Our study this time takes us to Revelation chapter 22. This is of course the final chapter of this great book. In this chapter John continues his description of the New Jerusalem and of the period of time we have been referring to as the Perfect Age. John opens this chapter,

And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. [Rev. 22:1, 2] Here John takes us inside, if you will, the New Jerusalem. Up until this time it seemed that perhaps the New Jerusalem was all mineral, and no vegetable. It seemed as though as beautiful as Chapter 21 describes it, where was a cool stream or soft grass to sit on? Here John shows us this element will be present as well. We see a river here. In the first Eden there was a river too if you will recall. It branched out to four different rivers. Although there was an abundance of water then, that water was not referred to as the water of life. Eden was a garden of trees, among which was the Tree of Life. The way was left open for man to the tree through the shedding of blood. [See Gen. 3:24]

In the New Jerusalem there is a river of the water of life, and the Throne of God is the supply source for it. It issues out from it. The “Tree of Life” is a fruit tree, bearing twelve kinds of fruit each month. There is an abundant supply in both abundance and variety. The question is often asked whether we will eat and drink in eternity. I am happy to announce in the affirmative on both counts! The menu is varied, but it seems it will be restricted to fruits as it was in the Garden of Eden. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. [Gen. 1:29, 30]

Some have wanted to spiritualize this section of Revelation making the fruit on the tree the Fruit of the Spirit. By law of double of reference I suppose one could get that from this passage. However, I believe we can hold to the literal interpretation throughout this section. Even though it does seem highly symbolic, I believe we are dealing with quite real things here as John sees them from the perspective of the spirit world. Since the River of Life comes out of the Throne of God, I believe this to mean that the Throne sits at the very top or apex of this city, which means it is 1,500 miles in the air. The river winds its way down the various levels of the city, possibly dividing into twelve streams going to each gate, or possibly throughout the rest of the world. The water will have healing properties, as will the fruit of the tree of life. Why will this be needed? It must be remembered that there will be literally millions of people who will enter the Millennium in natural bodies. They will enter the Perfect Age still in natural bodies. They will have eternal life, but not be living in glorified bodies as the redeemed will be. The water and fruit will sustain them in their natural bodies for eternity.

The leaves of the tree will be for the healing of the nations. They will have definite healing properties. This water and these leaves will be unlike anything we know on this planet at this time. The Greek word translated, healing here is, therepia. It is found four times in the New Testament, two times it is translated healing, twice it is household. We get of course the word, therapy from it. So we know they will have definite therapeutic qualities to them.

And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. [Rev. 22:3 – 5] The earth we live in today has the blight of sin in and on it. This will not be the case in the Perfect Age. There will not even be the potential for sin to ever enter it. In the original garden the potential for sin existed in the presence of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Such will not be the case in the Perfect Age to come. The presence of the Father and the Lamb will be sufficient to assure this to be the case. The absence of the Father in the Garden is when the tempter came to our first parents.

The Throne of God and the Lamb are in the New Jerusalem. It is the general headquarters of the Father and the Lamb. Some have thought that eternity would be a state of blissful nothingness where we would sit on billowy clouds playing harps. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The New Jerusalem and the earth during the Perfect Age to come will be a place of ceaseless activity. It will not be necessary to rest to give the body a chance to recuperate. Notice, his servants shall serve him. The Greek word, latreuo, is a bit unusual in this context. It is found a total of 22 times in the New Testament, and is translated, “serve” 13 of those times. It is, “worship” 3 times. The word originally meant, “To serve for hire.” It came to be used in the NT era of the service or worship of God. It is a loving, willful service, not compulsory in any way. It seems to be a picture of the voluntary service of a loved master a sevant could enter into under the Old Covenant. [See Ex. 21:2 – 6]

In the perfect Age to come man will finally look on the face of God. This was the supreme desire of Moses under the Old Covenant and Philip under the New. Not only will we look on the face of God, but we will bear His Name throughout eternity! We will each be like Him, yet it would seem without disturbing our own personalities. John continues,

And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. [Rev. 22:5, 6] In the midst of this wonderful description of the Perfect Age to come, is a great promise of His Coming. The important thing to understand when the Lord says, Behold, I come quickly, is that He means rapidly. The Greek again is, tachu. It is rapidly, readily, without delay. It does not carry with it the meaning of shortly or immediately, or even soon. We must remember that most of the events of the book of Revelation from chapter 4 on, occur in a period of not more than seven years, with most of them being confined to a period of three and one half years. The encouragement is that Jesus says it will not be a long period: “I am Coming quickly, I will soon be there!” However, that means when we get to this period. We are not there as yet, but I believe we are nearer now than at any point in history.

And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God. And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. [Rev. 22:8 – 11] One final time John lets us know that he was the auditor and spectator of these events. This is the second time that John is so overwhelmed at those things he was seeing and hearing that he fell down to worship the one bringing the message. Even though this man is different than the one in 19:10, he is still just the messenger. The focus of this book is Jesus, He is the centerpiece of all of it. We must never lose sight of Him.

Although the books of Daniel and Revelation are “sister” books, there is a marked difference in them right here. In Daniel 12:9 Daniel is told, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. This is probably due to the long interval before their fulfillment. In fact, in the 21^st Century we are not even to the 70^th Week of Daniel as yet. In contrast, the prophecy given to John was even then in the process of being fulfilled. For almost two thousand years the Church has been moving through the time periods of the seven churches in chapters 2 and 3.

Here too we see a marked contrast between the saved and the lost, the righteous and the unrighteous. The condition of the lost is a permanent and eternal thing, but it is not static. In other words, the unrighteous will increase in unrighteousness. The filthy will increase in filthiness. This increase will continue until it is a monster sin! It is quite a frightful thought! In contrast, the condition of the righteous is not static either. We will continue to grow in righteousness and holiness. Heaven is not static. The Millennium is not static as the Word says, “Of the increase of His kingdom there will be no end.”

And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. [Rev. 22:12 – 16] There can be no doubt, Jesus promises that He is indeed Coming again. Of this truth there can be no doubt. He will also personally reward every believer. Those in the Church at the rapture, and those of Israel and the Gentiles at His Return to set up His kingdom. Again, the Lord asserts His deity: I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. He begins the Revelation with this declaration and now ends with it.

Only blood-washed believers have access to the Tree of Life and access to the Holy City. [See Eph. 1:7 – 12]

A list is given of those who will face eternal damnation in the Lake of Fire. I take no delight in sharing this. Hell is a real place. Although it was never the intention of God for any human being to ever go there, untold multitudes will as a result of them rejecting God’s one and only way to salvation. Contrary to the beliefs of my Universalist friends, there is no such thing as ultimate reconciliation where all will be saved in the end. No, there are many who will persist in their sin and will face a Christ-less eternity. John gives us a partial list here. It is a, “Who’s who in Hell”, if you will. 1) Dogs – While this was a term applied to Gentiles during the ministry of Jesus, it has reference here I submit to you to its Old Testament meaning, and that is homosexuals. I know that is not a PC statement, but it is biblically accurate. The Bible says, Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the LORD thy God. [Deut. 23:18] “Dog” here is the Hebrew, keleb which is a male prostitute or homosexual. Lets be clear here, no practicing homosexual can be saved and make heaven their home. That is not to say that someone who has been saved and yet continues to struggle in areas of sin cannot be saved. I speak of those who think they can defiantly keep their sinful lifestyle and yet claim salvation. 2) Sorcerers – This would be all types of witchcraft, incantations, fortunetelling, necromancy, etc. 3) Whoremongers – This really pertains to all types of sexual immorality. 4) Muderers – This could be applied not only to those who murder in cold blood, but also to those who murder the reputations of others through gossip. 5) Idolaters – Any worship offered to any one or thing other than the one true God. Some make an idol out of their denomination or church teachings. If a person looks to anything other than Christ and Him Crucified for salvation, that is idolatry. 5) Liars – This would be anything untrue. The bottom line is, you and I cannot hold on to our sin and claim salvation.

Our Lord sends this angel with a very special message here. He says, “I Jesus”. He takes the Name of His Savior-hood, the Name He took upon Himself in His humanity, and the Name that know one knows other than He Himself. We are going to spend eternity just centering on Him and His person.

He is called the, “Root and offspring of David.” This connects Him with the Old Testament. He is the “Bright and morning star” to the Church.

