Revelations 21:2-22:21

The New Jerusalem
(A Glimpse Of The Kingdom Of God)
Revelation 21:1- 22:21
Key verse: 21:2 Shp Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 5-28-11 delivered at DuPage UBF

“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.”

Have you even wandered what paradise is like? In this passage we will catch a glimpse of the only true paradise of the Kingdom of God. It is such a beautiful place. We will see the new Jerusalem; the dwelling place of God and his people. Here, God himself will wipe away all tears and there will be no death, sorrow or pain. But the most wonderful thing about it is that God and the Lamb are its temple. There is no need for any light, for God gives it light and the Lamb is its lamp. All nations will walk by its light. We will also see the tree of life which is for the healing of nations. All whose robes are washed in the blood of the Lamb may enter and eat its fruit, and quench their thirst at the river of life. It sounds beautiful doesn’t it? Do you want to be there? Well you can. You can behold the Kingdom of God with the eyes of your hearts, even now. You can get a taste of the Kingdom of God even now! When our robes are washed clean through faith in Jesus’ blood, then we can enter into it. Through our study of this passage may our hearts long to dwell with Jesus in his holy city. May our hearts resound with the prayer, “Come quickly Lord Jesus!”

Part l: The Renewal Of All Things (21:1-3)

In the vision we are told of a new heavens and new earth. Look at verse 1, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.”
There was a need for a replacement. The first heaven and the first earth served a great purpose…to lead us back to God. Originally the Garden of Eden was a perfect paradise where God and people lived in perfect harmony. They were given everything. They had no sin and they had eternal life. There was true hope, meaning and purpose. But because of mankind’s sin, Adam and Eve were kicked out of the garden to dwell in a world under a curse. The history of disobedience began and plunged the whole human race into rebellion against God. Living in this old earth, we are subjected to endless sufferings and hardships as we struggle to survive and find meaning in life. Mankind has tried again and again to elevate itself above this fallen world and attain utopia, but we have failed repeatedly.

God understands our suffering and since the creation of the world, God had in mind to make all things new. It was always God’s desire that his wonderful creation once again live in perfect harmony with him forever. That is why he sent Jesus into this world. Jesus came down from heaven to earth as a baby in a manger to start this process of restoring the world back to God. (Ro 8:21) In Jesus, God’s redemptive plan was completed. For those who have accepted Jesus and are born again, this world suddenly seems new. But at the renewal of all things there will be a new heavens and a new earth where sin will never be able to separate us from our God. We will love and worship and praise God while walking with him in perfect paradise, the great and glorious kingdom of God! Let’s think about John’s vision in more detail to discover some of the characteristics of this kingdom of God.
Part ll: The New Jerusalem (21:1-27)

First, it is the “New Jerusalem” Look at verse 2a, “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,...” It was always God’s plan to bring about this new heaven and new earth. It was foretold 800 years before Jesus was born. Isaiah 65:17, reads, “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.” Our hearts long for something new. We get stuck in the same ruts, the same routines, the same recurrent sin problems and we wonder if anything is every going to change. But God is oh so eager to bring about something new and fresh into our lives. All we have to do is come to him in humility, repentance and faith and you will become a new creation. Your old life will never be the same. Ultimately he will bring about the new heaven and the new earth in its fullness.

Next, this new Jerusalem came down from God. Look at verse 2a. “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,…” Mankind could never create or discover paradise on earth. The Tibetan Buddhists failed to create Shagri la. The Soviets failed to create a communist utopia. Democracy has failed to make America a Utopia. Young people fail to find paradise in other people. Older people fail to create our own utopias full of comfort, security and a comfortable retirement filled with world travel. Usually our sins scuttle these plans. It is impossible to make paradise on earth on our own. It must come down from God. That is the only way.

In the midst of our helplessness God came down to this world to meet us. God became man, in the form of a tiny baby and lived among us. (Jn 1:14) He took the initiative and dwell among his people. During the 3 ½ years of his earthly ministry Jesus taught about the kingdom of God. Through his suffering, death and resurrection he opened the way to the kingdom of God for all who believe. After his ascension into heaven, he is dwells in believer’s hearts through his spirit. He is among us even now for Jesus said, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” (Matt 18:20) But that is not all. Look at verse 3. “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.’” One day the new Jerusalem will descend from the heavens. There we will see Jesus face to face and walk with him in the streets of shining gold. Only Jesus can make this happen because he is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the eternal God. (5) With God all things are possible. (Matt 19:26)

In the new Jerusalem, the power death will be completely vanquished. Look at verse 4, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” We know that wherever Jesus reigns, there is peace, security, comfort and love. Those who are in Christ have tasted this truth, for prior to meeting Jesus our hearts were full of tears and sorrow. We cried, sometimes not knowing why. In June 1986, I cried, “Oh God!” in my pillow over my loneliness and meaninglessness of life. I was suffering unimaginably while living under the old order of things. God heard that pray and saw my tears and started a process to help me accept Jesus into my heart as my own Lord and Savior. After one month of Bible study, and receiving the love and prayers of servants of God, I accepted Jesus. He wiped all my tears from my eyes. Sure there are times when I sucome to tears and sorrow and I feel pain, but these times are temporary. For I can always turn to Jesus and be set free once again to experience newness of life. I have a sure hope that in the Kingdom of God that every tear will be wiped from my eyes and there will be no more mourning, crying or pain at all. Praise God! No matter what we are going through, it is not the end. The great news is that Jesus came to save us from our sins. Come to him and receive his comfort and get a taste of what heaven will be like, even now.
Who gets to dwell in the new Jerusalem? Look at verses 6-8, “He said to me: ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.’” It is those who overcome this world which is full of sin and temptation. The only way to be an over comer is to drink from the water of life, Jesus Christ. There was once a very thirsty women. She was not overcoming this world very well. In fact this world was dragging her down into the quagmire of sin. She was thirsty for love and in the process of trying to find love, she was divorced five times and had a live in boyfriend. Jesus came to her, in the midst of her thirstiness and offered her living water. He said to her in John 4:13-14, “…Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” This woman accepted Jesus’ invitation. She repented of her sin and believed in Jesus. In doing so, she drank the Springs of living water, Jesus Christ. Her soul was quenched. She left her water jar behind and told her whole village that she had found the Messiah. For the first time in her life, she overcame the world. She became part of the bride of Christ and a citizen in the new Jerusalem. There is more than enough of this living water in the new Jerusalem. Look at 22:1-2a, “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city….”. There is more than enough for all to drink and quench our thirsty souls forever and ever.
The new Jerusalem is very beautiful. Look at verses 9-21. The gates are of a giant single pearl. There are twelve of them. There are precious jewels everywhere. The streets are shining gold. The beauty of this celestial city is reflected throughout the Bible. First it is reflected in the beautiful Garden of Eden. It is reflected in the temple worship. The temple was adorned with gold and the diadem worn by Aaron appeared to be a symbol of the new Jerusalem. You can read its description in Exodus 28:15-21. The beauty of the new Jerusalem is reflected in the Christian church itself. God wanted us to know throughout history that the kingdom of God is very beautiful and desirable. It is so beautiful that it makes this world look like we are living in a garbage can in comparison.
The new Jerusalem is huge. Look at verse 15-17, “The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. 16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia[a] in length, and as wide and high as it is long.” Consider it’s dimensions. 1,400 miles in length! That is like from here to Los Angeles. There is room for millions upon millions of believers. This new Jerusalem is the father’s house. Jesus once told his disciples that in the father’s house there are many room and that he is going on ahead to prepare a place for us. (Jn 14:2). Do you have your reservation?
The new Jerusalem is built on a solid foundation. Look at verses 14 and 19. “The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb….and “19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone…” Our faith is a reflection of this foundation. Christians do not believe something with no foundation. Ephesians 2:19-21 reads, “ Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.” Our faith in the Gospel is rooted in history, fulfilled prophecy, the Scriptures and the lives of faith of many great servants of God. You can entrust your lives to Jesus and his Gospel. The New Jerusalem reflects this fact. This city is solid. It is secure. It is everlasting. Nothing can ever bring it down. Ever!
There are many other things about this new Jerusalem. Look at verses 22-27. Verse 22 reads, “I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.” We will dwell with Jesus intimately, just as he was with us in the Garden of Eden so will he be in heaven. Look at at verse 23, “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.” The glory of God will shine so brightly that it will even outshine the sun. Millions of people will walk by the light of God, no longer by false ideologies our corrupt political philosophies or false human standards. “The kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. “ and “The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it” This means that even the greatest among people will dedicate all they have and do for the glory of God. How happy it is to take the focus off of ourselves and give all the glory and honor and praise to Jesus. Look at verse 25, “On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there.” We lock our doors for security reasons. But in the Kingdom of God there will be everlasting peace and security…24/7 forever.
The new Jerusalem will be a place of healing and eternal life. Listen to verses 22:2b, “…On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” We spend billions on healthcare in this nation and it doesn’t make us live much longer. Health insurance is only a dream for millions of America. We beat our bodies in the gym. We overdose on antioxidants. But in the kingdom of God, there is the fruit of the tree of life which we will eat. We will have imperishable, glorious, powerful and spiritual heavenly bodies. (1 Cor 15:42-43) We will be in the prime of health. All of our weaknesses will disappear. All of our wounds and scars that have been caused by our sins will be healed. All of the world’s conflicts will be resolved. Believing Arabs and believing Jews will love each other. Believing Republicans and Democrats will vote together. Relationships will be healed. All people in the new Jerusalem will co-operate, and love and serve each other. There will be healing in abundance in God’s kingdom and that healing begins the moment we come to Jesus.
But there is only one way to get into this city. Look at verse 27, “Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” People can not just enter into the new Jerusalem illegally. We can not become pure or get into the Lamb’s book of life through our own goodness. At the judgment, the Book of Life will be opened. In these books are recorded the deeds of everyone, good or evil. 2 Corinthians 5:10 reads, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” This simply means, that while you are in the body,…in this life…, if you have done things that invite Christ’s salvation in your life, then you will have your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. You will pass through the judgment, and into the gates of the celestial city. These things are confessing and repenting of your sins. Listening to what Jesus has to say through his word and deciding to believe it from the heart. It means placing all of your hope and trust in Jesus and deciding to live for his glory and serving his purposes alone. These are things that will get you praise from Jesus at the final judgment. 22:14 makes this a little clearer.“ Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.” When you do these things, you are essentially washing your robes and may enter the new Jerusalem.

