicated by the Lord’s words in chapter 1:19. They are:

1. “The things which thou hast seen”— Chapter 1.

2. “The things which are”— Chapters 2-3.

3. “The things which shall be hereafter”— Chapters 4-22.

Things Which Thou Hast Seen: Revelation 1

(Chapter 1)

The Preface

(Chap. 1:1-3)

The Apostle John begins by stating that this book is “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” It is the inspired title. It is noteworthy that in giving this prophecy to John, the Lord “signified” it (vs. 1). This means that the means of communication is symbolic. To attempt to interpret the book literally will leave us hopelessly bereft of its meaning and application. Even though the book is written in symbolism, the symbols themselves represent literal things, and in this sense, we believe in a literal interpretation of Scripture. John tells us that there is a special blessing of those who simply “read,” “hear,” and “keep” (but not necessarily understand) the words in this book.

The Greeting

(Chap. 1:4-6)

The book of Revelation was written “to the seven churches which are in Asia” (vs. 4). These churches can be read for their practical value and much can be gleaned from it in this way. But the primary interpretation of these churches present a prophetic history of the Church on earth—from Pentecost to the Lord’s coming (the Rapture). Since it was given to the Church as a whole, it means that the Lord gave this book of prophecy to the Church for its profit. Some think that prophecy is not for the Church, but these verses clearly remove that false idea. The Lord wants Christians to know about future events that lead up to His eventual reign in His millennial kingdom.

The proper effect of reading this book of prophecy will lead to worship, praise, and thanksgiving to the Lord Jesus Christ. This is illustrated in John’s doxology of praise (vs. 6b). While we are on earth, and we know in part, our praise of Him is limited. This is illustrated in the fact that the praise mentioned here has but two notes—“glory and dominion.” In heaven we find that the praise of the Lamb will be complete as denoted in the seven notes of praise in chapter 5.

The Twofold Purpose of the Book

(Chap. 1:7-8)

Vs. 7—The purpose of the book is two-fold:

• The first is to show that all mankind will be held accountable for the way in which they have lived in this world and will be judged accordingly when Christ intervenes at His Appearing to set this world right.

• The second is to show how God will work to reach His ultimate end of exalting and glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ in the very scene in which He was dishonoured and rejected by men.

The Lord’s Coming

The announcement is made: “Behold, He cometh.” This is the first mention of the Lord’s coming in the book. Scripture indicates that there are two distinct phases to His coming, which the prophetic student must take note of, if he wishes to understand the scheme of prophetic events in the Bible. The main difference is:

• The first phase of His coming has to do with the Lord taking His saints to heaven in a glorified state. This will involve raising the New and Old Testament saints from the dead in a glorified state, and transforming the living saints into a glorified state, and then taking them all to heaven together (Matt. 25:6, 10-13; John 14:2-3; 1 Cor. 15:23, 51-56; Phil. 3:20-21; 1 Thess. 4:15-18; 2 Thess. 2:1; 3:5; Titus 2:13a; Heb. 9:28; 10:37; 11:40; Rev. 1:7; 3:10-11; 22:20). This has been called the Rapture––a word taken from the Latin, meaning “caught up.”

• The second phase has to do with the Lord bringing the glorified saints out of heaven with Him when He appears to judge the world in righteousness and to establish His millennial kingdom (Matt. 24:27, 30, 36-41; 25:31; 26:64; 1 Thess. 3:13; 4:14; 2 Thess. 1:7-10; 2:8-9; Jude 14-15; Rev. 11:15; 14:14-16; 16:15; 19:10-21). This is called “the revelation of Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 1:7; 1 Peter 1:13; 4:13) or “the appearing” of Christ (2 Thess. 2:8; Matt. 24:30; Col. 3:4; Titus 2:13; 2 Tim. 4:1, 8; 1 John 3:2).

The Old Testament saints knew something about the REVELATION (the Appearing – Isa. 30:27-28; Jude 14-15; Zech. 14:5), but they didn’t know about the RAPTURE and the glorification of the saints. This latter thing is something that was not revealed until the New Testament times (1 Cor. 15:51-56; Phil. 3:20-21; 1 Thess. 4:15-18). Although the Lord comes out of heaven on both occasions, these two phases are vastly different. Some of these differences are:

The Rapture will occur when the Lord comes for His saints (John 14:2-3); the Appearing of Christ will occur when He comes with His saints which had been taken to heaven at the Rapture (1 Thess. 3:13; 4:14; Jude 14; Zech. 14:5).

The Rapture occurs before the seven-year tribulation period begins (Rev. 3:10), and the Appearing of Christ occurs “immediately after the tribulation” (Matt. 24:29-30).

The Rapture could take place at any moment (Matt. 25:13), but the Appearing of Christ will not occur until seven years after the Rapture (Col. 3:4).

At the Rapture, the Lord will come secretly, in “a twinkling of an eye” (1 Cor. 15:52); at His Appearing, He will come publicly and every eye shall see Him (Rev. 1:7).

At the Rapture, He will come to deliver the Church (1 Thess. 1:10); at His Appearing, He will come to deliver Israel (Psa. 6:1-4). The Church will be delivered from going into the Tribulation (Rev. 3:10), whereas the Jews will go through it but will be delivered from it in the end, by the Lord’s bringing the Tribulation to a close.

At the Rapture, He will come in the air for His Church because they are His heavenly people (1 Thess. 4:15-18); at His Appearing, He will come back to the earth (the Mount of Olives) for Israel because they are His earthly people (Zech. 14:4-5).

At the Rapture, He will take the believers out of this world and leave the wicked behind (John 14:2-3); at His Appearing, the wicked will be taken out of the kingdom of the heavens for judgment and the believers (those who have been converted through the gospel of the kingdom that will be preached during the Tribulation) will be left to enjoy blessing on earth (Matt. 13:41-43; 25:41).

At the Rapture, He will come to deliver His saints (the Church) from the “wrath” to come (1 Thess. 1:10); at His Appearing, He will come to deliver the “wrath” (Rev. 19:15).

At the Rapture, the Lord will come as “the Bridegroom” (Matt. 25:10), but at the Appearing, He will come as “the Son of Man” (Matt. 24:30, 37, 39, 44, etc.)

At the Rapture, He will come as the "Morning Star" which rises just prior to daybreak (Rev. 22:16); at His Appearing, He will come as the "Sun of Righteousness," which is daybreak (Mal. 4:2).

At the Rapture, He will come without any signs, because the Christian walks by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7); at the Appearing, His coming will be surrounded by signs, because the Jews seek a sign (Luke 21:11, 25-27; 1 Cor. 1:22).

Reformed Theology sees the Rapture and the Revelation (Appearing) as one event, and it has brought in nothing but confusion regarding Israel and the Church. These two events couldn’t possibly happen at the same time because there are several things that Scripture indicates which occur between them that make it unfeasible. For example, when the Lord comes and calls us away from the earth, He takes us into “the Father’s house” and formally introduces us to that heavenly scene (John 14:2-3). Shortly after that, the “judgment seat” review will take place (2 Cor. 5:10). After that, there will be a time of worship “round about the throne” in heaven (Rev. 4-5). Then, after that, there will be “the marriage of the Lamb” and “the supper” that ensues it (Rev. 19:6-10). It is only after these things have occurred that the Lord comes out of heaven with us at His Appearing (Rev. 19:11-21). If you make the Rapture and the Appearing into one event, it leaves no room for these things to happen.

The Land, the Earth, and the World

Three great sectors in the human race are distinguished in verse 7 in connection with the Lord’s coming. These three spheres on earth have varying responsibilities according to the degree of light that they have had from God. They are:

• “Every eye shall see Him”—The Christianized nations (vs. 7a).

• “They also which pierced Him”—The nation of Israel (the Jews particularly) (vs. 7b).

• “All kindreds of the earth”—The nations outside the prophetic earth (vs. 7c).

Prophecy is laid out in the Scriptures in relation to these three spheres. They are distinguished as: “the land,” “the earth,” and “the world” (Isa. 18:2-3; 24:3-6; 26:9-10). These are concentric circles—each being broader than the previous one. “The land” is the smallest sphere and refers to the land of Israel, not the little bit that they possess today but what was promised to Abraham. “The earth” is a broader sphere; it includes Israel’s promised inheritance but also takes in the nations in which the old Roman Empire conquered in Western Europe. The students of prophecy call this “the prophetic earth.” Prophetically, it refers to the Western nations. Since those who populate the Americas today have mostly come from the nations of Western Europe, most prophetic students see them as included in the prophetic earth (Dan. 2:43 – “ ... shall mingle themselves with the seed of men”). “The world” is a broader sphere yet; it includes the land and the earth, but also takes in the remaining parts of the globe—i.e. the nations outside the prophetic earth.

God knows that we would never be able to grasp the details of prophecy if He were to give us what pertains to each of these spheres all at one time. Therefore, in the prophetic Scriptures, God wisely deals with these spheres one at a time. He gives us details that begin at some point in the Tribulation period and takes us through to the Appearing of Christ, which introduces the Millennium. Then He goes back and covers that ground again from another perspective, again taking us along to the Appearing of Christ and the Millennium. It is important to see this; all Bible prophecy is given in this way. It occurs over and over again throughout the prophetic Scriptures. This is the way in which events are presented in the Prophets, the Psalms, and in the Lord’s prophetic discourses in Matthew 24-25—and it is no different in the book of Revelation. It is the God-appointed way of teaching us prophetic truth. We will see in chapters 6-16, that the Spirit of God takes the reader through the Tribulation period on to the Appearing of Christ three times, each in relation to one of these three spheres.

Vs. 8—As mentioned, the second purpose of the book is to show how God will work all things to His ultimate end of exalting and glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is the “Alpha and Omega” (the beginning and ending) of all prophecy (vs. 8). He is the source and goal of all God’s ways in creation, grace, and judgment. Being the central figure of prophecy, God will bring Him into view for all to see at His appearing.

At the Appearing of Christ two things will commence. One is “the day of the Lord” (1 Thess. 5:2; 2:2; Isa. 2:10-22; Joel 1:15; Zeph. 2:2-3; Mal. 4:5), which is when His Lordship authority will be established in the earth by judgment. It will extend for 1000 years—the duration of the Millennium (2 Peter 3:8-10). The other is “the day of Christ” (2 Thess. 1:10; 1 Cor. 1:8; 3:13; 5:5; 2 Cor. 1:14; Phil. 1:6, 10; 2:16), which is the day of His display in glory through the Church during that same time—the Millennium. These two days present two sides of Christ’s reign in that coming day.

The book of Revelation is, therefore, a book of judgment but also a book of blessing. (There are seven blessings mentioned—chap. 1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14.)

The State of Soul Necessary to Apprehend the Prophecies of the Book

(Chap. 1:9-11)

John speaks of being “in the Spirit on the Lord’s day” when he got this revelation from the Lord. This points to the necessity of being in a right state of soul to take in these prophetic subjects. The book was written by a man “in the Spirit” and will only be understood by men and women who are in the Spirit.

John “turned” and saw Christ as the Son of Man, not in the way that the Spirit would normally set Christ before the believer (as the Son of God in all His grace and love and beauty), but in His judicial character. He had to turn to see Christ in this way because it was not the normal occupation for a child of God. Judgment is “His strange work” in which man’s sin has forced Him to act (Isa. 28:21).

The Vision of Jesus Christ as a Judge

(Chap. 1:12-20)

In this book of many visions, it is fitting that the first should be of Christ in His judicial character. It is significant that He acts as a Judge in connection with the seven churches before He judges the world; “judgment must begin at the house of God”—with those who are most responsible (1 Peter 4:17).

Christ is seen clothed in His judicial garments and “girt about the paps with a golden girdle.” This refers to the fact that His affections are restrained as He acts in this judicial capacity. Seven features of the Judge are mentioned:

• “His head and hairs were white like wool”—speaks of full maturity in judicial understanding (Dan. 7:9).

• “His eyes were as a flame of fire”—the piercing character of His discernment. Nothing escapes His eye.

• “His feet were like unto fine brass”—His firmness in righteous judgment. He will not compromise holiness.

• “His voice as the sound of many waters”—His many facets of speaking governmentally to people.

• “His right hand seven stars”—His authority is vested in responsible persons in the Church.

• “His mouth” had “a two-edged sword” in it—His ability to execute judgment against every wrong.

• “His countenance was as the sun”—He is the supreme authority in the universe. Hence, there can be no appeal to any person higher than Him.

The Judge Speaks

Vss. 17-20—Upon seeing the Lord in the character of a mighty Judge, John falls “at His feet.” It is from this posture that he learns about the state of the Church—its failure in public testimony, as found in chapters 2-3. This is the proper place for us to learn of the true state of the Church—on our faces before the Lord. The Christian testimony is in ruins, and we have all contributed to its sad state, and cannot rightly point a condemning finger at anyone in history or in this present day without condemning ourselves. Therefore, we are to view the failure of the Church in testimony in the spirit of self-judgment.

To dispel John’s fear and trepidation the Lord laid His “right hand” on John and spoke to him, saying, “Fear not.” It is divine consolation and strengthening for the work that John was about to be given—namely, to “write” the prophetic messages to the seven churches (Compare Matthew 17:6-7).

The Lord said, “I am He that liveth, and was [became] dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell [Hades] and of death.” In this, the Lord showed John that He had the right to act as the Judge of all the earth (Gen. 18:25). The Lord has gone into death and Hades and has conquered both. He now has “the keys” of these two conditions. “Death” is what claims the human body; “Hades” is what claims the soul and spirit. Having paid the price for sin in going into death, He has the right and the power to exercise judgment against sinners, and thus consign whom He would to death and Hades. He also has the power to raise them out of death and consign them to a lost eternity, as seen at the end of the book.

John is told to “write” of the prophetic subjects he will see in three great sections (vs. 19):

1. “The things which thou hast seen”—Chapter 1.

2. “The things which are”—Chapters 2-3.

3. “The things which shall be hereafter”—Chapters 4-22.

This shows that these prophecies were given to John in an orderly way and he has written them by the Spirit in an orderly way. Some people look at the book of Revelation as a tangled web of information that only an astute prophetic student could unravel and explain. However, the book only appears confusing; it is really very orderly. If we understand the way in which the Spirit of God presents prophecy throughout Scripture and also recognize that there are parentheses in certain places in this book, the confusion will disappear. One also needs a basic understanding of the meaning of the symbols used in prophecy. Since the book of Revelation has been placed at the end of our Bibles, the Spirit of God assumes that we are familiar with these symbols, having seen them used elsewhere in Scripture. The object of this outline of Revelation that we are about to embark on is to provide the reader with a basic understanding of these things.

Vs. 20—The Lord explains to John the hidden meaning of “the seven stars” which were in His right hand and “the seven golden candlesticks [lamps].” The “stars” are the “angels” of the seven churches. This refers to the double responsibility that the leaders in the churches have. As “stars” they are to be light bearers of the principles of God’s Word. They are to provide light for the saints from God’s Word in matters that concern the local assembly. This means that they must be well grounded in the truth (Titus 1:9). As “angels” they are to be God’s messengers, taking the lead in the assembly and seeing to it that those principles are carried out in the fear of God (Eccl. 5:6; Mal. 2:7 – J. N. Darby Trans. footnote). It is significant that the Lord holds the angel of each church responsible for the state that the church in that locality was in (chaps. 2-3). He is seen walking in the midst of the seven churches, assessing their condition and counseling those who are in the place of responsibility as to what they can do to help the particular condition that that local church was in (chap. 2:1).

The seven “golden candlesticks [lamps]” are the seven churches. They speak of the local assembly being a responsible witness in the community where they are situated.

The Things Which Are: Revelation 2-3

(Chapters 2-3)

These two chapters contain the Lord’s addresses to the seven churches of Asia. These churches, taken consecutively, give us a prophetic history of the Christian testimony, portraying the various stages through which the Church would pass. These particular churches in Asia were selected in order to present pictures of the moral and spiritual conditions that would successively develop in the Christian profession from the days of the apostles to the coming of the Lord (the Rapture). The fact that the Church’s witness for Christ is symbolized by “lamps” indicates that the time of this witness is during the Lord’s absence from this world, when it is night spiritually (Rev. 1:20; John 9:4-5).

The Lord walks “in the midst” of the seven golden lamps. He is not there as an object of worship (John 20:19-22; Rev. 5:6-14), or to authorize assembly actions done in His name (Matt. 18:20), but as a Judge assessing the state of things in the public testimony of the Church.

Ephesus—the Loveless Church

(Chap. 2:1-7)

The assembly at Ephesus represents the Church historically, from the days just after the apostles to 167 A.D.

This church was outwardly blameless in its testimony before the world, but inwardly it was in a fallen condition. There was soundness of doctrine and godly jealousy for holiness as proved in their exercising discipline on all falsehood, but the inner spring of affection for Christ was sadly broken. The Thessalonians were marked by the “work of faith, the “labour of love,” and “the patience of hope” (1 Thess. 1:3). This pretty much marked the condition of the Church at large in those early days. But now, a relatively few years later, there were only “works,” “labour,” and “patience.” The faith, love, and hope that was once the driving force in their activities has dissipated.

Declension had come in, not because they weren’t serving the Lord anymore, but because their affections toward Him had decayed. The Lord says to them, “Thou hast left thy first love” (vs. 4). The root of all failure in the Church can be traced to defection in the heart. Something had dampened the love that was once there in their hearts, and the Lord felt it. The word translated “first” in the original language can be translated “best,” as it is in Luke 15:22. Hence, “first love” does not refer to what is first in time, but what is first in quality. It is our chief (or best) love that the Lord wants. T. B. Baines said, “What is it to the loving Bridegroom that the bride be faultless in her behaviour, if her affections were growing cold? Will mere propriety of conduct, or diligence in duty satisfy the heart that thirsts for love?”

Signs of this decay of first love were in evidence among the saints in the apostles’ day (2 Tim. 4:10; 3 John 9), but it was not long before the Church generally was marked by this decay. (Compare Jeremiah 2:2.)

The word to the overcomer in each of the churches shows that there is a way of recovery from the condition that prevailed in that particular church—but it is all on an individual level. The Lord says, “He that hath an ear, let him hear ... ” He does not say, “They that have an ear, let them hear ... ” The point we are to get from this is that we don’t have to be content with the general state that marks Christians as a whole; we can rise above it and walk in a way that will meet the Lord’s approval.

Smyrna—the Persecuted Church

(Chap. 2:8-11)

The assembly at Smyrna represents the Church historically from 167 A.D. to 313 A.D. The word “Smyrna” means “suffering.” The Lord’s words to this church fittingly describe the period of suffering the church went through in the second and third centuries.

Satan came at the Church as a roaring lion and unleashed a terrible persecution on the saints. During this period many thousands of Christians died as martyrs. The Lord presents Himself to them as a sympathetic Judge, having known what it is to have died as a martyr Himself (vs. 8).

The persecution leveled at the Church at this time was two-fold:

Firstly, from a religious element within the Christian testimony (vs. 9). A definite party had developed in the Church called, “the synagogue of Satan” that sought to attach the forms, ceremonies, and principles of Judaism to Christianity. It was Satan’s attempt to Judaize the Church, and to rob it of its heavenly calling and character.

Secondly, from the pagan Roman world without (vs. 10). The devil stirred up the Roman authorities to begin a purge of the empire of Christians. There were ten specific periods of intense persecution at this time that answer to the Lord’s remark that they would have tribulation for “ten days.”

The reoccurring appearance of “Satan” and “the devil” in these two chapters indicates that he was very active in smashing and corrupting the Christian testimony (chap. 2:9, 2:10, 2:13(x2), 2:24; 3:9). During these great persecutions in Smyrna Satan worked to take the Scriptures away from the Church. The Roman authorities enforced laws to confiscate all copies of the Word of God. This was a giant step toward the Church losing the truth.

The overcomer is promised “the crown of life.” This is a special crown given to those who are “faithful unto death.” It is sometimes called “the martyr’s crown.”

Pergamos—the Worldly Church

(Chap. 2:12-17)

The assembly at Pergamos represents the Church historically from 313 A.D to about 580 A.D.

The word “Pergamos” means “marriage” or “twice married.” It marks the period in history when the Church gave up principles of separation and married the world. The weapon of violence used by the enemy in Smyrna only proved the reality of the Christian faith. Christians would not compromise and sacrifice to pagan gods. Therefore, Satan changed his tactics and sought to infiltrate the Christian ranks to corrupt it and bring discredit on its testimony. He failed in his attacks in Smyrna, but he succeeded to a large measure in Pergamos.

Satan had his instrument to accomplish his plan. He used emperor Constantine. His mother (Helenus) apparently was a believer, and through her influence, before he was emperor, he was somewhat favourable towards Christians when they were being persecuted. Not long after he got to the throne, he granted liberty to the Christians to worship according to their conscience. Christianity became one of the many religions in the empire. As time wore on, Constantine became better acquainted with Christianity. He realized that Christians made better subjects than pagans. They could be relied on to uphold the king and the kingdom, or at least, not interfere with it. They were peaceful people who even prayed for the king, whereas the pagans were continually involved in uprisings and required constant maintenance.

Learning of the positive benefit of having Christians as subjects, Constantine figured that it would consolidate his power if all were Christians. Therefore, in 324 A.D. he issued edicts against paganism, and sought to force Christianity on all in the empire. In many places it was forced on people at the point of a sword. For them it was either Christian baptism or death, so they opted for baptism. (It is interesting to note that no one was convicted enough of their paganism to die for it, as were the Christians in the times of persecution!) The result was tens of thousands of pagans became nominal Christians.

However, while pagans left their paganism formally, paganism didn’t leave them practically, and a lot of it was brought into Christianity at that time. Since the gorgeous heathen temples and vestments of their priests were no longer being used, the emperor offered them to the Christians, along with gold and patronage. And the Church eagerly swallowed the bait! Christians came out of meeting in their homes and moved into the grand temples that were vacated by the pagans. To accommodate the influx of pagans who clung to their ancient superstitions, professing Christianity adopted many of these things by giving them Christianized names. Ancient pagan feasts and festivals that were around long before the church were brought into the Christian profession at this time. This is where Christmas and Easter, etc., came from.

Christianity received a whole new look, but it also imbibed the deadly venom of the serpent’s bite. In a relatively short period of time the Church “married” the world. Previously, the world and the Church walked apart; now they walked hand in hand. The Church at this time was characterized by:

Tolerating the unjust practice in the treatment of faithful believers (vs. 13). Faithful believers, such as “Antipas,” who protested the terrible compromise were persecuted and killed. The Lord held the “angel” of the church responsible because it took place “among” them.

Tolerating two evil doctrines. One is “the doctrine of Balaam,” which is idolatry. This refers to the acceptance of pagan feasts and rituals into the church under Christianized names (vs. 14). The other is “the doctrine of the Nicolaitans,” which is the beginnings of the clergy system. “Nico” means to rule, and “laitan” is the same word as laity, which is the people (vs. 15). Both of these doctrines did not directly touch the Person and work of Christ, so it could be said that the angel of this church (the responsible leaders) did not deny the faith (vs. 13). While the angel is not charged with holding these doctrines, it was guilty of tolerating them. They did not denounce them as did the angel in Ephesus.

Through worldliness, the Church in this period grew careless as to holding the truth, and this resulted in it being lost. As the Church entered the dark ages, the truth that was once given by the apostles to the saints (Jude 3) was replaced with Judaizing teaching, clerical ideas, and pagan superstitions.

Thyatira—the Pagan Church

(Chap. 2:18-29)

The assembly at Thyatira represents a powerful system in the Church that began around 580 A.D. known as Catholicism. It marks the time when this ecclesiastical system ruled the Church and the world. The word “Thyatira” means “continual sacrifice” and points to the Catholic Mass that came into practice at that time.