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. [Rev. 22:17 – 19] Here we come to two finals. A final invitation, and a final warning. First, the invitation. The Holy Spirit and Christ’s Bride, the Church offer a wonderful invitation. It is really a three-fold invitation. It is extended first to all who hear. Then to anyone who is thirsty. Lastly, to whoever will. All are invited to partake of the water of life without cost. A similar invitation is made in Isaiah 55:1.

Then the final warning. This is a solemn warning from Christ Himself. It pertains to the sacred character and nature of the prophecy given. There are other scriptural warnings concerning perverting and tampering with the Word of God, [See Deut. 4:2; 12:32; Prov. 30:6; Rev. 1:3] this one however is the most solemn of any. When we come to the study of the Bible, we must remember that we are dealing with the very Word of God. We do not have the liberty to pick and choose the portions we believe and the ones we don’t. We either accept and believe the Word or we reject it. This warning primarily pertains to the prophecy of the book of Revelation, however in a more general sense it can apply to all of scripture. We are solemnly warned not add to or take away from that which was given by the Holy Spirit. There are approximately 92 what would be considered complete English translations of the Bible. Of that number a very small handful would be considered literal, or word- for- word translations. The vast majority would be thought – for -thought, or even paraphrases.

Now, most people cannot read Hebrew and Greek, so they have to have an English translation of the Bible. When selecting one, may I say always stick with a word – for – word translation. Avoid the thought – for – thought translations and paraphrases unless you are going to get them strictly for study or commentary purposes. The best example that we have of a word – for – word translation is the King James Version, while there are others, such as the New American Standard Bible (NASB), the English Standard Verizon (ESV), and the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB). I personally use the KJV almost exclusively, although I am doing my devotional Bible reading this year in the NASB. The New International Version (NIV), is an example of a thought – for – thought translation. I advise Christians to avoid the NIV, and all other thought – for – thought translations. I know there are those who will not like that which I have just shared with regard to Bible translations, but it is the truth. I invite you to do the research with an open mind, I think you will be surprised with what you discover.

He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. [Rev. 22:20, 21] He comes quickly not necessarily soon. When these things begin to come to pass, which they have, then His Return is very near. I find it interesting that the Old Testament ends with a curse, while the New Testament ends with a benediction and a blessing. Revelation is the presentation in the Word of God of what the saints will witness and experience in the glorious consummation of the ages.

With John we can pray, “Come, Lord Jesus!”

With this post we conclude our series through the book of Revelation. I pray it has been enlightening to you. I am sure there are still questions in the minds of many that were not addressed or to which not enough detail was given. If you have additional questions, or comments, please feel free to e-mail me at: revjohnson1958@gmail.com.

WASHINGTON (AP) – The sun is bombarding Earth with radiation from the
biggest solar storm in more than six years with more to come from the
fast-moving eruption.

he solar flare occurred at about 11 p.m. EST Sunday and will hit Earth
with three different effects at three different times. The biggest
issue is radiation, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center in Colorado.

The radiation is mostly a concern for satellite disruptions and
astronauts in space. It can cause communication problems for
polar-traveling airplanes, said space weather center physicist Doug
Biesecker.

Radiation from Sunday’s flare arrived at Earth an hour later and will
likely continue through Wednesday. Levels are considered strong but
other storms have been more severe. There are two higher levels of
radiation on NOAA’s storm scale — severe and extreme — Biesecker said.
Still, this storm is the strongest for radiation since May 2005.

The radiation — in the form of protons — came flying out of the sun at
93 million miles per hour.

“The whole volume of space between here and Jupiter is just filled
with protons and you just don’t get rid of them like that,” Biesecker
said. That’s why the effects will stick around for a couple days.

NASA’s flight surgeons and solar experts examined the solar flare’s
expected effects and decided that the six astronauts on the
International Space Station do not have to do anything to protect
themselves from the radiation, spokesman Rob Navias said.

A solar eruption is followed by a one-two-three punch, said Antti
Pulkkinen, a physicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in
Maryland and Catholic University.

First comes electromagnetic radiation, followed by radiation in the
form of protons.

Then, finally the coronal mass ejection — that’s the plasma from the
sun itself — hits. Usually that travels at about 1 or 2 million miles
per hour, but this storm is particularly speedy and is shooting out at
4 million miles per hour, Biesecker said.

It’s the plasma that causes much of the noticeable problems on Earth,
such as electrical grid outages. In 1989, a solar storm caused a
massive blackout in Quebec. It can also pull the northern lights
further south.

But this coronal mass ejection seems likely to be only moderate, with
a chance for becoming strong, Biesecker said. The worst of the storm
is likely to go north of Earth.

And unlike last October, when a freak solar storm caused auroras to be
seen as far south as Alabama, the northern lights aren’t likely to dip
too far south this time, Biesecker said. Parts of New England, upstate
New York, northern Michigan, Montana and the Pacific Northwest could
see an aurora but not until Tuesday evening, he said.

For the past several years the sun had been quiet, almost too quiet.
Part of that was the normal calm part of the sun’s 11-year cycle of
activity. Last year, scientists started to speculate that the sun was
going into an unusually quiet cycle that seems to happen maybe once a
century or so.

Now that super-quiet cycle doesn’t seem as likely, Biesecker said.

Scientists watching the sun with a new NASA satellite launched in 2010
— during the sun’s quiet period — are excited.

“We haven’t had anything like this for a number of years,” Pulkkinen
said. “It’s kind of special.”

———

NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory: http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/

Opposition to the world’s biggest biometric identity scheme is growing

Jan 14th 2012 | DELHI AND UTTAN GAON | from the print edition

FOR a country that fails to meet its most basic challenges—feeding the
hungry, piping clean water, fixing roads—it seems incredible that
India is rapidly building the world’s biggest, most advanced,
biometric database of personal identities. Launched in 2010, under a
genial ex-tycoon, Nandan Nilekani, the “unique identity” (UID) scheme
is supposed to roll out trustworthy, unduplicated identity numbers
based on biometric and other data.

Any resident who wants one can volunteer. The scheme combines work by
central and state governments and a number of other partners—largely
technology firms that capture and process individuals’ data. The goal,
says Mr Nilekani, is to help India cope with the past decade’s
expansion of welfare provision, the fastest in its history: “it is
essentially about better public services”.

All that should have been the recipe for a project mired in delays,
infighting, empire-building, graft and bad results. Few expected UID
to hit its ambitious targets. A year ago, only a few million had
enrolled and barely 1m identity numbers had been issued. Warnings
about fragile technology, overwhelmed data-processing centres and
surging costs suggested slow progress.

Instead this week saw the 110-millionth UID number issued. Enrolments
(which precede issued numbers by some months) should reach 200m in a
couple of weeks. Mr Nilekani, eagerly hopping about his office to call
up data on his laptop, says that over 20m people are now being signed
up every month. He expects to get to 400m by the year’s end.

That is an astonishing outcome. For a government that has achieved
almost nothing since re-election in May 2009, the scheme is emerging
as an example of real progress. By 2014, the likely date of the next
general election, over half of all Indians could be signed up. If
welfare also starts flowing direct into their accounts, the electoral
consequences could be profound.

To get a sense of the scale of UID’s achievement, linger at a
mosquito-ridden enrolment centre in Uttan Gaon, a coastal village
north of Mumbai. Huddled in a damp fire-station a young man connects a
laptop, a binocular-style iris scanner and a glowing green machine
that records 30 points from a set of fingerprints. In the gloom, his
contraption could be a robot from an early Star Wars film.

Employed by Wipro, a technology firm and agent for the UID project, he
has to get through 40 to 50 residents a day. His hassles, and those of
armies of others deployed all across India, look endless. At times no
one comes to enroll. Local government is supposed to run campaigns to
lure them in, but indifference, bad weather and non-stop religious
festivals keep them at home or partying.

Other days, as when a (false) rumour crackles through a nearby slum
that 100-rupee notes will be dished out to those who sign up, hordes
pour in. Nerdy technicians are ill-prepared to manage frustrated and
even violent crowds.

To hit his targets, the agent in Uttan Gaon must process each of the
residents, who perch in turn on a red plastic chair, in 12 minutes or
less. That is fine—but only for the young and educated. The day’s
first arrivals are a barely literate rickshaw driver, an elderly
couple and a call-centre worker. Each one overruns. By mid-morning a
long queue has formed, but the pace picks up.

Wipro and the rest work fast, since that is the only way to turn a
profit. One of 35 agents active in Maharashtra state, it bid to be
paid just 26 rupees (50 cents) for each person processed, with a
higher rate in rural areas. It supplies all equipment and staff, and
uploads the huge amounts of data to central processors. It also copes
with thefts, damp cables that break the iris scanners, and labourers’
fingers so worn that their prints do not show.