What will we be doing in the new Jerusalem? Some people think that heaven is like a Club Med, an eternal Caribbean vacation, where we laze around on the beach and sip Tahiti treats. Bt this is not so. Revelation 22:3 reads, “No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.” In the past we only worked hard for three meals a day, only to barely survive and then die. But in the new Jerusalem we will be serving Jesus. This work will be joyful and fruitful because there will be no more curse. Look at verse 5, “There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.” We will be walking by the light of the Lord and we will reign with him. We will be co-working with Jesus as part of his team. What a great privilege that is!

Part lll: “Behold I Am Coming Soon!” (22:7-21)

We are going to enter the new Jerusalem sooner than we think. Let’s read verse 7, “ ‘Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.” We tend to think that all of this talk about the kingdom of God is about about some far off place in some distant time. But not so. Jesus once said, the kingdom of God is near. (Lk 10:9) It is near to your soul. Also, Jesus Christ could come anytime. We don’t know the time, but the signs of the end of the age are clearly being set into place. But practically speaking, for all of us, the time when we see Jesus is when we take our fleeting breath. We do not know when this time comes. But we need to be ready and live as if Jesus is coming today.. “Behold! I am coming soon!” Jesus says.
Does all of this talk about Jesus and his kingdom move your heart? It sure did move John’s heart. Look at 22:8, “I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me.” John felt compelled to worship. This is the right response. So often we are “ho hum” about the kingdom of God, thinking we have heard it all before. For some it is an interesting story. But we need to see what John saw, with the eyes of our hearts and renew our sincere worship of Jesus.
Jesus will bring his reward. Let’s read verses 12 & 14, “ Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done…14 ‘Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.’” There definitely will be a reward for all those who have remained faithful to Jesus. We will be ushered into eternal life where we will see our Savior, Jesus, face to face. We will behold the beautiful and glorious new Jerusalem, the kingdom of God. We will receive praise from Jesus in proportion to how we have lived our lives for him. Hopefully, he will hug us and say, “Well, done my good and faithful servant.” and not, “Wow! You just barely made it through the flames, my child.” Let’s be full of spiritual deeds, like repentance and faith and simple obedience to the words of God and receive Jesus’ reward when he comes.
There are many descriptions of Jesus in this passage. Jesus is the bridegroom. He is the one to whom we, the bride, must give our hearts. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. He is the eternal God who was here in the beginning and who will be with us throughout eternity. He is the Root and the Offspring of David. That is he is the Promised Messiah, who will reign over the Kingdom of God forever. Jesus is the bright Morning Star, meaning he is the brightest star in the sky. The bright morning star always brought hope and direction to lost, seafaring mariners. Likewise Jesus gives hope and direction to wayfaring pilgrims like ourselves who are making our way through this troubled world to the new Jerusalem.
The angel gives John, and all believers a mission. Look at verse 17, “ The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” The word of God, the spirit of God and the Christian church, have one united beckon call to give to the whole world. It is a message for all people of every tribe and nation to come to Jesus and have their robes washed clean through faith in Jesus and receive the right to enter the gates of the new Jerusalem. Jesus himself gives this invitation in Matthew 11:28-29. He says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” When we know who Jesus is we are happy to invite people to come to him.
There are other aspects of placing our hope in the new Jerusalem. We need to trust God. Look at verse 11, “Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy.” We can try to do many things for God and change many things but there is a time when we deeply realize that all things are in God’s hands and we simply have to trust God and receive what God gives. Look at verses 18-20. These words show that God is very serious about his word. There are so many unrelenting forces tearing us away from the word of God. But we must uphold the word of God, never changing it, but preaching it as it is. The salvation of millions depend on it. Part of placing your hope in the new Jerusalem is praying for Jesus to come again…soon. Look at verse 20, “ He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” Sometimes we want Jesus to come later on, after we have accomplished all that we want to accomplish in this world. But when we have the vision of the new Jerusalem our spontaneous pray will be, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” We are ready to go anytime.
In this passage we discovered the only true and lasting paradise. It is the new Jerusalem in the eternal kingdom of God. When Jesus began his earthly ministry he proclaimed the words, “The time has come,…the kingdom of God is near, repent and believe the good news.” (Mk 1:15) This kingdom is beautiful beyond description. It is a place where there is healing, love, peace, light and eternal life and so much more. It the place where we will dwell with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for all eternity. It is the place that our hearts yearn for. It is not just a pipe dream. It is real! This new Jerusalem can be our eternal home when we wash our robes through faith in the blood of Jesus…through faith in his Gospel. Let’s take hold of this kingdom. Let us invite the whole world to come to Jesus and receive the right to enter into his glorious celestial city, starting at COD and NIU campus’. May our daily prayer be, “Amen. Come Lord Jesus.”

Revelation 20:1-15

The Final Judgment
Revelation 20:1-15 Shp Kevin Jesmer 5/14/11
Key verse 20:6

“Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.”


Today we want to examine the final judgment of God. There seem to be three stages of the final judgment. First, Satan is locked in the Abyss for a thousand years. Those who do not have the mark of the beast will reign with Christ. After a thousand years, Satan will be released for a short time to deceive many people, then he will be cast into the lake of burning sulfur to dwell forever. On the final day of judgment the living and the dead will stand before the throne of God. The books will be opened and every person will be judged according to what they have done. Those whose names are not written in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. This all sounds very ominous and foreboding. But those who are in Christ have nothing to fear. In fact, the blood of Jesus will enable them to pass through the judgment all the way to the kingdom of heaven. Through a study of this passage, may you not just be scared, but may you thank God for his grace given us through the blood of Jesus that put our names in the book of life. Also may we stand firm in faith, to the end, holding onto the grace of Jesus and knowing that our final victory is assured. We are true victors when we hold onto the Gospel. Let’s see.
Part l: The Thousand Years (20:1-6)

It has always been a controversy about the 1000 years, also known as the millennium. By the controversy is not an issue. It does not demand an absolute view. What is important is that we Christians believe exactly what the Bible tells us to believe. About the 1,000 years, we believe that Jesus will return according to his promise. He will also bind the devil for 1,000 and Jesus Christ will rule. After the 1,000 year, Christ will release the devil from his prison and he will do so for a short time. The devil will make his final stand against Christ and his people. It is really an amazing story. There are things that we don’t understand. For example, why would God bind the devil and then set him loose for a short time and then send him to his final judgment which is the lake of burning sulfur. There are things that we don’t understand, but we will try to understand.
Just how and when this 1,000 years takes place is understood differently among Christian scholars. The three major positions on this issue are referred to as postmillennialism, pre-millennialism and amillennialism. I began to ponder these different views after a rousing discussion at Maggie Burke’s house a few weeks ago. Briefly, postmillennialism looks for a literal 1,000 year period of peace on earth ushered in by the church. At the end of the 1,000 years, Satan will be unleashed once more, but then Christ will return to defeat him and reign forever. Christ’s coming will not occur until after the 1,000 year period. Pre-millennialism, also views the 1,000 years as a literal time period, but holds that Christ’s second coming initiates his 1,000 year reign and that his reign occurs before the final removal of Satan. Finally, amillennialism understands the 1,000 year period to be symbolic of the time between Christ’s accession and his return. Thus millennium is the reign of Christ in the hearts of believers and in his church now. This it is another way of referring to the church age. This period will end with the second coming of Christ. What viewpoint do you hold? Do you know? If you don’t that’s O.K. It took me 25 years to even begin to start asking the question.