The bringing in of unconverted pagans in the Pergamos period, over time, resulted in the professing Church becoming mostly pagan in character. However, in the midst of all this corruption there were some good things that were said of the church at Thyatira. They were helpful toward those in need, and the Lord commended them for their benevolence (vs. 19). But the chief thing that marks this period in Church history is that the wicked system of Catholicism gained control over the Church at large. Hence, a worse condition prevailed than what had been in Pergamos.

“Jezebel” represents that wicked system. She called herself “a prophetess” and assumed a role in the Church that God had never given to her. She began to “teach and to seduce” her subjects with her evil doctrines and practices. Note the progression; the evil doctrines which were held by some in Pergamos are now taught publicly in Thyatira! (vss. 14, 20) The woman through her evil teachings turned the great mass of professing Christians from Christ to Mary; from Christ the Head of the Church to the pope; from the one sacrifice of Christ to the continual sacrifice of the Mass. The Mass is an insult to the “one sacrifice” of Christ, and a denial of that finished work (John 19:30; Heb. 10:12-14).

The Catholic system began to legislate its dogmas and force them upon the Christian profession. At the risk of losing one’s life, the great mass of the people were forced to sin in partaking of her corruptions.

Some Outstanding Evil Doctrines and Practices Introduced by the Catholic Church

• The Mass.

• Pontifical authority (the succession of popes).

• Baptismal Regeneration.

• Justification by Works.

• Image Worship.

• Celibacy.

• Mariolatry.

• Confessional.

• Purgatory.

• Transubstantiation.

• Indulgences.

• Penance.

Four Classes of Persons in Thyatira

Four different groups of persons are referred to here. The first is the “angel” of this assembly, which is the responsible leaders who are married to Jezebel. (Verse 20 should be translated, “Thy wife Jezebel.”) As Jezebel of old controlled her husband Ahab and the kingdom in Israel, the Church of Rome entered the political arena and controlled and dominated the nations of Europe. In Pergamos, the world entered the Church, but in Thyatira, things sunk to a lower point, and the Church was found ruling the world! As Jezebel in old times killed the Lord’s prophets (1 Kings 18:4), the wicked system of Romanism drenched the earth with the blood of those who would not accept its evil doctrines and practices (Rev. 17:6).

The second group of persons is Jezebel’s “children” (vs. 23) These are merely professing believers who accept, imbibe, and promote her doctrines, and are thus marked by her character and ways of corruption.

The third and fourth groups represent a remnant of real believers amidst the mass of the people. The first of these is “My servants.” These were real believers who, out of ignorance and fear, went along with Jezebel’s evil without protest, and were “seduced” by her corruptions (vs. 20). Obadiah is a type of these. He “feared the Lord greatly,” but served Ahab and Jezebel (1 Kings 18:1-4). Then there is “the rest [remnant].” These were believers who had the courage and conviction to stand apart from the corruptions of Jezebel, and they suffered persecution for it (vs. 24). Elijah and the seven thousand in Israel who would not bow the knee to Baal are a type of these faithful ones (1 Kings 19:18).

A Remnant Distinguished From the Mass

When widespread corruption thoroughly permeated the Christian testimony through the wickedness of Catholicism, conditions reached a point of no recovery. A similar thing happened in the history of Israel (2 Chron. 36:16 – “no remedy”). Hence, there is no call to repent given to this church as there was with the previous churches. The only mention of repentance is that they had an opportunity to repent, but that time had passed them by (vs. 21). Consequently, from this point forward, a marked change takes place in the Lord’s ways with the Church; He no longer calls for a restoration of the public testimony of the Church at large. Instead, He separates a remnant of true believers, saying, “But unto you I say, the rest [remnant] ... ” (vs. 24) and He works with them to strengthen and encourage them, and leaves the public mass to go on its way to judgment.

This change in God’s ways with the Church is indicated by the call to “hear what the Spirit says to the churches [assemblies]” following the promise held out to the overcomer, instead of preceding it, as was the pattern in the churches before Thyatira. In the first three churches, the reward to the overcomer was set before the whole Church because the Lord was still dealing with it at large. All who heard and obeyed would receive the overcomer’s reward. But that is given up now. Remarking on this change, J. N. Darby said, “The body at large is dropped.” Walter Scott added, “The public mass of the Christian profession is treated as being incapable of hearing and repenting.” The call to “hear what the Spirit says to the churches,” in the last four churches, is given to a remnant (not the whole Church), because only they will hear and overcome. W. Kelly said, “The Lord thenceforth puts the promise [to the overcomer] first, and this is because it is vain to expect the Church as a whole to receive it ...a remnant only, overcome, and the promise is for them; as for the others, it is all over.” This marked change in the Lord’s addresses to the seven churches indicates that He no longer expects the mass of the Christian profession to hear and return to the point from which it departed. All thought of restoring the public testimony of the Church at large is abandoned because it has reached a point of “no remedy.”

Vss. 25-29—The remnant of faithful believers in the dark ages were the Nestorians, Paulicians, Waldenses and the Albigenses, and other pre-reformers. They are told to “hold fast” to what little truth they had, and the Lord would reward them. For the first time in these addresses we hear of the Lord’s coming—without distinguishing the Rapture from the Appearing. It is held out as a hope, since the hope of recovering the public testimony of the Church is impossible. In each of the last four churches there is an allusion to the Lord’s coming. This indicates that each of the ecclesiastical conditions which those churches represent will continue on earth until He comes.

Sardis—the Lifeless Church

(Chap. 3:1-6)

The assembly in Sardis represents Protestantism, which began in 1529 A. D. The word “Sardis” means “those escaping,” and it signifies what happened at that time. Just as Jehu of old was used to break the hold that Jezebel had on the kingdom in Israel (2 Kings 9-10), God raised up the reformers whom He used to break the power of Romanism and this allowed many of the saints to escape from its clutches. This was the result of God giving His faithful ones more light, and in obedience they acted on it. The two chief things that the reformers insisted on were:

• The supremacy of the Bible over all church dogma.

• Salvation is by faith alone.

It is significant that the Lord said to this assembly, “I have not found thy works perfect [complete].” Sadly, the spiritual energy that marked the reformers did not continue. What began in the power of the Spirit lapsed into cold, formal, dead orthodoxy. This was the result of lifeless men joining this movement away from the Roman Catholic Church. The kings of Europe were tired of Rome controlling them and gladly offered their support to the Protestant movement, because of their natural animosity against Romanism. The reformers accepted the protection the national governments gave them from persecution by the Church of Rome and they established the great national churches in Protestantism that still exist today.

The assembly at Sardis represents the condition of things in Christendom after the impulse of the Reformation had passed. It is a description of what the reformers fell into—Protestantism. While the Reformation was a mighty work of God—energized by the Spirit, Protestantism was a work of men—energized by the flesh. Sad to say, the reformers came out of Romanism, but Romanism did not altogether come out of them. Hence, the Protestant churches have a lot of Romish ideas and practices. In the dark ages the Catholic Church ruled the governments of the world, but in Protestantism, we see the Church and the State ruling co-jointly. This is not at all according to God’s mind. As a result, the recovery of truth that God was affecting was halted.

The "few" names in Sardis which had "not defiled their garments" would be groups such as the Puritans who lived with great devotion to the Lord.

Philadelphia—the Faithful Church

(Chap. 3:7-13)

The assembly in Philadelphia represents a movement of God in Christendom that began in 1827 A.D. Essentially, it was a reviving of what began with the Reformation, but what had faded out. “Philadelphia” means “brotherly love” and signifies the happy state of a remnant testimony of believers who were exercised to return to first principles in regard to assembly order and practice.

In each of the previous churches, the Lord described Himself according to one of the features in which John had seen Him in chapter 1. But in addressing this church He presents Himself in an entirely new way. This indicates a new departure in the Lord’s ways. Heretofore, the remnant of exercised believers walked as individuals, but at this time, the Lord brought into existence a remnant testimony in a corporate sense. This led to a recovery of the truth that had been lost for centuries—particularly Paul’s doctrine (2 Tim. 3:10).

The Lord’s Three-fold Presentation of Himself

Vs. 7—The Lord presented Himself to this church in a three-fold way. The result of believers apprehending Him after these characteristics is that three great things happened at that time.

Firstly, the Lord said, “He that is holy, He that is true.” At that time, exercised saints saw the Lord in the character of being "holy" and "true," and understood that to have fellowship with Him, holiness and truth were required of them. This led them through various exercises in regard to separation from evil. It resulted in them breaking all unscriptural ties that they had—particularly ecclesiastical (2 Tim. 2:19-22).

Secondly, the Lord presented Himself as having “the key of David.” This is a reference to the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah of Israel. They are prophecies connected with the promises made to David regarding Christ who would come out of his house (lineage) to reign in His kingdom (Isa. 22:22). At that time, the Lord caused a general awakening and interest in prophecy in the Christian profession. In searching out prophetic subjects, they discovered that the Church has no part in the future earthly blessings of Israel, but has its own distinct and heavenly blessings. Thus, they were given to see the true nature and calling of the Church, with its practical arrangements for worship and ministry while on earth. This led many to return to the simple pattern in God's Word as to assembly order.

Thirdly, the Lord presented Himself to this church as “He who opens and no man shall shut, and shuts and no man shall open.” At that time, the Lord opened the door to God's treasure house of truth, and caused a full recovery of the truth that was once delivered to the saints (Jude 3). This included the truth of the Lord’s coming (the Rapture), of which they are commended for holding in their affections (vs. 10). It was a sovereign movement of God that no man or devil could stop. Apprehending this gave the saints confidence to meet together for worship and ministry as led by the Spirit.

It is significant that this church is not called to repent, as was the case in the previous churches (except Smyrna), because they were already in a state of repentance. They were deeply grieved over the fallen condition of the Church’s testimony and confessed their part in its failure (compare Daniel 9; Ezra 9; Nehemiah 9). Consequently, there was nothing for the Lord to judge because they had judged themselves.

Three Qualities the Lord Appreciated in the Philadelphians

Vs. 8—There are three qualities that the Lord particularly notes in His assessment of this church.

1) “Thou hast a little power”—This is something that flows from communion—from abiding in Christ (John 15:4-5). They had the same power that the early Church had (Acts 4:33), but it was “little.” Hence, this revival was not some large-scale movement; it was a remnant testimony to the truth of the assembly. It had no great worldly status, as did the Catholic Church and the national churches of Protestantism.

2) “Thou hast kept My Word”—Those connected with this movement were students of the Scriptures. They were not just hearers only, but were doers of the Word (James 1:22). They treasured His Word and put it into practice, and therefore, were commended for keeping His Word.

3) “Thou hast not denied My name”—A name in Scripture often implies character. Hence, in practical life, the very character of Christ Himself marked these people. All that tended to deny Christ’s character was refused in a practical way. They also forsook all denominational names and titles, and were happy to meet simply in His name alone (Matt. 18:20).

Vs. 9—There was reproach connected with identifying with this movement. Walking in what they apprehended from the Word of God put them into a position of great reproach from those who were not willing to walk in those things (vs. 9). This revival of the truth sparked a revival of Satanic opposition. The evil attack of the enemy in Smyrna raised its ugly head again. Those styled as “the synagogue of Satan” are professing Christians who are governed by Judaic principles in organized ecclesiastical Christianity. It is these who were the opposers to this divine movement, and Satan himself was behind it.

Vs. 10—The Philadelphians were commended for keeping the Word of His “patience” which is an aspect of the truth that has to do with the hope of the Lord’s coming (vs. 10). Keeping it (not just knowing it) made them live as heavenly strangers in separation from the world. Hence, as pilgrims they did not involve themselves with the politics of the world, or any other aspect of the world. The Lord promised to keep them “out of the hour of temptation” (the Tribulation period) that was coming on the world. Note: the Lord says, “Keep thee out of,” not “keep thee in” the hour of temptation. This shows that the Church will not go through the Tribulation, as will the Jews (compare Jeremiah 14:8).

Vs. 11—The Lord promises to come “quickly.” This refers to the imminence of His coming, which was particularly before this church. While the Lord finds nothing to judge in Philadelphia, He does warn them of the possibility of letting go of what they had been given, and thus lose their “crown.” He says, “Hold that fast which thou hast.” Note: they are counseled not just to “hold” it, but to hold it “fast.” This indicates the need of tenacity. The Philadelphian’s ever-present danger was to surrender the truths that had been recovered, and to get drawn back into the confusion in Christendom from which they had separated. History tells us that this is exactly what happened with many who were connected with this movement. They gave up pieces of the truth that was recovered by this movement, and were taken away in divisions among brethren or scattered into the evangelical churches. Today, the spiritual energy connected with this movement, which was once considerable, is now down to a trickle.

Vss. 12-13—As with all of the other churches, the Lord also gave a word for the overcomer. We might wonder why there would be such a word given to this church since there was nothing out of order that required overcoming. However, a true overcomer in Philadelphia is not just to have been in that path of keeping His Word and not denying His name, but to have continued in it until the end of one’s life, or until the Lord comes—the Rapture.

Laodicea—the Lukewarm Church

(Chap. 3:14-22)

The assembly at Laodicea represents a condition in the church that grew out of the truth being recovered in Philadelphia. Historically it began in the latter half of the 1800s and it will continue to the Lord’s coming—the Rapture. “Laodicea” means, “the rights of the people,” and it denotes the modern democratic ideas that have influenced the Church in these last days. In evangelical Christendom today, local churches choose their elders and nominate their so-called Pastors, and thus, in essence, they somewhat control their leaders.

What is described in Laodicea answers to the Church’s testimony in its closing days. It is the holding of Christian truth (recovered in Philadelphian times) or parts thereof, nominally, or intellectually, without it having any moral bearing on one’s life. For example, most Christian groups in the last 100 years have held and taught the truth of the Lord’s coming for His saints at any moment (the Rapture), but with many it has had little or no practical effect on their personal lives. Instead of it making the Church more pilgrim-like in character, it has become worldlier than ever.

This state of being “lukewarm” is so obnoxious to the Lord that He announces that He is “about to spue” it out of His mouth. This will happen at His coming—the Rapture. Instead of the Lord assessing the state of the assembly, as He does with the previous assemblies, the Laodiceans put Him outside their door and assumed His place, and assessed their own condition as being right and good! This is quite incredible; they are the only church of the seven that commend themselves. And they are in the worst condition of all the churches! They speak of themselves as having great (spiritual) riches, but in reality, they don’t have any real spiritual substance. “Laodicea” is descriptive of a sector in the Christian testimony that is characterized by self-sufficient greatness that imagines itself to be endowed with great spiritual riches (truth) and miraculous powers. Their true condition is “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.”

The Contrast Between Philadelphia and Laodicea

Philadelphia is marked by an open door (vs. 8), but Laodicea is marked by a closed door (vs. 20).

The Lord has no condemnation for the Philadelphians, but He doesn’t have one thing to commend in Laodicea. (Even in Thyatira the Lord found something to commend!)

The Philadelphians have nothing to say for themselves, whereas the Laodiceans have much to say of themselves.

The Philadelphians are told that they will be “caught up” at the Lord’s coming, whereas the Laodiceans are told that they will be “spued out” at His coming.

The Philadelphians were marked by being little, but Laodiceans are marked as being great (in their eyes).

The Philadelphians were called to “hold fast” the truth which they had, but the Laodiceans are not called to hold fast anything, because they really didn’t have anything worth holding.

The Lord’s Three-fold Grace Available to Meet Their Pitiful Condition

The Lord never points out failure without giving a remedy. In this case, it is three-fold. He says:

1) “Buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich” (vs. 18a). This would meet their destitute condition of being “wretched,” “miserable,” and “poor.” They imagined that they were wealthy (in the sense of having much truth and great spiritual powers), but in reality they needed “gold.” Gold in Scripture speaks of divine righteousness. This means that they did not have a righteous basis on which they could stand before God. It shows that the professing mass in Christendom in the last days will not even be saved! “Buy of Me ... ” indicates the need of having a personal transaction with the Lord in faith.

2) “White raiment, that thou mayest be clothed” (vs. 18b). This would meet their condition of being “naked.” This church did not bear the moral features of Christ. Hence, they needed a life of moral and practical righteousness—of which white raiment speaks.

3) “Anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see” (vs. 18c). This would meet their condition of being spiritually “blind.” They were self-deceived. They saw themselves as something they were not, and desperately needed to get their eyes open to their true condition; but more importantly, to see the Lord. The Lord promises that if they turned to Him, He would give them spiritual discernment that they lacked.

He says, “As many as I love ... ” (vs. 19). This refers to the true believers amidst the professing mass. Back in the earliest days of the Church it had left its “first love,” but now in the last days we find that the Lord hadn’t left His love for her! All through the long years of departure from Christ and the truth, we find that He hadn’t changed! “Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it” (Eph. 5:25).

Sadly, in examining the great pretensions of the Laodiceans, we see that the Lord—as far as His rights are concerned—has been left outside (vs. 20). Thus, Laodicea is portrayed as a Christless church, having put the Lord of glory outside of its door. Essentially, they (in practice) excommunicated the Head of the Church! It is marked by gross indifference to the claims of Christ. Such is the pitiful condition that marks modern Christendom in these last days. Hamilton Smith said, “As of old, the nation of Israel sealed its doom by rejecting their Messiah, and their house was left to them desolate; so today, Christendom is sealing its doom by rejecting Christ, and very soon it will be spued out of His mouth.” This is the solemn picture in which chapter 3 closes, and with it, the Church’s history on earth.

Recovery will only be on an individual basis. We cannot expect to see a wholesale recovery of the Church. Hence, the Lord says, “If any man hear my voice ... ” (Rev. 3:20). The only hope is that a few individuals will be recovered from this despicable state.

Summary of the Last Four Churches

The fact that the Lord mentions His coming in His addresses to the last four churches indicates that these ecclesiastical conditions will continue on earth in some observable way until He comes. Looking out over the vast Christian profession today, we can see what “Thyatira” represents—Catholicism. Then, we can see what “Sardis” represents—the Protestant churches and the many dissenting bodies that have come out of them. And then also, there is what “Philadelphia” represents—a small and seemingly insignificant remnant testimony wherein is practiced the first principles of assembly order. And then lastly, we can see “Laodicea”—a large sector in the Christian testimony that is characterized by self-sufficient greatness that imagines itself to be endowed with great spiritual riches and miraculous powers.

The last two churches are not just ecclesiastical positions, but are also moral states in which believers are found. For instance, it may be possible to be in a Philadelphian position ecclesiastically, but to be in a Laodicean state practically.

Summary of the Seven Churches

• Ephesus—The decay of first love.

• Smyrna—Suffering.

• Pergamos—Worldliness and clericalism.

• Thyatira—Catholicism controlling the Church.

• Sardis—The deadness of Protestantism.

• Philadelphia—Faithfulness to Christ’s Word and name.

• Laodicea—Indifference to the claims of Christ.

The Things Which Shall Be Hereafter: Revelation 4-22

(Chapters 4-22)

This third section of the book of Revelation deals with events that will be “hereafter.” We may well ask, “Hereafter what?” The answer is, “Hereafter the history of the Church on earth is concluded.” This is confirmed by the fact that the often repeated expression, “What the Spirit says unto the churches,” in chapters 2 and 3, is no longer mentioned from this point forward in the book. This is because the Church is seen as having ended its history on earth and has been called away to heaven.

The Rapture is Not Mentioned Directly in the Prophetic Part of the Book

Chapters 4-5 assume the Rapture (the Lord’s coming for His saints – John 14:2-3; 1 Thess. 4:15-18) has occurred, for in these chapters the saints are seen in heaven. Strictly speaking, the Rapture is not directly mentioned in the prophetic part of the book, because the aim of prophecy is not to unfold the truth of the Church, but to set forth the judgments that prepare the way for the setting up of the kingdom of Christ. When dealing with the Church in the seven addresses, the Lord speaks of the Rapture (chaps. 2:25; 3:11), and perhaps it can be seen in a veiled way in John being called up to heaven in chapter 4:1. And again, in chapter 22, after the prophecies of the book have been given, the Lord speaks of His coming in a general way three times, but does not distinguish it from His Appearing. (This is done to give it a bearing on both believers and unbelievers.) On the other hand, the Appearing of Christ (the Lord’s coming with His saints – 1 Thess. 3:13; 4:14; 2 Thess. 1:7-10; 2:8; Titus 2:13; 1 John 2:28; 3:2; Jude 14-15) is mentioned many times in the book (chaps. 1:7; 3:3; 10:1; 11:15; 14:14-16; 16:15-21; 18:21-24; 19:11-21).

In chapters 4 to 22 we move on to those things that are strictly prophetic. These chapters have to do with Christ’s rightful claims to the “inheritance,” which is every created thing in heaven and on earth (chaps. 4-5), the many judgments that will fall on the earth (chaps. 6-19), and finally, His reign over all the works of His hands (chaps. 20-22).

A Parenthesis: Revelation 4-22

Heavenly Preparations Before The Judgments Fall On Earth

(Chapters 4-5)

Christ’s Rights to the Inheritance

Chapters 4 and 5 are introductory to the prophetic judgments that follow in the book, and in one sense, could be viewed as a parenthesis in the unfolding of events on earth. Chapters 2 and 3 have given us the Church’s history on earth through the last 2000 years. Immediately following the Church’s call to heaven, the events in chapter 6 will take place on earth—they are a continuation from chapter 3.

These intervening chapters (4-5) depict a scene in heaven that precedes the judgments that will fall on the earth. The subject before us in these chapters is Christ’s worthiness to possess the inheritance and to reign over it. The “inheritance” is every created thing in heaven and earth (Eph. 1:11, 14, 18). These chapters show that He has a double worthiness:

• In chapter 4 He is worthy because of His creatorial rights—“Thou hast created ... ” (vs. 11).

• In chapter 5 He is worthy because of His redemptive rights—“Thou hast redeemed [purchased] ... ” (vs. 9).

Ezekiel 21:27 tells us that God has One “whose right it is”—the Lord Jesus Christ. He will come at God’s appointed time to claim the inheritance and to reign over it in righteousness.

• Chapter 4 is occupied with “the throne” and Him (the Creator) who sits on it.

• Chapter 5 is occupied with “the book” and Him (the Redeemer) who is worthy to open it.

The Transfer of the Government of the Earth From Angels to Redeemed Men

Scripture indicates that the government of “the world to come” (the Millennium) will be in the hands of men—redeemed men (Heb. 2:5). Presently, the earth is under the jurisdiction of angels, who act for God administratively in the execution of His governmental dealings with men. After the present dispensation of grace comes to a close and the Church is called away to heaven, there will be a time when the angels will be gathered in and dismissed from their present office (Heb. 12:22-23 – “myriads of angels, the universal gathering”), and that office will be transferred into the hands of glorified men.

This is seen here in Revelation 4-5. The “four living creatures” represent (symbolically) the attributes of providential power in the execution of judgment in the earth. They are not actual creatures, but emblems of God’s ability to govern the earth providentially. They are described as “a lion” (power), “a calf” (firmness), “a face of a man” (intelligence), and “a flying eagle” (rapidity of execution). These living creatures are seen in chapter 4 as merged with (not distinguished from) the angels. They are viewed as one company acting for God in His government of the earth. Thus, the present administration of the earth is exercised through angels. But then in chapter 5, when the Lamb takes the book, “the four living creatures” are seen as separated and distinct from the angels. Instead they are merged with the elders (redeemed glorified men) as one company. They are seen acting together with the elders in the priestly function of praise (“harps”), in prayer (“bowls full of incense”), and in singing the song of the redeemed (Rev. 5:8-10). This shows that they couldn’t be actual creatures which God has created as angels are, because all such creatures do not know or sing the song of redemption. This change indicates that the administration of the earth will then be transferred into the hands of redeemed men who are glorified (Luke 19:16-19; Rom. 8:17; 2 Tim. 2:12; Heb. 2:5; Rev. 21:9-22:5).