Still, contractors look far nimbler at solving myriad problems than
civil servants, who are still hampered, for example, by rules ordering
that all official communication be done on paper (e-mails will not
do). Speed matters. An agent hitting targets can bid to take work off
laggards. This flexible “ecosystem”, designed with help from Indians
working in Silicon Valley, thus lets the most efficient prosper. To
fund it, the central government dishes out 100 rupees, which various
partners share, but only once each identity number is issued: “we have
built a system where everyone has an incentive to get results”, says
Mr Nilekani. And these are striking: Wipro alone has had nearly 6m
numbers issued, of more than 22m issued in the state as a whole.

As it grows, however, the project is drawing fire. Most pressing, the
mandate of the UID authority will expire within weeks—once the 200
millionth resident is signed up. The cabinet has so far failed to
extend it, though reformers are keen. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, the
powerful deputy head of the national planning commission, for example,
says he will allocate billions more rupees to UID as “the money will
be more than fully covered from efficiency gains from government
schemes”.

Total costs are rising as UID expands: its budget has more than
doubled from nearly 32 billion rupees ($614m) for the first five
years, to over 88 billion rupees for the next phase. But the
government’s chief economic adviser, Kaushik Basu, among others,
agrees that savings by “plugging leakages”—that is, stopping huge
theft and waste in welfare and subsidies—will be “very big, very
beneficial”.

The real difficulties are political. They fall into two areas. Most
immediate is the home minister, Palaniappan Chidambaram, who is
blocking the new mandate. He says he worries about national security.
He also looks annoyed that a rival biometric scheme to build a
National Population Register (for citizens, not just residents) has
been cast into the shade. Run by his home ministry, by late last year
it had only issued some 8m identity numbers. He also has a
longstanding rivalry with the finance minister, Pranab Mukherjee, who
is associated with UID.

The prime minister, Manmohan Singh, will probably have to tell the
home minister to give way. Then officials need to respond to a second,
much broader, band of critics. Last month, for example, parliament’s
powerful finance standing committee issued a 48-page report attacking
UID, calling it hasty, directionless, ill-conceived and saying it must
be stopped.

Headed by Yashwant Sinha, a stalwart of the opposition Bharatiya
Janata Party, the committee was eager to throw all criticism possible
at the scheme. Yet the report contains testimony from a range of
experts with legitimate objections. Some were procedural, including a
demand that UID be based on law passed by parliament, not, as now, on
a mere executive order.

Other worries, such as cost, should abate as the unique identities are
tied to bank accounts of welfare recipients, and so help track the
flow of public money. The omens are good. Last week Karnataka state
claimed that by paying welfare direct to bank accounts it had cut some
2m ghost labourers from a rural public-works project.

Yet there are also tougher accusations from activists and development
economists, such as Jean Drèze and Reetika Khera, in Delhi. They worry
that the voluntary programme will turn compulsory, that individuals’
privacy is under attack and that biometric data are not secure.

Along with others, they also oppose the logical next step in welfare
reform that UID enables. Once recipients have bank accounts, India can
follow the likes of Brazil and replace easily stolen benefits in kind,
such as rations of cheap food and fuel, with direct cash transfers.
Not only do these cut theft, but cash payments also let beneficiaries
become mobile—for example so they can leave their state to seek work,
while not jeopardising any benefits.

Yet Ms Khera is wary of change. She points out that well-run southern
states get rations efficiently to the poor, and cites a survey which
found many recipients, especially women, would prefer to keep getting
rations over cash. They fear money is more easily wasted, say on
alcohol. Worse, in the most remote places, cash welfare is no use
since food and fuel markets do not even exist.

Such fears need answering. India will have to pass a law on data
protection and privacy. A shift to cash welfare would have to ensure
that mothers benefit most, not feckless fathers. And perhaps only as
Indians grow more urban, mobile and well-connected will they see the
full advantage of cash over rations. But for all the headaches,
applying the UID to an expanding and reforming welfare system opens
the way for profound social change. Indians need to get ready.

Source: The Economist
URL:
http://www.economist.com/node/21542814

–
Prophecy News
http://prophecynews.blogspot.com/

The final two chapters of Revelation, chapters 21 & 22, reveal to us a time that none of us have ever known at this point. I think of the many wonders of the world as it presently exists, all of the breath-taking beauty existing in many places of the world; and yet you and I live in a world still tainted by the affects of original sin. Because of this fact, despite all of the grandeur, the ugliness and scars of the curse are also present. John describes for us a time when this will no longer be the case. We read last time the Apostle Peter’s description of a renovation of the present atmosphere surrounding this earth, and the very surface of the earth itself by fire. [See 2 Peter 3:4 – 12] Occurring concurrently with this renovation of the earth will be the Great White Throne Judgment. [See Rev. 20:11 -14]

The question is asked, where will those who inhabit the earth during the 1,000 year Millennial Reign go when the earth is renovated by fire? Those who rebel at the end of the 1,000 years and throw their lot in with Satan after he is released for a “little season” will of course face the Great White Throne. The glorified saints and the redeemed natural people who will enter the 1,000 year reign of Christ it is thought by many, and I would lean toward this as well; will be taken to the New Jerusalem which will be hovering just above the earth having come down from God out of Heaven. [See Rev. 21:2] We are not told, so speculation is about the best we can do at this point.

Following the Great White Throne and the renovation of the earth by fire, will follow the time which we have referred to as the Perfect Age. It will last for all eternity. It can also be referred to as the final dispensation, the Dispensation of the fulness of times. [See Eph. 1:10] Irrespective of the terminology used, this is the future of all of the redeemed. It is difficult for us to fathom a time such as is described in these two chapters. This is certainly a case where faith accepts as fact that which the mind cannot really perceive. John continues,

And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. [Rev. 21:5 – 7] I don’t know about you, but the thought of all things being “new” thrills my heart beyond description! Everything we do or try to accomplish on the earth as it presently exists and this life has a blot on it, if you will. There is a “do over” coming! “New” is the Greek, kainos, and it speaks of “freshness”. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon also defines this word as not only “fresh”, but, “recently made, unused, unworn, of a new kind, unprecedented, novel, uncommon, and unheard of.” Glory! This particular Greek adjective is found a total of 45 times in the New Testament, and every time it is translated as, “new.” The words being spoken here are, “true and faithful”, in other words they are reliable and will be exactly as described.

We read here in the King James, I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. The Greek literally is, I am THE Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. This of course identifies the speaker as the Lord Jesus Christ. He is all that we need, and this will be fully realized in the Perfect Age to come. The statement, I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son, really doesn’t pertain directly to the Perfect Age, but is a promise for believer’s from John’s day on up until the Millennial Reign. One final thought here, and that is this glorious promise to the “overcomer.” I used to read passages like this one and think, “If I could just be an overcomer, wouldn’t that be wonderful!” How to overcome is seemingly the tricky part. One can only overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil in Christ, there is no other way. John in his first epistle tells us, For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? [1 John 5:4, 5] Do you see, saint of God, the requirement to be an overcomer? 1) Be born of God, 2) Believe that Jesus is the Son of God. In other words, our faith in Christ and what He accomplished for us at Calvary qualifies us to be an overcomer! It is that which gives us this precious relationship where God is our God, and we are His sons (and daughters).

Verse 8 reads, But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. This group won’t be a part in any way of the New Jerusalem. In reality the thought here is that which causes one to be fearful, unbelieving, abominable, etc. will not be a part of this city or the new earth. There will be no more sin. The Devil and all evil spirits will be eternally locked away in the Lake of Fire.

And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. [21:9] As we work through this section we must be very careful. Why? Because a surface reading of this passage has lead many to assume, and to teach, that the Lamb’s wife is the city New Jerusalem. Someone may ask, “Isn’t that what John says here?” No, it is not. First, the “Bride” is made up of every single believer from all ages. This would take in righteous Abel, all of the faith dignitaries of Hebrews 11, right down to the very last person to be born-again and make Jesus the Lord of their life. All of the redeemed are included in this number. Second, that which constitutes a city is not its buildings, businesses, or assorted other attractions. No, that which makes a city or town truly a city or a town are the people who live there! I live in a small town in Central Iowa. There are approximately 12,000 people who live here. Tomorrow if all of us would suddenly move away, there would be no town. All of the buildings and houses and assorted other structures would still be here, but it would be considered a ghost town.