These different views about the millennium need not cause divisions and controversy among believers, because each view acknowledges what is crucial to Christianity. Do you know what it is? Yes! That Jesus Christ shall return one day. Christ will return, defeat Satan, and reign forever! Whatever and whenever the Millennium is, Jesus Christ will unite all believers. Therefore we shall not let this issue divide us. And since we are not divided then let’s continue to look closely at the text…

God and his powerful angels are much more powerful than the devil. Let’s read verses 20:1-3, “ And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.” Look how a powerful angel of God dealt with the devil in verses 1 & 2, ““ And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.” He seized the devil decisively. There doesn’t seem to be much of a struggle. The devil is bound in chains. When one is bound in chains, they cannot get free. He will surely be held securely until the final day of judgment.
Now, in this age, the power of the devil over the lives of believers is dramatically weakened. The Bible says that at the beginning, “The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.” (Rev 12:9) Satan roams throughout the earth and leads the whole world astray. One look at the news shows that he is very busy. Before meeting Jesus personally, we were all prey to the devil and his whiles. We spent our entire days being deceived and led astray into the paths of sin. There was nothing stopping us from sinning. In fact there seemed to be some mysterious force at work in our hearts making us sin more. When I was not a Christian, I really felt that giving into my sinful desires and gratifying them was actually healthy for me. How blind I was! I was becoming more and more estranged from God and bearing the bad fruit in my life. I was being driven into the depths of depression and despair, when I was being led astray my the devil. But then Jesus came to this world to save sinners like me. Hebrews 2:14 reads, “ 14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—“ Through Jesus’ suffering death and resurrection, the head of Satan has been crushed. (Gen 3:15) We are set free from his deceptive clutches. But still we seem to he harassed from time to time by our sinful nature. We do what we do not want to do. We fall into the trap of sin and bear the fruit of the sinful nature, even if we are Christians. What is happening to us? !!
Sure we are harassed by the devil from time to time. But picture this. The devil’s head is crushed but the devil’s tail is flailing back and forth causing some mischief. But the good news is that we are no longer enslaved by the devil. Believers can repent and decide by faith to follow the word of God. They can come out of the darkness of sin and walk in the light of God. They can actually grow stronger, spiritually, through their struggle with evil. But in the final judgment the devil will be bound in chains for a time. His tail will not be flailing around to torment anyone anymore. In the Millennium believers will not be harassed by him and his angels even one iota. The time of oppression and misrule ends. The time of toil ends in rest and reward. The time of suffering ends in glory. The time of Israel’s blindness ends in restoration and conversion. The time of creation’s bondage ends in the deliverance at the manifestation of the sons of God.

This is something that we can look forward to. Can you imagine a time when you don’t have to struggle with the sinful desires that creep up in our hearts, or the sinful thoughts that flood our minds, robbing us of the peace of God and that keep us separated from God and one another? What a great time that will be! That time is coming.
Next we learn about the first resurrection. Look at revelation 20:4-6, “I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ 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 are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.” Who is involved in the first resurrection? Look at verses 4-5a again, ““I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands….” These are sincere believers who have given their hearts and lives over to Jesus. Peter once asked Jesus, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”28 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother[a] or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” (Matt 19:27-29) Jesus also said to his disciples in Luke 22:27-31, “28 You are those who have stood by me in my trials. 29 And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you[a] as wheat.”
We not despair, thinking that we can never be holy enough to be part of the first ressurrection. We can not be holy enough on our own. We also do not have any authority in ourselves to reign over our own households. But because Jesus died for us and is pleased to give us his spirit, we are made holy by grace. We are made his sons and daughters with authority to reign. Believe and accept these basic facts of the Gospel.
Will there will be people to reign over and govern. Yes! There will be millions of people living at the time of the Millennium. There was not complete destruction of the earth during the time of tribulation. The majority of the populace perished because of their unrepentant hearts. But millions survived in the rubble and the wastelands. They are the ones who will come to Jesus and live under his kingship. During the 1,000 year they will have a chance to hear the word of God. They will not have eternal life, but each will have their own lifetime. They will be discipled. They will have a chance to submit to Jesus and live under his lordship. They will also multiply until their numbers become vast.
Part ll: Satan’s Doom (20:7-10)
At the end of the thousand year reign, the devil will be released. Look at Rev 20:7-8a. It reads,” When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to gather them for battle….” John doesn’t say why God once again sets Satan free, but it is God’s plan for judging the world. Those living in the millennium will have been given ample opportunity to accept Jesus and his lordship. No one, not even the devil himself, could accuse Jesus as being unfair and not giving people enough time. The devil’s release would sift people, exposing those who are prone to rebel against God in their hearts and confirm those who are faithful to God. Ultimately, Satan’s release results in the final destruction of all evil and the revelation of those who will spend eternity with Christ.

In this life there are circumstances that God allows that serve to sift us. Their origins may be from the devil. How we react to different events shows what is in our hearts. In some ways these are tests. I pray that we may have the strength and the grace to stand up under any test the devil may throw at us. The best way to pass the test is to always respond in humility, repentance and faith. The you will pass.

Apparently there were lots of people, at the end of the Millenium, who were not given over completely to Jesus. Look at verses 8-9a, “and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. 9 They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves.” How could this be, even after 1,000 years of Jesus’ reign and careful shepherding? This shows us that our hearts have to be made right by the gospel before we can enter into heaven. If our hearts are not right there will battle lines drawn in heaven, against God over and over again. Only those who repent and accept Jesus and believe now will be able to dwell with Jesus forever with no chance of rebellion, ever, just pure joy and gratitude and love in their hearts for the savior who loves them.

This really amazes me how people just don’t get it! Maybe having Jesus reigning and teaching in Jerusalem for 1,000 years made them “home blind” to God. They could have said, “Oh I know Jesus is God, but I don’t care about his presence and I think we have chance to over throw him if we just unite together.” How soon people forget! How indifferent we become to God! How desensitized! How we are ready to commit past mistakes over and over again! May God help each of us to return to our first love!

We know the outcome of this battle. Look at verses 9b-10, “But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” – the beast and his forces are captured and thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. (19:20-21), and fire from heaven devours Satan and his attacking armies. (20:9-10) For God is as easy as that. There should be no doubt, no worry, no second thoughts for believers about whether they have chosen the right side or not. When we are on Jesus side, we are on the winning side!

Part lll: The Great White Throne (11-15)

John then gives us a vision of the final judgment. Look at verse 11-15, “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” This is the resurrection of all people, billions of them. Some of them have not accepted Jesus as their own personal Lord and Savior. Some them have, but they were not the ones involved in the first resurrection.

At this judgment, the Book of Life was opened. These books represented God’s judgment, and in them are recorded the deeds of everyone, good or evil. People want to live as if there is on God. They think that they will get away with all the sins they have committed. But that is not true. 2 Corinthians 5:10 reads, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” No body will get away with anything. They will all answer to God one day. Therefore we should live with a fear of God in our hearts.

Does this mean that some of our deeds will save us? For instance, if you volunteer at “Feed ‘Em Soup” 100 times then you can go to heaven? Does it mean that if you are always nice to people and never say anything that is prejudice or judgmental and never “rock the boat”, and never hurt anyone, then you are going to heaven? No. It means, that while you are in the body, now…in this life…, if you have done things that invite Christ’s salvation in your life, then you will pass through the judgment, all the way to the kingdom of heaven. Doing things like confessing and repenting of your sins. Doing things like listening to what Jesus has to say through his word and deciding to believe it from the heart. It means placing all of your hope and trust in Jesus and deciding to live for his glory and serving his purposes. These are things that will be in your credit at the final judgment. We are not saved by our deeds. We are saved by our personal relationship with Jesus, through faith in his Gospel. But deeds are seen as clear evidence of a person’s actual relationship with God.

The sad reality is that most people will not make it through this judgment. The lake of fire is the ultimate destination of everything wicked – Satan, the beast, the false prophet, the demons, death, Hades, and all those whose names are not recorded in the book of life because they did not place their faith in Jesus Christ. They will have to face an eternity, separated from their Creator and their Savior. Their eternal reality is nothing to be desired. In fact it should be dreaded, for it is hell where their inner torment never dies. John’s vision does not permit any gray areas in God’s judgment. If, by faith we are not identified with Jesus, confessing him as Lord, there will be no hope, no second chance, no other appeal.

But this reality is not for those who take head of Jesus’ words and repent and accept the life giving Gospel. This is how our names get written in the Lamb’s Book of life. Place your reservations today. Right now! Come to Jesus and know that your name will be there. Why put it off?
Unbelieving people are not the last to be thrown into the lake of fire, Death and Hades will also be. Look at verse 14, “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.” Hades is the abode of the dead, where the dead await their final judgment. When Death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire, God’s judgment is finished. Paul talks about this great and glorious time, in 1 Corinthians 15:25-28, “For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For he “has put everything under his feet.”[a] Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. 28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.” Paul also says in 1 Corinthians 15:54-57, “54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” 55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”[b] 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Praise the Lord, that there will be no more death!” Praise God that in Jesus’ kingdom, there is no more death, there is only life, love and peace everylasting! Jesus will bring all of this about in his time and in his way. Since we have this faith, how shall we live? 1 Corinthains 15:58 reads, “ 58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
In today’s passage, we learned that through faith in Jesus we can be part of the first resurrection and reign with Jesus in the Millenium. We can be part of Christ’s complete victory over all evil and death. We can also look forward to one day when we will not be harassed by the devil any longer but live in Christ’s peace. We also learned that it is through faith in the blood of Jesus that we can know with certainty that our names will be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Don’t you want your name written there? I sure do. Come to Jesus and renew your relationship with him. And in then give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord. It is not in vain.
Part l: The Thousand Years (20:1-6)

1. Read verses 20:1-3. How did an angel seize the devil and throw him into the Abyss? (2) Why was Satan bound in chains? (3) What does it symbolize? (12:9, Mk3:27, Heb2:14, Lk10:18) What is the purpose of rendering the devil powerless? What happens after the Millennium? What is God’s plan about his future release? (3, 17:8;13:1,7,13;16:13)

2. What happens in the first resurrection? (5-6) How are the believers given authority to reign with Christ a thousand years? (6b,1:6)

Part ll: Satan’s Doom (20:7-10)

3. What happens when the thousand years has ended? (7) How has the devil work against the Lord after his release from the Abyss? (7,13:2,7;16:14)

4. Describe the last battle with evil in verses 8-10. What is the sphere of his battle campaign? (8,9) What will finally happen to all the forces of evil? (10) How does the Lord destroy him and throw him into the lake of burning sulfur? (9,10) Think about how the Lord has destroyed all his enemies.

