Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence these two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning

Transcription

1 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence these two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone (Rev. 19:20). Virgil Solis, 1560.

2 19 Revelation 19:1 After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! 2 "For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her." 3 Again they said, "Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!" 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, "Amen! Alleluia!" 5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying, "Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!" 6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! 7 "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!' " And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God." 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." 11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. 17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, "Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, 18 "that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great." 19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those

3 who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh. 19:1-5 ALLELUIA! With the overthrow of Babylon all of heaven and earth erupts into praise, because the end of Babylon is a foretaste of the final end of sin. After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her. Again they said, Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever! (Rev. 19:1-3). Heaven and earth cannot stop celebrating! Babylon has been such a persistent foe for so many millennia that to have her permanently done away with would seem almost too good to be true if it were not for the obvious glory and honor and power of our almighty God who has judged her. She has indeed corrupted the earth. Of all the manifestations of sin, the most hideous has been the misrepresentation of the character of God, which unfortunately has been most effectively carried out in His name by His so-called Church, which He now judges as Babylon. But in the presence of God the focus cannot remain on His enemies for long And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, Amen! Alleluia! Then a voice came from the throne, saying, Praise our God, all you His servants, and those who fear Him, both small and great! (Rev. 19:4,5). The judgment of the great harlot is a foretaste of the great day when sin and death will be totally obliterated. The only memorial of this terrible chapter of history will be her smoke (which) rises up forever and ever. Although this phrase is not explained, and does not appear elsewhere except in the parallel passage Rev. 14:11, there is the suggestion that throughout eternity it will be a memorial of smoke, which will be all that will remain of sin and sinners. Even Satan, the great originator, will be turned to ashes and shall be no more forever (Eze. 28:18,19). 19:6-9 THE MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB The bride of Christ is the kingdom He will receive. It will include the whole universe with its myriads of sinless creatures, redeemed from all effects of sin, and all will live in harmony under the law of love. And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints (Rev. 19:6-8). Heaven is erupting with praise, more enthusiastic than in any other part of the whole book of Revelation with the possible exception of chapters four and five, which marked the opening of the great Day of Atonement. At first this seems surprising, because the Second Coming, the millennium and the final end of sin are still future. But what is happening here is what makes all of those possible: the marriage of the Lamb. Many have assumed that the bride of the Lamb, referred to here as His wife, is the Church. But in chapter 21 One of the angels who had the seven bowls invited John to see the