In this vein I think of the opening scene of the Will Smith movie, I Am Legend. The film opens with New York city devoid of any people. The various billboards announcing upcoming Broadway shows and feature films are still emblazoned on the theaters. All of the large department stores and assorted other businesses are still there. However, as you watch the scene unfold it becomes clear that something isn’t right. The middle of the streets are all grown over with weeds and other vegetation, and wild animals are seen running the streets. The only one left is Will Smith’s character and his dog, and we learn later a mob of virus crazed mutants who are intent on murdering anyone they come into contact with. It is quite a gripping story. The point though is that it is no longer New York City. Why? Because everyone has left town to get away from this virus. New York City is New York City because of the people who dwell there. Remove them from the picture and you have the opening scene from I Am Legend. It is the same with any city or town. In the same manner, New Jerusalem will be the Bride because the true Bride, the redeemed, will dwell there.

And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. [Rev. 21:10 – 14] There is no city anywhere on earth equal to this city. This city will be not be built on an earthly foundation out of earthly materials. It will come down from Heaven. It originates in Heaven, and Jesus is the builder. Notice please that even though this city comes down out of Heaven, there is nothing to suggest that it comes to earth. The earthly city never goes to Heaven, and the heavenly city never comes to earth. Exactly how far the city descends is a matter of speculation.

Many strange things have been taught through the years concerning the New Jerusalem. For example, Ebionism, one of the first heresies to invade the Christian Church took this entire passage and made it apply to the earthly Jerusalem. The Gnostics, another early heresy, went to the other extreme and made this all Heaven. Liberal theologians and amillennarians leave this city in Heaven, even though the scripture makes it plain it “comes down” out of Heaven. Two facts are evident from this passage: 1) The city comes down out of Heaven; 2) It is not stated that it comes to earth. The Bible leaves this city hanging someplace in mid-air. That may sound a bit sci-fi to you, but that is what the scripture teaches.

Notice this city has the, “Glory of God.” The Greek for glory is Doxa, and although it has a wide possible application, in this case it seems to speak of the brilliance and the brightness of the glory of God emanating from the city. I believe it is important to note that try as we might to describe that which John saw, we cannot even come close. John says the light is like a precious stone, even a Jasper stone. It is not likely that John had a great deal of knowledge of precious stones, most likely this is information that the angel gave him. That which John describes would imply a prism of light with colors constantly changing, and even though that is the case, it is clear as crystal so nothing will impede the light. This will be a city like no other you or I have ever seen. Verse 17 tells us, And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. If we figure 18 inches to the cubit, which is the standard measurement, then the wall would be 216 feet high!

There are twelve gates to this city. There are three to the north, three to the south, three to the east, and three to the west. The gates on each side, based on the size of the city, will be about 375 miles distance from each other. In biblical numerology, twelve is the number of God’s government, consequently, God will govern this city, therefore it will be a perfect government in every respect. On each of the three gates is the name of one of the tribes of Israel. This speaks of the order in which the tribes camped around the Tabernacle in the wilderness wanderings. The tribe of Levi of course was the priestly tribe and served in the Tabernacle proper. The New Jerusalem, in one sense, is a tabernacle because God is there dwelling with man. The bride constitutes the priesthood who serve Him constantly. Everything in eternity will face this city, for God is there. Look at the wall of the city. It has twelve foundations, each bearing the name of one of the Apostles of the Lamb. As believers the Bible tells us that we are, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. [Eph. 2:20] As a side note, I believe that one of the names on one of those foundations will be that of the Apostle Paul. Someone might say, “But Paul wasn’t one of the Apostles of the Lamb was he?” I think he was. Acts 1:1, 2 tells us, The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: [Acts 1:1, 2]

We know that following the death of Judas a meeting of the remaining Apostles was held, and Mathias was selected to take the place of Judas. This decision was made prior to the arrival of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. That being the case, I believe that Peter was out of the will of God in selecting Mathias. I don’t believe that he was the Lord’s choice. I believe that Paul was. You don’t hear anymore about Mathias, but you hear plenty about the Apostle Paul. In fact, to him was given the meaning of the New Covenant, which is Christ and Him crucified. This would make Paul the twelfth Apostle, and give his name a place on one of the foundations of the wall of New Jerusalem.

And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. [Rev. 21:15, 16] It is very difficult for us in our finite knowledge to comprehend and then in turn articulate the shape of this city. In doing so, we are attempting to translate our concepts from a universe of time to the new creation of eternity. This is not easily done. Before we discuss its shape, lets look at its size. Each side and the height of it is said to be twelve thousand furlongs. In the Greek this is twelve thousand stadia, which comes out to be 1,500 miles. Our God certainly does things in abundance on a grand scale. The city will reflect the grandeur and glory of its maker. Before we discuss the possibilities for its shape, lets put the footprint of this glorious eternal city into perspective. At 1,500 miles to the north, south, east, and west; if we were to place this city down upon the United States, on the western side it would reach from approximately the Canadian border down to the border of Mexico. That is the distance from north to south. Going east, it would reach Dallas, Texas in the south, and its northeastern border would reach to Minneapolis, Minnesota. So we have a space here that is a little over half of the United States. This is mind boggling to say the least! If that weren’t enough, John says the length, width, and height are all equal! This brings us to the shape of the city.

John tells us, the city lieth foursquare. That would seem to imply that the city is a gigantic cube, would it not? The Greek word translated, foursquare is, tetrogonos, and literally is a quadrangle or square. In other words, it has four equal sides. This particular Greek word only appears once in the New Testament, and that is right here. Geometrically speaking, a quadrangle is a polygon with four sides. What is the point? Simply that this word does not demand viewing the New Jerusalem as a cube. It may be. That has been the widely held view by most scholars. However many scholars through the years, like Clarence Larkin, Harry Ironside, and in more recent times, Patrick Heron; see the city as being a pyramid. The language of the text allows for that possibility. You would still have a polygon with four sides and the apex being 1,500 miles high. I don’t know and neither does anyone else, but it makes for an interesting study.

And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. [Rev. 21:17, 18] The wall of the city is for protection. A walled city is a safe city. As we noted earlier, at 144 cubits, this wall would be 216 feet high. As we study the description of the wall as given here, it becomes clear that beauty rather than protection is behind the design. It is a wall with Jasper built into it and it is generally designated as a Jasper wall. The hardest of substances and the most beautiful gem constitute the exterior of the city.

And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. [Rev. 21:19, 20] John continues with his description of the city, New Jerusalem. In this case of course he is still describing the foundations of the city, twelve in number. Not only do these foundations bear the names of each of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb, but they are also made of twelve precious stones. It is difficult if not impossible to fully grasp this which John describes here as it unfolds before him. Lets look at each of these stones: 1) Jasper – Greek, Iaspis. This is probably a diamond in all actuality. It is crystal clear, a reflector of light and color. 2) Sapphire – Greek, sappheiros. Its color is blue. This stone is mentioned in Exodus 24:10 as the, “foundation of God”. Moffatt describes it as a blue stone. Pliny describes it as an opaque with gold specks. 3) Chalcedony – Greek, chalkedon. Its color is greenish. It is an agate. 4) Emerald – Greek, amaragdos. It is green in color. 5) Sardonyx – Greek, sardonux. Its color is red. 6) Sardius – Greek, sardios. It is fiery red in appearance. 7) Chrylsolyte – Greek, chrusolithos. It is a golden yellow. 8) Beryl – Greek, berullos. Its color is green. 9) Topaz – Greek, topazion. It is golden yellow in appearance. 10) Chrysoprasus – Greek, chrusoprasos. Its color is gold-green. 11) Jacinth – Greek, huakinthos. It is violet colored. 12) Amethyst – Greek, amethustos.

The foundations of New Jerusalem are constructed of the flashing brilliance of rich and costly gems. On the inside is Jesus who, when He was here, was the Light of the World. There He will be the Light of the Universe. Astronauts tell us that in space the colors almost entirely are gray and black—but wait until you see the New Jerusalem. It is going to light up God’s new heavens and new earth as they have never been lighted before. I think it is going to be the most breathtaking sight that you have ever seen. This New Jerusalem is a planet which comes down right out of heaven. Everything is going to revolve around it, and the light will come from there. It truly will be the Jesus Christ Light and Power Company then. The light will shine out in all these brilliant and beautiful colors.