Part lll: The Great White Throne (11-15)

5. What happens at the final judgment when the books are opened? (11-15) How does the
Lord judge after having defeated the devil and his agents? (11) How will people be
judged? (11-14) Who stands before the judgment seat of Christ? (12,13, 2Cor5:10) How
are they judged? What are the books and the book of life, and what are recorded in
them?

6. Who was thrown into the lake of fire? (14) What is the last enemy to be destroyed?
(14,1Cor15:26) Why do we need Jesus?

Revelation 19:12-21

The Rider On The White Horse
Revelation 19:12-21
Key verse 19:11 Shp Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 5-1-11

“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war.”


We have just come back from our wonderful Easter conference at Timber Lee Wisconsin. There we studied Luke 24, concerning Jesus’ appearance to two disciples on the road to Emmaus. While on the road, Jesus had a deep conversation with the disciples, helping them to understand about the messiah throughout the Old Testament. He pointed out how the Christ was to suffer die and then rise again from the Scriptures. The disciples’ hearts were burning within them as Jesus spoke. And then, when they share an intimate moment of breaking bread together and sharing personal spiritual fellowship, the disciples hearts, and spiritual eyes are were open. They had met the Risen Jesus very personally. Their hearts were elated. They were set free from despair and fear and the power of death. They did a complete 180 and ran to tell the others the good news that Jesus has risen, just as he said, and he was alive forever more.
Currently we are in the midst of studying the biographies of various obscure people in Genesis. But since we just studied all about Jesus’ death and resurrection at the Easter conference, this is a good time to finish off where we had left off in Revelation, for in this last portion we find teachings on God’s judgment, his grace, resurrection and eternal life in the kingdom of God. We can discover what is in store for believers because Jesus suffered, died and rose again for us.
In this passage we will discover the rider on the white horse. He is Jesus. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood and his name is the Word of God. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword. With it he strikes down all rebellious nations. He executes God's wrath on the nations of the world. He is King of kings and Lord of lords. Through a study of this passage may we learn more about the rider. May we know his truth and his grace. And may we know that we, who are in Christ, are on the winning side of the King of Kings and Lord of lords. Let’s see….
Part l: The Rider On The White Horse (11-16)
And so, who is this rider? Let’s read verses 11-16. “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter.’ He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: King Of Kings And Lord OF Lords.” There is no doubt as to the identity of this glorious King who sits on the white horse. He is Jesus Christ. He is coming with the fury of God to deal judgment on Satan and his cohorts who have stood against God and himself and have corrupted the hearts of people across the centuries. In this image we can learn many important things about Jesus.
First, he is faithful and true. This means that he is constant. The Bible says that Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever. (Heb 13:8) His love is the same, unconditional and unfailing. His truth is the same, eternal and steadfast. His promises are the same, faithful and fulfilled. Jesus works faithfully throughout our lifetime, and beyond, to fulfill each and every one of his promises to us. What are his greatest promises? Is it not to forgive us of all of our sins when we repent and place all of our hope and trust in him? Is it not to raise us up again from the dead so that we may spend eternity with him forever? Is it not to produce good fruit in our lives as we follow Jesus during our pilgrimage here on earth? Yes indeed.
I thank God that Jesus is faithful and true. There are very few people in our lives who are faithful and true. There are spouses, our kids, our family, church family and a handful of friends. But even these beautiful relationships fall short of our faithful and true Savior and friend Jesus Christ. Only Jesus can be with us 24/7 and forever. He is with us each and every day of our journey while on this earth. We will be with him in heaven for all eternity.
Second, “With justice he judges and makes war.” His first coming brought forgiveness of sins to us. His second coming will bring judgment. Jesus came first as a Lamb to be sacrificed for sin. But Our God is not just our forgiving friend. He is not just some benevolent grandfather. He is also a righteous judge and he will come to make war on all that is opposition to God. He will return as a Conqueror and King to execute his righteous judgment.
Third, “His eyes are like blazing fire,” Jesus’ eyes are blazing fire. It is not because he was up all night playing video games and watching TV with his friends until 3 in the morning. It is because his vision can penetrate all darkness and burn away all that is impure and unholy to clearly reveal what lies underneath the surface. Sometimes we cover ourselves with our own self righteousness in order to appear holy. But we must know that nothing can be hidden before the eyes of Jesus. All will be laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Heb 4:13) And so the best thing to do is be honest with God right from the beginning.
Fourth, “on his head are many crowns.” Jesus has many crowns on his head. It is because one crown does not do him justice. He is not an ordinary king or ruler. He is the King of kings and the Lord or lords…of all kings and lords that have ever lived. He is the Son of God, the Savior, the Messiah, the One before whom every knee bows to and every tongue confesses. How great and awesome is our King Jesus! Let us submit to his reign in our lives.
Fifth, “He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself.” Does this confuse anyone? How can the John write this when we know that his name is Jesus. In verse 16 we read, “On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: King Of Kings And Lord OF Lords.” It seems all you have to do is look at Jesus’ robe and the writing on his thigh to discover his name. But we need to know that the Jews did not even venture to know the name of God. They call him Yahweh or Adonai (rendered: The Lord, the Lord Almighty), but this is just an attempt to represent God. When God spoke to Moses in the burning bush, he told him the name that he Moses should tell Pharaoh. What was that name? “I am who I am.” I once had a poster with over 300 names of Jesus. Why get so touchy about a name? In the Bible when a person knows your name, he knows all about you, your character and personality. He knows the parents and God’s hope and possibly even a prophecy about that person’s life and future. The fact that we can not know the name of the rider on the white horse, reflects the fact that we can not know Jesus fully. No matter how long you have followed Jesus, there is still a mystery about him. He is like a cut diamond, glorious and brilliant and ever changing in beauty each time you look at him from different angles. That is what Jesus is like to us this world. But in the Kingdom of heaven Jesus will be fully known, as we are fully known by God. (1 Cor 13:12) We shall see Jesus fully face to face.