W. Kelly said, “The living creatures in themselves represent the attributes of providential power in the execution of judgment; but the comparison of the chapters [4 and 5] points to a change in its administration from angels, who are now the agents, to the redeemed who are to be. Hence, in chapter 4 the angels are merged as it were in the living creatures; in chapter 5 they are distinguished in view of Christ’s co-heirs, to whom, and not to angels, God will subject the inhabited world to come (Heb. 2:5)” (Revelation Expounded, p. 87).

Christ’s Rights Through Creation

(Chap. 4:1-11)

Sin has marred the creation, but judgment will cleanse it and bring it back to a state in which it can be used for its original purpose—which is a stage for the display of the glory of Christ, the Son of God and the Son of Man.

Vss. 2-5—“The throne” presents to us a symbol of God’s seat of rule and authority in the universe. We learn from this that God is in control behind the scenes with His over-ruling hand. As the Creator, the Lord has rights to His creation. However, before it can be used for the display of His glory in the kingdom, it needs to be cleansed and set free from sin, Satan, and the world. The same power of God that created the whole world will be used to take it back for God. Christ Himself will intervene upon the course of this world (at His Appearing) to take the kingdoms of this world, and they will become “the kingdoms of our Lord, and His Christ” (Rev. 11:15).

He who sits on the throne is not described, but precious stones are used to set forth His glory in government. A. Roach said that “jasper” and a “sardine [carnelian]” indicate the Lord’s revealed glory and His unrevealed glory. Further to this, there is “a rainbow round about the throne.” This speaks of God’s covenant of blessing with the earth after judgment (Gen. 9). A rainbow, as we know, comes into view after a storm. Hence, this is a promise that God will bring blessing to the earth after the storm of His judgment has swept over it. The rainbow is said to have but one color—“emerald.” Green is the color of freshness, and indicates that God’s promise is fresh on His mind, and He is now about to fulfill it. “The twenty-four elders” represent believers from Old and New Testament times in their glorified state. They are “clothed in white raiment” indicating that they have been made pure by Christ’s work on the cross. They have their place in heaven on “thrones” round about the central “throne.” The “lightnings and thunderings [rumblings] and voices [peals of thunder]” that proceed out of the throne indicate that judgment will be the means of the earth’s cleansing (Isa. 26:9). The “seven lamps” bring before us the thought that God by the power of the Spirit is about to search out every evil and deal with it righteously.

Vss. 6-8—The “sea of glass” is an allusion to the laver in the temple, which was used for cleansing (1 Kings 7:23-26). Here it is not of water, but of glass. It suggests a scene of fixed purity for all who are part of this heavenly scene.

As mentioned, “the four living creatures” are symbolic of the execution of God’s government in the earth, associated with His throne. As merged with the angels in this fourth chapter, they seem to incorporate the attributes of both the cherubim and seraphim. The cherubim are concerned with the public government of God’s glory on earth (Gen. 3:24; Ex. 25:17-20; Ezek. 10:1-22) and the seraphim are concerned with maintenance of God’s holiness (Isa. 6:1-7).

Vss. 9-11—The great question is this: Who is worthy to execute the judgment and to prepare the earth for the coming kingdom? The answer is: He who has created it. This calls forth praise to Him who is the Creator from every creature in the universe. All heaven breaks out in praise to the Lord Jesus Christ on account of His creatorial rights.

Christ’s Rights Through Redemption

(Chap. 5:1-14)

Vss. 1-4—Like chapter 4, chapter 5 is a scene in heaven. It has to do with “the book” and Him who is worthy to open its “seals.” The book (a scroll) is not the Bible but the title deeds to the inheritance. It sets forth God’s purpose and counsel regarding the blessing of the whole world under the reign of Christ. It unfolds how He will be bring it to pass, which will be through His “judgments” (Isa. 26:9).

If the inheritance is to be re-claimed for God, the great question is who can do it? Who can remove the vast system of evil that has come in through man’s sin and rebellion in a way that would meet the demands of the throne? And, who can bring in the vast system of blessing of which the goodness of God has purposed for all in heaven and on earth? The whole universe is challenged with these great questions by the proclamation of “a strong angel”—and no one is found among all God’s creatures to be worthy or able.

For thousands of years men have endeavoured to suppress the evils of the world and introduce a condition of peace and well-being on earth, but none have been able to do it. Literally, everything has been tried in an attempt to accomplish this. Men have applied every form of government—monarchial, dictatorial, republican, democratic, socialist, etc., but none have been successful. Neither has religion or military force been able to reform the nations of the world. Men have tried to legislate laws through courts of justice and have proliferated the land with reformatories and prisons, but none of these things have worked either. At one time, or another, every class of men have tried to correct the course of this world in one way or another: kings, nobles, military commanders, the common people in society banding together in one cause or another, but these, too, have not succeeded. Among them all there has not been found anyone with either the ability or the worthiness to bring about peace and blessing to this world. They have all failed because they have only considered the rights of man and have ignored the rights of God and the requirements of His throne.

Vss. 5-6—Our eyes are then turned to see these requirements met in Christ perfectly. He is described in a two-fold way; firstly, as “the Lion,” and secondly, as “the Lamb.” As a “Lion” He is seen to be able, for a lion is known for its strength (Prov. 30:30). As a “Lamb” He is shown to be worthy, because though He is despised by men, He has overcome sin through death. He is presented as having three divine attributes:

• His “seven horns” symbolize His completeness in power—His omnipotence.

• His “seven eyes” symbolize His complete searching of all things—His omniscience.

• Having the “seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth”—speaks of His omnipresence.

Vss. 7-8—There are two distinct actions that follow: the taking of the book and the opening of its seals (chap. 6:1, etc.). Taking the book signifies Christ’s right to the inheritance as the Lamb, and the opening of its seals signifies Christ’s power in judgment to re-claim the inheritance as the Lion. His taking the book means that the time of the “patience of Jesus Christ” is past (chap. 1:9), and the time of His Lordship authority and power has come. When He takes the book, immediately the elders in heaven, acting as priests, fall down before Him having “harps” and “golden bowls” (vs. 8).

• The “harps” speak of the praises of the saints.

• The “bowls” speak of the prayers of the saints.

This indicates that this heavenly company of redeemed men (the 24 elders) understand that Christ is about to answer the prayers of the saints who have for thousands of years called on Him to come and set the world right for the glory of God (Luke 18:7). But more specifically, the praying saints with whom the heavenly company of elders are so deeply interested, are those who suffer on earth for their faith during the time when the apocalyptic judgments described in this book will be poured out. These saints are believers of the gospel of the kingdom that will be preached in that day. They are those whom God has redeemed from the nation of Israel and from the Gentile nations (chap. 7). The elders in heaven are seen as priests and heavenly observers in connection with these suffering saints below.

However, before Christ opens the seals and orders the judgments to fall upon the earth, all heaven breaks out into praise to Him who is able and worthy (vss. 9-14).

Three Spheres of Praisers in Three Concentric Circles

There are three distinct spheres of praisers in the latter half of chapter 5:

1) Vss. 9-10—The innermost circle encompasses the whole redeemed company of men in heaven—“the twenty-four elders.” They sing their praise to the Lamb (Christ) directly as they extol His ways in grace of redeeming men on earth. The theme of their song is Christ’s mighty work in redemption. Note: the words “us” and “we” in verses 9-10 in the KJV should be translated “them” and “they” as in the J. N. Darby Translation. This means that the elders are not referring to themselves, but to those on earth with whom God is working in grace.

W. Scott said, “The pronouns ‘them’ and ‘they,’ instead of as in the Authorized Version, ‘us’ and ‘we,’ mark an important distinction in the interpretation of this important passage. The elders do not sing of their own redemption, but of a people on earth. Their priestly service was on behalf of others, so here their song is of the redeemed on earth. They sing and celebrate the blessing of others, not their own. How unselfish! How unjealous! How intense the interest in God’s work of grace in the earth during the interesting interval between the Translation (1 Thess. 4:17) and the Advent of the Lord in power (Rev. 19:11-14). The redeemed in heaven delight to declare the blessing of the redeemed on earth.” (The Book of Revelation, pp. 140-141)

W. Kelly also said, “A very important change occurs in this verse, well known to every person tolerably acquainted with the original Scriptures. Persons who have studied the most ancient manuscripts and other witnesses of this book, all agree that it is, ‘and hast made them to our God kings (or a kingdom) and priests to our God.’ They do not speak of themselves. Indeed, I am prepared to go farther, and am bound to state my firm impression that in the ninth verse the word ‘us’ was put in by copyists who supposed that the elders were celebrating their own blessing. But the elders are so perfectly at rest about themselves that they can be occupied about others.....They are speaking about the saints whose prayers they were offering. As they were occupied with their prayers, so here they were praising the Lord for His goodness to the saints still on earth” (Lectures on the Revelation, pp. 118-120).

Vs. 10—Those whom Christ redeems are made "a kingdom of priests" and they will reign with Christ when He establishes His kingdom publicly. “On the earth” here could be translated “over the earth.” Many have taken this to mean that they will go to heaven and reign with the elders in the heavenly department of Christ’s kingdom (Dan. 7:18, 22, 27) in what the Lord called “the kingdom of their Father” (Matt. 13:43). If this is so, the elders are not referring to all the redeemed on earth, but to a specific class of saints who will be martyred and then raised to share in the heavenly side of the kingdom (Rev. 14:13; 20:4).

2) Vss. 11-12—The next circle has the elect “angels” in it. They join in the anthem of praise, but it is not said that they sing their praise. Nor do they mention the blood of the Lamb, not having known redemption personally. Nor is their praise to the Lamb, as was the elders, but rather, about the Lamb. These things denote a lesser understanding (as to experience) of God’s ways in grace and government.

3) Vss. 13-14—The third circle is broader yet and encompasses “every creature ... in heaven and ... earth and ... in the sea” in the lower creation. They are seen joining the praise of the Lamb, but like the angels, they do not sing. The notes of praise ascribed in their worship (four) are fewer than the angels (seven) and denote an even lesser understanding of God’s ways. This would be in anticipation of their deliverance from the bondage of corruption when Christ appears (Rom. 8:20-22).

Overview of the Book

A Brief Overview of the Order of the Chapters in the Book

The chapters that follow (6-22) resume the unfolding of events on earth. From the standpoint of the saints in heaven in chapters 4-5, the events in chapters 2-3 have been fulfilled in history, and the events in chapters 6-22 are yet to be fulfilled in the future.

As mentioned, if God is to use this world as a stage to display the glory of Christ in “the world to come” (Heb. 2:5), as He has purposed to do, it must first be cleansed of wickedness and wicked persons through judgment (Isa. 26:9). All evil—men and things—must be subjugated to make way for Christ’s reign in righteousness (Isa. 32:1; Zech. 14:9). Before Christ will personally intervene in judgment at His Appearing, various providential and indirect judgments will fall from “the throne” of God (chap. 4:5) and from “the altar” of God (chap. 8:5) and from “the temple” of God (chap. 11:19; 15:5-8).

As mentioned earlier, God holds various parts of the earth responsible for the degree of light that they have had. In the forthcoming chapters, the Lord takes up each of these spheres separately and judges those in them accordingly. The Christianized nations have had the greatest exposure to the truth through the gospel, and are most responsible. Therefore, the Lord begins with them and works out to the other parts of the earth that have had less light.

The Spirit of God in this book takes us over the coming final prophetic week in Daniel’s prophecy (Dan. 9:24-27) three times, and from three different perspectives—each ending with events surrounding the Appearing of Christ. They are:

• Chaps. 6–11:18—The judgment of the so-called Christianized western nations, culminating with the Appearing of Christ.

• Chaps. 12-14—The judgment of Israel, culminating with the Appearing of Christ.

• Chaps. 15-16—The judgment of the Nations outside the prophetic earth, culminating with the Appearing of Christ.

Then, after a long parenthesis in chapters 17:1–19:10, wherein the subject of Babylon (religious and political) is taken up in detail, the subject of Christ’s Appearing is resumed in chapter 19:11-21—which is where the preceding sections have left off. Then, chapters 20:1–21:8 present the Millennium (which will be established after Christ’s Appearing), followed by the Eternal State. Chapters 21:9–22:5 form an appendix giving us further details as to the Church being used to glorify Christ in the Millennium. Then, in chapter 22:6-21 The Lord gives His closing exhortations and a three-fold promise of His coming.

Five Parentheses in the Book

There are five parentheses that must be taken into consideration:

• Chaps. 4-5—Christ’s two-fold right to possess and reign over the inheritance, which is every created thing.

• Chap. 7—Believing Israelites and Gentiles preserved during the 70th week of Daniel (Dan. 9:27).

• Chaps. 10:1–11:14—The mystery of God and the two witnesses.

• Chap. 16:15—Christ appears as a Thief in judgment.

• Chaps. 17:1–19:10—Religious and political Babylon judged.

From this brief overview of the chapters, we can see that the book of Revelation is really a very orderly thesis on prophetic events. The fact that the Spirit of God would take the reader over the seven-year prophetic week of Daniel 9:27 three times, from three different perspectives, is very much in keeping with His way of presenting prophecy elsewhere in the Bible. Whether it is in the Psalms or the Prophets, when bringing prophetic subjects before us, the Spirit goes over that ground again and again—each time ending with the Appearing of Christ and the introduction to His kingdom (the Millennium). It is therefore, no surprise to the prophetic student to see this same order observed in the book of Revelation.

Judgment of the Christianized Nations in the West

(Chapters 6–11:18)

The Seal Judgments: Revelation 6:1-8:5

(The Beginning of Sorrows)

(Chap. 6:1-8:5)

The part of the earth that the “seal” and “trumpet” judgments are concerned with is Western Europe, and perhaps North America—western nations that have outwardly embraced Christianity. “The Lamb” (Christ) proceeds to open the seals, signifying the bringing to pass of certain events and judgments in that part of the earth. These judgments will prepare the way for Him to take the inheritance and reign over it in His kingdom glory.

The word by the four living creatures is not, “Come and see,” as the KJV renders it (vss. 1, 3, 5, 7), but simply, “Come,” denoting Christ’s providential power to bring these things to pass. Hence, “come” in this sense, refers to His providential command to cause these events to come to pass. The horsemen represent human agencies that will be moved by the providence of God. The Lord called the first half of Daniel’s prophetic week of years—wherein is found the first six seal judgments—“the beginning of sorrows” (Matt. 24:8).

The First Seal Opened

(Chap. 6:1-2)

What is portrayed in the rider on “a white horse” is the very first thing that will happen on earth after the Rapture. The rider is not Christ (chap. 19:11), nor is it the Antichrist (1 John 2:18). It refers to the Church of Rome using its power, influence, and money to gather ten nations in Western Europe into a federation called “the beast.” This is the revival of the Roman Empire indicated in Daniel 2:41-43 and 7:7-8. Revelation 17:1-6 also points to this. It indicates that the Roman Catholic Church (under the figure of the whore) will have control of this newly formed federation of nations in the first 3½ years of the prophetic week in Daniel 9:27. If it will be under the control of that religious system during that time, it must of necessity have been revived prior to it.

The horse here in chapter 6 is “white,” signifying papal Rome’s pretense of uprightness and purity of purpose. The rider has a “bow” with no arrows, indicating that Rome’s conquest over the nations of Western Europe and the bringing of them together into a super-power will be a bloodless thing. It will be accomplished by summit meetings and treaties rather than through warfare. The Catholic Church’s rule over the newly-revived empire will be the empire’s 7th form of government in its history—but it will only “continue a short space”—the first 3½ years of Daniel’s prophetic week (chap. 17:9-11).

Immediately upon the emergence of this new empire in the West, the Roman “prince” at the head of its political operations under the Catholic Church will make a “covenant” with the Jews for their “protection” from the Islamic nations that surround them (Dan. 9:27a). Prophecy does not give us any further detail as to who this man is. He is simply a political figurehead of the Church of Rome who will fill the office of “the prince” at the beginning of the final week of years. He is identified as “he” in Daniel 9:27a.

This man could not be the “little horn” (Dan. 7:8, 20-21)—the personal “Beast” (Rev. 13:4-7; 19:20, etc.) because that man rises to power and seizes the office of the Roman prince in the middle of the week. We know this because Revelation 13:5 and Daniel 7:25 tell us that his tenure will be for “forty and two months” or “time and times and the dividing of time.” These time periods in prophecy are measured from the middle of the week through to the end of the week (Dan. 12:11). Hence, the reign of the “little horn” or the personal Beast will be during the latter half of the week—the time of the Great Tribulation. When he seizes the office of the Roman prince in the middle of the week, he will proceed to breach the terms of the covenant which will have been made with the Jews (Dan. 9:27b – the 2nd “he.”). Thus, as L. Laurenson has pointed out, there is the making of the covenant, and there is a breaking of the covenant; these are two different things done by two different men (Messiah the Prince, p. 160). (In the book of Daniel, the positions of those that rule among the Gentile kings are offices that don’t necessarily refer to one individual. For instance, in connection with the Greek Empire in chapter 11, there are nine or ten different men mentioned in the role of the King of the North, who succeed each other in that office: likewise, with the King of the South. It is the same in Daniel 9:27, in connection with the Roman Empire. The “prince”—the first “he” and the second “he” are not the same person.)

The making of this covenant is significant in prophecy. It marks the resumption of the cycle of weeks (of years) in Daniel 9:24-27, with the 70th and final week about to be fulfilled—after which God will bring in the kingdom as promised in Daniel 9:24. As a result of this pact being made with Israel, the Jews, who are presently scattered worldwide, will feel safe to return to their homeland, and will do so en masse in the first part of the week (Isa. 18:1-4; Psa. 73:10). This covenant will enable the Jews to practice Judaism (“the sacrifice the and oblation” – Dan. 9:27) according to the Law of Moses without being molested. Killing their sacrifices and presenting them to Jehovah is something that they have not done for over 2000 years (Hos. 3:4).

The Second Seal Opened

(Chap. 6:3-4)

Civil peace will be taken away from the nations in Western Europe (Matt. 24:6-7a). The horse is “red” indicating bloodshed.

The Third Seal Opened

(Chap. 6:5-6)

Agriculture will fail and widespread famine will follow (Matt. 24:7b). The horse is “black” indicating a time of lamentation and mourning. “The oil and the wine” refers to the wealthy in society—particularly the Jews who will have returned en masse to their homeland (Prov. 21:17).

The Fourth Seal Opened

(Chap. 6:7-8)

Pestilence (disease) will spread over Western Europe (“the fourth part of the earth”) and many will die (Matt. 24:7c). The horse is “pale” indicating sickness and death.

The Fifth Seal Opened

(Chap. 6:9-11)

The authorities in Rome will begin to martyr the Jewish witnesses who will preach the gospel of the kingdom (Matt. 24:9). This gospel announces that there is a King who is coming who will put down all governmental power and will establish His own kingdom wherein He will reign supreme (Psa. 96). This will be considered subversive to the Catholic regime (the harlot – chap. 17) which will be in control of the empire (the beast) at that time, and it will draw out its wrath against these witnesses, whom it will see as revolutionists. Thus, they will be apprehended by the authorities and executed—martyred (Rev. 17:6). The souls of these witnesses will remain in the separate state until the end of the prophetic week, and then they will be resurrected (Rev. 14:13).

The Sixth Seal Opened

(Chap. 6:12-17)

As things approach the middle of the week, Satan will be cast to the earth (chap. 12:7-9, 13), and he will immediately cause a convulsion in the government in the confederated nations of the West under the leadership of the Catholic system. Thus, there will be a great shake-up politically. This is presented symbolically under the figure of “a great earthquake.” As a result, the government offices in the West will be temporarily thrown into a state of confusion and anarchy. It is not mentioned here, but Satan will then energize a man (the personal Beast) who will rise up out of the turmoil and seize control of the leadership of the empire (Rev. 13:1-10), and he will motivate the ten kings (nations) in the federation to put down the Catholic regime—the harlot (Rev. 17:16-17).

Men’s hearts will fail them for fear in view of what is to come (Luke 21:25-26). The fact that they speak of “the wrath of the Lamb” shows that they are enlightened people who are familiar with the gospel and certain Biblical truths, but sadly they have neglected to receive Christ as their Saviour when they had opportunity to do so. They mistakenly think that He is about to come and judge the world, but that will be later.

A Parenthesis:: Revelation 7

Between the 6th and 7th Seal

(Chapter 7)

Two Preserved Companies of People on Earth

A parenthesis is opened to show us that God is in complete control of all the coming events, and many will be spared in the judgments and will participate in the millennial kingdom of Christ. Not only will the Lord order providential judgments to fall on the earth (chap. 6), but He will also order providential preservation for two blessed companies of people who will pass through that terrible time (chap. 7).

Vss. 1-8—The first is an elect company of Israelites (under the figure of 144,000) who will believe the gospel of the kingdom. They are a remnant from “all the tribes” of Israel. Their preservation is signified by the “four angels” restraining “the four winds of the earth” (the universal working of demonic powers to crush and destroy). A “seal” is put on them indicating that they have been marked out for blessing. The tribes of Dan and Ephraim are omitted perhaps because of their complicity with idolatry (Deut. 29:18-21; Judg. 18:1-31; 1 Kings 12:25-30; Hos. 4:17). This does not mean that there won’t be any saved from those tribes, for Scripture indicates elsewhere that some from every tribe in Israel will be brought into blessing (Ezek. 48).

Vs. 9—The second is an elect company of Gentiles out of all nations on earth who will also believe the gospel of the kingdom.

Vss. 10-17—Both companies will survive this terrible time and will enter the Millennium. They will happily join the praise of the Lamb, which the angels and the elders have already begun in heaven. They will praise Him “day and night” in the earthly “temple” that will be built in the Millennium (Isa. 56:6-7; Ezek. 40-44; Psa. 134:1). The Lamb will “tabernacle over them” in the heavens (vss. 15-17 – J. N. Darby Trans.).

Trumpet Judgments: Revelation 8:1-11:18

The Great Tribulation

(Chap. 8:1–11:18)

Vss. 1-6—The unfolding of events in chapter 6 is resumed with the opening of the “seventh seal” (chap. 8:1). It results in the seven trumpet judgments falling on the Western nations that have had the light of Christianity, but have rejected it. These judgments will be executed directly from the hand of the Lord Himself (the Angel-priest) and are more direct and severe than the seal judgments. These judgments cover the last half of the prophetic week of Daniel 9:27 (3½ years), which is the time of “the Great Tribulation” (Matt. 24:21; Rev. 7:14).

In connection with the trumpet judgments in chapters 8-9, it is significant that the Spirit of God uses the expression “the third part” fourteen times (in the J. N. Darby Translation). It is a technical expression in prophecy referring to a restricted area of the world—the Western prophetic earth—which is essentially the territory that the old Roman Empire once held.

The first four trumpet-judgments have to do with the apostatizing of the Christianized nations in the West, whereas the fifth trumpet-judgment is concerned with the apostatizing of the Jews in the land of Israel. The result will be a thorough apostatizing of this once enlightened part of the earth.

The First Trumpet

(Chap. 8:7)

The prosperity (“trees” and “green grass”) in the Western nations will dry up. This marks the collapse of the economy in the West.