4 bride of Christ, saying, Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb s wife. And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great high mountain and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God (Rev. 21:9,10). John then goes on to give a detailed description of the city. In these verses the bride is the New Jerusalem, the future dwelling place of the saints and of God. But in chapter 19 it says that His wife has made herself ready, which does not seem like something a city can do. Perhaps the answer lies in the fact that the New Jerusalem will be the capital city of the Kingdom of God. Jesus in His parables seems to indicate that the marriage of the lamb is the same as Christ receiving His kingdom. 1 Christ s kingdom includes the Church, but it is much more it is the whole universe, redeemed from the baleful effects of sin. Thus the bride of Christ is the kingdom He will receive, represented by the capital city, the New Jerusalem. Daniel 7 seems to compress fifteen chapters of Revelation into five verses, with the climax occurring when Christ receives His kingdom. The prophet saw the beginning of the great Day of Atonement ( The court was seated, and the books were opened Dan. 7: 9,10), which is the focus of Rev. four and five. Then in verses 11 and 12 he saw the blasphemous activity of the great Babylon system (in Daniel called the little horn ) which plays such a large role in Rev Next he saw the destruction of Babylon ( the beast was slain and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame Dan. 7:11), which parallels Rev. 17 and 18. Finally Daniel saw One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations and languages should serve Him (Dan. 7:13,14). This receiving of the kingdom is what is called in Revelation, the marriage of the Lamb. In Daniel 7, just as in Rev. 19, it happens in heaven after the Day of Atonement is finished and Babylon destroyed, and before the second coming of Christ (which in Dan. 7 is in verse 22, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom ). All kingdoms consists of territory and property, laws and policies, subjects and rulers, and most importantly, a king, and this kingdom also has these elements. The King of kings and Lord of Lords is, of course, Jesus (Rev. 19:16). The territory that Jesus receives includes this world ( the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ Rev. 11:15). Satan, having been cast out of heaven, claimed this world as his own. He lost his right to this world at the cross and will lose his dominion when Jesus comes. But the territory of the kingdom includes much more than this world. Jesus is and will be far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet (Eph. 1:21,22). In other words, His kingdom includes the whole universe. There will be no rebel galaxies or dark strongholds of evil. 1 Jesus parable of the wedding feast begins saying, The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son (Matt. 22:2). Jesus went on to say that when the king sent His servants to call those who were invited they made excuses, refused to come and mistreated and killed His servants. In response the King destroyed those murderers and burned up their city (vs.3-7). Likewise, in Luke 19, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return but his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. When he returned he commanded, Bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me (Luke 19:12-27). Thus the father arranging a marriage for his son and the nobleman going to receive a kingdom have parallel themes and a similar outcome in both cases those who should have been a part did not want to and had to be destroyed. The nobleman who went to receive the kingdom was happy to find some of his servants faithfully doing their assigned work and ready when he returned (Luke 19:15-19). Likewise, when the master returns from the wedding he is pleased to find his servants faithfully watching and waiting (Luke 12:35-38). From these parallels we see that the marriage feast and receiving a kingdom refer to the same heavenly reality.

5 The law of this world has been the law of sin and death (Rom. 8:2) and the policy has been like it was during the lawless time recorded in the book of the Judges, when there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes (Judges 21:25). But the law and policy of the kingdom will be the Royal Law according to the scripture, You shall love your neighbor as yourself (James 2:8). The subjects of the kingdom will be much more than the Church, 2 including all the sinless creatures of this world 3 and of the uncountable worlds throughout the universe who in their own simple or complex way serve and offer praise to the Sovereign Lord. Throughout the reign of sin they have been suffering along with the human race For we know that the whole creation groans for the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God (Rom. 8:22, 20,21). RULERS OF THE KINGDOM During the time of trouble God s people will learn to be fully dependent upon Him. The characters they will develop during that time will be a convincing witness to the rest of creation that they are fit to be the rulers of the universe that God s word declares that they will be. Within these verses in Romans 8 lies the key to understanding what has been delaying the marriage of the Lamb. All of creation has been waiting for the revealing of the sons of God. God has designed that redeemed mankind will become like Christ and will have dominion over the universe along with Him. As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God and if children, then heirs heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren (Rom. 8:14,17, 29). The fact that the saints will be joint heirs with Christ is all the more awesome when we consider what Christ is inheriting God has spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things (Heb. 1:2). Rev. 21:7 makes it clear that the redeemed will receive the same inheritance He who overcomes shall inherit all things. John heard and saw many angels around the throne and the number of them was ten thousands times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands (Rev. 5:11). But the saints who overcome are not destined to stand around the throne of Christ, but to sit on His throne with Him 4 To Him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne (Rev. 3:21). If we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him (2Tim. 2:11,12). The book of Revelation clearly teaches that the redeemed will reign with Christ, first for a thousand years in heaven (Rev. 2 In fact, most of the Church (in the sense of those who call themselves the Church of Jesus Christ) have been either an active part of Babylon or inextricably attached to the world. 3 The creatures of this world have been marred by sin, but in the kingdom they will be recreated, so that The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain," says the Lord (Isa. 65:25). 4 Many translations of Heb. 2:6-8 indicate that man was only temporarily to be lower than the angels. For example, the New Revised Standard reads, What are human beings that you are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them? You have made them for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned them with glory and honor, subjecting all things under their feet. Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them, but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor. Identical Greek wording for Jesus obviously temporary state lower than the angels and mankind s status shows that just as Jesus was exalted having become so much better than the angels (Heb. 1:4), so will redeemed humanity.