Sixth, “He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood,” This is every house wives cleaning nightmare, for blood is so hard to get out of clothing. Why did he have blood on his robes? Look at verse 19:15b, “…He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.” This blood is a testament of God’s justice. The imagery behind this verse is troubling to think of. The wine press of God’s wrath is a harvest that all people should fear being part of. Revealtion 14:17-20 reads, “Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 18Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, ‘Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth's vine, because its grapes are ripe’. 19The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God's wrath. 20They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses' bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.” A winepress was a large vat or trough where grapes were collected and then smashed. The juice flowed out of the spout that emptied into a large holding container. The winepress is used in the Bible as a symbol of God’s wrath and judgment against sin. The blood of billions of people poured out of that wine press for it created a stream of blood 5 feet tall and it spread out for 180 miles. This shows us the urgency of proclaiming the gospel of salvation. According to the book of revelation, billions of people are going to perish in their sins. We should care about this and respond accordingly by sharing the life giving Gospel of Jesus with the world. Again true Christians need not fear this harvest but rather become vigilant.
This imagery would have been especially comforting to the early Christians. They were persecuted beyond belief, by the Roman Empire and Gentile idol worshippers. Hebrews 11:35b-38 reveals some of the persecutions that people of faith have received from the world over the centuries. They read, “…Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. 37 They were stoned[f]; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.” The first century Christians were receiving similar persecutions in their generations. They were receiving very unjust treatment. Some might have prayed, “Lord, I gave my whole life to you. How could you let this happen?”
But in John’s vision we see that victorious conquering Lord Jesus Christ come into this world to bring about his perfect justice. It is kind of hard to understand why a vision of a righteous judge would bring about such comfort and joy to believers. We may not understand because we really have not been persecuted for our faith by the people of the world that much. Maybe we have been ignored. Maybe we have been rejected and hated and excluded from time to time. But we have not had our homes confiscated, been falsely accused and thrown to the lions! Some Christians do experience this type of injustice in other countries. They known the joy of beholding the King of kings and Lord of Lords coming in a robe dipped in blood.
We do undergo injustices sometimes in America. At school one of Mark’s classmates blurted our, “God is a crazy old man!”. Mark stood up for God publically saying, “No he is not!” and the other boy blurted out, “And you’re crazy too!” Last week Jenn was going to take the ACT test. She prayed with two other FCA members in the open, in front of others. There was a person who was really uncomfortable witnessing this. There are times when I think I am raising up more people who hate me than disciples of Jesus. Jesus tells us that if we are his disciples the world will hate us. (Jn 15:18) We should not be hated for our mistakes and foolishness, but persecution should be because we love and follow Jesus.
We are also unjustly treated by the devil himself. The devil will not stop. He is like a roaring lion ready to pounce on you. He will accuse you night and day. He will work on your weaknesses to wear you down. If you try to do good, he will take all you do and say and twist it around and throw it back at you in an attempt to bring you down. Sometimes we are tempted to say, “why me?” I hear this from time to time, “Why God? I have been a good person.” And last week, “If this suffering is the way God is trying to get my attention then it is not working.” Some students may wonder why they failed or why their relationships have broken up or why they are so lonely. They blame God. But I think they should blame the devil for his unjust treatment on their souls and come to Jesus, their conquering Savior who will bring about perfect justice in their lives when they humble themselves and submit to the Lordship of Jesus, Our King of kings and Lord of Lords.
Jesus is the King of Kings who will come to tread out the winepress of God’s wrath, yes…but that is not his initial desire. Jesus did not come to into this world to enslave people, by shedding their blood. He came to set us free and fulfill his perfect justice by suffering and shedding his blood. The sins we have perpetrated towards God and others are very unjust and should be dealt with by God. But because Jesus came into this world, suffered and died as the Pascal Lamb, the price has been paid in full. God’s justice is satisfied. We can be totally forgiven. This is the mark of merciful king Jesus. He is the only one worthy, of our all our love and worship. He is worthy because he did not exercise his power to subject us, but he used his power to free us from the grip of Satan who enslaved us for generations. How precious is Jesus! Jesus’ precious blood dripped down from the cross in order to rescue you and me from sin. Who would do this for us, when we have turned our heads away from him every time a temptation or a pleasure or a temptation to seek personal comfort rose up in our hearts? But Jesus did. And for this he is worthy of our love and devotion.
Seventh, “and his name is the Word of God.” Jesus is the word of God incarnate. John says of Jesus in John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the word was God.” We use words to communicate with people. We share our hearts, our hopes our dreams, our likes and yes even our dislikes with words. We text our friends with words. God, the Father, is communicating with us through his Son, Jesus. What is his trying to communicate to us in this vision? Jesus is our conquering King, and Lord who his binging about his perfect justice and salvation. We just need to come to him by faith, stand in his side and taste his glorious salvation.
The fact that his name is the “Word of God” means that Jesus did not rule us with human rules and regulations. He ruled us with the living and active word of God. Jesus came to replace the lies in our hearts with the word of God, with the truth. He came to give us a new life based on the eternal word of God which alone can give us newness of life and clear direction. His word is above all things in heaven and on earth. We should cherish it always, rely on it always, uphold it always, and share it with others always.
Eighth, “The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.” Who are the armies of heaven? They are the saints of God. Verse 19:8 reads, “Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)” They could be born again believers who were made holy by the blood of Jesus and who were raised again to eternal life. They follow their Lord in glorious power and splendor. Their robes were not dipped in blood. Only Jesus’ were. It is because only Jesus is the judge of the living and dead. Vengeance is mine saith the Lord.
He alone had robes dipped in blood because there was no one who could help him. Isaiah 63:1-5 reads, “ 1 Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah, with his garments stained crimson? Who is this, robed in splendor, striding forward in the greatness of his strength? It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save.” 2 Why are your garments red, like those of one treading the winepress? 3 ‘I have trodden the winepress alone; from the nations no one was with me. I trampled them in my anger and trod them down in my wrath; their blood spattered my garments, and I stained all my clothing. 4 For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my redemption has come. 5 I looked, but there was no one to help, I was appalled that no one gave support; so my own arm worked salvation for me, and my own wrath sustained me.’” Only one who is without sin can judge. As for people, all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. No one was qualified. But let us face the facts. Jesus does a lot of things alone because no one wants to help or is qualified to help. Let’s decide to help Jesus and become qualified to help Jesus.
Ninth, “Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter.’” Jesus is has a sharp double edged sword. It is a very effective spiritual weapon. Hebrews 4:12 reads, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Some people may think that such an image is too authoritarian. But I personally don’t mind being ruled by Jesus in this way. I welcome it actually. To those who are saved and who know the grace of God, Jesus’ iron scepter feels more like a shepherd’s rod. It is like children who live in a household with a strict dad, but they know that their dad is full of love and they feel safe and secure under his care.
The fact that Jesus rules with an iron scepter is also why not everyone is going to be happy going to heaven,. If they do not like living under the Lordship of Jesus now, then they will baulk at Jesus Lordship in heaven. Some think that life in heaven is a fully paid, all expense paid trip to Club med in the Caribbean where God pays for everything, but doesn’t bother them much. But this is not so. Jesus is the king of Kings and Lord of lords. He has an iron scepter. If you don’t enjoy his lordship in your present condition of heart, you will not enjoy heaven. Our hearts need to be changed by repenting of our sins and asking Jesus into your heart as Lord and Savior.
Part ll: Jesus The Bringer Of Complete Justice (17-21)
Jesus will bring about complete justice. Look at Verses 17-21, “And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great.” The birds are probably vultures. They gather where there are dead bodies. This image is one of complete victory over the enemies of God.
Jesus is more powerful that the devil and his cohorts. Look at verses 19-21. “Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. 20 But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21 The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh. This is a very difficult scene. It is a vision of the final demise of the devil and his people whose end will be in the lake of burning sulfur. Sometimes we think that the devil and evil are more powerful than God and his “good”. But this is not so. Jesus is the all power, sovereign Lord. He is more powerful than the devil himself. Nothing can stand in the way of Jesus. In the Lord’s Prayer there is line, “Deliver us from the evil one.” Jesus can and will deliver us from the evil one. We must trust Jesus to work out his good and perfect will in our lives. We must trust Jesus that he will bring all believers to glory.
Jesus is the rider on the white horse. He is truly the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He is my King and my Lord. Would you confess him your King and Lord today and always? It is not a small question. It is a real question that touches our hearts. There are those who confess him by mouth, but their lives are a far cry from him being the King of their lives. Let us renounce and repent of any hypocrisy we find in our hearts and ask his mercy, for he is faithful and true and will cleanse us from all our sins and count us among the blessed. Amen. And we must stand as witnesses to the King whose robe is dipped in blood, and whose name is faithful and true. We must witness that the Lamb is still is willing to pay the price for the sins of everyone who turns from sin and embraces the cross of Jesus and calls for forgiveness and new life. We must witness to all people that the Lamb will triumph. And in the mean while, let us give praise and worship to him, for he is worthy.
Part l: The Rider On The White Horse (11-16)

1. Read vs. 11-16. At last, Jesus returns riding on a white horse to fight his enemies. Why
is he called Faithful and True? How does the appearance of his eyes, head and dress
highlights his character and his truthful judgment? (12,13,15)

2. Why are his clothes dipped in blood? Who are the armies of heaven following him riding
on white horses? (14, 8) How will he rule in the kingdom of God? (16)
Part ll: Jesus The Bringer Of Complete Justice (17-21)
3. Read vs. 17-21. How does an angel invite all the birds to the great supper of God? (17) What is the purpose of birds in this imagery?

4. How have the beast and the false prophet made war against the saints? (20b, 13:7,11:7) How have they gathered to fight the Lord? (19,16:14,16) What is their final destiny? (20,21) Think about the progression of their destruction. Whose side shall we be on?

Revelations 17:1-19:4

The Fall Of Babylon
The Seven Bowl Judgments (3)

Revelation 17:1-19:4 Lesson 17
Key vs. 18: 4 Shp Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 11/14/10

“Then I heard another voice from heaven say: ‘Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues;’”
Today we are carrying on with our study of the seven bowl judgments of God. In our last study we examined what the seven different bowl judgments were. They were the complete judgment of God. The stubbornness of an unrepentant humanity was the last straw. Now was the time for God to bring forth his justice for the sins people perpetrated towards God and each other. The extent of God’s wrath was immense. There were painful, incurable sores; there was the turning of the waters to blood; there was scorching from the sun’s radiation; the deception of the worldly kingdoms; and the fall of Babylon. Today’s study will focus in on the last bowl judgment, the fall of Babylon. As you already surmised, this is very difficult passage to understand. But we will try our best to bring out the main characters as well as learn more about who God is and what our Christian response must be when we face evil in our world today.
In this passage we will meet two beings, the harlot named Babylon and the beast. The woman is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth (18). She represents all evil world systems that control people and nations and perpetrate injustice. The scarlet beast is the devil. He has seven heads and ten horns. He will make war against the Lamb, Jesus and Jesus’ followers. But there is good news. Those who follow Jesus will overcome, for he is King of kings. Babylon will be destroyed. Those who live separate lives from the world and whose treasure is in heaven will gain everything. The saints, apostles and prophets will rejoice. Through a study of this passage may repent of compromising with the world and live as God’s holy people. May we be set free from all deception and decide to be a faithful followers of the Lamb, Jesus. And finally may you all live victorious, overcoming lives of faith for the glory of God as you stand with Jesus.
Part l: The Great Prostitute (17:1-6)
The first character in our passage is the prostitute. Look at verses 17:1-6. What do these verses have to say about her? First, she controlled and influenced people. Look at verse 17:1b, “…Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters.” The Bible says that this prostitute sits on many waters. (17:1b)The waters, on which she sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. (17:15) Obviously she is some kind of political and social entity that governs over different kinds of people. There have been many kinds of kingdoms like this over time. All world empires fit this description. What about Rome? In our century the Soviet Union was like this. The Nazi’s wanted to make an Empire like this. There was also the Hellenism. Our western culture is like this, though it is not a political body. But it sure controls peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.
The woman was also very rich. Look at verse 17:4a, “The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls…” Purple is the color of royalty. She was glittering with the riches that the world had to offer. We can also see more of her glory as we see the lament in chapter 18. She felt like she was a Queen. She thought that she was not a widow and would never mourn. This refers to military victory and not having any young men die in battle. Her economy boasted of the luxuries of the world, gold, silver, precious stones, spices and so forth. People became rich on account of the woman. (18:19) In her, life seemed to prosper. Her streets were filled with the sound of musicians. There were skilled craftsmen building her glorious cities. There was lots of food in her storehouses. People enjoyed a happy life, not only getting rich, but also married. She was so awesome and powerful that when people gazed upon her they stood in awe thinking, “Was there ever a city like this great city?” ( 18:18b) When she finally came to her destruction, people couldn’t believe that it could ever happen. They felt that she was indestructible. But all of this greatness was not without a price. Let’s see.
First, she was a very bad influence on the people around her…to say the least. Look at verse 2, “With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.” She achieved great power and influence in the world. But look at the affect she has others that were involved with her. World leaders gave their hearts to this harlot. Adultery in the Bible, on a national level, meant that they were engaging in idol worship. They were worshipping her. They lusted over her. They became intoxicated. I don’t know if any of you have been intoxicated. I sure hope not. But when people get intoxicated they loose all inhibitions and are left with an insatiable lust for more. They totally let go of any restraint.