And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. [Rev. 21:21] The language here is admittedly a bit difficult to grasp. It seems John is saying that each of the gates are constructed of pearl, perhaps thousands of pearls. Then, every other gate is made of one massive pearl. There is no pearl this large on earth, but we are talking about heaven here. We dare not limit God. He can and will do whatever He desires to do. He is absolutely Sovereign over His creation. If He says this is the what will be done, it will be. It is significant, I believe, that the gates are pearl. Pearls are formed by oysters who are basically wounded. Without the wound, no pearl is formed. We will enter the Heavenly city through gates of pearl. This is a golden city! Not only are the buildings constructed of gold, [Vs. 18], but now we are told the streets are of pure gold. The gold that was applied to the Tabernacle in the wilderness, and later of course to the Temple, whether the furnishings or whatever, always spoke of the deity of Christ. This city being gold, pure gold at that, and pure gold streets; we know readily the focus of this city. We know He who will be the focus of eternity. It is all about Jesus!

And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. [Rev. 21:22, 23] There will be no Temple as in Old Testament times. There will be a literal Temple in the New Jerusalem [See Rev. 3:12, 7:15, 11:19, 14:15, 17; 15:1 – 8; 16:1, 17]. This Temple will not serve the same function as the one in Old Testament times. Why? Because the Lord God and the Lamb will be personally there. Some have assumed from that which John wrote here that there will no longer be a Sun or Moon in the sky in the New Jerusalem. That is not the case, it is just that with glory that emanates from the Father and the Son, no additional light will be needed in the New Jerusalem.

And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. [Rev. 21:24] Not all nations will live here, but they will commute to and from to it.

And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. [Rev. 21:25] The gates are not shut because there will be no danger here. There is no night because the glory never diminishes.

And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life. [21:26, 27] As we come to the end of this wonderful chapter, the glorious description of the New Jerusalem; I feel my treatment of it is found wanting. I believe the late Dr. J. Vernon McGee summed it up best when he closed his notes on this chapter, What a picture and how inadequately I have dealt with it. Oh, if only you and I both could be lifted up so that we might get a glimpse of the glory of that city and of the glory of the One who is its chief adornment, even the Lord Jesus Christ, and of the glorious prospect and privilege of being with Him throughout eternity. There is nothing to compare to it! [Dr. J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible commentary on Revelation 21:27] I couldn’t agree more Dr. McGee!

Next time we will delve into the final chapter of the book of Revelation, chapter 22.

Rev. R.W. Schambach
April 3, 1926 – January 17, 2012

Legendary father of faith, R.W. Schambach, was received by the Lord to his reward Tuesday, January 17, when his heart failed. His life and ministry were a divine military mission, which began on a destroyer of the coast of Japan in WWII. He and his wife Winn served in international crusades, inner-city tent meetings, bringing countless thousands to the saving knowledge of Jesus for over 6 decades.

More information concerning the memorial service will be posted soon. Thank you as you lift the family up in prayer!

Our last time together in Revelation chapter 20 we saw the binding of Satan for 1,000 years in the abyss. After this is accomplished Jesus begins His reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. He will rule the nations as the scriptures say with a, “rod of iron.” The multitudes of natural people who inhabit the earth at this time will comply with the rule of God, but they will not be born again, and therefore their hearts will not be toward the Lord. This fact will be revealed when at the end of the 1,000-year kingdom age, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations once again. The multitudes of natural people will cast their lot in with Satan, and they all will be judged by being cast for all eternity into the Lake of Fire, where the Beast and the False Prophet will have been incarcerated for 1,000 years.

Chapter 21 introduces a time after the Kingdom Age, a time that will be totally different from anything any person living today has ever known. It will be a place and a time that no sin or anything that sin produced will be a part of. There will be no Satan or evil spirits present for they will be eternally locked away by this time. There will be no sickness, disease, or death. This time can be referred to as the Perfect Age. In this section we will be able to put together many pieces of the prophetic puzzle that you may have wondered about. We will also cover some material that possibly you have never heard before. We pray that all of it will be informative and a blessing to you.

John opens this chapter, And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. [Rev. 21:1] John again uses the term, “I saw” here as he does repeatedly in this book. This again lets us know that he is an actual spectator of that which he is recording. He is seeing all of this again from the perspective of the spirit world. There are no limitations of time and space. He is seeing future events as if they were occurring in the present. He is seeing things in a sense as God sees them. We see things and understand most things from the perspective of the point in time in which we presently live. If the Holy Spirit chooses to reveal some other things to us through one of the gifts of the Spirit, He certainly can; otherwise we are pretty much limited to our own point in time. This is not the case with God. Given the fact that He is omnipresent, He can enter and leave any point in that time-line He so chooses. John seeing things “in the Spirit” then has the advantage of seeing things far along that time-line and is able to describe them for us.

John sees a, new heaven and a new earth. We need to compare this with Genesis 1:1, In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. In both of these passages, heaven is in the singular. Why is that important? It is important because it limits this creative act to our own planet. It is not referring in either instance to the vast expanse of the starry planets or other galaxies. It is referring to this planet. The thought then that John is conveying here is a new atmosphere for the new earth.

The first heaven and the first earth, to which Moses refers in Genesis 1:1, were created in the dateless past. We don’t really know how long ago the beginning was. It is important to understand this. The beginning could have been thousands, even millions of years ago. Sometime in the dateless past, God created the heaven and the earth. We come to Genesis 1:2, and it appears that something of a catastrophic nature has occurred. The Bible says, And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. Despite what some of my dear “young earth” brethren believe, the Lord did not create the earth in the state that we find it in, in Genesis 1:2. For example, the Prophet Isaiah declared, For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else. [Isa. 45:18 KJV] A similar thought is found over in Jeremiah 4:23 – 26. We are not told exactly what occurred to cause the earth to come to be in this state.

We do know that by the account of the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden, sin existed prior to the creation of man. There is an inference as we study the prophetic passages of Isaiah 14:12 – 14 and Ezekiel 28:12 – 19, that when the earth was first created Lucifer was in charge of it, then he and his angels rebelled and led astray the inhabitants of the original earth. This pre-Adamite race, whomever they may have been, it is believed by some were destroyed in the judgment of God on Lucifer and the fallen angels, and that they thus became the demon spirits who now seek to inhabit human beings so that they can again dwell on the earth. One thing seems certain, and that is that the earth must have been originally inhabited, or else God would not have blessed Adam and Eve and told them to, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. It does not follow however that that these inhabitants of the earth were human beings like ourselves. No human remains have ever been found ante-dating the creation of man.

Peter describes the original earth as the, “World that then was, being overflowed with water, perished.” [2 Peter 3:6a] It is clear that Peter does not refer here to Noah’s flood as some teach. Why do I say that? Because the earth of Noah’s day didn’t perish. Peter continues, But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire. The “heaven and the earth which are now”, refers to the heaven and earth that have been in existence since the restoration of the earth described in Genesis 1:3 – 31. Nevertheless, Peter says, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth. [2 Pet. 3:13] These words of Peter reveal to us that this earth is to go through three stages. 1) The original earth perished by WATER. 2) The earth that is now is to be renovated, or cleansed by FIRE. 3) The New Earth that is to last FOREVER.

It is important that as we study scripture to not try and isolate a particular text and develop a teaching from that one passage. We need to compare scripture with scripture, cross reference texts and so forth to get the entire picture. That is certainly true as we study the prophetic Word. For example, following the binding of Satan in Revelation 20:2, we are told in verse 11, And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. John describes this judgment for us and opens chapter 21, And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. For the student of prophecy we are certainly familiar with the fact that there will be a new heaven and a new earth. John however doesn’t tells us exactly how this will occur. The Apostle Peter does tell us the process by which we will arrive at a new heaven and a new earth. He writes,

But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. (The Great White Throne) But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise (Isa. 65:17, 66:22), look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. [2 Pet. 3:7 – 13 KJV] By comparing these two sections of scripture, it is clear that Peter and John are speaking of the same event.

Perhaps you are like me. For years I read the above words given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit to Peter and thought that the earth as a planet and all of the planets were going to be destroyed by fire and that would be it. A careful study of the scriptures however shows us that such is not the case. What is going to happen then? What is going to happen is that this earth and the atmosphere surrounding it are going to be renovated by fire, so that its entire surface shall be completely changed, and all that sin has brought into existence, like thorns and thistles, disease germs, insects, pests, etc. will all be destroyed and the atmosphere purified and forever freed from evil spirits and destructive forces. Yes, this will be the Perfect Age, and really we can’t refer to it as an age in the most literal sense as it will last for all eternity.