6 20:4) and then forever upon earth when the New Jerusalem and the throne of God are established on the New Earth (Rev. 22:3-5, 5:9,10, 21:1-3). Despite God s promises, mankind has never shown itself fit to reign. Ever since the beginning, Adam and his descendants have been sinning and destroying rather than blessing and nurturing God s creation. Righteousness has been imputed to sinners and eternal life has been granted by grace based upon Christ s perfect life and His atoning death on the cross, but this does not demonstrate their fitness to reign over the universe. However, in the midst of the time of trouble God s people will allow God to fully perfect a Christ-like character within them Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus (Rev. 14:12). It is not that they will try harder and finally get their act together. Victory over sin and perfection of character is as much a gift of God as is repentance and forgiveness, but the conditions and events during the time of trouble will cause God s people to seek His grace and submit to Him as never before. This is the meaning of the Rev. 19:8, His wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Imputed righteousness is based on the righteous acts of Christ, but imparted righteousness is demonstrated through the righteous acts of the saints and it is these acts of righteousness which show that the church has finally made herself ready to reign with Christ. This also makes it possible for Babylon to be destroyed. Babylon is not some evil entity that is so powerful that God could not protect His people from her. The Lord Himself has used His enemies to chasten and punish his people in order to bring them to repentance. 5 What this punishment really amounts to is that the Lord does not continue to protect His people when they persistently reject Him. Laodicea, the church just before the time of trouble, offers the ultimate form of rejection lukewarm indifference, and God allows Babylon the Great to rise up against her. But Laodicea s experience will be like Israel s experience with Babylon when they rejected God. The Lord has sent to you all His servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, but you have not listened, nor inclined your ear to hear. They said, Repent now everyone of his evil way and his evil doings yet you have not listened to Me, says the Lord Because you have not heard My words, behold I will send the king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land (Jer. 25:4-9). However, oppression by Babylon brings God s people to their senses. In those days and in that time says the Lord, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, with continual weeping they shall come, and seek the Lord their God. They shall ask the way to Zion, with their faces toward it, saying, Come and let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that will not be forgotten (Jer. 50:4,5). In response to their repentance God calls them to come out of Babylon so that they will not be harmed in the destruction He will bring against her. Move from the midst of Babylon, go out of the land of the Chaldeans for behold, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great nations (vs. 9,10). The redemption of God s people, although painful for them, has been perfect The iniquity of Israel shall be sought, but there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, but they shall not be found; For I will pardon those whom I preserve (v.20). 5 For example, Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord s hand (Jer. 51:7). I will send and take all the families of the north says the Lord, and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land (Jer. 25:9). The Lord will bring the king of Assyria upon you and your people The Lord will whistle for the fly that is in the farthest part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria The Lord will shave with a hired razor, with those from beyond the River, with the king of Assyria Assyria, the rod of My anger and the staff in whose hand is My indignation. I will send him against an ungodly nation, and against the people of My wrath (Isa. 7:17,18,20, 10:5,6).