This prostitute also gave birth to others like herself. Look at verse 5. “The name written on her forehead was a mystery: BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” There were other world systems that behaved as she did. Out of her came so many abominations. An abomination is something that is disrespectful to God and is worshipped besides God, in the hearts of the people. After Jesus’ death, the Romans sacrificed pork on the altar and placed a statue of Augustus Caesar on the altar. This was the abomination that causes desolation standing in the place that it should not be. (Matt 24:18) There are many abominations that cause desolation around us. Can you think of some? An atheistic based science, that rejects God and mocks faith, can be an abomination. Stephen Hawking said that the Laws of Physics were his God. That is an abomination to the one who created the Laws of Physics in the first place. Hedonism, that says, “Eat and drink for tomorrow you die” is an abomination. It rejects and mocks God’s purpose for humanity and blocks the way of salvation for billions of people. Such philosophies are all the children of the prostitute in Revelation 17. Jesus warns all those who are bad influences to others in Matthew 18:6-7, “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!” And that is what happened to this harlot. Look at 18:21, “Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: ‘With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again.’” Let’s decide to live as salt and light of the earth, good influences on others.
This harlot made many compromises to achieve power and glory. First she gave up her morality. All through this passage it is repeated that the kings of the earth committed adultery with her. People became intoxicated around her. He also traded with the bodies and souls of men. (18:13) This means slavery. She grew rich off of the backs of slaves and the exploitation of the poor. She also harbored and nurtured godless philosophies that set themselves up against Jesus. (17:5b-6) To top it off she persecuted Christians to death. She compromised so much to make it to the top. This reminds us of the devil’s temptation of Jesus. Matthew 4:8-10 says, “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 ‘All this I will give you,’ he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me.’” 10 And how did Jesus overcome him? Look at verse 10 of the same passage. “Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” This is self explanatory.
There is a principle here. We all want to make it in this world. We all want to be at the top of our game and achieve some glory, authority, prestige, wealth and security in this world. It is not wrong to find your place and have a career so that you can take care of your family, support your church and be blessing to others. There is nothing wrong with that. But are we willing to compromise the truth to get it? Are you will to commit adultery to improve your social standing? Are you willing to ignore Jesus and your Christian mission in order to achieve something for yourselves? Are you willing to withhold offerings to God in order to gain wealth for yourselves? We are actually robbing God when we do that. (Malachi 3:7-9). How much are you willing to compromise to make it in this world? Jesus says in Mark 8:35-37, “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” Let’s never follow the way of the harlot, compromising the truth to get ahead, but rather remain true to Jesus.
The harlot also tried to eliminate the voice of truth. Look at verse 6. “I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.” Christians were not buying into all the decadence. They were speaking out against the exploitation and the injustices. They were preaching the gospel and showing the world that there is another path to follow other than the path that the great prostitute was pointing to. The harlot did not want to hear what Christians were saying. She was hostile to them. They were a threat to her power and so she put them to death. She did not want to hear God’s call to repentance. May God protect our hearts so that this may never happen to us.
Part ll: The Scarlet Beast (17:7-18)
Next, we are going to look at the beast. Who is he? Let’s read verse 7, “Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns.” We have already been introduced to several beasts in Revelation. There was the dragon in Revelation 12:3 and the beast that came out of the sea in Revelation 13:1. This beast is the devil. It had power to survive. Verse 8a reads, “The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction.” At one point it seemed to be on its last legs and then it came to life again. This amazed people. And they gave their hearts to it.
The beast supported the harlot. She sat on its back and both of them sat over the multitudes of the people and nations. In this way, the beast also held political, social and spiritual sway over the people. It co-worked with the harlot or even worked through the harlot. Like the contents of the harlot’s golden cup, the beast was covered with blasphemous names, names that were extremely disrespectful to Jesus and offensive to him.
People were also deceived by the beast. They were astonished. Why were they so easily astonished? First they were intoxicated and so lost all their senses. There was also a powerful spiritual force involved. Look verse 18:23b, “… By your magic spell all the nations were led astray” We are no match to contend with the power of these evil spirits for they can lead nations astray. The bottom line, as to why they were deceived is revealed in verse 17:8b which reads, “… The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast...” It is so true. If you are not one of God’s people and do not have a personal relationship with Jesus, you will be deceived by the devil’s schemes. Jesus tells us to watch out the last days that no one deceives us. (Mark 13:5) You can become one of God’s people today and come out of all deception. John 1:12-13 reads, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” Let’s receive Jesus now and believe in the name of Jesus and become one of God’s clear minded people.
The beast and his allies will try to crush and oppress God’s people and oppose the work of God. Let’s read verse 17:14, “They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.” He will make war against the Lamb, Jesus and those who follow him. But they will not prevail for Jesus and his disciples will overcome, for Jesus is King of kings. Aren’t you glad you are on the winning side?
What are the seven heads and the ten horns of this beast? Let’s read verses 17:9-12, “This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. 10 They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while.” And Verse 12, “ 12 “The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast.” The early Christians would equate these seven hills to Rome, for Rome was founded by seven villages on seven hills next to the river Tiber in Italy in 700 B.C. These seen hills could also be a means to peg these events in history. The other 10 kings do not have a kingdom. They could be tribal leaders or they could be merchants who are the heads of companies that did business across the dominion of the harlot. There are some CEO’s today that have companies that have are richer than some countries.
These ten kings were united in their mission. Look at verse 13, “They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.” After reading the passage, I will give you one guess as to what their purpose was. 18:9-11 reads, “When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. 10 Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: ‘Woe! Woe to you, great city, you mighty city of Babylon! In one hour your doom has come!’11 “The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore” Their purpose was to get rich and enjoy luxuries even it meant exploiting others. They gave into the devil’s temptation when he promised them all the kingdoms of the earth. They jumped in feet first like any intoxicated person.
We can see the true colors of the ten kings and the devil. Verse 17:16 reads, “The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.” They appear to co-operate with the harlot and support her, but their purpose was diabolical. Simply speaking they wanted to exploit her and extract from her all they could. And after they are done with her they will toss her aside and will set out to look for another. How true this is. The devil and unscrupulous merchants will extract all they can from the systems of men, serving their own purposes and then move on. After doing this to our western civilization where will they go next? There will be no, “next” for Jesus will come again. This should also teach us about making unholy alliances in the world, even if it seems to advance our mission in the short term. We also need to have eyes to see the spiritual forces at work in this world and respond by preaching the gospel.
Despite of all this political and spiritual intrigue, God’s people should take comfort in the fact that God is control. Remember 17:14b, “…but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.” And look at verse 17:17, “For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God’s words are fulfilled.” God is the sovereign Lord and he is in control, fulfilling his ultimate goal to bring all of his people, safe and sound, into the glorious kingdom of God.
The beast will have a fatal destiny. Look at verse 8a, “The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction….” And verse 11b, “…. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.” It is clear that Babylon will be destroyed, and with her all those people who have persecuted God's people, as well as those who share Babylon's value system and have compromised with the world to live in luxury and material prosperity. God will pour out on her the full fury of his wrath. This should serve as warning not to have any part of it.
Part lll: Come Out, My People – Rejoice You Saints (18:1-19:4)
What should be our response to a world gone mad? First, we need to come out of Babylon. Look at verse 18:4, “Then I heard another voice from heaven say: ‘Come out of her, my people,’ so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues.” God wants all of his children to come out of the world and live separated lives. This does not mean to go and live in the forest. We need to be in this world, but not of it. This refers to being holy. Holy, literally means dedicated to God. We can not live as the world lives. We cannot have the same value systems, the same hopes, the same morals, the same purposes and lifestyles as people in the world. When people see us they should see clearly that we are God’s people….that we are Christians. How can we be such separated, Holy people? Come to Jesus, repent of your sins and accept his blood poured out for you. From that point on decide to live for the glory of Jesus. Then you will come out of Babylon and God’s word and Spirit will help you to continue be outside of Babylon. God tells us to do this because he loves us. Look at verse 4b, “….so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues.” God cares about our eternal destiny. He does not want anything to come between us and him. He loves us and does not want to see any of us perish.
Second, we should fight a spiritual battle. Let’s read verse 6, “Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Pour her a double portion from her own cup.” This does not mean that we should do acts of violence against things we don’t agree with. No. It means that we should give our hearts all the more to the spiritual battle remembering that “… our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” We need to put on the full armor of God and fight our enemy the devil through prayer, faith, Bible study, Bible teaching and preaching, disciple raising and serving but mostly by loving our enemy with Christ’s love. (Matt 5:44)
Third we should rejoice. Look at verse 20, “Rejoice over her, you heavens! Rejoice, you people of God! Rejoice, apostles and prophets! For God has judged her with the judgment she imposed on you.” When all of these terrible things are going on it is hard to rejoice. But God tells us to rejoice. Why? According to this passage it is because God has revealed his justice on those who persecuted God’s people. Revelation 19:1-4 reveals the rejoicing that was going on. In these times, we need to rejoice and praise God, even when the cause of evil seems to prosper.
The harlot and the beast all will be fall and be defeated and judged by God. God’s people will triumph because they have remained true to Jesus and the word of God. They did not get intoxicated by the things of the world, rather they gave their hearts to God and they sought first God’s kingdom and his righteousness. The merchants of the earth may have thought they were losers. But Jesus and his people are the true victors. The merchants of the earth will see all of their wealth vanish overnight. In the end they are the foolish ones for compromising their hearts and their faith to acquire a little glory in this world. Jesus tells us a parable in Luke 12. It about the rich ruler. He had lots of grain and wealth and thought that he could take it easy. But do you know what Jesus said to him? In Luke 12:20, God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’” Don’t be deceived. Don’t be intoxicated and never stand on the wrong side of God’s judgment. Rather be God’s Holy, separated people. Stand alongside the victorious Lamb of God. Fight the good spiritual fight and rejoice and give thanks that we have been brought into a kingdom that can never perish spoil or fade kept in heaven for you. (1 Peter 1:3-4)
Part l: The Great Prostitute (17:1-6)
1. Who is the Harlot? (5) Describe her? (17:1b, 4, 15, 18) What was she wearing? (4) What was she riding? What was her relationship with the world’s leaders and the people of the world? (2) How was she a bad influence to others? (2,5) How were the people deceived? (6b-7a) Why is it wrong to stand in awe of the things of this world? (Mark 13:1)
2. What was the spiritual condition of the Harlot? (4b-6) What was in the cup she was holding?
3. This Harlot was rich, powerful and influential. What compromises did she make to rise to that stature? (5b-6) How is this related to Jesus’ temptation of Jesus? (Matt 4:8-10) How much are you willing to compromise to achieve riches and power and fame in this world?
Part ll: The Scarlet Beast (17:7-18)
4. Describe the beast. (7,8,15) What are the seven heads? (9,10) What are the ten horns? (12) What is their relationship with the harlot? (3b, 7b, 16) What is their relationship with the beast? (13,17) How did they give their hearts to the beast’s evil influence? What will they do? (16) What does this teach us about relationships and alliances in this world?
5. Why did the people marvel at the beast? (8a) Why were they so easily deceived? (8b) What is the destiny of the beast? (8a, 11b) How can we overcome the beast’s evil influence?
Part lll: Fallen Is Babylon The Great (18:1-
6. Who is Babylon the Great? What made her great? What is it’s spiritual condition? (2b) What is it’s destiny? (16:19a; 2) How did the nation’s compromise with her? (3) What is behind her deceptive power? (23b)
Part lll: Come Out, My People – Rejoice You Saints (18:1-19:4)
7. What do we learn about God? (8, 20b, 19:1-4) How should God’s people respond when faced with these temptations? (4) Why do Christians need to separate from the world? (4b) How can we live as a holy people dedicated to our mighty God?
8. What is another thing that Christians should do? (6) How should we fight back? (Eph 6:12-18; Matt 5:44) What is another thing we must do? (20) Why should we rejoice? (20b, 24, 19:1-4)
9. What must Christians not be deceived by? (3b, 7b, 10a, 11b, 16) Why must we give our hearts to God and not to the things of the world? (14, 10b, 17a; Jn 15:5; Luke 12:20, 1 Peter 1:3-4)

