Revelation 22
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Chapter 22
1. Then the angel showed
me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne
of God and of the Lamb
2. through the middle of
the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life
with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of
the tree were for the healing of the nations.
3. No longer will there
be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and
his servants will worship him.
4. They will see his
face, and his name will be on their foreheads.
5. And night will be no
more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their
light, and they will reign forever and ever.
6. And he said to me, “These
words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the
prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”
7. “And behold I am
coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this
book.”
8. I, John, am the one
who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to
worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me,
9. but he said to me, “You
must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the
prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”
10. And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy
of this book, for the time is near.
It’s interesting to note that
heaven provides security and healing, even though enemies are destroyed in the
Lake of Fire forever, and sickness will cease to exist. In the last chapter,
verse 12, there is a high wall and an angel guarding each gate of the city. If
you have ever had a doubt that sometime in eternity, sin or the consequences of
sin might revive, this vigilance is recorded to assure the reader that God has secured
eternity. The Creator insures and reassures that these maladies will never
again return.
Earthly cities attempt to
beautify themselves with trees, parks and rivers or lakes, but the heavenly
city seems to be, essentially a park… a well populated park! There is no
mention made of buildings, but in this chapter, John is taken inside the city
to see, first of all, a river. It is called the River of the Water of Life. The
source or fountain of the river is the throne of God and the Lamb. The river is
as bright as crystal (1).
Revelation 21
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Chapter 21
1. Then I saw a
new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed
away, and the sea was no more.
2. And I saw the
holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a
bride adorned for her husband.
3. And I heard a
loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with
man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will
be with them as their God.
4. He will wipe
away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall
there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have
passed away.”
5. And he who was
seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these
words are trustworthy and true.”
6. And he said to
me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To
the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.
7. The one who
conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
8. But as for the
cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually
immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake
that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
The New Jerusalem
In Genesis 1:2, the verb that describes the action of the Holy Spirit at the dawn of creation is moved in a number of major versions of the Bible, such as the KJV: "The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." Moved suggests an extremely broad action to a Hebrew word, which
should be much more specific. The first definition for that word in the
Strong’s Hebrew dictionary states: A
primitive root; to brood. It is the same verb used in Deuteronomy 32:11,
where it is usually translated flutters…
“Like an eagle that stirs up its
nest, that flutters over its young…”
If the Holy Spirit is seen brooding over creation, it adds passion to His movements. Then, when
the trinity communes in Genesis 1:26 and states, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness,” we see man’s
creation, not only as the main event in creation, but an uncovering of the
heart of the Creator. The entire biblical revelation of the purpose of the
existence of mankind is that of a being, who is capable of having intimate
communion with God. I will not yield to the temptation to go into details that
will clearly prove the point, but will simply declare it to be fact, hoping for
your acquiescence. When we are talking of creation, we are specifically
speaking of the creation of man, male and female, and the rest of the work was
to provide an ideal ambiance for his existence.
In John 14, verses 2 and 3 (AMP version), Jesus speaks to
His beloved disciples: “In My Father’s
house are many dwelling places (homes). If it were not so, I would have told
you; for I am going away to prepare a
place for you. And when I go and make ready a place for you, I will come back
again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also.” In
John 17:24, He pours his heart out to His Father: “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with
me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me…” And now, as we draw
near the end of the New Testament, John the beloved disciple sees, “the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down
out of heaven from God, prepared as a
bride adorned for her husband” (2). This is the perfect, eternal ambiance
for His followers. He told them that He would prepare a place and here it is, prepared
as a bride. It fits their new nature like a glove.
Revelation 20
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Chapter 20
1. Then I saw an
angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless
pit and a great chain.
2. And he seized
the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for
a thousand years,
3. and threw him
into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive
the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must
be released for a little while.
4. Then I saw
thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was
committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the
testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the
beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their
hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
5. The rest of the
dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the
first resurrection.
6. Blessed and
holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second
death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they
will reign with him for a thousand years.
Leading up to the Millennium
We have a very short account by John, concerning the
millennial reign of Christ upon the earth, but the prophets had much to say
about it. We will not be able to give an exhaustive study on the subject,
because that would easily require a book. However, we will go back to the
prophets and pick up more details about this tremendously important period of
human prophecy. After six millenniums of man’s rule, the return of Christ
brings them to an end and then, He will reign on earth for a final one thousand
years. This gives much more sense to God’s creation, after Adam sinned so early
in human history and chaos has followed ever since. God will show us an ideal
reign through the Prince of Peace, the last Adam. There will be paradise on
this planet!
We have just studied the Battle of Armageddon and the
destruction of world empires. The beast and the false prophet have been thrown
for eternity into the Lake of Fire. There are other events preliminary to the
Millennium. One is the Judgment of the Nations, as described in Matthew 25:
31-46. Notice when this takes place: “When
the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will
sit on his glorious throne” (Mt.25:31). This will involve the treatment
given to Christ’s brothers, according to the flesh, the Jews, during the Great
Tribulation. The participants will be divided into two groups, described as
sheep and goats. They have carried out the law of their nature, apparently
unconscious of the source of their actions, and either aided or neglected the
Jews in their tribulation plight.
Revelation 19:10-21
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Dear Friends, please note that I am adding the following
two paragraphs to the last article of Rev. 19:1-9. I just put them here for
your convenience. Thank you. Everything I do is in flux, and always open for
improvement and correction 😃 . The new article starts below with verse 10
“Write this!” (9).