7 19:9,10 THE MARRIAGE SUPPER The marriage supper takes place just after the Second Coming when all who will be saved, both the living and those resurrected, will sit down together with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. This will include those who have accepted the gospel message as well as those who have responded to the promptings of the Holy Spirit even though they have never heard the name of Jesus. But all must have lived up to the light they received. Then He said to me, Write: Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb! And he said to me, These are the true sayings of God. And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Rev. 19:9,10). The marriage of the Lamb is not the same as the marriage supper. In Jesus parable the servants wait for the master to return from the wedding, and then they eat together (amazingly, the master serves the servants!) (Luke 12: 35-40). The parallel to the wedding, the receiving of the kingdom, takes place in heaven while the saints are still on earth being oppressed and persecuted (Dan. 7:13,14, 15-27). The marriage supper comes later, after Christ returns, when many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 8:11). This verse gives a clue as to who will be present at the feast. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob represent those of God s people throughout the ages who believed God s promises and will be saved because of their faith, either in the Savior to come or the Savior who has come. Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness Those who are of faith are sons of Abraham So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham (Gal. 3:6-9). Some have taught that only those who believe in the name of Jesus will be saved, quoting Peter s words to the Jewish rulers who had arrested him for healing a lame man, Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised form the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:10-12). But the fact that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will be saved (not to mention the long list of faithful in Hebrews 11) shows that believing in the name of Jesus simply means believing in Jesus, whether one has heard His name or not. Since God is One, when the Father sends the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus it is the same as sending Jesus Himself. Although the Holy Spirit was sent with special power and a new ministry after the resurrection of Christ, He has been sent (in the name of Jesus) to all people at all times, 6 and many have responded to Him. Besides the Biblical men and women of faith another class is mentioned many will come from east and west (and the parallel passage in Luke 13:29 includes those from the north and the south). In other words, God has His people everywhere. In the Bible the east includes such peoples as the Moabites, Edomites, and Midianites, 7 the west is the land of the 6 Many scriptures show that the Holy Spirit was very active in Old Testament times, for example, Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me (Ps. 51:10,11). Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? (Ps. 139:7). I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statues (Eze. 36:26,27). See also Gen. 6:3, Ex. 31:3, Num. 11:24-29, 14:24, 24:2, 27:18, Deut. 34:9, 1Sam. 10:1-11, 16:11-13, 19:20-24, 2Ki.2:9-15, 1Chron. 12:18, 2Chron. 15:1,2, 20:14-17, 24:20, Neh. 9;19,20,30, Job 33:3,4, Ps. 106:32,33, 143:10, Prov. 1;22,23, 20:27, Is. 30:1, 44:1-5, 48;16, 59:21, 63:9-12, Eze. 3:24, 11:5, 39:28,29, Dan. 5:11, Mic. 2:7, 3:8, Hag. 2:4,5, Zech. 4:6, 7:12. 7 Isa. 11:14, Jud. 6:3.

8 Philistines, Tyre and Greece 8, to the North are the Assyrians, Babylonians, Gog and Magog and the king of the North, 9 and to the south are Sodom, Egypt, the Amalekites, and the king of the South. 10 These are peoples who have been the traditional enemies of God s people, outside of the promises and covenants, and yet God will consider where they were born, the circumstances of their lives, and how they have responded to the moving of His Spirit. I will make mention of Rahab (Egypt) and Babylon to those who know Me; Behold, O Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia: This one was born there The Lord will record, when He registers the peoples, This one was born there (Ps.87:4,6). Indeed, the parable of the wedding feast indicates that it will be these from the highways and hedges who will fill the banquet hall rather than the more favored who were invited. 11 A certain king arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding, and they were not willing to come (Matt. 22:2,3). The invitation may have involved being born into a Christian family or community, or being given a persuasive gospel invitation. But the response of many of these invited ones shows that the kingdom was not their priority They were not willing to come, some being involved in accumulating material goods and business, others with social interactions and some, being offended, attacked the servants who delivered the invitation. 12 Their rejection disqualified them from being a part of the marriage supper None of those men who were invited shall taste my supper (Luke 14:24). Next the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind were invited those who had enough problems that they recognized their need. The Apostle Paul pointed out this dynamic For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things the base things the things which are despised that no flesh should glory in His presence (1Cor. 1:26-31). However, no matter where they were found, even from the highways and hedges, all had to pass inspection. But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, Friend, 13 how did you come in here without a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, take him away and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen (Matt. 22:11-14). The requirement of the wedding garment brings the parable full circle back to Rev. 19 To her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Christ forgives us freely, having borne our sins on the cross, but He never leaves us as we are, for this is the will of God, your sanctification (1Thess.4:3). Sanctification is not a matter of trying to be good ; it is God s initiative, His power and His grace which makes it possible. On the other hand, it does not happen automatically; we must allow Him to do this work, and this will feel like we are trying as hard as we possibly can to do what is right. This is expressed in such scriptural admonitions as submit to God. Resist the devil (James 4:7). Strive to enter through the narrow gate (Luke 13:24). Be even more diligent to make your call and election sure (2 Pet. 1:10). Make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Him (2 Pet.. 3:14). The balance is found in Paul s admonition, Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in 8 Isa. 11:14, Dan. 8:5,21. 9 Jer. 25:9, Eze. 16:46, 30:2,14,15, Zeph. 2:13, Dan. 11: Eze. 16:46, Gen. 13:1,3, Num. 13:29, Dan. 11: Luke 14:15-24, Matt. 22: Luke 14:18-20, Matt. 22: The king still considered him to be His friend, even though he was disqualified to partake of the wedding supper!