Revelations 16:1-21

The Seven Bowls Of God’s Wrath
The Seven Bowl Judgments (2)

Revelation 16:1-21 Lesson 16
Key Verse 16:15 Shep Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 11-7-10

“Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed.”
Through our study of the book of Revelation there has been one prevailing theme, throughout…that God longs for the salvation of all people. But they must repent, place all of their hope and trust in Jesus and give glory to God if they are to be saved. But to do so is not so easy. There are so many forces preventing them from doing so, forces from without and within. But despite of their circumstances and condition of heart God keeps on trying all the way to the end. And as a last ditched effort to save some, God sends his wrath. But when the people didn't repent—and continue to curse God, they eventually become too hard-hearted and had to face the complete wrath of God. Indeed, if there is something that we need to open our eyes and see is God’s amazing love. We need to realize that we are all engaged in a spiritual battle against evil. As God’s people, we must fight a good fight, knowing that we are on the winning side. All worldly systems and godless political powers will eventually be destroyed. Jesus will come unexpectedly, like a thief. We must be ready when Jesus comes again.
In our last study in chapter 15, we caught a glimpse of a marvelous sight, heaven was open and John saw a great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues, symbolized by bowls. They were sent forth by God himself to bring about the complete wrath of God on an unrepentant population. In heaven John also saw an image of the throne of God. There was a huge and vast sea of glass that was on fire and around the sea of glass were multitudes of God’s people whose robes were washed white by the blood of Jesus. They were victorious over Satan and they worshipped and praised God who delivered them from the power of sin and death. We thanked God for his grace on each of our lives and we prayed to be able to sing the song of Moses and the Lamb from our own personal experience with the saving grace of our Lord Jesus. Our hearts were also filled with hope that because of Jesus’ shed blood on the cross for our sins, we can be filled with a heavenly hope to be gathered around the fiery glassy sea with the rest of the saints of God one glorious day. Is that your hope? It can be when we accept the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and follow him. That is where he is ultimately leading you if you let him.

And so brings us to today’s passage. It is part two of last week’s passage, for we will take a closer look and what the seven plagues, contained in the seven bowls actually were. Let’s see.
Part 1: But They Refused To Repent (1-11)
And so the complete wrath of God began to be poured out. God’s loud command sounded forth from the temple. Look at verse 1. “Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, ‘Go, pour out the seven bowls of God's wrath on the earth.’" No one could alter this command for it was from God himself. Here is the climax of the great tribulation. These wraths of God will be unequal to any other wraths given to humanity in the past. For thousands of years God has been offering grace, mercy, and salvation, but not in this passage. God has been patient with sinful humanity for so long. But enough was enough. The time has come to judge the world. It seems ominous and very scary and it is for those who are on the wrong side of God’s grace. It is great news for the saved ones of God for they would receive justice and they will look forward to the fully established Kingdom of God where every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Let’s look at the seven bowl judgments separately.

Bowl #1: Incurable Sores On Those Who Worship The Beast (1-2)
The first plague was a world wide health crisis, a pandemic. Look at verse 2. “The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly and painful sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image.” It was like the plague. They experienced unrelenting pain from painful and ugly sores with no relief in sight. Who received these sores? They were the ones who took the mark of the beast and worshipped its image. As you remember, those who didn’t have the mark of the beast could not buy or sell anything. These people gave into the incredible pressure to preserve their own lives and their own well being. They compromised to save themselves. But at what cost? If we did not study the Bible and know God, we too might go after the mark of the beast because it gives instant gratification and security in this world. Those who remain true to Jesus will face many hardships, but they will be saved unto eternal life. Jesus once said, in Mark 8:35, “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.” This is God’s warning that we should be faithful to our Bible study and prayer life and not be obsessed with saving our lives in this world at the detriment of our relationship with Jesus.
Bowl #2: Death To All Sea Life (3)

The vast storehouse of life and sustenance, the sea, will be destroyed. Look at verse 3. “The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died.” “Like that of a dead man”, means that it was dark red, almost black. When this happened, almost every living thing in the sea died. The whole ocean was a vast red tide, or dead zone. We saw recent pictures of the shoreline of Louisiana after the BP oil spill. Can you picture that the world’s shorelines lined and cluttered with decaying bodies of sea life? In the places where people enjoyed sun tanning, swimming and surfing, there will be an unbearable stench. Since waters are contaminated, people will loose their livelihood. They will go hungry. We think that nothing can ever destroy the seas and oceans. They are too vast. But at God’s command they will changed to blood.

Bowl #3: The Transforming Of All Fresh Water Into Blood (4-7)

The plague of blood will not just be restricted to the salt water. The world’s fresh water will be affected too. Look at verse 4. “The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.” Those who lived inland, may have heard the news of the seas being turned to blood and thought to themselves, “Whoa!, I am sad for those coastal people, but I am glad that it is not happening here!” But such people will not escape either. God’s wrath will be on their doorsteps too. The overwhelming red tide will spread to their lakes and rivers. Their drinking water will be contaminated.