The Second Trumpet

(Chap. 8:8)

John sees “a great mountain burning with fire” dissolve into “the sea”—i.e. a giant volcanic eruption. This refers to a great and powerful nation in the West disintegrating and dissipating in the “sea” of nations (Rev. 17:15). It is a judgment of God, of which “fire” is a symbol. The result is that many in the West will formally give up their profession of God and apostatize (become “blood”). Some think that this mountain might be the United States of America. If this is true, it explains why that great military power is not mentioned as having a part in the coming wars of Armageddon.

Mr. W. Kelly said, “The United States of America will be swamped into a political marsh; and as they have been hitherto a mere omnium gatherum or conglomerate from the rest of the world, especially from Europe, comprising no doubt a vast deal of skill, industry, and enterprise, but also not a little of the scum and refuse of all nations; so I believe they will break up into factions of noisy primitive elements; and, after going off in boastful vapouring, will at length burst as a bubble....So as to America, I conceive that the young giant power which has grown so fast will sink still faster, probably through intestine quarrel, but assuredly somehow before that day comes. They will break up into different fragments. Their prime object is to maintain political unity. This is their great ambition, and though it may appear to stand and advance, as everything ambitious is apt to prosper for a time, it will be all blown down before long. For it is a remarkable fact that there is no place in prophecy for a vast influential power, such as the American United States would naturally be, if it so long retained its cohesion. Is it conceivable that there should be such a power existing at that day without any mention of it? Can the omission be accounted for save by its dissolution?” (Lectures on the Minor Prophets, pp. 109-110).

The Third Trumpet

(Chap. 8:10-11)

A great person in a high position of influence in the West (“a great star”) will formally give up his professed knowledge of God, and this will lead more into apostasy.

The Fourth Trumpet

(Chap. 8:12)

Many other influential leaders in the West who men look to for guidance and advice (“the sun,” “the moon,” and “the stars”) will also fall into apostasy. These might be respected political men, financial analysts, etc.

The Fifth Trumpet

(Chap. 9:1-12)

The Antichrist, the Jew’s false Messiah (“a star”), will come forward in his full satanic character. He will be allowed to open “the abyss”—the prison house of demons (Luke 8:30-31)—and let loose their blinding influence (“smoke”) on earth. The symbol of “locusts” with “tails” like a “scorpion” and with a “sting” of a scorpion (vs. 10) is used to describe the spiritual destruction of apostasy that these demonic agents will cause in souls. Their mission will be to cause the unsealed mass of the Jews in the land of Israel to believe the “lie” of the Antichrist (vs. 4). T. B. Baines points out that since the sealing in chapter 7 was not for the Gentiles, but for a select number from the twelve tribes, we can deduct that this trumpet-judgment is particularly concerned with the reprobate mass of the Jews in the land of Israel (The Revelation of Jesus Christ, p. 120). As a retributive judgment, God will allow them to be blinded by the lie (Isa. 8:21-22) because they refused to believe the gospel of His grace when it was preached by the Church. (His blinding power will also deceive the mass in the western, once Christianized, nations, and it will lead them into apostasy (2 Thess. 2:9-10).

The Sixth Trumpet

(Chap. 9:13-21)

The federation of ten nations in the West (the beast), which will have control of the land of Israel as being part of its empire, will have its eastern border (which “the great river Euphrates” symbolizes) give way to a vast army of attacking soldiers. This will be the armies of another ten-nation confederacy of Moslem nations to the north and east of Israel. They will be led by “the King of the North”—the Assyrian (Psa. 83:1-8; Dan. 11:40-41). See Revelation 16:12. In a matter of a few days, these armies will sweep through the land of Israel destroying the mass of the Jews who will have received the Antichrist and worship the image of the Beast. These fierce warriors are described as being driven by Satanic power—“their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents” (vs. 19).

A Parenthesis: Revelation 10:1-11:14

Between the 6th and 7th Trumpets

Chapters 10:1–11:14

Since the judgments that have fallen thus far have brought us to the moment when Christ will personally appear out of heaven in judgment (as indicated in the sounding of the seventh trumpet – Rev. 11:15-18), further details as to this monumental event are now given to us in a parenthesis. This parenthesis consists of two subjects.

The Mystery of God Being Finished

(Chap. 10:1-11)

The first is the declaration of “the mystery of God,” which involves the question as to why God has allowed evil to continue on earth unchecked. This mystery is now about to be finished by Christ (the “mighty Angel”) publicly intervening to claim His inheritance according to the prophecies of “the little book.” The contents of the little book are the sum of the prophecies of the Old Testament which promise that Israel’s Messiah will come and reign in a worldwide kingdom (Isa. 32:1; Psa. 45:1-5; Psa. 72; Zech. 14:9, etc.). These Scriptures that pertain to the coming of the Messiah are called “the oracles of God” (Rom. 3:2). The act of setting His foot on “the sea” and “the earth” is a picture of Christ asserting His rights to His inheritance, which is every created thing (Psa. 24:1; 95:5). This is an answer to Psalm 2:8-9.

The moment Christ publicly intervenes in judgment “the mystery of iniquity”—which is the working of “lawlessness” among men in opposition to the will of God in all things divine and secular—will be brought to a close. It is something that has been going on since the apostles’ day, and has continued to grow and will reach its culmination in the apostasy of “the man of sin”—the Antichrist (2 Thess. 2:6-8). God has put a restraint on the progress of evil today through two restrainers which He has set on earth to curtail its progress. The Apostle Paul defines these as:

• “That which restrains” (2 Thess. 2:6).

• “He who restrains” (2 Thess. 2:7).

“That which restrains” refers to the principle of law and order in human government which God put in man’s hand to exercise after the flood (Gen. 9:5-6; Eccl. 5:8; Rom. 13:1-7). J. N. Darby said, “‘That which hinders’ therefore, is the power of God acting in government here below as authorized by Him. The grossest abuse of power still bears this last character. Christ could say to Pilate, ‘Thou couldest have no power against Me, except it were given thee from above.’ Wicked as he might be, his power is owned as coming from God” (Synopsis of the Books of the Bible, on 2 Thessalonians 2). He also said, “‘That which restrains’ in the Greek means a thing. What is it? God has not told us what it is, and this, doubtless, because the thing which restrained then is not that which restrains now. Then it was, in one sense, the Roman Empire, as the fathers thought; who saw in the power of the Roman Empire a hindrance to the revelation of the man of sin, and thus prayed for the prosperity of that empire. At present the hindrance is the existence of the governments established by God in the world” (Collected Writings, vol. 27, pp. 302-303).

The second Restrainer is “He who restrains” (2 Thess. 2:7). This refers to a divine Person—the Holy Spirit residing on earth in the Church—acting to restrain evil in various spheres. The Apostle Paul says that the Spirit will restrain “until He be taken out of the way [be gone].” Thus, there will be a time when the Holy Spirit will no longer reside on earth. Presently, the Spirit dwells in the Church, but when the Church is called away from the earth at the Rapture, the Spirit will be “gone” from the earth at that time as well, for He dwells in the Church “forever” (John 14:16). This does not mean that the Spirit will cease to work on earth. He will continue to work here, but it will be from heaven as He did in Old Testament times.

After the Rapture, evil will flow on at an accelerated pace, because the governments in the West will apostatize and the Spirit of God will no longer be residing on the earth to restrain evil. However, the working of evil will be halted abruptly at the Appearing of Christ, which is the point before us in Revelation 10.

An Adequate Witness Will Be Maintained in Jerusalem

(Chap. 11:1-14)

The second part of this parenthesis indicates that the Appearing of Christ will also be the time of the Jews’ deliverance and the nation’s blessing. And while they wait for it, God will use them in testimony during the Great Tribulation.

Vss. 1-2—The “Angel” (in the KJV) who speaks to John here is the same Angel mentioned in chapter 10:1, for the subject is connected with the word “and.” It is the Lord Himself. This is clear from verse 3—“I will give power to My two witnesses....” This could only be the Lord speaking. John is given a “rod” and is told to “measure” three things: “the temple of God,” “the altar,” and “them that worship therein.” As a rule in Scripture, when God measures something, it is a sign that He is about to take up with it with blessing in mind (Jer. 31:39; Zech. 2:1-5; Ezek. 40-43). Measurement also implies that He knows and cares for that which He measures.

• “The temple of God”—signifies His dwelling place.

• “The altar”—signifies approach to God on the ground of a sacrifice.

• “Them that worship therein”—signifies the Jewish remnant.

Putting these three things together, we learn that at the time of the great apostasy, which will result from the Antichrist’s delusions, God will have a company of Jews (the remnant) that will remain faithful and will draw near into His presence in worship and prayer.

The “court” in the temple is where the mass of the people stood outside the sanctuary (Luke 1:10, 22); it signifies the mass of the Jews in that coming day. It is not measured because these Jews will be faithless and apostate. They will have received the Antichrist and believed his lie, and thus will worship the image of the Beast. They most surely will not be taken up for blessing, but rather, given over “to the nations” (the western confederacy under the Beast) who will have control of “the holy city” Jerusalem and the land of Israel during the latter half of the coming prophetic week. Thus, the apostate mass of the Jews will be trodden “under foot” and will exist as captives and bond-servants in the empire of the Beast during that time. They will do his bidding in intensifying the persecution of their brethren—the faithful Jewish remnant.

Vs. 3—Regardless of how dark things will get in the Great Tribulation, when the lie of the Antichrist will deceive the western world and the apostate Jews in the land of Israel, God will maintain an adequate witness for Himself signified in “the two witnesses.” (“Two” is the number of adequate witness in Scripture – John 8:17; Deuteronomy 19:15.) These witnesses are not two literal persons, as many have thought. Rather, they symbolize a small but adequate portion of the Jewish remnant that will remain in the city of Jerusalem (where the Antichrist will reign) to witness for God in the face of the great apostasy. This portion of the Jewish remnant will be miraculously empowered by God for this special testimony. (The rest of the remnant will flee to the mountains for safety – Matt. 24:16.)

F. B. Hole said, "The question naturally arises; are we to understand these verses as predicting the rise of two actual men, or is it rather that God raises up and maintains, for as long as it suits Him, a sufficient and powerful testimony having the characteristics of both Elijah and Moses? We incline to the latter view and that especially because of the symbolic character of the whole book. We think then that they indicate—not a large and abundant testimony; that would be indicated by three and not two—a sufficient testimony, divinely, indeed miraculously, preserved and sustained at this epoch" (The Revelation, p. 247).

W. Scott said, "On the question of the number of witnesses conjectures innumerable have been advanced, such as the two Testaments, the Law and the Gospel, Huss and Jerome, the Waldenses and the Albigenses, etc. Others with more show of reason, and with an apparent sanction of Scripture, suppose that Moses and Elijah are the two witnesses, quoting Malachi 4:5 in proof of their contention. 'Remember ye the Law of Moses My servant' (v. 4) would not imply a personal presence of the great lawgiver in the scenes of the last days; whereas verse 5 does seem a very express declaration that the distinguished prophet has again to reappear in Palestine: 'Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.' A full and adequate testimony is the thought purposely intended in the number of the witnesses. It seems to us that a larger number than actually two is called for in the solemn crisis before us, also that verse eight supposes a company of slain witnesses" (The Book of Revelation, p. 230).

The question was submitted to the editor of Help and Food magazine: "Ques. — Will you kindly explain the meaning of the 'two witnesses' of Rev. 11:3? Ans. — We believe they are the faithful Jewish remnant during the second half of Daniel's last week—the time of the Great Tribulation. The number two is not necessarily literal, but denotes an adequate testimony, even as the Law required....Like Moses and Elias, whose testimony was under similar circumstances, and is analogous to theirs, they have with it, power against their enemies, though the King being yet away, they are in reproach and suffering" (Help and Food, vol. 19, p. 252).

Vss. 4-6—These “two olive trees” and “two candlesticks” will prophesy for “a thousand two hundred and threescore days” (1260 days) in the spirit of mourning (“sackcloth”). This is 18 days short of “forty and two months” (1278 days), which is the end of the prophetic week when the Lord will Appear. This shows that God in mercy will cut short the days of their suffering, becausef the intensity of the persecution against his elect will be so great (Matt. 24:22). Hence, the Great Tribulation caused by the Beast and the Antichrist will carry on for 1260 days. It is not mentioned here, but this great persecution will be stopped by the inroads of the King of the North and his Arab confederacy (Dan. 11:40-42; Psa. 83). They will enter the land from the north and slaughter the apostate Jews—the persecutors of the remnant. This could be as many as ten million apostate Jews killed in a few days (Zech. 13:8), after which the Appearing of Christ will occur.

Vss. 7-14—When the “testimony” of the two witnesses is finished they will be slain and then caught up to heaven in the last phase of the first resurrection (chap. 14:13). The “remnant” mentioned in verse 13 is not the God-fearing remnant of Jews, but simply the rest of the people in the city who were not killed by the earthquake. These are guilty, unrepentant, apostate Jews who wish that God would turn away from them. They give “glory to the God of heaven,” not in the sense of worship from their hearts, but as being forced to acknowledge that it has been His hand that has caused it to happen.

Trumpet Judgments Resumed: Revelation 11:15-18

The Seventh Trumpet

(Chap. 11:15-18)

Christ at last appears out of heaven in judgment (1 Thess. 3:13; 4:14; 5:2; 2 Thess. 1:7-10; 2:8; Jude 14-15, etc.). “The kingdom of the world of our Lord and His Christ is come, and He shall reign to the ages of ages.” Thus, a one-world government, which men have dreamed of having but have never been able to accomplish, will at last be established on earth under the Lord Jesus Christ. This kingdom will last a thousand years—to the end of time (Rev. 20:4).

We have seen in the fifth trumpet-judgment, an invasion of demonic forces working to delude the Jews in the land of Israel; and in the sixth trumpet-judgment, we have seen an invasion of crazed Islamic soldiers invade and destroy the mass of the Jews in their land. Now in this seventh trumpet-judgment, we have an invasion of glorified saints accompanying the Lord as He comes out of heaven at His Appearing to judge this world in righteousness (Rev. 19:14; Acts 17:31). The nations from both the East and the West will respond to this heavenly intervention in an all out war—Armageddon (Rev. 16:12-16), at which time the Lord will judge them all and set up His kingdom, and it will continue to the Great White Throne judgment at the end of time.

(The thread of events from the Appearing of Christ forward is resumed in chapter 19:11).

Judgments in Connection With Israel: Revelation 12-14

(Chapters 12-14)

This division of the book properly begins at chapter 11:19. In these chapters the Spirit of God takes us back over the same period of time that has been covered in chapters 6-11, but from a different perspective. Actually, this prophecy has its beginning long before the seventieth week of Daniel and takes the reader through one continuous prophetic outline from the birth of Christ until He appears and treads the Winepress Judgment (chap. 14:14-20).

Having given us things from the viewpoint of the Christianized nations of the West in the previous chapters, the Spirit of God now gives details from the perspective of God’s dealings with Israel. This can be seen in the fact that the symbols and language used in these chapters are distinctly Jewish. This is evident by the mention of “the ark of His covenant,” which is the sign of God’s faithfulness with His earthly people, Israel. The mention of signs (a “wonder” in KJV—vss. 1, 3) also indicate that a Jewish order of things is before us (Matt. 16:1; 1 Cor. 1:22). The marking of “days” and “times” additionally indicate this (vss. 6, 14; Gal. 4:10). By these things coming into view, we see the thoughts and ways of God are toward Israel, and thus there will be a recommencement of His dealings with them nationally.

The opening of the “temple” in heaven and judgments proceeding therefrom indicate that what is about to be disclosed in this prophecy is a different line of things in the dealings of God with the earth. In chapters 6-11, we have seen judgments proceed from the “throne” of God (chap. 4:5), but now in chapters 12-14, the judgments proceed from “temple” of God. This indicates that the subject in these chapters has shifted and a new prophecy has begun.

This division in the book begins by taking us back to the birth of Christ, because much of God’s dealings with that nation in the future center around its rejection of Him. Hence, God resumes His dealings with Israel where He left off two thousand years ago.

The Believing Remnant of Jews Under Satan’s Persecution

(Chap. 12:1-17)

Vss. 1-2—The chapter begins with Israel (“a woman”) being in the place in which the promises of God and the Old Testament prophetic Scriptures place her according to the purpose of God (Gen. 37:9-11; Deut. 28:13). Being “clothed with the sun” and having “the moon under her feet” means that God intends that Israel should have a place of supreme authority among the nations of the earth. The “twelve stars” with which she is crowned refers to the dignity that the twelve tribes of Israel will have in the day of their Messiah’s reign on earth. The woman being in labour (“travailing”) refers to the struggle that the nation was in at the time of Christ’s first coming when it suffered under Roman rule.

Vss. 3-5—Satan (“the great red dragon”) is seen having control of the Roman Empire. This is indicated in the dragon having “seven crowns” on its “seven heads.” The seven heads refer to the seven forms of government through which the Roman Empire has passed, or will pass, in consecutive order through time. It has had kings, dictators, military tribunes, consuls, decemvirs, an imperial government (which was ruling at the time of the writing of the book of Revelation), and it will also have a form of government under the whore (the Catholic Church) which is yet to come (Rev. 17:3). (This seventh form of government will morph into an “eighth,” which will be a Satanic rule under the personal Beast, when the “deadly wound” to the seventh head will be “healed” – Rev. 13:3; 17:10-11.) The “crowns” on the seven heads of the dragon speak of Satan’s ruling authority. The leaders in the government of the empire (“the stars”) are seen as being manipulated by the dragon (drawn by its “tail”) and used in the dragon’s plan to destroy Christ (“the Man-child”) when He was born into this world (Matt. 2). The prophecy then jumps from Christ’s birth to Christ’s ascension to glory—“her Child was caught up unto God, and to His throne” (vs. 5).

Vss. 6-17—The prophecy jumps forward again some 2000 years to the middle of Daniel’s seventieth week. This is indicated by the woman’s flight into “the wilderness” (where she is providentially protected) being “a thousand two hundred and threescore days” (1260 days). All such time periods of days in prophecy are measured from the middle of the prophetic week—when the abomination of desolation is set up—to the end of the week (Dan. 12:11). At that time, God will cleanse the heavens (Job 15:15) by casting Satan and his angels out of heaven onto the earth (vss. 8-9). The Great Tribulation (the last half-week) will then begin with Satan organizing an all-out attempt to destroy “the woman” and “the remnant of her seed”—the faithful Jews who will refuse to worship the beast.

A Two-fold Attack on the Remnant of Believing Jews

• A spiritual attack—A “flood [river]” of apostasy will be used by Satan in his “serpent” character in an attempt to deceive the elect remnant of Jews into believing the lie of the Antichrist (vss. 15-16; Matt. 24:22-26; 2 Thess. 2:11).

• A physical attack—A “war” of persecution will be used by Satan in his “dragon” character in an attempt to kill the elect remnant of Jews (vs. 17; Psa. 10:1-11; Psa. 12:1; Isa. 57:1-2).

The “earth helped the woman” (vs. 16). This means that God’s providential care will work to preserve a portion of the Jewish remnant, and they will survive the Great Tribulation and enter the Millennium.

The Trinity of Evil in the Coming Crisis

• The “great red dragon”—Satan (chap. 12).

• The “beast” out of the sea—the political leader of the nations in the West (chap. 13:1-8).

• The “beast” out of the earth—the Antichrist (chap. 13:11-18).

Satan’s Two Chief Agents

(Chap. 13:1-18)

Being confined to the earth, Satan will need human instruments to accomplish his end in destroying the woman and her seed (the remnant). Chapter 13 shows that he will have two men whom he will personally energize for this purpose.

Chapters 12-14 indicate that a number of significant events will occur at (or just after) the middle of the prophetic week. The first is Satan being cast to the earth (Rev. 12:7-9). The second is an all out persecution being launched against the Jewish remnant (Rev. 12:13-17).

The First Beast

Vss. 1-3—The third thing that occurs around the middle of the prophetic week is that the government in the West (the newly formed ten-nation federation called “the beast” – chap. 17:3) will take on a new and different form through an evil man who will have Satanic power behind him. This man will rise to power in the empire out of a political convulsion (the “great earthquake” – chap. 6:12) that Satan will cause in the government under “the whore”—the Catholic Church (Rev. 17:1-6). This political leader is known by the same name as the empire—the “Beast” (vss. 4-8; 19:20; 20:10). He is also referred to as “the little horn” (Dan. 7:8), “the king of Babylon” (Isa. 14:4); “the prince” (Dan. 9:26, 27 – the second “he”).

The “beast” that rises up “out of the sea,” having “seven heads and ten horns” is the European federation of ten nations in the West—the revived Roman Empire (Dan. 2:40-45; Rev. 17:3, 9-11). However, its rising out of the sea, as seen here, is not referring to the revival of the empire (which happens at the beginning of the prophetic week by the Catholic Church – Rev. 6:1-2), but to its Satanic emergence out of the state of political chaos that will momentarily exist in the middle of the week, resulting from the upheaval in the government that Satan will cause. The “sea” signifies the unsettled state of things that will exist among the nations in the West at that time. The “crowns” which were on the dragon’s heads in chapter 12:3 are now seen on the “ten horns” of the beast. This signifies the conferring of Satan’s power to the empire through the evil man who will take over the chair of the Roman “prince.”

We are then told how this will happen. One of the beast’s heads will be “slain” and then miraculously “healed” (vs. 3). This refers to the demise of the governmental control that the Catholic Church will have on the empire and the rise of a new government that will replace it. This change is mentioned in chapter 17:10-11 in the 7th head (form of government) under the Catholic Church (the whore) continuing for “a short space” of time (the first 3½ years of the prophetic week), and then being overthrown. The healing of the head will become the “eighth” form of rule under the personal Beast. It will be a Satanic form of government that will continue “its career” for “forty and two months” (the last 3½ years of the week), until the Appearing of Christ, when it will be judged. Until then, “all the world” will marvel at the monster which the western confederated nations will have turned into in those days. No nation or power will dare to challenge this military super-power.

Having taken control of the empire, the Beast will accept worship from his subjects and will blaspheme God (vss. 4-6). At the same time, he will turn his attention to persecuting those (“the saints”) who will refuse to worship him (vss. 7-10).

The Second Beast

Vss. 11-18—The fourth thing that will occur around the middle of the week is the unveiling of the “Antichrist” (1 John 2:18). He is also called the “man of sin” (2 Thess. 2:3-4) and “the king” (Isa. 8:21; 30:33; 57:9; Dan. 11:36), and “the false prophet” (Rev. 16:13; 19:20; 20:10). This man rises to prominence after the first beast is unveiled, and therefore, his tenure is also during the last half of the prophetic week.

This beast has “two horns” denoting the Antichrist’s double character as a “false prophet” and the Jew’s willful “king.” This is an imitation of Christ, the true Prophet (Deut. 18:15-19; Matt. 21:11; Luke 7:16; John 6:14) and the true King (Matt. 2:1-6; Rev. 19:16). He is also said to be “like a lamb” because he is an impostor of Christ, the true “Lamb of God” (John 1:29, 35). He will be an apostate Jew (Dan. 11:37) who will rise up “out of the earth” (the ordered scene of Jewish life in Israel), and will be received by the mass of Jews as their false messiah (John 5:43).

Satan will use this man to lead the unsealed mass of the Jews in the land of Israel (Rev. 9:4) and the mass of apostate professing Christians in the western nations (2 Thess. 2:3) to worship “an image” that he will erect of the first Beast (Rev. 13:14-15). His mission will be to bring the great “apostasy” in the West (2 Thess. 2:3)—which has already begun today while the Church is on earth (1 Tim. 4:1 – “apostatize”)—to its culmination. He will deceive the masses into believing his “lie” (2 Thess. 2:9-12; Rev. 9:1-11) and that they should receive the mark of the Beast and worship the image—a new form of idolatry. He will work in conjunction with the first Beast to organize and unleash a fierce persecution against the Jewish remnant and any believing Gentiles in the West who will not worship the image of the Beast (vs. 15; Psa. 10:8-10). As a result, many saints will be martyred in the Great Tribulation (Rev. 13:7, 15; 14:2-3b; 15:2-3; Psa.12:1; Isa. 57:1-2).