9 you both to will and to do for His good pleasure (Phil. 2:12,13). Jesus said, Without Me you can do nothing, but Paul insists, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 14 Righteousness by faith means that both justification and sanctification are God s work, which He accomplishes through faith in Him and in His word. The phrase, To her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen shows that holiness is a gift just as much as is righteousness. Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish (Eph. 5:25-27). Those who have lived in darkness, without the Church or God s Word, immersed in false teaching (in other words, God s people in Babylon) will not have known much of the will of God, but that which they have known through the Spirit will be required of them. And those who have lived in the light of the Word and the Church have an even higher standard. That servant who knew his master s will and did not prepare himself or do according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more (Luke 12:47,48). The stripes (blows or beatings) take place in this life as a small part of the school or discipline God has designed for each of His children to grow up to the fullness that He desires for him. If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Heb. 12:7, Eph. 4:13). This is the work God is doing in His saints, and when He has finished His work He will come to take them to the feast Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb! 19:11-13 CHRIST ON A WHITE HORSE The Second Coming of Christ is one of the most prominent themes of scripture, the blessed hope of all believers. But His coming will be especially welcome by His people at the very end, who will be on the verge of being exterminated by Satan and his Babylon followers. Even after all they have suffered during the Time of Trouble, the ungodly will still be fighting against Christ until the end, showing that they could never be happy in His kingdom. Now I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God (Rev. 19:11-13). In chapter four John saw a door standing open in heaven and was able to witness events taking place in the heavenly sanctuary (the beginning of the great Day of Atonement). This time heaven itself is opened the events there are finished, and Jesus, no longer as a Lamb, but as a man of war is leading a very visible invasion. His name, Faithful and True, is the same name that He used when he rebuked the Laodicean church, the last church before the time of trouble. He counseled them to buy from me gold white garments and eyesalve, in other words, to get serious about their faith, righteousness and spiritual discernment (See 3:18 Buy From Me). Although the time of trouble brought about a major shakeout, the remnant became God s faithful witnesses and gave the final message, which called the great multitude out of Babylon. Enraged, the unholy trinity gathered the kings of the earth to the battle of that great day of God Almighty 15 in a final effort to exterminate the people of God. But Jesus will not 14 John 15:5, Phil. 4: Rev. 16:14.