This command is common in the book of Revelation, as the canon of Scripture comes
to an end. The first human writer, who recorded the words of God, was Moses and
God on various occasions, commanded him to write. Israel’s history and
literature was written for future generations. God commanded the prophets to
write. Luke told Theophilus concerning the Gospels, “Just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers
of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having
followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for
you” (Lk.1:2,3). Even Pontius Pilate wrote on the cross, “Jesus of Nazareth, king of the Jews”
in the three most important languages of the day. Paul told the Colossians, “When this letter has been read among you,
have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and also read the letter
from Laodicea” (Col.4:16). So the Gospels and the epistles prospered in the
early church and hundreds of copies were written to pass along.
That, which is written, is preserved beyond the spoken
word and is validated over the spoken word. The Holy Spirit is the Author of
all Scripture and He has shown His concern for future generations, seeing to it
that His Word has been preserved through writing. It alone holds absolute
authority over everything that concerns the people of God. Jesus spoke the
written word, in replying to the temptations of the devil. In history, the
devil always mounted persecution against the translators of the word, as well
as those who have had the word in their possession. To this day, he is
attacking those who possess, read and practice the written word. Beware of
those, who deny or belittle the whole, or any part, of the written Word. Liberals,
who still like to call themselves Christians, question the veracity and
authenticity of the Bible. Society largely considers it an antiquated book. Let
us give it its rightful place in our hearts, minds and lives and give thanks
continually to God, because today we have the full revelation of God’s word. He
has faithfully preserved it to this present generation. “These are the true words of God.”
Revelation
19:10-21
10. Then I fell
down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am
a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus.
Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
11. Then I saw
heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called
Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.
12. His eyes are
like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name
written that no one knows but himself.
13. He is clothed
in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of
God.
14. And the armies
of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white
horses.
15. From his mouth
comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule
them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath
of God the Almighty.
16. On his robe
and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
Revelation 19:1-9
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Chapter 19
1. After this I
heard that seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying
out, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
2. for his
judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who
corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of
his servants.”
3. Once more they
cried out, “Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.”
4. And the
twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God
who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!”
5. And from the
throne came a voice saying, “Praise our God, all you is servants, you who fear
him, small and great.”
Heavenly hallelujahs and an amen
These verses describe heavenly praise. Warren Wiersbe
comments that this is the heavenly “Hallelujah Chorus”, referring, of course,
to that well-known part of Handel’s “Messiah”. Wiersbe would agree wholeheartedly,
I’m sure, even though he used this comparison, that the praise that John heard
in this chapter far exceeds any comparison with songs that are merely earthly,
no matter the fame that they have received.
I know some people who claim that the words hallelujah and amen are religious terms. Sadly,
they show their lack of spiritual understanding and, for that reason, their
lack of appreciation for heavenly things. Let me ask you a couple questions:
What do these words mean to you? Do you think that they are English vocabulary?
I believe that they are words that can only receive a proper definition from a “heavenly
dictionary". They were given to the Hebrews because, “the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God” (Ro.3:2). They
cannot be justly translated into human language and therefore, in the church in
every part of the world, Christian pronounce these words, as they were in the original
Hebrew language.
While the judgments of God are falling upon the world,
there is great joy in heaven, expressed by loud voices of a great multitude.
They are voices of prophets, apostles and saints in general, who are now
rejoicing in heaven. They begin with the first Hallelujah, which we try to translate, as best we can, Praise the Lord. In heaven, doubt does not exist, as to the
outcome of what is taking place on earth. In spite of everything, the heavenly
multitudes give praise to God! He is the fountain of salvation, glory and power
and everything is securely in His powerful hand. He is our God and, because that is so, He works salvation, glory and
power towards our well-being (1). We, who are still on earth, should
continually mix our praises with those in heaven.
Revelation 18
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Chapter 18
1. After this I saw
another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth
was made bright with his glory.
2. And he called out with
a mighty voice, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling
place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean
bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.
3. For all nations have
drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the
earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have
grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.”
4. Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of
her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues;
5. for her sins are
heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.
6. Pay her back as she
herself has paid back others, and repay her double for her deeds; mix a double
portion for her in the cup she mixed.
7. As she glorified
herself and lived in luxury, so give her a like measure of torment and
mourning, since in her heart she says, ‘I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and
mourning I shall never see.’
8. For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death
and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the
Lord God who has judged her.”
Double retribution: “Fallen, fallen”
In chapter 15, we saw the
introduction of the seven angels with the seven bowls of wrath and chapter 16
related the act and result of each one being poured out. Similarly in chapter
17, we received an introductory description of Babylon and in this chapter, its
actual destruction is detailed.
This is a future, figurative
Babylon and I tried to describe it in the last chapter as basically a religious
system, but heavily involved with the financial and political situation in the
world. Her destruction is total and everlasting. “She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean
spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and
detestable beast” (v.2) I thought of the fall of literal Babylon, as it was
depicted in Isaiah 13, and wondered if that record wasn´t left for us to
ponder, as a precedent to the fate that John predicts for this final city.
Here are a few observations from
eye witnesses, who visited the ruins of historic Babylon a couple centuries ago.
Compare their testimonies with verse 2: “There are many dens of wild beasts in various parts. There are
quantities of porcupine quills. In most of the cavities are numberless bats and
owls. These caverns, over which the chambers of majesty may have been spread,
are now the refuge of jackals and other savage animals.”… “The natives believe
that the ghost of Nimrod walks amidst them in the darkness, and no one would
venture on so hazardous an experiment (that is, to enter the ruins
at night)”… “All the people of the country assert that it
is extremely dangerous to approach the mound after nightfall, on account of the
multitude of evil spirits by which it is haunted.”
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