A Remnant of Jews Preserved

(Chap. 14:1-5)

The fifth thing that will become manifest at this pivotal time is that two companies of people will distinguish themselves in the Beast’s empire (the western nations, including the land of Israel):

• The followers of the Beast with his mark on their foreheads—the apostate mass (chap. 13:16-18).

• The followers of the Lamb with His mark on their foreheads—the remnant (chap. 14:1).

In spite of the efforts of Satan (chap. 12) and his two evil men (chap. 13), God will secure a remnant of believing Jews during that time, as shown in chapter 14:1-5. Those who receive the mark of the Beast will seal their doom, but the God-fearing remnant of Jews and those who believe among the Gentiles will refuse it.

This passage shows that not all of the believing remnant will be preserved through the Great Tribulation to enter the millennial kingdom of Christ on earth. Many of them will be martyred. They will be resurrected later and will have a better portion in heaven when Christ reigns in the kingdom. Therefore, among the followers of “the Lamb” there are two parts: a spared portion (vss. 1, 4-5) and a martyred portion (vss. 2-3).

During the Great Tribulation, Christ will identify Himself in spirit “with” the suffering remnant of Jews on earth under the figure of the 144,000 (vss. 1, 4-5). This is not the same as the 144,000 in chapter 7, which are a remnant of all Israel; here it is the Jews only. The Lord will feel their sufferings deeply as they pass through that hour of trial (Isa. 43:2; 63:9). Many of the Psalms emphasize this. This spared portion will be preserved by divine providence (Psa. 91) and will reign with Christ on earth when He establishes His millennial kingdom (vss. 4-5). The martyred portion are seen in heaven in the separate or intermediate state (chap. 6:9-11) praising God with the 24 elders, until they are resurrected at the end of the Great Tribulation (vss. 2-3). Then they will reign with Christ in the heavens in a glorified state over the millennial earth (chap. 20:4-6). The spared part of the remnant on earth will understand and relate to the song of praise of the martyred portion in heaven because they both will have passed through the same terrible persecution from the Beast and the Antichrist (vs. 3).

The Proclamation of the Everlasting Gospel

(Chap. 14:6-7)

The sixth thing that will be in effect at that time is the proclamation of “the everlasting gospel.” While a proclamation will be made to the world by the Antichrist to worship the image of the Beast (chap. 13:12-15), there will also be a proclamation made by God (through the everlasting gospel) to fear the Creator and give glory to Him. This gospel is not the gospel of the grace and glory of God that is being preached today by Christians (Acts 20:24; 1 Tim. 1:11). It does not announce the good news of redemption through the blood of Christ; no angel has ever been called to carry that message. The everlasting gospel is carried by an “angel” and has to do with the message that creation itself announces, which is a limited revelation of God and man’s responsibility to Him. All who have simple faith in the Creator and give glory to Him will be accounted righteous and “accepted with Him” (Acts 10:35). This gospel has gone forth from the beginning of time, but since things will be exceedingly dark (spiritually) in the Great Tribulation in the West, and the Word of God will be scarce to find (Amos 8:11-12), God will use this other testimony of Himself in a more powerful way than ever before.

Religious Babylon Falls

(Chap. 14:8)

The seventh thing that occurs at the middle of the week is the fall of “Babylon.” This is the first mention of Babylon in the book of Revelation. It is used as a figure in prophecy to describe the Western powers (the federation of ten nations, the revived Roman Empire) that will be formed after the Rapture but before Daniel’s 70th week begins (chap. 6:1-2). In its initial form in the first 3½ years of the prophetic week, the empire will have the Catholic Church at its helm. This is referred to as the “woman” (the harlot) riding “a scarlet coloured beast” (chap. 17:1-6).

The announcement here in Revelation 14:8 is: “Babylon is fallen.” This refers to the government of the empire under the Catholic Church being overthrown and set aside. Thus, using the symbolic language of the book of Revelation, the harlot will be thrown off the beast and burnt with fire by those nations that she has controlled in the West (chap. 17:16-17). This will occur in the middle of the prophetic week to make way for a new administration under the diabolical man whom we have already been introduced to in chapter 13:1-8—the personal “Beast.”

As mentioned, the fall of Babylon refers to its religious side under the woman (Catholicism) becoming defunct—but the empire itself will continue to exist as a civil, political, and military power. The fall of Babylon, therefore, does not mean the end of Babylon. When the woman is removed, the empire will take on a new and different (Satanic) form under its new leader—the personal Beast. Hence, the fall of Babylon in the middle of the week (chap. 14:8; 17:16-17) must be distinguished from the destruction of Babylon, which happens at the end of the week when the Lord Appears and judges the personal Beast and his armies (chap. 16:15-21; 19:11-21; Isa. 13:1-22; 14:3-23). This is important to distinguish.

Moreover, when Babylon is spoken of using the figure of the “woman” (the whore), it is referring to the corrupt religious side of the empire under Catholicism. But when Babylon is spoken of as a “city,” it is referring to its civil, political, and military side. (What is confusing here is that Revelation 14:8, in the KJV, says “That great city.” However, this phrase should not be in the text. The verse is referring to the religious side under the woman, not the civil and political side.) More will be said on Babylon in a parenthesis in chapters 17–19:6, explaining its rise to power and its final destruction.

The Doom of the Worshippers of the Beast

(Chap. 14:9-12)

After the fall of Babylon there will be widespread worship of the Beast and his image throughout the western empire in the last half of the prophetic week. This will be encouraged, or rather enforced, by the Antichrist (chap. 13:15). But it will not be without warning, which the announcement in these verses indicates. This announcement will likely be through the voice of the Jewish remnant, who will cry against this wickedness. The announcement anticipates the frightful end of those who will receive its mark and worship its image. The “saints” (those who will not receive the mark) are counseled to hang on with “patience [endurance]” to the end, for the hour of the Lord’s coming (His Appearing) and their deliverance is not far off (vs. 12; Matt. 24:13; Luke 21:25-28).

The End of the First Resurrection

(Chap. 14:13)

As things near the end of the prophetic week, and Christ is about to appear, the third and final phase of the first resurrection will occur (John 5:28-29). The saints who will be martyred during the prophetic week will be raised to join the heavenly company as part of the 24 elders. “Henceforth” indicates the end of their condition in the separate state and a new "blessed" condition of being glorified is entered upon. These are the last guests to be brought in to attend the marriage of the Lamb in heaven (Lev. 23:22; Matt. 13:30). These will be among the friends of the Bridegroom in heaven (John 3:29). They will be with Christ when He reigns over the earth in the Millennium (chap. 20:4-6).

Three Phases of the First Resurrection

• Christ as “the firstfruits” has already risen (1 Cor. 15:23a).

• The Old and New Testament saints will partake in this resurrection at the moment of the Rapture (1 Cor. 15:23b; Heb. 11:40).

• The martyred Tribulation saints will be resurrected just prior to Christ’s Appearing (chap. 6:9-11; 14:2-3; 15:2-4).

The Harvest Judgment

(Chap. 14:14-16)

Christ will come at last (the Appearing) in fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies, which portray Him as “the Son of Man” coming from heaven to judge the nations (Dan. 7:13; John 5:27; Rev. 1:13-16). He will execute a discriminating judgment similar to a farmer separating wheat from the chaff in harvest time. Hence, this is called “the Harvest” judgment. At this time, the Lord will dispatch His angels who will go over the prophetic earth (the Western nations and the land of Israel), and they will take the wicked out of the earth and cast them into the lake of fire (Matt. 13:38-43; Isa. 24:1, 6). This is what is meant in the Lord’s words, “One shall be taken, and the other left” (Matt. 24:36-41). This begins the judgment of “the quick [living]” (2 Tim. 4:1; 1 Peter 4:5). Those who remain in the western earth will be left to enter the Millennium.

At the same time, the Lord will destroy the armies of the West led by the Beast (Rev. 16:15-21; 19:11-21) and will cast the leaders (the Beast and the Antichrist) into the lake of fire (2 Thess. 2:8; Rev. 19:20). Also, in a matter of a few days after the Lord appears, the King of the North, who will have led his armies down into Egypt, will come up out of that land and “stand up” against Him, and the Lord will destroy those armies too (Dan. 8:25; 11:42-45; Isa. 30:27-33). (This is not mentioned here in Revelation 14 because the subject is the judgment of Israel, but they are things that accompany the Appearing of Christ.) As a result of the Harvest judgment, the prophetic earth will be cleansed of all who “offend” and “who practice lawlessness” in preparation for the reign of Christ (Matt. 13:41).

(Christ’s Appearing is described in further detail when the thread of events is resumed in chapter 19:11.)

The Vintage Judgment

(Chap. 14:17-20)

After the Harvest judgment, the Lord will effect a restoration of the nation of Israel and will begin His reign in righteousness on earth (Psa. 72:1-3; Isa. 32:1; 61:11). This also is not mentioned in Revelation 14, but there is an abundance of Old Testament passages that indicate that it will happen after Christ appears (Isa. 13:9-14:3; Isa. 30:27-32:20; Mic. 5:1-7; Mal. 4:1-2, etc.). At that time, another group of angels will be sent out over the entire world to gather the “elect” of the 12 tribes of Israel to their land (Matt. 24:30-31). With them will come a great number of Israelites who will not have faith, and they will be sifted out at the borders of the land by the Lord. The “rebels” will not be allowed to enter the land and will be left there at “the border” (Ezek. 11:9-11; 20:33-38; Amos 9:9-10).

Meanwhile, another vast confederacy of armies will gather and attack the newly restored nation of Israel. These are the Russian hordes with their confederates under Gog (Ezek. 38-39; Joel 3:1-2). However, just as the Harvest judgment does not mention the western armies, these armies under Gog are also not mentioned. They will come in from the east (the land of Edom, where they will congregate – Isa. 34:1-2) with a great train. At that time, the Lord will go forth from Jerusalem to defend Israel (that is, a remnant of all twelve tribes) and will destroy the attacking armies. In treading “the great winepress of the wrath of God,” the Lord will go out from Jerusalem and will continue all the way to the land of Edom (Isa. 26:21; 34:3-10; 63:1-6; Ob. 15-16). This will be about 200 hundred miles (1600 furlongs—“stadia”) of pure human carnage! The multitude of apostate Israelites left at the borders of the land will be destroyed with these armies. Thus, “the vine of the earth” (an often-used figure of Israel) will be “cast into the winepress” (vs. 19).

The Vintage (Winepress) judgment occurs slightly beyond the end of Daniel’s 70th week––1335 days from the middle of the week (Dan. 12:11-12). Christ will have been back on earth for almost two months by the time He executes this judgment. It will not be a discriminating judgment, as was the Harvest judgment. Hence, those involved in this judgment will be destroyed unsparingly. This Winepress judgment will be a further step in the judgment of the “quick [living]”.

Judgments of the Nations Outside the Prophetic Earth: Revelation 15-16

(Chapters 15-16)

These chapters go back over the prophetic week of Daniel a third time, giving it to us from the perspective of God’s judgment on the out-lying nations. The judgments in this section focus particularly on the latter half of the week, taking us through to the intervention of Christ at His Appearing.

Vial Judgments: Revelation 15

(Chapter 15)

Chapter 15 is introductory to these judgments. It is a scene of faithful Gentile martyrs in heaven praising the Lord. These judgments are poured out in answer to the cry of these martyrs who have suffered and died under the regime of the Beast. They have “gotten the victory over the beast” in that they would not yield to the pressure of worshipping its image, nor would they receive its mark, but remained faithful unto death. Now they are before God in the disembodied state, but in a fixed condition of purity and bliss.

It is significant that these Gentile martyrs sing of Christ as “the King of nations, and that they make mention of “all nations” coming to worship before Him (vss. 3-4 – J. N. Darby Trans.). This is in keeping with the focus of these vial [bowl] judgments whose effects will reach to the outlying Gentile nations. They are poured out on the prophetic “earth” (chap. 16:1), but their effect spreads out to the nations outside the prophetic earth.

A Two-Fold Song of the Martyrs

• “The song of Moses” pertains to the crushing of the faithful martyrs’ enemies (Ex. 15:1-19).

• “The song of the Lamb” pertains to the redemption of the martyrs’ souls (chap. 5:9).

There is a definite correlation between the trumpet judgments and the vial [bowl] judgments. The 1st trumpet and 1st vial have to do with the “earth.” The 2nd trumpet and 2nd vial have to do with the “sea.” The 3rd trumpet and 3rd vial have to do with the “rivers.” The 4th trumpet and the 4th vial have to do with the “sun.” The 5th trumpet and the 5th vial have to do with the influence of “darkness.” The 6th trumpet and the 6th vial have to do with “the river Euphrates” and an invading army passing over it. The 7th trumpet and the 7th vial have to do with the personal intervention of Christ—His Appearing in judgment. It is significant that the trumpet judgments are on “the third part” of the earth, sea, rivers, etc.—a restricted area of the world (the western prophetic earth)—whereas the vial judgments have no such expression. This indicates that the vial judgments are much broader in their range.

Some have thought that these vial [bowl] judgments will occur after the trumpet judgments—just a few days prior to the Appearing of Christ. But this upsets the outline of the book and makes for problems in interpretation. For instance, then the drying of the Euphrates occurs twice and the land of Israel will be attacked and devastated by armies from the northeast twice—the sixth trumpet and the sixth vial! Moreover, the Lord will come out of heaven in judgment (His Appearing) twice!—the seventh trumpet and the seventh vial. A. C. Brown and others have pointed out that it makes much more sense to see the trumpet judgments and the vial judgments as going over the same ground, but from a different perspective. (This is indicated on the chart placed at the beginning of the sixth chapter.)

The First Vial [Bowl]

(Chap. 16:1-2)

Individual followers of the Beast in his empire (“the earth”) and also any followers who may be in the out-lying nations will be smitten with a “grievous sore” whereby they are afflicted with a guilty conscience that brings them constant misery.

The Second Vial [Bowl]

(Chap. 16:3)

Those in the outlying nations (“the sea”) who have rejected the gospel of the kingdom (Matt. 24:14) will apostatize from what light they have had.

The Third Vial [Bowl]

(Chap. 16:4-7)

The natural sources of joy and well-being of life (“the rivers”) will be taken away from those in the outlying nations.

The Fourth Vial [Bowl]

(Chap. 16:8-9)

A great governing authority in the outlying nations (“the sun”) will apostatize, causing a frightful oppression over men.

The Fifth Vial [Bowl]

(Chap. 16:10-11)

Moral and spiritual “darkness” will sweep over the subjects of the Beast, which will give them a deep sense of the abandonment of God. This will also be felt by many in the outlying nations.

The Sixth Vial [Bowl]

(Chap. 16:12-14)

The eastern border of the Beast’s empire (which drying of “the great river Euphrates” symbolizes) will be overrun by a vast army of attacking soldiers. This will be a confederacy of Moslem nations situated to the immediate north and east of Israel. It is the same company mentioned in chapter 9:13-21. These confederate armies will be led by “the King of the North” (Psa. 83:1-8; Dan. 11:40-42). They will sweep through the land of Israel and proceed into Egypt, destroying the mass of the Jews who will have received the Antichrist. The devil (“the dragon”) and his two human agents (“the Beast” and “the False Prophet” – the Antichrist) will be behind the drawing together of these confederacies to battle.

These “kings from the east” are not China and India, etc. W. Scott has pointed out that if China is in view here, it would say, “the kings of the east.” If those Far East nations are involved in these end of time battles, they would come up later with Gog—Russia (Ezek. 37:6 – “many peoples with thee”). Moreover, the King of the North is not Gog. Gog is from “the uttermost north” (Ezek. 38:1-6 – J. N. Darby Trans.).

A Parenthesis: Revelation 16:15

Between the 6th and 7th Vials

(Chapter 16:15)

Since the prophecies thus far in this section have brought us to the moment when judgment will be poured out on the assembled armies in the land of Israel, another parenthesis is opened to explain who will execute the judgment—and when. It will be the Lord Jesus Christ Himself who will judge these armies at His Appearing. His personal voice is now heard, “Behold, I come as a thief” (vs. 15).

Vial Judgments Resumed: Revelation 16:16-21

The Seventh Vial

(Chap. 16:16-21)

Christ’s first act in judgment at His Appearing will be on the Western powers under the (personal) Beast as his massive navy comes to the land of Israel from the west (Num. 24:24). This judgment is described under the figure of “the great city” of “Babylon” being overthrown and destroyed. The overthrow of Babylon in history by Cyrus the Persian is a picture of this judgment. Cyrus is a type of Christ and Babylon is a type of the Western powers under the personal beast (Isa. 44:28). The first thing that Cyrus did after he defeated the Babylonians was grant deliverance to the Jews who were captive in Babylon (Isa. 45:1-4). This is exactly what the Lord will do when He appears. He will judge the western powers and deliver the faithful Jewish remnant from the persecution leveled at them.

(Christ’s Appearing in judgment is described in further detail when the thread of events is resumed in chapter 19:11).

A Parenthesis: Revelation 17-19:10

The Judgment Of Babylon

(Chapters 17–19:10)

These chapters are given to supplement the previous references to “Babylon” in chapter 14:8 and chapter 16:19. Mention has been made of this great world power and its judgment, but now a full exposé of its character and ways is given. These extra details help us to identify who this great corrupt power is that will play such a prominent role in end-time prophecy. The parenthesis essentially presents a comparison of the two prominent women in the book: the false church—“the great whore” (chap. 17:1-19:5) and true Church—“the Lamb’s wife” (chap. 19:6-10).

The Great Whore

Chap. 17:1-6—The chapter begins with a description of a “great whore” riding “a scarlet coloured beast” with “seven heads and ten horns.” This corrupt woman is papal Rome with all the so-called Christian denominations under its wing—the final state of Christendom after the true Church has been called away to heaven. It is Satan’s counterfeit church. The “whore” is undoubtedly the Roman Catholic Church. This is obvious by:

• The Geographical Evidence—She is identified with the seven-hilled city of Rome – “seven heads” (vs. 9). No other notable city in the world has been so described.

• The Historical Evidence—She has been the great persecutor of Christians through history. No other religious system in Christendom has been guilty of martyring the saints as Rome (vs. 6).

• The Political Evidence—She has controlled the governments in Europe in history. No other religious system in Christendom has wanted to control the governments of the world as Rome (vss. 1, 15, 18).

• The Ecclesiastical Evidence—Whoredom is a figure used in Scripture for those who forsake God for idolatry. No other religious system in Christendom has had the extent of idolatry as Catholicism (vs. 2).

• The Worldly Evidence—No other religious system in Christendom has arrayed itself with such pomp and glory as the Roman Catholic Church (vs. 4).

• The Commercial Evidence—No other religious system in Christendom has had such commercial connections and amassed such wealth (chap. 18:9-19).

John is called to see “the judgment” (not the glory) of the great whore. Her destruction, which occurs in the middle of the prophetic week, marks the end of Christendom. The corrupt woman’s influence over the multitudes in the West is seen in her sitting on “many waters” (vss. 1, 15). Her guilt of prostituting the truth and intoxicating men with her evil doctrines and practices is depicted in her “fornication” (vs. 2). Though she professes great spiritual possessions, she is spiritually destitute. This is indicated by the place of drought in which she dwells—“the wilderness.” She sits on the “beast,” indicating that she will have control of the confederated nations of the West. Her worldly glory is seen in her garments of “purple and scarlet” with “gold and precious stones and pearls” (vs. 4). She is identified as “Mystery Babylon” indicating the depths of her idolatry. She is “the mother of harlots.” This means that she has many daughters under her wing who have her character. As a “Mother” she has given birth to the other denominations in Christendom, for they have all come out of her clerical corruption and thus bear the marks of her character in varying degrees. These will all be gathered under her wing in the first half of the prophetic week and will constitute the false church (vs. 5).

The Beast With Seven Heads and Ten Horns

Chap. 17:7-14—As mentioned, “the beast” with “seven heads and ten horns” is the revived Roman Empire as indicated in Daniel 2:40-45; 7:7-8, 19-27. The “ten horns” are the “ten kings” (kingdoms or nations) of which the empire will be composed (vss. 7, 9-14). These are the confederate nations of the West.

Firstly, as to its history (vs. 8), there are four phases mentioned through which the Roman Empire passes:

• “Was”—existing as it was in John’s day.

• “Is not”—defunct in 476 A.D.

• “Shall ascend out of the bottomless pit”—revived in the last half of the week.

• “And go into perdition”—judged by Christ at His Appearing at the end of the week.

Vss. 9-11—The “seven heads” have a double application. They not only refer to the seven-hilled city of Rome, but also refer to seven forms of government (“mountains”) through which the empire would pass through time. In history it has had kings, dictators, military tribunes, consuls, and decemvirs (a counsel of magistrates) at the head of the empire. These “five” forms of government are “fallen” and are passed off the scene. The “one” which “is” refers to the sixth form of government which controlled the empire at the time when John wrote the Revelation. It was an imperial government (rule through a succession of emperors). The “other” that was coming in the future is the seventh. This will be the government of the empire under the whore, the Catholic Church, which this chapter describes. The angel tells John that it will only continue “a short space”—i.e. the first half of the prophetic week, because that “head” (form of government) will be wounded to death (Rev. 13:3; 14:8). Then there will arise out of its demise an “eighth” form of government (a Satanic rule) under the personal Beast (Rev. 13:4-8; Dan. 7:8, 20-21 – “the little horn”). Thus, the “deadly wound” that the seventh head will receive will be healed in the form of the eighth. This man (the little horn) will take the office of the Roman prince and will immediately breach the terms of the covenant that the empire will have made with the Jews (Dan. 9:27b – the second “he”). This final form of the empire will go “into perdition” because it will be in power when Christ appears and judges it.

The Fall of Babylon

Chap. 17:15-18—The instrument of the harlot’s destruction is the “ten kings,” the federation of ten nations over which she will rule in the first 3½ years of the prophetic week. These nations will have had enough of Catholicism and will “hate the whore.” And, with the help of the personal Beast, who will take over the leadership of the empire, they will “make her desolate.” This is the “fall” of Babylon. We know that this will happen in the middle of the prophetic week because the new diabolical leader (the Beast or “little horn”) who rises to power, continues in the office of the Roman “prince” (Dan. 9:27b – the second “he”) for “forty and two months,” which is the last half of the week (chap. 13:5; Dan. 7:25).

Chap. 18:1-8—There follows in this chapter a description of the false church under Catholicism (the harlot) in its fallen state, as having been made desolate by the ten horns. The proclamation: “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen” refers to this. As mentioned in chapter 14:8, it refers to the religious side of the empire becoming defunct: However, Babylon, as an empire (politically and militarily), will not be gone. It will continue on under a satanic form of government under the personal Beast and will meet its full and final destruction at the end of the prophetic week when Christ appears and judges it. This is described at the end of this 18th chapter under the figure of “a great millstone being cast ... into the sea” and that “great city Babylon” being “thrown down” (chap. 18:21-24).