We can understand how these people cursed God, because of these plagues. We would do the same thing if it were not for the grace of God on our lives. How did the people of God respond the devastation? Look at verses 5-7. “Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: ‘You are just in these judgments, you who are and who were, the Holy One, because you have so judged; for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.’ And I heard the altar respond: "Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments." Christians suffered so much under the reign of beast. The antichrist and his followers shed much blood of those who refused the mark. Many times it seemed that their persecutors got away with it, without having to pay for their crimes. Some were even praised for what they did to Christians. But now the believers knew that God’s complete judgment is in response to these injustices. They were saying, “Good job, Lord. You have brought us justice!” Now they were reaping what they have sown. Those who persecute Jesus and his followers will not get away with anything. Our God is a God of justice. Galatians 6:7 says, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” We don’t have to seek revenge or become vigilantes. We can wait on God. God’s justice will prevail in the end. We also learn that God’s judgments are fair and just because there is no partiality in God. God was not unreasonable and wrong for what happened. He is the Holy One. Unbelieving people invited the wrath of God upon themselves because they suppressed the truth of God and rebelled against God’s invitation through his Son Jesus. In so many ways we are our worst enemy. It is not God’s doing. The Holy One is always true and just.

Bowl #4: Scorching Through The Sun’s Intensity Radiation (8-9)

This next judgment utilized the intense heat of the sun. Look at verses 8-9. “The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire. They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.” In the end times the earth will be like a furnace. 2 Peter 3:10 sheds some light on this. Peter wrote concerning the end times, “…the elements will be destroyed by fire, and everything in it will be laid bare.” This judgment is the greatest heat wave in history. This is the ultimate global warming. The heat is so intense that bodies will be scorched. Mal. 4:1 says, “’Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire," says the LORD Almighty. ‘Not a root or a branch will be left to them.’” Some may ask, “How is this possible?” I was told that the earth is in exactly the right place. If it was a little closer to the sun, we would burn up. If it was a little farther away we would freeze. Scientists say that if the sun tilted on its axis, even a few degrees, so that it is leaning closer to the earth, then the earth would be scorched. Because of this amazing catastrophe, we might think that some might come to their senses and repent. But they refused to do so. Instead they cursed the name of God and refused to repent and glorify him. How sad God must have been to see their response.

People need to repent when faced with disasters and hardships of life of any kind. That is the correct, healthy, spiritual response. How should we respond to these catastrophes? One way to respond is to see them as a warning to repent and believe in Jesus and his precious Gospel. God loves us. He does not want to judge anyone and he is patiently waiting for all people to come back to him. But we can never forget that he is holy, righteous, just and eventually will judge people if they refuse to accept the Lamb of God, our Lord Jesus. It is our mission to help people to respond properly to the trials and tribulations that come upon them and point them towards a restored relationship with Jesus Christ. Christ died for you and he is standing at the door of your hearts. Please welcome him right now! Raise your hands if you accept Jesus as your Lamb of God who died to take away your sins. Amen!

Bowl #5: The Darkening Of The Beast’s Kingdom (10-11)

The worldly political systems were plunged into deep darkness. Look at verses 10-11. “The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.” It is not clear if this meant spiritual darkness or literal darkness. The beast’s kingdom used to appear powerful and unstoppable. People stood in awe of it. It was a false light. But God reduced it to nothing but a failed state, worse than any failed state today. They were in darkness. This plague is God’s way of saying to the world, “You could have followed the light, the bright morning star, Jesus, but you have chosen darkness and the ruler of darkness, the devil. Now dwell in that darkness.” (John 3:19-20)

BOWL #6: Deception Of The Worldly Kingdoms (12-16)

The lost people of the world will try to fight against Jesus and God’s people. Look at verses 12-14. “The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty.” There are two keys points to consider in verse 12. First, the forces of evil will gather to fight against the Lamb. The great river Euphrates was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. This region is in modern-day Iraq, Iran, Syria…this is ancient Babylon! The great Euphrates is the water boundary between the Holy Land and Asia to the east. Now the waters of the Euphrates, which stretched for 1,800 miles and was over ½ mile wide and 30 feet deep was dried up for specific reason. It was for the kings from the East to invade. There are so many interpretations of the identity of the kings from the East. The simplest answer is that this refers to kings or rulers from the East who will participate in the final world war. It is a full-scale invasion of the west. 200 million soldiers will be mobilized in this war. (Rev 9:16) This is more than just a human war. Satan, knowing that the second coming of Christ is near, will gather all the military might of the world into the Holy Land to resist the coming of the Son of Man. (Zech 14:4).

Second, there will be widespread deception. In verse 14 we find three evil spirits which appear as frogs. They are demons performing miraculous signs. These three, unholy frogs will feed people’s appetite for miracles. By performing miraculous signs they will deceive nations going throughout the world influencing kings to assemble for the battle on the great day of God Almighty. They will tell them, “You don’t need Jesus. Let’s get rid of this Jesus and his followers once and for all. Our human power and intellect is much more powerful than that of Christ.” But their “human will power” will not work. In the end, the armies from heaven, led by Jesus, will win the final war with these kings of the world. This reminds me of Psalm 2: 1-6, “1 Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the LORD and against his anointed, saying,3 ‘Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.’ 4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. 5 He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, 6 ‘I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.’” Today, people are hungry for the miracles. They are easily deceived by humanistic sounding solutions to their life problems. But the only solution is to come to Jesus with humble, repentant and obedient hearts, full of faith. He is the one who is our King and Lord. Jesus is the only way.

How should we respond to such ominous news? Let’s read 15 together, “Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed.’" In his revelation, John heard the warning message coming from Christ himself. Christ’s return is often compared to the coming of a thief. Do you know when a thief is coming to break into your house? No. If you did you would be waiting there with the police. Likewise we don’t know when Jesus is coming again. He is coming and it will be very abrupt. You also don’t know when trials will come upon you. Nor do you know when your end of life will be. If you think you can be ready when all these things happen, you deceive yourself. Can you be ready when you have a car accident? Can you be ready when a heart attack strikes? Jesus states that we need to be spiritually alert and clothed with Jesus’ righteousness, through faith in his blood. We must not become sleepy or complacent but be alert with prayer and diligent Bible study and sincere faith and so be prepared for the second coming of Jesus. Blessing is promised to the one who stays awake and keeps their robes with them.

Bowl #7: The Destruction Of Babylon (16:17-21)

Look at verses 17-21. “The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘It is done! Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.” The last judgment is poured into the atmosphere which is the air. Air is the preferred method of war today. No military force can stop an air strike. The plumes of a volcano shut down the airways of Europe for several weeks this year. Airborne radiation from the Chernobyl nuclear reactor left a huge swath of land uninhabitable in Ukraine. No one can escape. A huge earthquake, the shifting of the earth, will level every major city of the earth. The climax includes the raining down of hailstones weighing over 100 lbs. each!

Verse 17b reads “It is done!” This reminds us of what Jesus said on the cross: “it is finished.” (John 19:30) When Jesus said this he meant that God’s way of salvation is finished. On the cross, God’s perfect mercy and justice meet. When he said, “It is finished.” Jesus was saying that the price for our sins was paid. The shedding of his puree and holy and sinless blood was enough for God to declare to all who come to him, “I totally forgive you. Go now and leave you life of sin.” If it were not for Jesus we would have to pay for our sins. But that would not be enough. Even if we were covered with painful sores, robbed of all sustenance, scorched by the sun, placed in a war zone and had 100 pound pieces of ice thrown on us, we still could not atone for our sins. That is how grievous our sins are to the holy God. Justice could not be paid by us. But by sending Jesus and having him suffer and die in our stead, God’s justice can be met and the Holy God can forgive our sins. It is finished. We can go forward to live a new life as a child of God. Let’s thank God for what he has done for us on the cross. Let’s us come newly to Jesus. Let us pray for those whom God has brought into our lives, by name, so that they may accept Christ as their Savior

In conclusion, we can see that the degree of sin is getting worse and worse. People are rejecting Jesus on a vast scale. This message is God’s message that the end is coming. It is time for us to accept the grace of God upon us and repent of our sins and worship God who is worthy of our honor and respect. Let us be prepared to meet all trials of life with faith. Let us be awake spiritually and be clothed in Jesus’ righteousness and be ready for the great and glorious day of the Lord. .

. Part 1: But They Refused To Repent (1-11)
1. Explained what happened in chapter 15. Who were the people around the glassy sea?
What did the fire represent? Who were the angels? What were they carrying? What did
the bowls represent?


2. How does God pour out the first 3 bowls of his wrath upon the unbelieving world?
(2-4) Who suffered? How do the unbelieving people suffer? Where have we seen this
kind of judgments before? (Ex 7:17-21) Why are God’s judgments just and true?
(6,7,6:10) Why is it wrong to fault God for the things that happen in our lives?


3. When God pours out his 4th bowl, how do the people suffer by the intense heat? (9, 2Pet3:10) How do they respond to God’s judgment?


4. With the 5th bowl, how does God zero in upon the throne of the beast? (10) How is their
agony intensified? (11,9:5)

Part ll: Armageddon (12-21)
5. As the 6th bowl is poured out, how does the devil gather the kings together in preparation for the final battle at Armageddon? (13,14,16, 9:14) Who are the forces of evil fighting against? (20:8)


6. Read vs. 17-21. What does it signify that a voice from the throne says, ‘It is done!’ (17,21:4-6) What happens to the great city Babylon as God pours out his final wrath upon it? (18-21,18:1-24)


7. In light of all that is about to happen what must be our attitude towards Jesus? What
does it mean that Jesus will come like a thief? (15) What does it mean to stay awake
and keep our clothes with us? How can we not go naked and shamefully exposed?