We get a clue that this is the correct way to view this passage again from Peter’s words, For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished. [2 Pet. 3:5, 6 KJV] “Perished” is the Greek, apollumi, which is to “destroy fully”. Again, this is not referring to the flood of Noah’s day, but rather to a time in the dateless past. The flood that struck the earth at that time caused the earth to become, “without form and void” and destroyed all life. The framework of the earth at that time was however not destroyed by that “baptism of water”, in similar fashion the framework of the world that is now will not be destroyed by its “baptism of fire”. When Peter speaks of the “earth” in this passage, he uses the word, ge,which refers to the surface of the earth. This is the inhabitable part of the earth and not the earth as a planet. So, it is the surface of the earth that will “melt with fervent heat” and the “works therein burnt up.” I submit to you that the intense heat will cause gases in the atmosphere to explode, which the Apostle describes as, “The heavens (the atmosphere) passing away with a great noise.” The result will be the destruction of all animal and vegetable life as we presently know it, and the alteration of the earth’s surface.

“Pass away” in 2 Peter 3:10 is the Greek, parechomai, and it does not mean, “annihilation” or to, “cease to exist”; but rather, “to pass from one state to another”, and that is exactly what will occur when the earth is renovated by fire. Paul uses this word in Titus 3:5 when speaking of the “regeneration” of men. [See also Matt. 19:28, Acts 3:21, Rom. 8:19 – 23] With the renovation of the earth by fire time does not end, but rather eternity begins. There is much more we could say on this, however lets move on.

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. [Rev. 21:2- 8 KJV]

We see a new city for a new earth here. In Matthew 4:5 and 27:53, Jerusalem is referred to as, “The Holy City”. It is not referred to again as such until Revelation 11:2. I am sure this is due to her rejection of Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. Every city in the world today, and that would include the so-called “Holy City” The Vatican in Rome, Italy, and even the city of Jerusalem in its present state, is filled with sin, shame, murder, heartache, and suffering. It is filled with death and dying, and with that it is coupled with loneliness. But the city which John describes here is “new,” meaning that it is not touched by sin, shame, or anything that sin may bring about. In the Perfect Age to come, such will not exist. Even the Kingdom Age, as wonderful as that will be, cannot compare with the Perfect Age. In fact, it was not possible for the New Jerusalem to be brought down until the Earth was cleansed by fire.

Notice the city is seen, coming down from God out of heaven. Despite what some believe, the world will never evolve a golden age or ideal state. The New Jerusalem has to descend from God. This reminds me of James 1:17, Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. [James 1:17 ESV] Salvation and Redemption came from Heaven. Grace and glory come from Heaven. The infilling of the Holy Spirit has come from Heaven. Eternal Life has come from Heaven. And now, the New Jerusalem, the dwelling place of the redeemed, comes from Heaven as well! It is God who must do the doing, or it won’t get done.

We aren’t told a great deal in scripture concerning Heaven. This fact has led many to conclude that the subject of Heaven, or the subject of eternity, is not really all that important. Nothing could be further from the truth. As believers we are to live our lives in view of or looking toward eternity. Our treasure is not to be on the earth, but laid up in Heaven. If we are, “Risen with Christ”, and we are, then we should be seeking things that are above, not things on the earth. We are told not to love this present world system and it’s trappings, yet far too many believers do. The “Greed gospel” that so many of God’s people have embraced focuses on this present world and material possessions and money. This is not a true prosperity gospel, although it is referred to as such. This city, New Jerusalem, is not Heaven; but rather the capital city of Heaven. Heaven is not a, “Beautiful Isle of Somewhere”, but it is a definite place. It is a planet within itself. When New Jerusalem descends from God out of Heaven, in a sense it will move from planet Heaven to planet Earth. New Jerusalem is the place where all of the redeemed will live, therefore it should be important to us.

This is a prepared place for a prepared people. “Prepared” probably refers back to Jesus’ words in John 14:3. This is a place, although the angelic host will no doubt have access, that is especially prepared for the redeemed of all ages. John continues,

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. [Rev. 21:3] The phrase, “a great voice” is used some 21 times in this book, and this one is the final occurrence. When John designates this “a” voice, it gives it both importance and urgency. Even though the King James translators have this voice coming, “out of Heaven”, it is probably more accurately, “out of the throne.” This gives it even more power and strength. What this “Great voice” proclaims will make the New Jerusalem an even more glorious, wonderful place. This voice declares that, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. We said earlier in this study that the books of Genesis and Revelation are like bookends to the Bible. We see many parallels between the opening portions of the Bible and the close of it. In the Garden man (and woman) walked and talked with God. [See Gen. 3:8] Sweet, intimate fellowship was enjoyed. Sin destroyed all of that, and a gulf of separation was forged between man and God. Sin does that. The good news is that from the “foundation of the world” God had a plan to redeem man back to Himself. He immediately set out to restore the broken fellowship, although it would take some 7,000 years to fully bring this to pass. In the New Heaven and new earth there will be full renewed fellowship between God and man as God will personally once again dwell with man on the earth. This fellowship was also one of the glorious aspects of the incarnation. In John’s gospel he wrote, And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.. [John 1:14 KJV] “Dwelt” is skenoo, this is to dwell among, or to tabernacle, or pitch one’s tent among. In the incarnation of Christ believers got a taste of that which will be our eternal reality in the New Jerusalem throughout all time.

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. [21:4] The King James text here says, “all tears”, however the Greek is a bit more exact. It reads, “every teardrop.” Think of that. This is the end of all that causes tears and crying. Mankind’s existence on this earth since sin entered has been a continuous trail of tears. That is going to come to an end in the Perfect Age to come. No more bereavement of loved ones, as there will be no more death. No more sorrow from a broken heart. Now there are many things that can bring forth tears, things that cause deep heart-wrenching sobs and weeping. That will all be over. Pain here is the Greek, ponos and could be translated as, anguish,great trouble. I believe this takes in man’s toil and anguish in earning bread by the “sweat of his brow” and woman’s pain and sorrow in giving birth. This will all be over. Why? Because the former things are passed away. In other words, the affects of the fall, that which came on mankind in the beginning will pass away.

We will pick up with verse 5 next time

Here’s an excerpt:

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As we come to Revelation 20 I feel it necessary to reiterate some information as to how John received this revelation. The beloved Apostle is writing this book relating what he sees from the perspective of the spirit realm. There is a veil or barrier if you will, that separates the natural realm from the spiritual realm. John is taken to that place beyond the veil, that place not tied to the boundaries of time and space, and was allowed to see the gloried Christ (chapter 1), the Church Age (chapters 2 & 3), the catching away or rapture of the Church, and the Church in Heaven (chapters 4 & 5), the Great Tribulation (chapters 6 – 19), The battle of Armageddon and the glorious appearing of Christ (chapter 19). He sees the binding of Satan for 1,000 years, making way for the Millennial Reign or Kingdom Age (chapter 20). He sees the Great White Throne, the place where all of the unredeemed will appear before God to receive their eternal sentence, everlasting banishment to the Lake of Fire (chapter 20:11 – 15).

He then sees the beginning of the Perfect Age, which will last on through eternity (chapters 21 & 22). He sees all of this again from the vantage point of the spirit realm. This explains why much of what we read in this book seems so strange to us and is hard to understand. With this in mind, John begins this chapter; And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. [Rev. 20:1 – 3 KJV]

There are many references to angels in this book, and we see another one here. The names of angels are rarely revealed to us in scripture, in fact only three are given to us; Michael, Apolloyon, and Gabriel (four if you count Lucifer). This angel is also unidentified, although some have thought it could be Michael, the great adversary of Satan (See 12:7). At any rate, whomever this angel is, he comes with a very specific assignment, and that is the capture and casting of Satan into the abyss for 1,000 years. This angel is said to have “laid hold” of Satan. “Laid hold” is the Greek, krateo, and conveys the idea of powerfully seizing or retaining. Satan is referred to here by several of his titles, and none is without significance, all revealing an aspect of his diabolical work. As a “dragon” we see his power, as a “serpent” his cunning, as the “devil” he is the accuser, and as “Satan” he is the adversary.

Notice the angel after binding the devil with the “great chain” in his hand, then casts him into the abyss (“bottomless pit”). Many people assume, as I did for years, that Satan resides in Hell. This is not the case however. In fact, even though Hell was “prepared for the devil and his angels” (See Matt. 25:41), it is very possible that he has never been there at this point. We know that he abides on the earth (Job 1:7), in the heavenlies (Eph. 2:2), and on occasion even Heaven itself (Job 1:6). When the angel takes the great chain in his hand and binds Satan before casting him into the abyss for a thousand years, it will mark the first time that Satan has been bound. We could take a side journey right here, but I will resist.