What once was the “habitation of God through the Spirit” (Eph. 2:22) is now seen as “the habitation of devils [demons], and the hold of every foul spirit” (chap. 18:2). Her wickedness is fully exposed as having prostituted professed truth (which is really error) and intoxicated the nations with her doctrines and practices. It is depicted as spiritual “fornication,” which is idolatry (vs. 3). God always calls His children out of what is corrupt and evil. Saints in past centuries heard this call and separated from the Romish abominations, and thousands of them sealed their testimony with their blood. A large number of God-fearing believers will hear this call and will separate from that wicked system in the first 3½ years of the prophetic week (vs. 4). They will suffer persecution and martyrdom on account of their convictions (chap. 6:9-11; 17:6; 20:4a). Her corrupting “sins” of commercializing and prostituting Christian things, and exalting herself instead of exalting Christ, whom she professes as Lord, have “reached unto heaven” and have called for the just judgment of God on her (vss. 5-8).

Chap. 18:9-20—An account is then given of her worldliness and commercialism. A universal lamentation is depicted from the various classes of commercial businessmen in the world who have had intercourse with that wicked system and have profited from it financially. The merchants mourn primarily because their hope of gain will be gone. It appears that she has been a controlling factor in the world market. No less than twenty-eight things are mentioned in which she traffics. It is significant that the first is “gold” and the last is “souls of men!”

“God has judged your judgment on her” (vs. 20) means that the right-hearted saints, a long time before this, have passed judgment on that wicked system in their hearts, and have separated from it. Now God vindicates their judgment by this great fall.

The Destruction of Babylon

Chap. 18:21-24—Another judgmental blow is given to the “great city Babylon.” This is not the fall of Babylon, which we have just noted, but the destruction of Babylon. As mentioned, its fall occurs in the middle of the prophetic week, but its destruction will be at the end of the prophetic week. As a result, this great power is found “no more at all.” The angel throwing “a great millstone” into “the sea” indicates the finality of this judgment. This refers to the final end of Babylon as a great political and military power––in its final form under the personal Beast––being judged by Christ at His Appearing (chap. 16:15-21). The imagery used here is similar to Isaiah 24:1-12, which also refers to the Lord’s judgment on Babylon at His Appearing.

Hence, details in this parenthesis have brought us once again up to Christ’s Appearing.

Two Celebrations in Heaven

Just before heaven opens and Christ comes forth in power and judgment at His Appearing (chap. 19:11-21), there will be two celebrations in heaven.

Chap. 19:1-6—The first celebration is the unrestrained joy in heaven over the judgment of “the great harlot.” “Hallelujah” is mentioned four times in this connection:

1. The first is on account of the attributes of God Himself which have called for this judgment (vs. 1).

2. The second is on account of His holy judgments being executed on evil (vss. 2-3).

3. The third is in connection with expressed worship of God Himself (vss. 4-5). The fourth is heaven’s joy in anticipation of Christ’s kingdom glory being secured and the desires of His heart fulfilled (vs. 6).

Chap. 19:7-10—The second celebration has to do with unrestrained joy in heaven being expressed in anticipation of the public display of Christ and the Church. There are two things here:

• “The marriage of the Lamb” (vs. 7). This is the time when Christ will present the Church “to Himself” as a “glorious” thing, “not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing” (Eph. 5:27). It is a private and intimate affair that will be for His joy. Note: it is not called the marriage “of the bride,” but “of the Lamb,” because the whole purpose of the event is to “give honour to Him,” not to the Church, which is the bride (Eph. 5:23-32). The bridal robes of the Church which are “fine linen, clean and white” are given to her. This is a reference to the results of the judgment seat of Christ, when “the righteousnesses of saints” will be rewarded to them. This is in contrast to the harlot who took garments of glory that didn’t belong to her and lavishly arrayed herself with them (chap. 18:7).

• “The marriage supper of the Lamb” (vs. 9). If the “marriage” is for the satisfaction and enjoyment of the Lamb and His wife, the “supper” is for the guests to enjoy. These are the Old Testament saints and the martyred Tribulation saints who will be resurrected prior to the Appearing of Christ. These could be classified as the friends of the Bridegroom (John 3:29).

Vs. 10—John took his focus off the Lord Jesus Christ for a moment and fell down and worshipped one of his fellow servants and was rebuked for it. In the correction that John received there is an important principle that applies to all prophetic Scriptures—in fact, to all of the Word of God. “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” This means that the underlying object of every prophecy has the testimony of the Lord Jesus and what pertains to His glory in it. Every verse may not speak about Christ directly, but “the spirit” of every passage pertains to what will ultimately glorify Him. Recognizing what is due to Christ’s honour and glory unlocks the understanding of the prophetic Scriptures.

The Consummation of the Age, the Millennium, and the Eternal State: Revelation 19:11-21:8

(Chapter 19:11–21:8)

The prophecies thus far in the book have taken us up to the Appearing of Christ. Things have been developed from three different standpoints, each ending at the point of His coming in judgment (chap. 11:15-18; 14:14-20; 16:15-21). This closing section of the book picks up the thread of things from that moment and takes us from the Appearing of Christ, through the Millennium, to the Eternal State.

Eight Great Visions

There are eight great visions in this section indicated by the words, “I saw ... ” (chap. 19:11, 17, 19; 20:1, 4, 11, 12; 21:1). These visions are of consecutive order, stretching from the Appearing of Christ to the Eternal State.

The First Vision—Christ the Victorious Conqueror

Chap. 19:11-16—The thread of prophetic events is now resumed with a detailed account of the Appearing of Christ. The heavens are “opened” because the moment of Christ’s Appearing has come. This is quite different from chapter 4:1 where a door in heaven was opened for John to pass in; here it is opened for Christ and the armies of heaven to come out. The Lord Jesus said that no one knows the exact hour when this will be (Matt. 24:36). The sovereignty of the earth is really the great thing at stake, and it will be decided once and for all at this time. The result is that the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ (Rev. 11:15). This is the Lord’s Davidic (warrior) character of judgment.

• He rides a “white horse.” This is not literal, but symbolic of His victorious power (vs. 11a). In ancient eastern countries when a king came to a place on an ass, it meant he was coming in peace (Zech. 9:9), but when he came on a horse, it was in war. This Rider must not to be confused with the rider on a “white horse” in chapter 6:1-2, which is papal Rome professing purity of motive in gathering the nations of western Europe together into a federation.

• He is called “Faithful and True” because He judges in righteousness and according to the truth (vs. 11b).

• His eyes are “a flame of fire,” meaning that He has divine omniscience that searches out all hidden evil and deals with it according to righteousness (vs. 12a).

• He wears “many crowns [diadems]” referring to the universal dominion that belongs to Him (vs. 12b).

• Having a “name written, that no man knew” speaks of the intrinsic glory of His person that no human can know (vs. 12c; Matt. 11:27).

• He is clothed with “a vesture dipped in blood” meaning that He comes in vengeance (vs. 13a). The blood here is not His blood that was shed for sinners, but the blood of His enemies (Compare Isa. 34:6; 63:1-4).

• His name is “the Word of God” because He is the perfect exponent of the mind of God as expressed in judgment (vs. 13b; John 1:1).

• The “armies” of heaven that follow Him are the glorified heavenly saints from Old Testament and New Testament times who will attend His coming (vs. 14; 1 Thess. 3:13; 4:14; Jude 14; Zech. 14:5; Rev. 17:14). They have no weapons because they don’t need any; the battle is the Lord’s.

• Out of His mouth goes “a sharp sword” (vs. 15). Thus, His Word will be the instrument of His enemies’ destruction (Heb. 4:12; Isa. 30:31). The purpose of His coming in judgment is twofold: firstly, to “smite the nations ... with a rod of iron” which assemble at Armageddon––the Harvest judgment. Secondly, to tread “the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God”––the Vintage judgment (Isa. 63:1-6; Rev. 14:18-20). (This latter judgment is not mentioned here because the Spirit of God is focusing on Christ’s Appearing, and the Vintage does not happen then, but sometime later.)

• His name (or title) is “King of kings, and Lord of lords” (vs. 16). This indicates His sovereign right to rule over all kingdoms.

The Second Vision—the Summoning of the Ravenous Birds of Prey to the Supper of God

Chap. 19:17-18—So sure is the judgment of the armies that gather to oppose the intervention of Christ that an angel summons “all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven” to feed on the fallen warriors. This is the second “supper” in this chapter. “The marriage supper of the Lamb” is a scene of joy and blessing in heaven; “the supper of the great God” is a scene of judgment on earth. This supper is of the dead who have fallen in battle (vss. 17-18).

The Third Vision—the Judgment at Armageddon

Chap. 19:19-21—The judgment the Lord will execute at this time is the first in a series of judgments. When He appears, He will first deal with the Western powers at Armageddon. These are the confederate armies under the Beast (political Babylon) who will come to the land of Israel from the west with their massive navy (Num. 24:24). At the same time, the Lord will dispatch His angels who will go through the prophetic earth and take out all who have rejected the gospel and cast them into Hell (Matt. 13:38-43; 24:40-41). This is the Harvest judgment.

Vss. 20-21—There is no account of the battles at Armageddon given here, just the result. The Beast (the leader of the Western confederacy) is taken with the Antichrist and cast alive into the lake of fire. The Antichrist is not called “another beast” or “the king,” but “the false prophet,” because at this point he will be reduced to that role, having lost his place of rule in the land of Israel as king. Prior to this, he will have fled from his post in the land when the King of the North and His Arab confederacy attacked (Zech. 11:17; Isa. 22:19; Jer. 39:4; John 10:13).

The Fourth Vision—Satan Bound for 1000 Years (the Millennium)

Chap. 20:1-3—It is God’s desire to display the glory of Christ through the Church in the very place where He was rejected and cast out, and thus vindicate Him before the eyes of all (Matt. 17:1-2; John 17:23; 2 Thess. 1:10). He will do this in the Millennium—the 1000-year reign of Christ. However, the whole scene must be cleansed before the stage can be set for the display of His kingdom glory. As we have seen in the previous chapters, this cleansing will be through judgment. Having judged His enemies, the Lord will make “wars to cease” (Psa. 46:6-9; Isa. 2:4).

If peace and blessing is to be had on earth, Satan, who is the great instigator of violence and corruption, must be removed. The final act of preparing the scene for the display of Christ’s glory will be to cast him and his angels into “the bottomless pit [abyss].” They will remain there “for many days”—the duration of the Millennium (Isa. 24:21-22). The earth will be free of his influence for 1000 years! This is something the world has never known.

The sphere of Satan’s movements will continually be restricted, until at last he will be thrown into the lake of fire (Hell). He once had the privilege of being in “the garden of God” (the abode of God), but when he sinned, he was expelled (Ezek. 28:11-19). Being cast out, he has had the run of the heavens and the earth, which he has sought to corrupt (Job 1:6-7; 15:15). At the time of the flood, some of his emissaries were confined in the pit on account of their particular wickedness of attempting to co-habit with the daughters of men (Gen. 6:2; 2 Peter 2:5; Jude 6). Then, in the middle of the coming prophetic week of Daniel, he will be cast out of the heavens “into the earth” (Rev. 12:7-9; Luke 10:18). When Christ appears at the end of the prophetic week, Satan and his angels will be cast into “the bottomless pit [abyss]” for 1000 years. Then, after his last revolt (having been let out of the pit after 1000 years), he will be cast into “the lake of fire”—his eternal abode of everlasting judgment (Rev. 20:10; Matt. 25:41).

The Fifth Vision—the Heavenly Saints Reign With Christ for 1000 Years (the Millennium)

Chap. 20:4-10—After all hostile powers are put down, Christ will reign over all the works of His hands with the heavenly saints (Rev. 20:4-6). Scripture tells us that God has “appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained” (Acts 17:31). This “day” is not a single day of 24 hours but the whole period of 1000 years—the Millennium. It is “the day of the Lord” (2 Peter 3:8-10; 1 Thess. 5:2; 2 Thess. 2:2; Isa. 2:10-22; Joel 1:15; Zeph. 2:2; Mal. 4:5). The Harvest and Vintage judgments prior to this are the Lord’s Davidic warrior judgments, but this is His Solomonic reign in peace (1 Kings 5:4; Psa. 72:7-8; Psa. 147:14; Isa. 60:18).

A summary is given of those who will be privileged to share in Christ’s reign of righteousness. There are three classes of heavenly saints who will sit on “thrones” in the administration of the kingdom. These thrones are in the heavens, not on earth (Dan. 7:22, 27 JND – “the saints of the high [places]”). Thus, the saints will assist in the judgment of the world to come (1 Cor. 6:2):

• “They sat upon them” are the glorified saints from New and Old Testament times (vs. 4a).

• “The souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the Word of God” are the martyrs from the first half of the prophetic week who will be raised and glorified (Rev. 6:9-11).

• Those who “had not worshipped the Beast, neither his image” are the martyrs from the last half of the prophetic week who will also be raised and glorified (Rev. 14:2-3; 15:2-4).

Chap. 20:7-10—At the end of the Millennium, Satan will be “loosed out of his prison.” Immediately he will make one final, desperate attempt to regain mastery over the world. He will go out and “deceive” those who are lost, and they will follow him in an all-out attempt to overthrow the saints in “the beloved city.” This is the last siege of Jerusalem. Those who follow him are called “Gog and Magog,” but they are not the same people as in Ezekiel 38-39. Those who follow Satan at this time are called that because they have the same godless character of unbelief. God will use this event to bring Satan and all who follow him to their final end. “Fire” (a symbol of judgment) will come down from God and devour them. Satan will be cast into the lake of fire—his eternal abode of judgment.

The Sixth Vision—the Great White Throne

Chap. 20:11—The sixth vision is of “a great white throne” and “Him” who sits on it. Hence, the Millennium begins and ends with a sessional judgment (vss. 4, 12-15). Who is the occupant of this throne? It is not God the Father, but God the Son, for all judgment has been committed into His hand (John 5:22).

The Seventh Vision—the Judgment of the Wicked Dead

Chap. 20:12-13—This final scene of judgment is that of the wicked dead. The last recorded act in time is the judgment of those who follow Satan in his final revolt; the first recorded act in eternity is the resurrection and judgment of the wicked dead. Between these two events the “earth and heaven” will flee away from the “face” of Him who sits on the throne. They actually happen at the same time. At this point, the melting of the elements of the whole creation will take place (2 Peter 3:7-12). This will not include the abode of God (“the third heaven”) for the fires of purification cannot touch it.

There will not be a universal resurrection of all men. Scripture indicates that there are two resurrections: a “resurrection of life,” and a “resurrection of damnation” (John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15). This chapter calls the resurrection of life “the first resurrection” (vs. 5). It involves the righteous only. The fact that it says, “The rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished,” indicates that there is another resurrection after the first resurrection—and it involves the wicked. Hence, it could be called, “the second resurrection.”

The wicked dead from the beginning of time will be raised to receive their eternal sentence of judgment. They will stand there suspended in space before their Creator and will be sentenced to a lost eternity in “the lake of fire”—Hell (Job 14:12). Contrary to popular teaching, there is no one in Hell (the lake of fire) yet. Those who have died in their sins are presently in “prison” in Hades (1 Peter 3:19), which is a temporary state of confinement for disembodied spirits who are lost. The first persons cast into Hell (the lake of fire) are the Beast and the Antichrist, then all those who have rejected the gospel of the grace of God in the Western nations will be put there by the angels (the Harvest judgment). The wicked dead are the last to be consigned there. Since these people will be raised from the dead to stand before the great white throne, they will be cast into the lake of fire alive (spirit, soul, and body) and will suffer in endless separation from God.

All who are not found written in “the book of life” are judged according to their works, as recorded in “the books.” The fact that there are books indicates that God keeps records of men’s lives. Every thought, word, and deed is recorded there. Luke 12:47-48 indicates that there will be varying degrees of punishment for the lost in Hell. It will be a just judgment, and they will be punished “according to their works.” No one will suffer for something he or she didn’t do.

Chap. 20:14-15—“Death and Hades” are personified as powers, and are cast into the lake of fire in everlasting defeat. Both have come into existence because man sinned, but now there will be no further need of them. “The lake of fire” is the eternal depository of the lost where they will suffer. A “lake” denotes a place of confinement; water flows into it from various creeks and rivers and is confined there. “Fire” is a symbol of judgment throughout Scripture. Hence, the lost are in a place of eternal confinement under the judgment of God. God never intended that any person should end up in that awful place of judgment; it was prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41). But wicked men who refuse the movements of God’s love and grace toward them will also end up there.

The fact that this judgment of wicked persons is called “the second death” shows that they did not cease to exist when they experienced the first death (physical death). If there was nothing left of them after they die, as some falsely teach, then they couldn’t experience this judgment. Some think that “everlasting destruction” (2 Thess. 1:9; Phil. 3:19; Matt. 7:13; 2 Peter 2:1, 12; 3:16, etc.) means that people are consumed by the fire of God’s judgment and they cease to exist thereafter. This false doctrine is called Annihilationism. God’s Word, however, indicates that “everlasting destruction” has not to do with the loss of one’s being, but the loss of his well-being.

It is clear from Job 30:24 that the lost still exist after they die. It says that they “cry” out even after they have been destroyed. Revelation 19:20 tells us that the Beast and the false prophet were cast alive into the lake of fire. Then, in chapter 20 we are told that the devil is put into the bottomless pit for the duration of the Millennium and then let loose. And after a brief rebellion we read, “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are” (Rev. 20:10). Notice: the Beast and the false prophet were still there in the lake of fire after the thousand-year reign of Christ! They didn’t cease to exist. The Lord Jesus said, “He that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36). “Abideth” is an on-going thing. If the wrath of God abides on the unbeliever, there must be the existence of the unbeliever for it to abide on him. Again, it says in Revelation 14:11, “the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever.” Torment signifies a condition that requires a living person to endure it. You cannot torment what does not exist. The Lord also said, “Their worm dieth not” (Mark 9:48). This indicates that the torments of a guilty conscience will not die in the lost under eternal punishment. Moreover, a number of Scriptures tell us that the fire of God’s judgment “never shall be quenched” (Matt. 3:12; Mark 9:43, 45; Luke 3:17). What need would there be for it to continue if those who are cast there are annihilated immediately? Some tell us that death itself is the judgment. But Scripture says, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this (death) the judgment” (Heb. 9:27). If, “after” death is the judgment, how could death be the judgment?

Even in our ordinary language, “destruction” doesn’t mean the cessation of existence. For instance, if we took an axe and destroyed a beautiful wooden table, there would be just as much material lying in a useless heap on the floor as when it sat as a beautiful, useful table. Once it has been destroyed, it is no longer useful for the purpose for which it was made. It is the same with the destruction of human beings. Man was made for the glory of God (Isa. 43:21; Rev. 4:11). If he goes into “everlasting destruction,” he can no longer be fitted through salvation for the purpose for which he was created.

The Eighth Vision—the Eternal State

Chap. 21:1-8—The final vision is the Eternal State, which is the summit of God’s holy desires in the fullest sense. This brings us to the end of all God’s purposes in regard to the glory of Christ and the blessing of man. There is relatively little given to us in Scripture about the Eternal State. There are really only three main passages that speak of it (Rev. 21:1-8; 2 Peter 3:10-13; 1 Cor. 15:24-28).

It is significant that the number eight marks this passage. It speaks a new beginning:

• It is the eighth vision.

• Eight things are said to exist no more—the first heaven, the first earth, the sea, tears, death, sorrow, crying, and pain (vss. 1-4).

• Eight classes of sinners are found under eternal judgment—the fearful, the unbelieving, the abominable, murderers, whoremongers, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars (vs. 8).

God will begin to “reconcile all things” to Himself in the Millennium, but it will not be complete until the Eternal State is reached (Col. 1:20). Sin and death will still exist in the Millennium (1 Cor. 15:25-26), but in the Eternal State all trace of sin and Satan and death will be gone (John 1:29). During the Millennium, righteousness will “reign” (Isa. 32:1), but in the Eternal State, righteousness “dwells” (2 Peter 3:13). In contrast to this, those who stand for righteousness today “suffer” (1 Peter 3:14).

Righteousness will reign in the Millennium through Christ ruling with “a rod of iron” (Psa. 2:9; Rev. 2:27). But in the Eternal State, there will be no need for reigning because there will be nothing to subjugate, for all will be of God, and He will be “all in all” (1 Cor. 15:28). Christ and the heavenly saints will “reign to the ages of ages” (the Eternal State) but not in the ages of ages (Rev. 22:5 – J. N. Darby Trans.). There is no mention of a King reigning in His kingdom here in this passage because it will have been delivered up to the Father (1 Cor. 15:24). Hence, the Millennium will be for the vindication of God’s holy character, but the Eternal State is for the satisfaction of His heart.

The great point in regard to the Eternal State is that everything will be “new” (vs. 1). Heaven and earth will abide as distinct places throughout all eternity, but they will be in an entirely new condition. The “heaven” mentioned here is not the abode of God, which doesn’t need to be made new, but rather the atmospheric and stellar heavens.

The fact that there will be “no more sea” indicates that there will be no more separation in circumstances, as we know them. A “sea” is a separating element in nature and is used to indicate separation in circumstances, age, time, and nationality, etc. Time distinctions, geographical boundaries, human limitations and differences will be gone then. There will be nothing to separate men from happy fellowship with one another and with God.

New Jerusalem comes into view as the eternal abode of the Church. It is “prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (vs. 2). The Church is seen in the closing chapters of this book in her “bride” character and in her “wife” character. As a bride, she is wholly for the enjoyment and satisfaction of the heart of Christ. As a wife, she will assist the Lord in the administration of the world to come—the Millennium (vs. 9). It is interesting to note that her wife character does not continue in the Eternal State, because that side of things will cease. However, the bride side continues forever.

It mentions new Jerusalem “coming down from God,” but there is no indication that it touches the earth and makes them one place. The two will remain distinct places of human destiny, but in the closest harmony.

The declaration is made, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them” (vs. 3). This is God’s great desire—to dwell in fellowship with “the sons of men” (Prov. 8:31). It will be accomplished perfectly then.

Verse 4 indicates a condition of fixed happiness. “Tears,” “death,” “sorrow,” “crying,” and “pain” are five things that are the result of sin. All of these will be gone forever because all things will be made new (vs. 5). It will be announced victoriously: “It is done.” This marks the fulfillment of God’s purpose.

Verses 6-7 indicate that redeemed men will always have a thirst. Our thirst in the day of God will be for more of Christ and His love. He is the “the Water of life” who alone can satisfy that thirst. Though being in the Eternal State, we will still be dependent creatures; we will never be self-sufficient. God will meet our every desire perfectly, and will eternally satisfy us with Him who is “enough, the mind and heart to fill” (L.F. #174).

Verse 8 indicates that not only will there be a fixed state of happiness and bliss for the righteous, but there will also be a fixed state of damnation for the lost. Eight classes of sinners are mentioned as being under eternal judgment in the lake of fire.

The Church in the Administration of the World to Come: Revelation 21:9-22:5

(Chapters 21:9–22:5)

This section is an appendix in the book of Revelation. It takes us back in time to the Millennium and furnishes us with further details regarding the administration of the world to come under Christ and the Church. This is the time when the Church will rightly enter government. Many Christians think that they should be involved in world politics and government today, but this is not the time for it.

There are vast differences between the false church (“the harlot”) and the true (“the bride, the Lamb’s wife”):

• The Harlot is seen in the “wilderness” because she is spiritually destitute (Rev. 17:3).

• The Bride is seen from a “high mountain” because she has been exalted by God (Rev. 21:10).

• The Harlot is referred to as a “city” having everything of man in it (Rev. 17:9).

• The Bride is referred to as a “city” having everything of Christ in it (Rev. 21:10).

• The Harlot is spoken of as “great” (7 times) but not holy (Rev. 17:1, etc.).

• The Bride is spoken of as “holy” but not great (Rev. 21:10 – J. N. Darby Trans.).

• The Harlot glorifies herself (Rev. 18:7).