10 abandon His people. Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him (Heb. 9:28). The return of Christ in glory is the precious and often ignored promise that fills the scriptures. Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied saying, Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all (Jude 14,15). Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent; a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous all around Him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that He may judge His people (Ps.50:3-5). All the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Matt. 24:30). I will come again John (14:3). He will appear a second time (Heb. 9:28). Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ (Tit. 2:13). These are just a small fraction of the verses which speak of the coming of Christ in glory. In chapter 6:2, Christ rode into the world on a white horse conquering and to conquer and a crown was given to Him, the stefanos crown of victory. Now the victory has been won and on His head were many crowns, but these are the diadema crowns of rulership and authority. Now is the fulfillment of the announcement in 11:15, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever! The robe dipped in blood is an image from Isa. 63 which shows that Jesus is not making a courtesy call when He returns. I have trodden them in My anger, and trampled them in My fury; their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, and I have stained all My robes. For the day of vengeance is in My heart (Isa. 63:3,4). His name is called the Word of God. The second person of the Trinity humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross (Phil. 2:8), and throughout the book of Revelation Jesus has been represented as the Lamb. However, at His coming His name emphasizes the fact that He is the Eternal God In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made (John 1:1-3). Now He is returning to claim that which is His own. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses (Rev. 19:14). At first glance it would seem that these are the angels coming with Christ from heaven. But the fact that they are clothed in fine linen, white and clean is a reference to verse 8 where the angel explained that to her (the wife of the Lamb) it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. The wife of the Lamb was identified as the whole kingdom of God, and will certainly include the angels but will also includes the saints, who are on earth waiting for their husband (Jesus). In chapter 7 it was seen that the saints, who have come out of the great tribulation and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night 16 even as they endure the time of trouble. In chapter 14 these same saints are shown again having an in heaven while still on earth experience as they follow the Lamb wherever He goes (v. 4). They have been following Jesus by faith, but now as He comes they follow Him by sight as He turns the tables on their foes, who have been poised to strike against them. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS (Rev. 19:15,16). Ruling with a rod of iron is an image taken from Ps. 2. Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His anointed, saying, Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their 16 Rev. 7:14,15.

11 cords from us (Ps. 2:1-3). This verse exposes the underlying attitude which makes it impossible for the kings and rulers of this world system to be a part of the kingdom: they are unwilling to submit to the King of kings. To them the kingdom principles of loving God and neighbor are bonds and cords which would gall them forever; there is no alternative except the rod of iron You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter s vessel (v. 9). The fatal power of sin over the lives of those who will not submit to God is shown by the incredible fact that even after all that the ungodly have experienced through the time of trouble and particularly the seven last plagues, they are still fighting against God until the bitter end. 19:17-21 THE SUPPER OF THE BIRDS The antichrist, known in Revelation as the beast, will lead a great alliance to try to destroy God s people. But with the Second Coming of Christ the Babylon system will be overthrown and its followers destroyed. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great (Rev. 19:17,18). What a pathetic contrast there is between the marriage supper of the Lamb (v.9) and the supper of the great God! In the former, many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 8:11 NIV). The Master will gird himself and have them sit down to eat and will come and serve them (Luke 12:37). In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore (Ps. 16:11). However, for those who have stubbornly refused the offer there is only the fearsome prospect of being themselves the main course for the birds and beasts who will feast on them. Their final fate shows that in its eternal results sin is the great equalizer. In this life there is a vast gulf between the honor and homage bestowed upon kings, captains, and mighty men and the contempt and dishonor shown to slaves. But they will all be equal in the bellies of the birds. And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army (Rev. 19:19). This verse is linked directly to Rev. 16:13, 14, I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth, and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of the great day of God Almighty. This is the battle of Armageddon, the final attempt to exterminate God s people (See 16:16 The Battle of Armageddon). However, in making war against the saints, they are actually making War against Him who sat on the horse, in other words against Jesus, the One who said, Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me (Matt. 25:40). Jesus never told His followers to defend themselves to the contrary, He taught that we are to turn the other cheek, and He told Peter, Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword (Matt. 5:39, 26:52). Paul counseled, Do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay says the Lord (Rom. 12:19). Now the day has come for the Lord to answer the prayer of the souls under the altar who cried out, How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth? (Rev. 6:10). Now Jesus, who has been despised and rejected, is coming, and the lawless one and his followers will be consumed by the breath of His mouth and destroyed with the brightness of His coming (2Thess. 2:8). Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who