I want you to notice that in these first three verses, thousand years is mentioned twice. The designation of 1,000 years occurs a total of six times in this chapter. Even though there are other prophetic references to the millennial kingdom or Kingdom Age, Revelation 20 is the only place where any designation of time is given concerning it. Some have insisted that the time frame of 1,000 years is not to be taken literally, but rather is a figurative reference meant to convey an indeterminate amount of time. All I can say is that the Holy Spirit uses the specific time-frame of 1,000 years six times in this chapter, and there is no reason to assume that He meant anything other than the fact that Satan will be bound for a period of 1,000 years in the Abyss, during which time Christ will be reigning on David’s throne in Jerusalem. This will be the Kingdom Age, and it will last 1,000 years. You are free to believe what you want. I choose to read the scriptures and when the literal sense makes the best sense, I seek no other sense.

In one of the most imponderable statements of scripture we read that after the 1,000 years are fulfilled, he must be loosed a little season. Why, given all of the murder, mayhem, sickness, pain, and misery caused for some 6,000 years of human history by this dragon, this serpent, the devil, and Satan; would you want to let him go once you had him bound and locked away? A question to be asked and answered first might be, why was he let loose on the earth in the first place? In other words, why was he not judged and bound way back at the Garden? This is the great question concerning the presence of evil in the world. I can tell you that God has a great purpose in it. What that purpose is, is part of the mystery of God yet to be revealed to us. It is all going to be revealed one day, and in the meantime God calls us to walk with Him by faith. We can rest assured that whatever God does, it is right. It is just. Entire books have been written concerning the problem of evil. No author has ever answered the question no matter how many pages they have devoted to the discussion of it. The Lord had Satan incarcerated for 1,000 years because there could be no Kingdom Age without it.

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. [Rev. 20:4 – 6] It seems the ones seated on the “thrones”, having judgment given to them, would be the 24 Elders. They will rule and reign with Christ for 1,000 years. Also reigning with the Lord in the Kingdom Age will be the many tribulation saints who pay the ultimate price of martyrdom for their testimony. Things will be pretty awful for them for three-and-a-half years, but it will all turn around for them after Satan is bound and the glorious Kingdom Age begins. In essence they will trade three-and-a-half years for a thousand! A pretty good deal by any estimation.

We need to understand this concept of the, “first resurrection.” There is a company identified in scripture as participating in this “first resurrection”, and then we are told that the “rest of the dead”, that would be the unrighteous dead, will not “live again” or be resurrected until the thousand years is finished. So, who are included in this “first resurrection?” It actually has three phases: 1) The resurrection of Christ – Christ was the “firstfruits” in His resurrection. [1 Cor. 15:20] The “Firstfruits” offering included a wave offering. The Priest would wave the first sheaf of the wheat harvest before the Lord along with the meat offering that was offered. [See Lev. 23:10, 20] This was a statement of faith declaring that as the Lord blessed the first sheaf as it was offered to Him, so the rest of the harvest would be equally blessed. Christ as the “Firstfruits” of the righteous dead, declared at His resurrection that as He was raised, so they would be as well. 2) The rapture/resurrection of the dead in Christ – One cannot argue against the fact of the rapture. Sincere brethren may debate the timing of this event, but you cannot argue against the eventual fact of the rapture. Why? Because the rapture and the resurrection of the just is one and the same event. If you believe in the resurrection of the sainted dead, it is of necessity that you believe in the rapture. The dead will be raised first, then the believers who remain and are alive at the resurrection will be caught up, seized, snatched, and removed to meet the Lord in the air. [1 Thess. 4:16, 17] 3) The resurrection of the tribulation saints – this will occur just prior to the beginning of the Kingdom Age, and will complete the “first resurrection.”

Many theologians have taught the idea of a “general resurrection” through the years. They take this from, for example, Daniel 12:2, And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Also, Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. [John 5:28, 29] If we read these two statements, one from the Prophet Daniel, the other from our Lord; it would seem that there is going to be one general resurrection of the just and unjust. One resurrection of life and damnation. However, when we come to the book of Revelation, we see that there will indeed be a “resurrection of life” and a “resurrection of damnation”, but they will be separated by a period of 1,000 years.

And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. [Rev. 20:7 – 9] At this time the earth will have just come out of a time of rest, a time when all of mankind has been under the personal reign of Jesus Christ on the earth. You can’t get anymore of an ideal condition than that. In essence, the millennial reign will be a time of testing of man under ideal conditions. And yet even though that is the case, when Satan is loosed from his prison for a short time a large company will go over to him. Where exactly does this company come from? The answer to this question lies in the fact that not only will multitudes of natural people enter the millennium, but there will also be many births during the 1,000 year reign of Christ. [See Isa. 11:6; Isa. 65:20]

Since “Gog and Magog” are mentioned here many have assumed that this is the war of Ezekiel 38, 39. This is not the case however. The two conflicts are not parallel in terms of time, place, or participants. The only thing that is really the same are the names Gog and Magog. Gog and Magog are actually used by John in a figurative sense here. It describes a multitude and magnitude. Since the coalition of nations that will join with Russia in coming against Israel will be so horrific, the terms Gog and Magog seem to have become synonymous with nations coming against Israel. They will be destroyed supernaturally by the Lord.

The Devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. [Rev. 20:10] The Lake of Fire will be the eternal abode of the devil. He will never be loosed from this place of torment. This will mark the end of Satan. Sometime in eternity past Lucifer, possibly the greatest of God’s angelic creation, rebelled against the Throne of God taking with him some one-third of the angelic host. This will be his sentencing. This verse should put to rest the doctrine of annihilation taught by some. After 1,000 years the Beast and False Prophet are still in the Lake of Fire, now to be joined by Satan.

Then I saw a great white throne and One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them. [Rev. 20:11] I know that there are many so-called ministers today who no longer believe in eternal damnation for the unredeemed. To them, if there is a hell, it really isn’t that bad a place. In stark contrast to them however is the unchanging truth of scripture. The biblical fact is that multitudes will spend eternity separated from God in the Lake of Fire. I take no delight in saying that. My heart breaks and aches for the lost. I am not currently serving a church in the pastoral capacity. Since my ministry changed a few years ago, the Holy Spirit laid it upon my heart to begin teaching on matters of eschatology on a regular basis. A full one-third of the Bible is prophetic in nature. A portion of that of course is fulfilled prophecy, but there are many things yet to be fulfilled; and that is what I focus on. I am calling for every man, woman, and young person to repent and to flee from the wrath to come. Jesus I believe will soon catch away His Church. If you miss the rapture and find yourself left on this earth, you will face the Man of Sin and experience the horrors of the Great Tribulation period.

None of the redeemed will be at the Great White Throne. This will be a judgment strictly involving the unredeemed. This judgment will take place after the Millennial Reign and it will signal the beginning of a new heaven and a new earth. [Rev. 21:1] The one seated on the Throne will be the Lord Jesus Christ. [See John 5:22; 26 – 29]

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. [Rev. 20:12, 13] People will get a fair trial here. God has all of your information. Your life is all recorded. There will be no excuses or alibis. The dead are classified as both small and great. Apparently some have their names in the Book of Life However they have never come to Jesus for Salvation. These are books that record the works of every unsaved individual. Believers will not be at this judgment. Believers will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Every person alive today or who have ever lived, will stand before God. This is an appointment all of us will keep. You will either stand before the Bema seat, or the Great White Throne. Which you stand before is determined by what you do with Jesus.

And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. [Rev. 20:14, 15] This number would make up all of the lost from all ages. The Greek word translated Hell is, Hades. This is the realm of the dead and is made up of two compartments, Paradise and torment. Paradise is the place that all of the righteous dead before Calvary went to and were held captive of Satan who had the power of death. Following His victory on the Cross Jesus descended to this place and set free all of the captives. Paradise sits empty today The torment side is the place where all of the unredeemed are today. The dead will be brought up from there to stand before God, their bodies will be resurrected from the grave, then they will be judged and cast into the Lake of Fire.

This is reality folks. My friends, we will all stand before God. Where will you meet Him? Will it be at the Bema or judgment seat of Christ? Or, will you stand before Him at the Great White Throne?