• The Bride is glorified by God (Rev. 21:11).

As we look back over the chapters in the book of Revelation we can trace the Church’s history and her final destiny. She is first seen on earth in the place of testimony as “seven golden lamps,” and sadly failing in her responsibility (chaps. 2-3). Then, she is seen as part of the “four and twenty elders” around the throne in heaven as intelligent observers of the wisdom of God in His dealings with men (chaps. 4-5). Then, she is seen as “the Lamb’s wife” at the marriage of the Lamb in heaven (chap. 19:7-10). After this, she is seen as part of “the armies” that follow Christ out of heaven in His warrior judgments (chap. 19:14). Then, she is seen as the eternal “bride” of Christ providing eternal joy and satisfaction to Him (chap. 21:2). Lastly, in this appendix, she is seen as a heavenly “city” in the seat of administration over the world to come (chap. 21:9-22:5). What a story of divine grace!

The Heavenly City

Chap. 21:9-10—John is shown “the bride, the Lamb’s wife,” but when he looks at her, he sees a “city,” not a woman. This change in the figures is necessary because a woman in Scripture does not exercise herself in administrative affairs. This is consistent with the general tenor of Scripture. Therefore, the figure is changed to a “city” and is used hereafter in the chapter.

If the number eight marks the Eternal State, the number twelve marks this Millennial scene in the world to come. The number twelve stands for administrative perfection:

• Twelve gates (chap. 21:12).

• Twelve angels (chap. 21:12).

• Twelve tribes of Israel on the gates (chap. 21:12).

• Twelve foundations (chap. 21:14).

• Twelve apostles (chap. 21:14).

• Twelve thousand furlongs (chap. 21:16).

• Twelve times twelve cubits (chap. 21:17).

• Twelve precious stones (chap. 21:19-20).

• Twelve pearls (chap. 21:21).

• Twelve manner of fruits (chap. 22:2).

• Twelve months of the year (chap. 22:2).

The “city” is not a description of heaven (as often thought), but of the Church reigning with Christ over the earth in the Millennium. It is not a literal city floating in the sky. Revelation is a book of symbols and these are used to describe the Church in its administration of the world to come. A city speaks of an organized system of life under an ordered government. In this case it is holy in nature, heavenly in character, and divine in origin.

Her Universal Administration of the Earth

Chap. 21:11—The heavenly “city” is God’s vessel of display through which His glory and the glory of Christ will stream. “Gold” is the prominent material in these verses. It speaks of divine righteousness which will be the rule of the kingdom (Isa. 32:1; 61:11). The “city” will be adorned with “the glory of God” and will be used to transmit that glory (“shining”) before the world (Eph. 2:7). Its glory is like “a jasper stone” (a diamond), “clear as crystal” because in that day, being glorified, there will be nothing in the Church to hinder the outflow of the glory of Christ.

Chap. 21:12-13—The city has “a wall,” which speaks of separation and seclusion, and thus the exclusion of all that is not of Christ. This is evidence that in the Millennium there will still be enemies and the presence of evil (1 Cor. 15:25-26). But no evil or predator will penetrate that city! The city also has “twelve gates.” They speak of administrative responsibility (Deut. 25:7; Josh. 20:4; Ruth 4:1-2) and the reception of all that is of Christ. At the gates are “twelve angels.” They represent the whole innumerable company of angelic beings. They are not part of the city, but wait outside it to carry out whatever service the Church sees necessary in the government of the earth.

Chap. 21:14-20—The city has “twelve foundations” garnished with “precious stones.” This speaks of the varied glories of Christ shining in and through the saints. Precious stones do not have inherent light and neither do the saints have glory in themselves—their beauty will result from His glory reflecting in them. (Compare Psalm 90:17.) As stones have various colors and hues, so the saints in their glorified state will retain their individuality. The city as a whole is “pure gold” (vs. 18), but it is also as “clear glass,” which means that the city will be a display of righteousness before the world.

Chap. 21:21—It will also have “twelve pearls” mounted on its gates. A pearl is an object of preciousness (Matt. 13:45-46). Hence, the Church will be displayed before the world as the object of preciousness to the heart of Christ (John 17:23; Rev. 3:9). The city has a “street” of pure gold running through it. In ordinary life, a street is the means by which men interact with one another in business and pleasure. It speaks of the inter-communion of the saints. Being of “pure gold” indicates that the fellowship and inter-communion in the city will be along the lines of what is divine, rather than what is natural and worldly.

Chap. 21:22-27—At least seven things are mentioned as being not in the city. There will be no “temple.” That is, nothing that will conceal the presence of God and access to Him. There will also be no “sun” (created light), no “moon” (borrowed light), and no “candle” (artificial light). This indicates that there will be no need of earthly and natural things to guide the administrative decisions made by the city concerning its government of the earth. There will also be no “night” there because the light of the knowledge of God will pervade everything (vs. 25). Light will fill the city. This will be in a literal sense as well as in a spiritual sense. The nations on earth will “walk in the light” of the city (vs. 24). This means that the earth will be ordered and regulated by the practical principles of divine righteousness that will be upheld by the city. This knowledge (“light”) relating to practical righteousness will be disseminated through Israel on earth (Isa. 2:2-3; 61:6, etc.). Thus the nations will be instructed as to how to live under a reign of righteousness. In that day the Church will be “the light of the world” in a perfect way (Matt. 5:14). (Today the Church is a testimony to the world with much imperfection.) The gates of the city will be open continually (“not be shut”) to receive the recognition and respect due to it. There will also be nothing that “defiles” in the city (vs. 27). And lastly, there will be no “curse” there (chap. 22:3).

In short, the city will require nothing from nature or from the world to sustain it. The nations will also bring their “glory and honour to it” (vs. 26). This does not mean that the Church will receive praise from the nations on earth, but that the nations will bring their homage to the One who dwells there.

Three Things That Will Characterize the Portion of Those in the City

1. “The book of life” (chap. 21:27). This speaks of the security of their relationship with Christ.

2. “The river of the water of life” (chap. 22:1). This speaks of the endless flow of blessing that will be theirs.

3. “The tree of life” (chap. 22:2). This speaks of the fullness of satisfaction from the enjoyment of fellowship with Christ.

Chap. 22:1-5—The “leaves” of the tree will be for “the healing of the nations.” Under the administration of Christ and the Church (Eph. 1:10), for the first time in history, the nations will dwell together peacefully. The animosity that has existed for thousands of years among the nations will be dealt with by the enforcement of righteousness, and there will be no more war (Psa. 46:9).

The Old Testament ends with a warning of a curse (Mal. 4:6), but the New Testament ends with a promise of there being no more “curse!” The “bondage of corruption,” that has pervaded the earth since the fall of man, will be lifted (Rom. 8:20-22). In short, God will overcome evil with good in the end. The “servants” of the Lamb (the saints) will render the service of praise to Him. They will see “His face.” The saints will see the Lord’s face literally (1 John 3:2), but here the Lord’s “face” is used figuratively to indicate intimacy. “His name shall be in their foreheads.” This means that the saints will all bear His character to moral perfection. And they will reign with Christ throughout the Millennium—“to the age of ages,” which is the Eternal State (vs. 5; Dan. 7:18). This means that the reign of Christ and the Church over the earth will not continue into the Eternal State, for there will be no need of government in that eternal day.

Closing Exhortations: Revelation 22:6-12

(Chap. 22:6-21)

Chap. 22:6—In these last verses, we have not only the closing exhortations of the book of Revelation, but also a fitting conclusion to the whole Word of God.

Three Announcements of the Lord’s Coming

Prior to this, angels and elders have communicated with John about future events, but now they pale into the background and the Lord Himself speaks. This is a fitting finale to what has been unfolded in the book. He announces His coming—“Behold, I come quickly”—three times, in three different ways (vss. 7, 12, 20). Each presentation of His coming has an application to the believer as well as the unbeliever.

Chap. 22:7-11—The first announcement of the Lord’s coming is intended to deliver us from settling down in this world while we wait for Him to come. If we “keep” in mind the judgments that are about to fall on the world, it will have the practical effect on our lives of delivering us from worldliness. As a result, the course of our lives will be altered, knowing that judgment is coming on everything that we see. If taken rightly, our energies will not be wasted in building up what is “reserved unto fire” but used to further the cause of Christ in this world (2 Peter 3:7).

In awe of what John sees, he tries to worship at the feet of the angel but is rebuked for it (vss. 8-9). They were but instruments in John’s education in the prophetic subjects of this book; they were not to be made more than what they were. In contrast to Old Testament prophecies, which were sealed up unto the time of the end (Dan. 12:4), these things are not sealed because the Lord’s return and the ensuing judgments are about to fall on this world. The Lord, therefore, says, “Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book for the time is at hand” (vs. 10). Then things will be in a fixed state. All will either be blessed of God or under the judgment of God (vs. 11).

Chap. 22:12-15—The second announcement of the Lord’s coming is in connection with the fact that He is bringing His reward with Him (vs. 12). This is an allusion to the judgment seat of Christ, which involves the judgment of both the believers and unbelievers. The lost will be judged at Christ’s Appearing and kingdom (2 Tim. 4:1), but believers will have their rewards on display in that day. This is another incentive to live for Christ. Again, a fixed condition will result, those who “wash their robes” in the blood of the Lamb will be blessed, and those who have not will be damned forever.

Chap. 22:16-21—The third and final announcement of the Lord’s coming is calculated to stir bridal affections in our hearts and to arouse a concern for the lost that they may be saved. The Lord presents Himself in two ways:

In a way that refers back to the Old Testament prophecies—“the root and the offspring of David” (vs. 16).

In a way that is distinctly New Testament in character—“the bright and morning star” (vs. 16).

This stirs the affections of the bride to call upon the Lord to “come” (vs. 17). The “Spirit and the bride” say this together, indicating that the Spirit of God has produced this holy desire in the saints, and they are seen as one with the mind of the Spirit. A second call is given to the rest of heaven to join in the call for the Lord to “come” and bring these things to pass. To be in communion with the mind of the Spirit is not only to have a keen desire for the Lord to come, but also to have a healthy interest in the salvation of the lost. Hence, a third call to “come” is given by the Spirit and the bride to those who are still strangers to the grace of God that they would take of “the water of life” and be saved.

A warning is then given to any who would tamper with “the words of this prophecy.” All who read it must be on guard of letting the unholy mind of man intrude into the divine revelation (vss. 18-19).

The Lord’s Final Word

Chap. 22:20-21—The Lord speaks one final time. “Surely, I come quickly.” This again stirs the bride to say with even more intensity, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” We see in this the proper posture in waiting for the Lord to come. The bride does not call for the events of this prophecy to come to pass; she calls for her Lord to come. In the meantime, the Lord promises to give us the needed “grace” to continue in the path of faith until that moment comes.

The Church Will Not Go Through the Tribulation

The following references from the Scriptures confirm that the Church will not go through the 7-year Tribulation period.

New Testament Teaching Shows That the Church Will Not Go Through the Tribulation

1) The Tribulation is Never Spoken of in Connection With the Church

There are eight main passages of Scripture that directly speak of the Tribulation (Matthew 24:3-29; Mark 13:4-24; Revelation 3:10; 7:14-17; Deuteronomy 4:30-31; Jeremiah 14:8; 30:4-7; Daniel 12:1). We would think that if the Church is to go through the Tribulation at least one of these passages would speak of it, but there is not one reference to the Church being in the Tribulation, or having any connection with it! (When we speak of the Church we mean Christians which are the members of Christ's body.) This in itself is significant. It means that those who believe this error have inferred it into Scripture in some way.

In Matthew 24 and Mark 13 the Lord was speaking to His Jewish disciples which are representative of the Jewish remnant of believers that would be in the Tribulation. This is substantiated by the comments the Lord made to them. He spoke of what they should do when the temple and "the holy place" would be defiled by "the abomination of desolation" (vs. 15). He spoke about the land of "Judea" (vs. 16), about "the Sabbath" day (vs. 20), about "the tribes of Israel" being gathered together (vss. 30-31), and "the fig tree"—a well-known symbol of Israel (vs. 32). He also spoke of "the coming of the Son of Man," which is a title used in Scripture for the Lord's dealings with Israel and the Gentile nations of the earth, and never the Church. (When His coming for the Church—the Rapture—is mentioned, He is referred to as the Lord or Bridegroom.) All these things indicate that the Lord was not referring to Christians in regard to the Tribulation. Christians have not to do with a physical temple and holy place to worship in. Nor do they have anything to do with the Sabbath day, etc. These quite obviously apply to the Jews.

Revelation 3:10 speaks about the Tribulation coming on the world, but not the Church. In fact, the Lord says in that passage that He is going to keep the Christians "out" of that "hour of trial!"

Revelation 7:14 the Tribulation is spoken of in connection with Gentile nations (Rev. 7:9).

In Deuteronomy 4:30-31 The Tribulation is spoken of in connection with Israel (Deut. 4:1).

In Jeremiah 30:4-7, the Tribulation is referred to as "Jacob's trouble." It does not say, "The Church's trouble." It also adds that these things were concerning Israel and Judah.

In Daniel 12:1, it says twice that "the time of trouble" (the Tribulation) will be upon "the children of thy people." Daniel's people were Jews.

These references show that the Tribulation has to do with Israel and the Gentile nations of the earth. The Church is never mentioned! This fact alone should be enough to convince any willing mind that the Church will not be in or go through the Tribulation.

As we proceed, it will become increasingly evident that most of the difficulty people have on this subject stems from not distinguishing between Israel and the Church. This has been a long-time trouble among Christians, and can be traced back to the early centuries of the church's history where Judaizing teachers taught that the Church and Israel merge together (known today as "Reformed" or “Covenant” Theology). This system of teaching does not see the true nature, calling, character, and hope of the Church as belonging to heaven. Instead, all is made out to be an earthly thing, which is Israel's portion. There are Bible translations (i.e. the NIV) that have not helped the matter. For example Ephesians 3:6 is rendered, "Through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel." Without any authority from the Greek manuscripts the translators have added "with Israel." This is largely because some of those who did the translating work hold these erroneous teachings, and have unintentionally allowed their doctrine to creep into the text. It is not with Israel that believers from among the Gentiles in the day of grace are heirs, but with Christ and all the redeemed who are in Christ (Rom. 8:17).

Founded on Christ's finished work on the cross and His resurrection and ascension to glory, God has begun a whole new order of things known as the Church. This began at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4, 47; 5:11; 11:15 "beginning"). The word Church (Eckklesia—Greek) means "called out," and aptly describes what God is presently doing in calling out believers from among both the Jews and the Gentiles (Acts 15:41; 26:17). By virtue of the Spirit descending into the world and taking up residence in that company of believers on the day of Pentecost, He united them to Christ who is the Head of the Church (Eph. 5:23), and thereby that new and heavenly thing was formed (1 Cor. 12:13). This is clearly seen in the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. When he was saved Scripture says he was taken out from among the people (Israel) and the nations (Gentiles) and put into an entirely new position before God as a member of the body of Christ. He was then sent to preach the gospel to those among the nations that through believing in Christ, they too could be brought into this new position of privilege and blessing (Acts 26:17-18).

This shows that the Church is something distinctly different from Israel. When reading the Scriptures it is important to not confuse the distinctive blessings, privileges, hopes, and destinies of each. The faithful "workman" will "rightly divide the Word of truth" and make this important distinction in Bible teaching (2 Tim. 2:15).

2) The Church is Not the Subject of Prophecy

The fact that prophecy, properly speaking, has not to do with the Church, but with Christ and His dealings with Israel and the Gentile nations that pass through the Tribulation into the Millennial kingdom. Daniel's seventy weeks (Dan. 9:24-27) clearly show that events concerning Israel and prophecy have come to a stop at the end of the 69th week, when the Jews "cut off" their Messiah in death. There are still seven years (the 70th week) yet to be fulfilled in prophecy regarding Israel; that will not be fulfilled until God takes up with them again in a future day. We are now in the "due time" of God's grace (1 Tim. 2:5) when God is calling believers out of both the Jews and the Gentiles to be a people for Himself (Acts 15:14). Prophecy regarding the Tribulation is not to do with this time. It is a misunderstanding of prophetic Scripture to try to correlate events happening today with events in prophecy, supposing that they are being fulfilled now.

3) The Outline of the Book of Revelation Shows the Church Will Not be on Earth During The Tribulation

By getting a simple outline of the book of Revelation we learn several points that clearly show that the Church will not be on earth when the Tribulation judgments are poured out.

There are three general divisions to the book given in chapter 1:19:

• "The things which thou hast seen"—refers to what the apostle John saw in chapter 1.

• "The things which are"—refers to chapters 2 and 3, which contain the Lord's addresses to the seven churches, being a moral history of the professing Church on earth from just after the apostles' time to its last days.

• "The things which shall be hereafter"—refers to chapters 4 to 22, wherein the Tribulation is described. This third division is called "hereafter" (Rev. 4:1) because it deals with things which will take place after the Church has finished its history on earth.

It is instructive to see that after chapters 2 and 3, a door in heaven opens and John is called "up hither" (Rev. 4:1). This is a little picture of the Church being called away to heaven after it has finished its course on earth, by the coming of the Lord (the Rapture). From chapter 4 to the end of the book, the Church is no longer seen on earth, as in chapters 1-3. When the Tribulation judgments are poured out in chapters 6 to 19, the Church is not once mentioned!

Also, those who will be martyred for their faithfulness during the Tribulation, indicate by the character of their prayers that they are not Christians (Rev. 6:9-10). Firstly, the way in which they address God as "Sovereign Ruler" shows that they are not Christians. Christians do not address God in that way; they speak to God as their Father (Eph. 1:2; Col. 1:2). Secondly, they pray for vengeance on the earth-dwellers who have persecuted them. This is right and proper for a Jew (i.e. imprecatory Psalms), but it is surely not the attitude of a Christian. Christians bless those that curse them and pray for them who despitefully use them (Luke 6:27-28), but do not invoke judgment upon their persecutors (Rom. 12:19-21).

In chapter 7, we are told who comes out of the Tribulation in the end: The elect of Israel (vss. 1-8), and a great multitude of Gentiles (vss. 9-17). But there is no mention of Christians! They do not come out of the Tribulation because they do not go into the Tribulation. As mentioned already, they are called up to heaven before it begins.

Notice also, when the Church is seen on the earth (in chapters 2 and 3) the expression, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches," is repeated many times. But after the Church is seen as taken out (Rev. 4:1), when the Tribulation is going on, the expression is somewhat altered. It says, "He that hath an ear, let him hear" (Rev. 13:9). The phrase "what the Spirit saith to the churches" is purposely dropped! The obvious reason for this is that the Church is considered as already taken out. The Spirit is no longer addressing the Church because the Church is viewed as being no longer on earth.

Then finally, in chapter 19:11-21 at the end of the Tribulation, we see the Church as part of the armies of heaven (the heavenly saints) coming out of heaven with the Lord in war. For them to be able to come out of heaven with the Lord (1 Thess. 3:13; 4:14; Jude 14, etc.) they have had to be taken up earlier. The only thing that correlates with this is the Rapture—which as we have shown—is before the Tribulation begins.

Besides, if the saints are taken by the Lord to heaven at the end of the Tribulation, then who will be left to populate the millennial earth? With the wicked sent away into everlasting punishment, the earth would be left empty of people! (The saints caught up to be with the Lord in the air do not come back to live on earth. They will reign over the earth in "the high places" — Dan. 7:18, 22, 27, 2 Cor. 5:1).

4) The Church's Deliverance is Different From Israel's

In Revelation 3:10, the Church is promised that it will be saved "out" of the coming hour of trial. The next verse (11) shows how—"Behold I come quickly." This is the Rapture. But note: no such promise is made to Israel. Israel is spoken of as being saved "in" the time of trouble (Jer. 14:8). God will graciously preserve a godly remnant of them through the Tribulation.

5) The Church Has Been Promised Deliverance From the Coming Wrath

Christians are told to "await His Son from the heavens, Whom He raised from among the dead, Jesus, our Deliverer from the coming wrath" (1 Thess. 1:9-10). There is "wrath" coming upon this world; it's the judgment that will fall in the Tribulation. This "wrath" is mentioned 10 times in the book of Revelation. Chapter 6:16, 17; 11:18; 14:10, 19; 15:1, 7; 16:1, 19; 19:15. Notice, all references are after Revelation 4:1, where the Church is seen as taken to heaven. This shows that the Church will be gone when the Tribulation judgments are poured out. The Lord Jesus will deliver them from it before the wrath falls. Compare also Romans 5:9.

6) God Has Not Appointed the Church to Wrath

First Thessalonians 5:9-10 says, "God has not appointed us to wrath (the coming judgment), but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ."

The aspect of salvation in this verse is not the eternal salvation of the soul; that Christians already have. There is, however, another aspect of salvation in the Bible that is a future thing. For instance, the Word of God says, "For now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand" (Rom. 13:11; Rom. 5:9; 8:23-25; Eph. 4:30; Heb. 9:28; 1 Peter 1:5). This aspect of salvation is the salvation of our bodies, when the Lord comes and takes us out of this world. "We await the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour: Who shall transform our body of humiliation into conformity to His body of glory, according to the working of the power which He has even to subdue all things to Himself" (Phil. 3:20-21; 1 Cor. 15:51-56).

The verse in First Thessalonians 5:9, tells us that the Church has been appointed to obtain this salvation, and not the wrath that is to come on the world.

7) The Shout is Before the Proclamation of Peace and Safety

The apostle Paul, in his epistle to the Thessalonians, clearly puts the Rapture (1 Thess. 4:15-18) as happening before the time of Tribulation, when "peace and safety" will be promised by the Beast and the Antichrist, through the false protection of the newly revived Roman empire (1 Thess. 5:1-3).

Furthermore, a closer look at the passage will show that those "caught up" at the Rapture (in chapter 4) are addressed as a different class of persons than those who are promised "peace and safety" in the Tribulation (in chapter 5). This is indicated by the change from the first person plural, to the third person plural. The words change from "we" and "us," when referring to those caught up at the rapture, to "they" and "them" when referring to those who will be promised false peace and safety in the Tribulation. This change is not by accident; the Spirit of God is indicating two different classes of persons. The raptured saints—the Church (1 Thess. 4:15-18), and those who will be in the time of Tribulation.

Paul, being a Christian, put himself among those who might be on earth when the Lord comes (the Rapture), saying "we." But it is significant that he did not refer to himself among those who would be on earth during the time when "peace and safety" will be promised by the Beast. This, of course, is because he sought to set the hope of the Lord's coming before the saints as an imminent thing, which is the Christian's proper hope.

8) The Catching Away is Before the Falling Away

In 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, the apostle Paul again puts "the coming of our Lord and our gathering together unto Him" (the Rapture), as happening before the rise of the Antichrist and the great "falling away" that will occur in the Great Tribulation. The order is simple. There is first a catching away of the Church (vs. 1), then a falling away of professing Christendom after the "man of sin"—Antichrist (vss. 3-4).

The Thessalonian believers were passing through persecutions for their faith in Christ (2 Thess. 1:4-5). False teachers had come among them (vs. 2), teaching that "the day of the Lord" and the judgment connected with it was at hand. This teaching troubled them. They thought that they had to go through the horrors of the Tribulation. The apostle Paul wrote this second epistle to expose the evil teaching. He taught them that "the day of the Lord" could not come on them because two things have to happen first; the revealing of "the man of sin" (Antichrist) and the great falling of merely professing believers away after him.