12 worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone (Rev. 19:20). As was pointed out in chapters 11:7-10 and 17:6-8, the beast in his final manifestation is not just an antichrist political system, but is an actual manifestation of Satan as he carries out his final deception by pretending to be Christ. Apparently Satan will fully possess a human being and appear as the lawless one who, according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders will deceive those who perish (2 Thess. 2:9,10). He is the last of the series of eight final kings of Babylon the Great the beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition (Rev. 17:11). The false prophet is the miracle-working leader of the American Church-state alliance (See 16:13 The Unholy Trinity). These two have been the heads of the final one-world government which unites during the time of trouble and seeks to enforce the worship of the beast system through the mark and number of the beast. But now these two are the first fruits of those who will be destroyed in the lake of fire. 19:21 THE SECOND COMING Although this passage focuses on the destruction of the wicked that will occur at the Second Coming of Christ, other passages of scripture inform us of the signs in the heavens and the destruction on the earth that will take place, as well as the resurrection of the dead, the transformation of the bodies of the living righteous, and the gathering of all the saints to Jesus in the air. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh (Rev. 19:21). Although the focus of these verses is on the destruction of the wicked, it should not be forgotten that this is the Second Coming of Christ, which is the event that the Church has been waiting for ever since He went to heaven and promised to return. The angel at His ascension promised, This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven (Acts 1:11), in other words, personally and visibly. Jesus Himself promised, As the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will be coming of the Son of Man be (Matt. 24:27). He then mentioned the supper of the birds For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles (or vultures as a number of translations read) will be gathered together (v. 28). Jesus listed the physical signs which will accompany His coming: Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken (v. 29). In Luke He adds, On the earth distress of nations with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring (Luke 21:25). John in Rev. 6 mentions these same signs and adds, There was a great earthquake and every mountain and island was moved out of its place (Rev. 6:12-14). Jesus concludes, Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, 17 and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other (Matt. 24: 29-31). Paul describes the same event in 1 Thess. 4:16,17: For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God. And the 17 John described this mourning in Rev. 6:15, The kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! This verse describes exactly the same group (kings of the earth etc.) who were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, showing that these two passages are describing the same event, the coming of Christ.

13 dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (1 Cor. 15:52). Thus even though the details are not spelled out in Rev. 19, we can see from these other verses of scripture that at this point in the timeline 1) The kings of the earth and the rest who have rejected God will be gathered against God s people, 2) Signs will appear in the sun, moon and stars and there will be chaotic shaking of the heavens, roaring of the sea, and a tremendous earthquake, 3) The sign of Jesus coming will be followed by Jesus Himself coming on the clouds with His angels, 4) The wicked will be destroyed by the brightness of His coming, 5) The dead in Christ will be resurrected, 6) They along with the living righteous will be given new, incorruptible bodies and will be gathered by the angels to be with Jesus. This will be the day when Jesus fulfills His promise to His followers, Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also (John 14:1-3). As the time of the Second Coming approaches there will be an accelerating of events that will finally become an earth-shattering blur as the final, momentous acts of God fall one after another (see chart that follows). Now, as the world teeters on the brink of eternity, is the time to make sure we are ready. Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you (Rev. 3:3).

14 1 AD 1000 AD 2000 AD Crucifixion Pentecost Apostles Persecution Imperial Church Compromise Papacy Dark Ages Protestant Reformation Deadly Wound Investigative Judgment 3 Angel s Messages Sealing of 144,000 Trumpet Plagues Appearance of the Beast Final Appeal Mark of the Beast Close of Probation 7 Last Plagues 2000 BC 1000 BC 1 AD Abraham Israel to Egypt Exodus Tabernacle Entered Canaan Judges Kings Temple Babylonian Captivity Return From Exile Jesus Born 4000 BC 3000 BC 2000 BC Creation Enoch Translated Flood Tower of Babel ACCELERATING TOWARD THE SECOND COMING Second Coming of Christ