We return this time to Revelation chapter 19. We looked at the first ten verses last time and discovered five reasons for Heaven’s song of rejoicing. Satan and his man the Antichrist have had their day and their time of judgment will have arrived. This will cause great rejoicing in Heaven as the great plan of God for the ages comes to fruition when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our God and of His Christ and He reigns on the Earth. Despite Satan’s, and in some cases man’s best efforts, the great plan of God for man and the Earth will be realized.

The next scene John sees is a stupendous one to say the very least. It is the event toward which all things are moving in this present hour, and I speak of the Second Coming of Christ. John writes, And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. [Rev. 19:11, 12] In the Greek before the word Heaven there is what is known as the definite article, making this, “And I saw the Heaven opened…”. This would be paradise or the “third heaven” [See 2 Cor. 12:2 – 4], the dwelling place of God. The greatest event of human history is about to break forth. Thousands, yea, millions of saints have cried and prayed for this event, and John sees it about to happen. It was distant future in John’s time, and it is certainly future in this present time; but we are much closer now.

750 years before the first Advent of Christ, the great Prophet Isaiah cried, Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence, As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence! [Isa. 64:1, 2] Now this cry of the Prophet’s is about to be fulfilled in that which John is witnessing. Despite the thinking of some, God has a plan and a program that He is following very carefully. Among other things, this plan reveals the Second Coming of Christ occurring at the end of the Great Tribulation period, right before the setting up of His earthly kingdom.

A comparison study between the First and Second Advents of Christ is definitely a study in contrasts. In His First Advent he was born into humble surroundings. He was meek and lowly. He was the suffering Messiah, who suffered and died for sinners. A completely different picture is before us now. In the verses before us He is Coming in great glory. His Coming will be the final manifestation of God’s Wrath on a sinful world. The rebellion of Satan, demons, and evil men is put down and judged. He puts down all unrighteousness before He establishes His kingdom in righteousness.

In Revelation 4:1 Heaven is opened to let John, as representative of the Church, enter Heaven where he sees the 24 elders (the Church) already there. Here in chapter 19 Heaven is again opened, this time to allow Christ to exit. The White Horse speaks of Christ Coming to wage war. When He entered Jerusalem He was riding a donkey. In ancient times if a leader came with a message of peace He rode a donkey. If he came and his mission and message was war, he rode a white horse. Jesus will leave Heaven on a white horse. He is Coming to wage war on the Antichrist.

Notice He is called, “faithful.” This is because He will come to execute the long-time program of God. The scoffer says, “Where is the sign of His Coming?” There is no sign at this point – He is here! He has fulfilled His Promise. He has made good. He is faithful. He is the only one that you and I can absolutely depend upon and rest in. He is not only “faithful”, He is “true.” He is called so because He is inherently true. He not only tells the truth; although He does do that, but He is the standard by which truth is measured. Why? Because He is Truth. [John 14:6] In a day when everything seems to be slanted and used for propaganda, it is a great comfort to know we serve a God who is truth and can absolutely be replied upon at all times in every situation and circumstance.

He has come to “judge and make war”, not die on a Cross again. Notice His eyes if you will. They are, “as a flame of fire.” We saw this very same imagery back in 1:14 as Jesus walked among the churches. The idea is He sees all. There is nothing hidden to Him. Judgment has come and there will be no accuses or alibis, He sees all and knows all. He will come to judge the earth and put down its unrighteousness. Notice His head, on his head were many crowns. This means He will be the sole ruler over the world, there will be no other. His rule will be a dictatorship in the best and purest sense of the term. Nothing will occur on the earth without His knowledge or permission. Nothing will happen if He doesn’t “sign-off” on it, as it were.

He says, he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. What is this “unknowable” Name? It is the Name above all names that causes every knee to bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father. The word translated, knew here is a not often used primary Greek verb, eido which means to properly understand, perceive, or have perfect knowledge of. No man, even in Heaven, will ever exhaust much less plumb the depths of the most wonderful Name, the Name of Jesus. John further describes Christ at His Second Coming,

And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.[19:13 – 16 KJV] This has to be one of the most thrilling, awe-inspiring scenes in all of scripture. His vesture, which speaks of His garment, is dipped (Greek, bapto) in blood. This speaks of what He came to do. It points to the Cross. He is coming back as the conquering King, and that victory was won way back at Calvary. There is yet another allusion to the Old Testament here as this image takes us back to Isaiah 63:1 – 6, which obviously speaks of His Second Coming as opposed to is first. The fact that He will, rule them with a rod of iron, hearkens back to Psalm 2:6 – 9. The fury of His wrath at His second coming is in sharp contrast to His gentleness at His first coming. However, in both is revealed the “wrath of the Lamb.”

Who are the “armies” that follow Him on white horses? Some commentators equate them with angels. I submit to you that while angels may be involved here, these armies are all of the redeemed who have ever lived. This is the company that was taken to Heaven at the rapture, and now they are returning with the Lord at His Second Coming. The white horses speak of victory, and I believe are literal. The victory of the redeemed I submit has a two-fold meaning: 1) It speaks of the victory we have won through Christ, the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. [1 John 5:4], 2) The victory that is about to be won by Christ over Satan, the Antichrist, the False Prophet, and all who follow them. Another reason we know that these armies represent the redeemed from all ages is how they are dressed. They are, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. This takes us back to verse 8, where we learned these garments spoke of the righteousness of saints. These armies will be made up of every saint who has ever lived, whether before the Cross where people were saved by looking forward to the Cross, or after Calvary where the believing sinner is saved by looking back to the Cross.

This company will be made up of saints beginning with righteous Abel [See Matt. 23:25; Heb. 11:4] and continuing up to the very last soul saved in the Great Tribulation. I submit to you that Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be there. Joseph, Moses, Samuel, David, plus all the great Prophets of old, Paul, Peter, James, John, in fact all of the Apostles, as well as every saint, as we have already mentioned, who has ever lived. What a stupendous sight this will be!

Our Lord is Coming back to rule and reign. Notice, And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations. Jesus’ victory over Satan, the Antichrist, The False Prophet, and all of their followers; and this would take in all nations and individuals who have thrown in their lot with them; will not be a military conquest. He will judge them with a sharp sword. “Sharp” is the Greek oxus, which is sharp, rapid, or swift. It also associated with the Greek root from which we get, acid. It will be a sharp sword. “Sword” is the Greek, rhomphaia, a saber or broad cutlass. This sharp sword though will not be any physical instrument, it will come out of His mouth! He will speak the Word of God and evil men and women will be destroyed and Satan, the Antichrist, and False Prophet will be judged. [See Heb. 4:12, Eph. 6:17b]

Not only will the Lord smite the Nations with the sharp sword out of His mouth, but He will rule them with a rod of iron. This is emphatic in the Greek, it literally reads, He Himself shall rule them with a rod of iron. “Rule” literally is, to shepherd. A shepherd uses his rod to correct. To rule with a rod of iron denotes severity. As He returns on a white horse He will be wearing a robe probably with a sash of some kind upon which will be written the title, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. There will be absolutely no doubt as to who He is. It is possible that KING OF KINGS will be written on the top, with LORD OF LORDS on the bottom of the robe. We get an absolutely stunning description of our Lord’s physical appearance in this chapter that is found no place else in scripture.

And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. [Rev. 19:17, 18] These two verses take us to the end of the battle of Armageddon. John sees another angel, this one standing in the sun. Faith here has to accept what the mind cannot comprehend. How this angel could stand in the brightest and hottest of orbs and yet not be consumed, I must admit I don’t know. He is clearly discernible as well. Why this angel is standing in the Sun, we are not told. At any rate, if there is any passage of scripture that is truly revolting to read, this one is it. God included this toward the very end of His Word to remind us all of how nauseating and revolting the deeds of the flesh are. Men who live in the flesh will have their flesh destroyed. This is an invitation at the end of the Battle of Armageddon for the carrion-eating birds to come and dine on some A-1 flesh, the kings and mighty men of the earth. I know this is gruesome, but this scene reveals the heart of man and how dreadful that heart really is.

And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshiped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.[Rev. 19:19 – 21] What a scene this is. The Beast and False Prophet will be defiant right until the end. Thinking they can actually wage war, and have a proverbial “snow balls” chance of winning? Some ask, “Is Hell real?” Many so-called ministers seemingly don’t know the answer to that question. My amillennial friends insist on an allegorical interpretation of passages such as this. Are these merely “word pictures?” If they are, then the reality is far greater and more horrible than the picture of it. I will have more to say on Hell and the Lake of Fire as we go into chapter 20.

Plan to join us next time.