Some people have the idea that "the day of the Lord" is the Rapture. There is, however, no Scripture to support this. "The day of the Lord" is a day of judgment that begins at Christ's appearing at the end of the tribulation. It is the time when the Lord will publicly intervene upon the ways of man, asserting His universal power and dominion over both the heavens and the earth. "The day of the Lord" will continue for the entire duration of the 1000 year reign of Christ; at which time (the very end of the day of the Lord) the heavens and the earth will be dissolved (2 Peter 3:8-10).

9) The Spirit of God Must be Gone First

Second Thessalonians 2:6-12, shows this same order from another perspective. It says, "The mystery of lawlessness already works; only there is He who restrains now until He be gone, and then the lawless one shall be revealed." These verses show that the course of evil in this world today is being restrained from reaching its culmination by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit on earth. When the Spirit is "gone" from the earth at the Rapture, then, and only then, will "the lawless one" (Antichrist) arise and lead away many. Again, the order is simple. There is first a taking away (vs. 7) of the Spirit at the Rapture, then a leading away of many by the Antichrist in the Great Tribulation.

Some may ask the question, "How do we know when the Spirit will be taken out of the way and be gone?" It is evident by the following three Scriptures that it is at the Rapture.

Firstly, the Lord promised His disciples on the night of His betrayal that when the Spirit of God came to take up his abode in the Church it would be forever (John 14:16-17). When the Church is called out of this world at the Rapture, the Spirit of God will go also because the Lord said He (the Spirit) would never leave them.

Secondly, in the first three chapters of the book of Revelation, when the Church is viewed as on earth, the Spirit is seen as speaking to the churches, over and over again. But after the close of chapter 3, when the Church is no longer viewed on earth, the Spirit is not mentioned again until chapter 14:13 and 22:17, which refer to a time after the Tribulation. (Compare chapters 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22, with chapter 13:9. Note: the marked absence of the mention of the Spirit.)

Thirdly, in Genesis 24, a bride (a type of the Church) is sought for Isaac (a type of Christ), by the servant (a type of the Spirit of God). Once the bride was secured by the servant, he took her all the way home to Isaac who was waiting for her. As the servant went home with the bride, so will the Holy Spirit go home to heaven with the Church when the Lord comes for us.

This does not mean the Spirit of God ceases to work on earth after the Rapture. He will continue to work on earth from heaven, as He did in Old Testament times, quickening souls, etc. These three passages show that when the Church is called out of this world at the Rapture, the Spirit will no longer be resident in the earth.

10) Christ's Coming For His Saints Happens Before the End of the Age

First Corinthians 15:23-24 says, "Christ the first-fruits, afterward they which are Christ's at His coming, then cometh the end." Notice the order. Christ is raised first, followed by those who are His at His coming (which happens at the Rapture—1 Thess. 4:15-18); then comes "the end." The "end" refers in a general way to all end-time events—including, of course, the Tribulation and the Millennium which follows it (Matt. 13:39; 24:3-14; Dan. 11:40; 12:4, 8, 9, 13). What could be more clear? The Lord's people are taken to heaven before the end comes.

11) There are No Instructions For Christians in the Tribulation

In Matthew 24:16-26, and in the other references to the Tribulation, those who are told to flee are clearly Jews, and not Christians. If Christians are to pass through the Tribulation, why are there no instructions given to them as to how to prepare for it? The obvious answer is that there will be no Christians in the Tribulation.

It is true that thousands will turn to God in faith during that time (Rev. 7:9), but they are not Christians. They will be born again and will share in the blessing of Christ's kingdom on earth, and will populate the millennial earth (Rev. 7:10-17). Christians, on the other hand, have been called out of both the Jews and the Gentiles by the gospel to spend eternity with Christ in heaven.

12) The Fact That the Gospel of the Grace of God Will Not be Preached in the Tribulation Shows the Rapture Will Have Taken Place

"The gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24) that is preached today and "the gospel of the kingdom" (Matt. 4:23; 24:14) that will be preached by those in the Tribulation is entirely different. They are two distinct gospels preached for two distinct purposes. The gospel of the grace of God calls people out for heaven: the gospel of the kingdom calls people for blessing on earth. The gospel that is going out today holds out a heavenly hope, calling and destiny for those who believe (Col. 1:5; 1 Peter 1:4; Phil. 3:20; 2 Cor. 5:1-2; Heb. 3:1), whereas the gospel of the kingdom that will be preached in the Tribulation holds out an earthly blessing under the reign of Christ in the Millennium (Matt. 24:14; Psa. 96).

The gospel of the kingdom announces the good news that the kingdom promised in the Old Testament (2 Sam. 7:16; Dan. 2:44-45; 7:9-27) is about to be set up, and those who receive the King in faith will have a part in its earthly blessing. It was first preached by John the Baptist at the time of the Lord's first coming (Matt. 3:1-2). The Lord and His disciples also preached it (Matt. 4:23; 10:7). Their preaching was to call the nation to repentance so that it would be in a state to receive the King, and had they received Him, He would have established the kingdom as promised by the Old Testament Prophets. But sadly, Israel rejected their King, and thereby forfeited the opportunity of having the kingdom set up in all of its power and display. When Israel rejected their King, the gospel of the kingdom was no longer announced because the kingdom was no longer being offered to them. God, instead, has sent out the gospel of His grace to the Gentile world to call out of them a people for His name (Acts 13:44-48; 15:14; Rom. 11:11). This gospel is still being preached today. The gospel of the kingdom will be preached again by the Jewish remnant after the Church has been called away to heaven. At that time, God will pick up His dealings with Israel where He left off almost 2000 years ago. Israel will be saved (that is, a remnant among them — Rom. 9:6-8; 11:26-27) in that day, and the kingdom will be brought in by power (Rev. 11:15).

The point we need to see in this, is that there is no mention of the gospel of God's grace being preached during the Tribulation. The obvious reason is because this gospel calls believers to be part of the Church, and since the Church will not be in the Tribulation, it will not be announced.

God will not send out two different gospels at the same time. It would be confusion, and would be confounding the heavenly calling with the earthly calling with their respective hopes and destinies. If we understand the gospel of God's grace that's preached today, we would know that it is impossible to have the Church and the believing Jewish remnant in the Tribulation period at the same time. Scripture indicates that those who believe the gospel of the grace of God are taken out of both the Jews and the Gentiles (Acts 15:14; 26:17) and put into the altogether new and heavenly thing, "the church of God." Hence, there are presently three major distinctions among men on earth; the Jews, the Gentiles, and the Church of God (1 Cor. 10:32). The cross of Christ has terminated the distinction between Jew and Gentile for believers of the gospel (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:11). Those who believe this gospel are no longer part of the two companies they formerly were in, but are now a part of the Church. Each time a Jew believes the gospel he becomes part of the Church (Rom. 11:5; Gal. 6:16 — "the Israel of God"). How then could there be the believing remnant of Jews at the same time? This shows that there cannot be the Church and the believing Jewish remnant on earth at the same time.

Old Testament Types Confirm That the Church Will Not Go Through the Tribulation

There are also many Old Testament types which confirm the fact that the Church will not go through the Tribulation. To teach otherwise, destroys the truth the Spirit of God intends to convey in these beautiful pictures.

13) Enoch and Noah (Genesis 5:21-9:17)

Enoch is a well-known type of the Church. He walked in fellowship with God and warned the world of coming judgment (Jude 14-15), and then, the Lord took him to heaven. Enoch had the distinction among the Patriarchs of not seeing death; he was translated alive to heaven. Enoch was translated to heaven before the flood of God's judgment came on the earth. God did not bring the flood on the world until after Enoch was taken to heaven. The flood is a foreshadow of the judgment that will come on the world in the Tribulation (2 Peter 3:3-10; Luke 17:26-27). Noah, and his family who passed through the flood in the ark, are a picture of the spared Jewish remnant that will be preserved by God in the Tribulation.

14) Abraham and Lot (Genesis 18-19)

Abraham, dwelling on the mountain in fellowship with the Lord is a picture of the heavenly minded Christian living in communion with God. Lot, absorbed in the things of Sodom, is a picture of the earthly minded Christian, living for the interests of this world. God was about to pour out judgment on Sodom, but He would not do it until Lot was first taken out of it. The angel said to Lot, "Haste thee, escape thither, for I cannot do anything till thou be come hither" (Gen. 19:22). Judgment is likewise coming on this world. It is going to happen in the Tribulation period, but God will not allow one stroke of it to fall until He has first taken every true believer out of it, regardless of how worldly he may be—as Lot sadly illustrates (2 Peter 2:7-8).

15) Leah and Rachel (Genesis 28-30)

Jacob, sent forth by his father, is a picture of God the Father sending His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ into this world (1 John 4:14). Jacob went out from his father's house for two reasons: firstly, on account of sin (Gen. 27), and also to secure a bride for himself (Gen. 28:15). When Jacob came into the far country, he saw Rachel in the field (who is a type of Israel), and desired to have her for his wife. In love for her, Jacob agreed to purchase her through his own personal toil. This is a figure of the work and toil the Lord Jesus Christ would accomplish on the cross in order that He might have Israel in a relationship with Himself on the ground of redemption.

When it came time for Jacob to receive Rachel, Laban treacherously deceived him, so that he did not get her. He was given Leah instead. Leah is a type of the Church. God allowed this to happen to Jacob so that we might have this marvelous foreshadow of His ways with Israel and the Church. It tells the story of God's dispensational ways; when Israel would not be brought in, God gave the Church to His Son instead that He might have a bride. After Jacob was given Leah, he later received Rachel. This points to the time when God will have finished His work among the Gentiles in calling the Church (Acts 15:14; Rom. 11:25), He will bring Israel to His Son so that He may have her as His earthly bride (Hos. 2:6-17; Isa. 62:4-5).

Jacob had two brides: Leah (typical of the Church) was received first, even though he made his advances toward Rachel (typical of Israel) first. While Leah's womb was open and thus being fruitful bearing children, Rachel's womb was barren (Gen. 29:31). This answers to the present day. While the Church is bearing fruit for God, Israel has been barren (Isa. 54:1; Hos. 3:4; Matt. 21:19-21).

The point to see in this is that Leah had all seven (a number that signifies completion) of her children before Rachel began to travail to bring forth her children (Gen. 30:22; 35:16). Rachel's travail is a picture of Israel's future trial in the Tribulation (Isa. 66:7-8; Jer. 30:6-7; Mic. 4:9-10; 5:3; 1 Thess. 5:3). Leah was finished her bearing before Rachel's travail began! What marvelous accuracy of these types! (Psa. 119:161) The Church will also have finished its course and testimony of fruit bearing in this world, before Israel (the Jews really) will pass into their time of travail in the Tribulation.

16) Joseph and Asenath (Genesis 37-50)

Joseph (or Zaphnath-paaneah, meaning "Saviour of the world" — J. N. Darby Trans. footnote in Gen. 41:45) is another well-known type of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was rejected by his brethren, who are typical of the Jewish nation (Gen. 37), and carried abroad among the Gentiles (Gen. 39-41). After he was carried into Egypt among the Gentiles, there was a period of blessing in that land followed by a time of famine. The time of blessing answers to the present dispensation of grace. The time of famine answers to the coming Tribulation period that will come upon this world. It is interesting to note that while Joseph was estranged from his brethren (typical of the Jews), he received a Gentile bride, Asenath (Gen. 41:45). He got her in the time of plenty before the famine! She is a type of the Church. She was brought into his house to share his royal place on the throne of Egypt before the time of famine began, which again, points to the fact that the Church will be brought home in glory before the time of Tribulation. During the time of famine Joseph worked to restore his brethren to himself (Gen. 42-45). So Christ will also deal with Israel in the Tribulation to restore them to Himself. First, the ten brothers of Joseph (who are typical of the Jewish remnant) who were guilty of rejecting him were restored to him (Gen. 45:1-15); then, the whole family was brought in and re-united with him (Gen. 46). They are a type of the tribes of Israel being restored to the Lord after the Jews are restored to Him after His Appearing (Matt. 24:30-31).

17) Moses and Zipporah (Exodus 1-12)

Moses is another type of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was God's appointed deliverer for the children of Israel who were under the tyrannical bondage of Pharaoh in Egypt (Ex. 3:10; Acts 7:35). Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, is a type of Satan, the god and prince of this world. Moses yearned for his people and longed that they might be delivered. When he came to them, he slew one of their Egyptian oppressors, showing his desire to vanquish their enemy, and bring them out of bondage. But his efforts were all misunderstood by his brethren, who said, "Who made thee a ruler and judge over us?" (Acts 7:35; Ex. 2:14) Consequently, they rejected him. This is typical of the Jews rejecting the Lord at His first coming. In essence, they said the same thing: "We will not have this Man to reign over us" (Luke 19:14; John 1:11).

Being rejected, Moses fled from his people into the land of Midian (Ex. 2:11—4:19). In the time of this estrangement from his brethren, he received a Gentile wife, Zipporah (Ex. 2:21). She is another type of the Church which is being called by the gospel today. Zipporah bore Moses a son, and they named him Gershom, which means, "a stranger here." This speaks of the character the Church should have in this world as pilgrims and strangers (1 Peter 2:11).

The point we need to see in this, is that Moses received his Gentile wife before the judgments (the ten plagues) began to fall on Egypt. So Christ will have His bride (the Church) with Himself in glory before the Tribulation judgments fall on this world.

After many years, God sent Moses back to the children of Israel, who were still struggling under their Gentile oppressors (a type of "the times of the Gentiles" — Luke 21:24; Ex. 3:10; 4:19). Moses returned to the land of Egypt and began to show himself to his brethren who had once rejected him. This is a foreshadow of the Lord resuming His dealings with the nation of Israel after He has taken the Church to heaven. When Moses returned to his brethren in Egypt, God began to pour out judgment upon that land in the way of the ten plagues (Ex. 7-12:36). God miraculously preserved Israel in the midst of all the judgments which became signs of confirmation to them that God was working on their behalf (Psa. 78:43; Psa. 105:27; Ex. 7:3; 8:22-23). This speaks of how God will preserve a remnant of Israel during the Tribulation (Rev. 7:1-8). But where was Zipporah all the while the judgments were falling on Egypt? She was not in the land! Moses had sent her back to the land of Midian before the judgments came forth from God (Ex. 18:1-2). She is not once mentioned during the plagues. She did not appear on the scene until after all the judgments had fallen on Egypt and the children of Israel were delivered. Likewise, the Church will not appear publicly until the Tribulation is over, when the Lord comes to display His bride to a wondering world (2 Thess. 1:10).

18) The Judgment of Jericho (Joshua 2-6)

The sentence of judgment was pronounced on Jericho and the people of Canaan (Ex. 23:27). Before the judgment fell on that city, God provided a way of shelter under "the line of scarlet" for those who had faith (Josh. 2). This typically foretells the story of the judgment that is about to fall on this guilty and doomed world (Acts 17:31; 2 Thess. 1:7-9). God in mercy has provided a shelter for all under the blood of Christ. In chapter 6 the judgment fell on Jericho as warned. But before it happened, Joshua first brought the wilderness journey of the children of Israel to a close by bringing them into their promised land. It is significant that the chapters dealing with Israel being brought into the land of Canaan (Josh. 3-4) come before the judgment fell on Jericho (Josh. 6). Before judgment falls on this world, the Lord Jesus Christ, like Joshua, will bring the Church's long wilderness journey in this world to an end by calling them to their heavenly Canaan. It is remarkable that Jericho's judgment happened at harvest time (Josh. 3:15). The judgment of this world is also called a harvest (Matt. 13:39-42; Rev. 14:15-20; Joel 3:9-16).

Three Scriptures Wrongly Used: Tribulation

To Support The Error That The Church Will Go Through The Tribulation

In an effort to be a help to any who may have difficulty on this point, we have selected the three main Scriptures that have led some to erroneously believe the Church will go through the Tribulation. In each of these passages our desire is to show, with the Lord's help, how the error has occurred and what the true meaning of the passage is. We believe that most of the confusion on this point has arisen from Christians not carefully and prayerfully reading the Scriptures.

1) 2 Thessalonians 2:2-3

"Be not shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as the day of the Lord is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition." This has been taken to mean that the day the Lord comes for His Church (the Rapture), will not happen until the Antichrist and the falling away in the Great Tribulation has happened.

This is in error for two reasons: first, it is a mistake to suppose that "the day of the Lord" is the Rapture. Scripture does not say so. There are about 20 references to "the day of the Lord" in the Word of God. Some of them refer to its commencement at the appearing of Christ (2 Thess. 2:2, 2 Peter 3:10, 1 Thess. 5:2, etc.). Other references are a warning of it being "at hand," signaled by the attack of the King of the North, which will take place just prior to its commencement (Joel 1:15; 2:11; Zeph. 1:7-20; Zech. 14:1-2, etc.). But there are none that refer to "the day of the Lord" as the Rapture! It is an assumption to say so, and it stems from not carefully searching the Scriptures (Acts 17:11).

"The day of the Lord" is a day of judgment that begins at the Appearing of Christ (2 Peter 3:4, 8-10); it does not begin at the Rapture. The Tribulation begins after the Rapture, but the day of the Lord begins after the Appearing of Christ, which is some seven years later than the Rapture. "The day of the Lord" is the time when Christ will publicly intervene upon the ways of man on earth in judgment, asserting His universal power and authority over all the earth. It will extend for 1000 years (2 Peter 3:8-10), which will be the Millennium. The Rapture is never looked at as a day of judgment for this world, but rather, a time when the Bridegroom and the bride are joyfully united.

Understanding these simple and basic things about "the day of the Lord," we can see at once that Paul was not even speaking about the Rapture in 2 Thessalonians 2:2-3. He was showing the Thessalonians that "the day of the Lord" and its attending judgments could not be presently upon them, for the Antichrist and the great falling away of professing Christendom had to happen first. Sad to say, false teachers are still propounding the same error that was bothering the Thessalonians. They are upsetting Christians by telling them that they must prepare for the Tribulation, because the Church is going to go through it. And, ironically, they are using the same three methods to propound their error as the false teachers were doing in Paul's day!

• First, "by spirit" (vs. 2)—the false teachers claimed they had received it through a spiritual revelation given to them.

• Secondly, "by word" (vs. 2)—the false teachers were misapplying Old Testament Scriptures to support their erroneous teaching.

• Then lastly, "by letter as from us" (vs. 2)—they actually had gone so far as to produce an epistle with their erroneous ideas in it, and claimed it was from Paul.

So it is today, those who teach this erroneous doctrine often claim that they have received it through some special revelation from God, and they are also trying to use the Scriptures to support it—they are even taking Paul's ministry (such as this passage) and teaching that Paul taught that the Church must go through the Tribulation.

Another reason why this application is in error is that it destroys the imminence of the Lord's coming. The Lord's coming (the Rapture) is always presented in Scripture as something that could take place at any moment. Those who think the Church must go through the Tribulation scoff at the idea that He could come today, because they think it is direct violation of their interpretation of 2 Thessalonians 2:2-3. However, Paul and the other apostles laboured to put the nearness of the Lord's coming before the Church so that it would be a present hope. Are these people saying that the apostles were wrong in doing that? Paul said, "Our conversation is in heaven, from whence we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body" (Phil. 3:20-21). He also said, "For yet a very little while and He that shall come will come and will not tarry" (Heb. 10:37). And, "Now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand" (Rom. 13:11-12). And again, "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air" (1 Thess. 4:16-17). In this last verse, Paul put himself among the number who were looking for the Lord to come, saying, "we." (See also 1 Cor. 15:51-52 — "we") It was something he hoped for even back in those early days of the Church. James too, said, "The coming of the Lord draweth nigh" (James 5:7). Peter said, "The end of all things is at hand" (1 Peter 4:7). John said, "Little children, it is the last time" (1 John 2:18). This shows that the apostles ministered in such a way as to set the Lord's coming before the saints as a present hope.

To teach that certain events must take place before the Lord will come, such as, the rise of Antichrist and the Tribulation horrors, would be a direct contradiction to the teaching of the apostles, and it destroys the imminence of the "blessed hope" (Titus 2:13).

Taking this "blessed hope" away from the Church is to cause it to settle down in this world—and this is just what has happened to a large extent. It is essentially saying, "My Lord delayeth His coming" (Matt. 24:48). For this very reason, the Lord Jesus Himself never told us when He would return. But He did say, "Surely, I come quickly" (Rev. 22:20).

2) Revelation 11:15

Another Scripture adduced to prove the Church must pass through the Tribulation is Revelation 11:15. "The seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever." This verse shows that when the seventh and last trumpet is blown at the end of the Great Tribulation, the Lord will appear and take possession of the kingdoms of this world through judgment. It has been supposed that this is "the last trump" spoken of at the Rapture (1 Thess. 4:15-18; 1 Cor. 15:51-52). Therefore, the Church will be on earth to pass through that hour of trial as described in Revelation 6-11 which precede the seventh trumpet in Revelation 11:15. It is taught that the Church will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, just as He comes out of heaven to judge the world.

This interpretation is very problematic, because the Word of God teaches that a number of things must happen between the time the Church is taken up to heaven to when the Lord comes back out of heaven to judge the world, as Revelation 11:15 shows. It would be impossible for all those things to happen in that short moment of time that this interpretation allows. After taking His people into heaven at the Rapture, the Lord will cause them to sit down at His table where He will serve them heavenly happiness and joy unspeakable (Luke 12:37). Then, the judgment seat of Christ will be set and the believers' lives will pass into review and be rewarded accordingly (2 Cor. 5:10, etc.). The saints will also have a time of praising God and the Lord Jesus Christ around the throne in heaven. At that time they will cast their crowns at His feet in humble adoration of Him (Rev. 4-5). Then, the marriage of the Lamb will take place in heaven, which will be followed by the marriage supper and the many guests of heaven (the friends of the Bridegroom) attending it (Rev. 19:7-8). These things all must take place after the Lord takes His people to heaven at the Rapture, and before He returns at His Appearing. These things could not possibly happen if the saints were taken up in the air and then immediately brought back down again with the Lord at His Appearing.

3) Matthew 24:29-31

Another Scripture that is used is Matthew 24:29-31. "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of the trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds." It is thought that the coming of the Lord in this passage refers to the Rapture. Consequently, they mistakenly fix the time of the Rapture as being "immediately after the tribulation." They conclude that the Church, therefore, will go through the Tribulation.

The problem here is that people are confusing the Rapture and the Appearing. Some of the main differences are:

• The coming of the Son of Man is never referred to as the Rapture. The Rapture is the Lord's coming for His own: the coming of the Son of Man is the Lord's coming with His own at His appearing. The rapture is a mystery not made known until it was revealed through the apostle Paul. (1 Cor. 15:51-52) The coming of the Son of man is something that was known by the Old Testament saints because the prophets spoke of it. (Dan. 7:13-14) The Son of man is a title that the Lord takes when He comes to judge the world. At the rapture the Lord is not coming to judge the world, but to take His bride to heaven. The fact that the title of the Son of Man is used in Matthew 24:29-31 ought to show us that His coming there is not the rapture.

• At the Rapture, the Lord does not send His angels to gather His saints [the bride] as these verses speak; He comes to take her Himself! (1 Thess. 4:16, 2 The s. 2:1).

• The trumpet sounded here is not the trump of God that takes place at the rapture, but that of Isaiah 27:13, Psalm 81:3, etc.

• The elect here are not the church, but the elect of Israel. (Mt. 24:24, Isa. 45:4, 65:9, Rev. 7:1-8, Rom. 11:28, etc.)

The Partial Rapture Idea

Although some Christians believe in the idea of a partial rapture, it is so absurd that it is not necessary that we comment on it. Could we imagine the Lord taking only part of His bride to heaven? What would He do in heaven with half a bride? How could the marriage of the Lamb take place with only half the bride present? Anyway, what Scripture is there for it?

Let us “prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thess. 5:21).